Kerry Clare

Writer, Kerry Clare discusses the impact that the toddler time programme, led by children's librarian Joanne Schwartz, has had on her children and on motherhood. Kerry is also the editor of 49th Shelf and teaches The Art of Blogging at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Her debut novel, Mitzy Bytes, will be published by Harpercollins Canada in early 2017.

 "This isn't an ordinary building and I love that my children take for granted that this is just a place in their lives. Their world is so much more magical because they walk in the doors, past those griffons. And we discover the secret animals hidden there...And I think that's actually a really interesting metaphor for a library. You're never done reading, you never know everything..."

"The greatest thing about her [Joanne Schwartz] is that she talks to children like they're people...She doesn't talk to children any differently than she talks to adults and I love that. And I think children appreciate being respected that way."

 "It's full of stories, not just the books. But every family, the families that come here, it's an incredibly important part of their lives."