Staff Reviews

Staff Reviews

Kids / YA Review October 2026

The Dog Heist by Dani Jansen

Dani Jansen’s first book – The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life - made me laugh out loud. I promised myself to read her next book, which is The Dog Heist.

The Dog Heist is about more than stealing Lyra the dog: it is the intricate story of two tweens, Valery and Caleb, who navigate the complexities of life, friendship, social responsibility, and learn independence. It is also about realizing that sometimes the person you least expect to understand you become exactly the friend you need.

The strength of this book is that it captures the experience of Valery and Caleb who learn the skills necessary to communicate. It’s not easy to get across what you are thinking. We aren’t born brilliant communicators. Learning to communicate is sometimes an awkward process. In The Dog Heist, the parents and teachers in this story, are supportive and helpful mentors, without being didactic. And, oh. The whole, “going-outside-in-a-hurricane-and-finding-your-furious-frightened-parents-waiting-when-you-get-back” scene? Perfect.

Canadian Middle Grade Fiction: pr8591251

This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights by Debbie Fong

Banned Together is a collection of personal essays, short stories, comics, poetry and interviews from 15 diverse authors exploring book bans through multiple perspectives.

Among the collected works is Robin Stevenson’s essay that unpacks her misrepresented book and the ensuing American Supreme Court case about access to 2SLGBTQ books – or the choice to opt out of occasions where 2SLGBTQ materials would be presented.

In another chapter, an author writes about her relationships with two male friends, who felt she overreacted, when she reported a misogynist “joke” that was serious enough to have the perpetrator expelled from university. It’s interesting to see how she associates that experience with the theme. There is a piece by Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir. One of the best aspects of this book is that it offers a list of banned authors and books to support, and other ways youth can protect their right to read. I wonder about using a book like this as the backbone of a book club. It’s humbling and inspiring to read about courage. Authors are amazing. 

YA Fiction Anthology: pr7781981

This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.

Adult Review October 2026

True Crime : a memoir by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Who knew that the first book I’d pick up by Patricia Cornwell wouldn’t be one of the installments in her famous Scarpetta series, but her deeply personal memoir, True Crime?

Cornwell begins her story one winter morning when she wakes up to find her mother burning all of her and her brother's clothing in the living room fireplace, mumbling about the end of times. What follows are a series of tragic stories about her childhood: from being abandoned on Christmas Day by her father; being molested at five years old; living in an abusive foster home while her mother was admitted not once, but twice to a psychiatric hospital; getting admitted to that very same psychiatric hospital for an eating disorder; to being sexually abused as a young adult. Despite her traumatic upbringing, her life story continues as she begins her career working the crime beat at a local newspaper, becoming a volunteer police officer, and finally a technical writer and computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where she recounts how her experiences at the OCME inspired her Scarpetta character and novels.

 Admittedly, the compelling nature of her memoir does take a slight turn after her rise to fame, as Cornwell proceeds to constantly name drop the celebrities and political figures she has come across, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Tom Clancy, Jodie Foster, Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, and more. Despite this, True Crime was still a fascinating read, and while it was my first book by Cornwell, it won’t be my last.
Adult Non-Fiction: pr8327633
This month's adult review was written by Julia Malott, Adult Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.

Fenway Punk : How a Boston Indie Label Scored Big On Baseball’s Greatest Rivalry by Chris Wrenn

I was immediately drawn to Fenway Punk solely by the title, as both baseball and Hardcore are a large part of my personal history.

Interestingly, this is not another detailed account from the mosh pit but the personal history of an ambitious narrator, Chris Wrenn, wrapped around an in-depth account of the Boston Red Sox during the 2000s and entrepreneurial dedication.  At 19 Wrenn, an avid Hardcore fan envisions starting a record label to document Boston’s Hardcore scene, of which he is a member. To front his vision Wrenn begins selling bumper stickers representing both his anti-establishment ethos and the rivalry between Boston and New York, Where the true story begins is after Wrenn distances himself from old friends because they are dangerous and irresponsible, not the expected path for a twenty-something punk, nor is his dedication to squirreling away the profits from the bumper sticker sales that will grow his record company and eventually lead to the creation of three companies: a record company, a tee-shirt company and a printing company. 
Adult Non-Fiction: pr8236525
This month's adult review was written by Mike Clark, Acquisitions Associate at Library Bound.

