Andrew Larsen

ANDREW LARSEN is the author of several highly acclaimed picture books, including A Squiggly Story, Charlie’s Dirt Day and In the Tree House, which won the 2014 Canadian Children’s Literature Award People’s Choice. Sometimes Andrew goes looking for stories and sometimes stories come looking for him. Andrew was born in Montreal and lived there until he was 12. He has also lived in Halifax, Ottawa and London, England. As a young boy, Andrew dreamed of being a hockey player. His first job was delivering newspapers to the houses in his neighborhood. He has had many jobs over the years, but once he started a family, Andrew discovered his true calling: he became a stay-at-home dad and started writing stories. He still loves to skate. Andrew spends his days cooking, cleaning, daydreaming and writing. He often visits schools and libraries, where he encourages children to discover their own stories. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.

The Man Who Loved Libraries is a picture book biography of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. When he was a child in the 1840s, Carnegie and his working-class family immigrated to America from Scotland. Carnegie worked hard at the height of the Industrial Revolution, and invested in railroads, eventually becoming the richest man in the world during his time. Carnegie believed strongly in sharing his wealth, and funded the construction of over 2,500 public libraries around the world. His philanthropy completely revolutionized public libraries, which weren’t widespread at the time. Many Carnegie libraries still operate today!

A useful way of teaching “that we can all make a real difference when we choose to give back”, The Man Who Loved Libraries is charmingly illustrated with an educational yet fun style.

Ages: 4 – 8
Grades: K – 3

Summer vacation is starting, and soon-to-be-sixth-grader Henry is facing two months of boredom. Not only can he feel himself “being pulled by the gravitational force of nothingness” — his best friend, Max, who may not even be his best friend anymore, is going away to camp. Things start looking up, however, when Henry finds out he’ll be dog-sitting his grandfather’s dog, Rupert. That is, until the day he brings Rupert to the park, where Henry does something irresponsible. Something with real consequences. And suddenly Henry would give anything to go back to the nothingness. Can Henry make things right? Or has he turned into the dingus Max said he shouldn’t be?

Ages: 9 – 12
Grades: 4 – 7

A young boy doesn’t want to go to bed. The hockey game is on! And he’s worried he won’t be able to fall asleep. After his parents have tucked him in and turned out the light, he decides he’ll listen to the hockey game on a radio placed under his pillow. With the familiar drone of the announcer’s voice for company, the boy drifts off to sleep. And there he is on the ice playing for his favorite team — and scoring the winning goal! 

Ages: 3 – 7
Grades: K – 2