6 Classic Book Series that Children Will Love

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When you first have kids or your friends and family start having kids, there’s always this desire to get your children into the things that you love. Books are not immune to this desire. There are so many great classic book series for children that it can be hard to choose which ones to introduce them to. As much as we might want to have our kids jump into Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia, sometimes it might seem like an impossible task. My baby brother (currently 11) would still rather go back and read Diary of a Wimpy Kid rather than anything new. So I learned to get crafty and find ways to get him to read.

The best way to get someone to read though is to find books that they like. It sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done. But! There are some universally good books and in this list, I practically guarantee that there will be at least one classic book series for children that they’ll love. This list will only cover classic book series for kids (here’s a list for some more adult books). So that means any book that’s standalone won’t be counted or if it’s a newer release like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I’m not counting it either.

As always, please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you’re interested in buying the books, please consider clicking on them! They help keep the lights on.

All set? Let’s go!

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The Best Online Stores for Fountain Pens and Inks in Canada

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Anyone who’s been my friend through this long and turbulent last couple years knows that fountain pens are my new obsession. I’ve always loved bookish things and stationary, but always thought that fountain pens were for calligraphy. Boy, was I wrong. Now I use them every day and have a beautiful collection of inks that I use as well. Picking up and writing with these pens is an absolute joy. I used to think that having fountain pens would break the bank for me, but I was wrong on that too. There are plenty of affordable options for both pens and inks. You can spend as much or as little as you want.

Trust me, I’ve been eyeing some of those upscale Sailor Pens and I would have killed for a Montblanc Little Prince pen, but I’ve found other pens that I love just as much.

But where can you buy fountain pens and inks in Canada? They’re not mainstream enough that you can walk into just any store.

Actually… You can find Lamy pens in Indigo right now or if you want something less than $10, Indigo is also has Platinum Preppys in stock.

If you want to keep things simple, I’ve made a list of the 5 best budget fountain pens at either Indigo or Amazon. Or if you’re right at the beginning of getting started, check out my 5 simple steps for getting started with fountain pens.

But! I’ve found that the best inks and pens are often outside of places like Indigo. The smaller shops that have dedicated themselves to stationary and pens are a great place to look. All of the places in this list are places I have tried ordering from online. My experiences are my own and you may get different mileage, but I hope that it will be helpful for you! Without further ado, here are the best onlines stores for fountain pens in Canada.

As always, please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you’re interested in buying the books, please consider clicking on them! They help keep the lights on.

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The 2 Biggest Problems with I, Gloria Grahame

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The media’s portrayal of children is a hot topic. Netflix was boycotted when it released a movie called Cuties which featured sexualized imagery of children. It started a debate about where is the line between art and acceptable sexualization of minors? For some, there shouldn’t really be a line so long as it’s considered a fictional story. Others say it doesn’t matter if real children aren’t impacted

This argument has been raging on since Lolita was published and likely before it as well. I, Gloria Grahame had me thinking about the argument again. Where is the line? Some would argue that art transcends the need for a line and that putting limits on expression is censorship (I disagree for the record) while others would say that we need to have strict, unimpeachable guidelines for fiction (I disagree with this as well). Like most things, the answer likely lies somewhere in between.

There’s so much potential with the premise of the novel. It just can’t get past its two major problems. The first, is the sexualization of minors and the second? A fight against wokeness that ends up pushing the boundaries of being anti-diversity.

Let’s get one thing straight. I, Gloria Grahame doesn’t feel vindictive like Consensual Hex or even softly vindictive like Shine is. The novel also has better writing than either of those.

The Set-up for I, Gloria Grahame

For context, I, Gloria Grahame is a novel by Sky Gilbert that I happened upon while looking at the new book section at the library. I was thrilled when I found the book. A new queer novel described as “a scandalous, humorous novel about taboo desires and repression”. It’s about a gay professor named Denton Moulton who has a rich fantasy life as Gloria Grahame, the old time cinema starlet who got wrapped up in a scandal.

I was so excited to start reading it and then the first two pages were about Gloria Grahame beginning to lust after her 13 year old stepson. It’s surrounded by protestations of no, she shouldn’t, she shouldn’t do this, but that doesn’t change the fact that Gloria stays. She lingers and watches her stepson while he’s sleeping naked, letting him replace her husband in her mind.

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