 

 

 



 

 



 

 

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Category: About

Return Policy

Material purchased from Library Bound that is received by the Library with a production defect, may be returned for a full credit or a no charge replacement.

An order duplicated by Library Bound, or a title that does not fit the Library’s ARP profile, may be returned for a full credit.

Material received by the Library with processing specifications that do not match the Library’s processing profile, may be returned for a full credit or a no charge replacement.

  • Returns must be made within 60 days of the invoice date
  • Authorization from Customer Service is required to return material that is cancelled by the Library


Credits
Library Bound will issue a credit for all acceptable defective material in a timely manner.  Please do not claim a credit or short pay an invoice until LBI has issued the appropriate credit.

Return Authorization Contact Information
Print Material:
LBI East                                                     LBI West                         
Lisa Strome                                               Michael Gray
Print Coordinator                                     Account Executive                 
519-885-3233 x24                                    604-434-5242 x228
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AV Material:
CD Music & Video Games                        DVD Material
Tracy Reid                                                     Anna Kardas    
Music & Video Game Coordinator           DVD Coordinator  
519-885-3233 x29                                       519-885-3233 x30       
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Customer Cancellation Policy

Customers requesting an order cancellation should contact one of the following:

Print & Audiobooks:                                CD Music & Video Games:
Lisa Strome                                                 Tracy Reid
Print Coordinator                                       Music and Video Game Coordinator
1-800-363-4728 x24                                   1-800-363-4728 x29
519-885-3233 x24                                       519-885-3233 x29
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DVD Material:                                           Multilingual Material:
Anna Kardas                                               Sue Clarke
DVD Coordinator                                       Multilingual Selection Specialist
1-800-363-4728 x30                                  1-800-363-4728 x32
519-885-3233 x30                                      519-885-3233 x32
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We will confirm receipt of your request within 2 business days. We will then respond within 5 business days to notify you if the material is eligible for return. 

We can cancel an order if the material has not been shipped from the vendors, and only if we have return privileges with that specific vendor. Special circumstances will be dealt with individually. 

Please note, we have an automatic 12-month back order cancellation date, unless we have been notified of an alternate date by the library. In most cases, material orders in our system that have reached 12-months from the initial order placement date will be automatically cancelled.

To avoid placing a duplicate order, please check the status of your order by contacting one of our Specialists, or by checking your order status on our website.

 

Details
Category: About

Imagine working with an industry leader where excellence and expertise is our standard. With over 100 years of experience in the material wholesale industry, Library Bound has placed a high value on establishing a workplace culture where people are challenged and treated with trust and respect every day.

We are an opportune employer who seeks to find skilled individuals to join our team. Our customers are our top priority and they are entitled to quality products catalogued and processed to the highest standards, and delivered in a timely fashion. It is our job at Library Bound to meet or exceed all the requirements of our customers. At Library Bound, we recognize that our greatest resource is our associates. It is our goal to promote and maintain a work environment that enables associates to function at their highest level. Our colleagues can expect:

  • To be treated fairly and equally
  • To work in an environment without fear of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, marital status, life-threatening disease, or handicap
  • To be hired, promoted, and compensated on the basis of merit
  • To be valued for their ideas and contributions
  • To work in an environment that encourages teamwork and cooperation.


What’s in it for you?

Our workplace culture has a relaxed but results-driven atmosphere. Our team is intelligent, committed to supporting public libraries and hard working. We offer competitive wages and:

  • Health and dental benefits
  • RRSP matching contributions
  • Performance rewards
  • Flex time or compressed workweeks
  • Sick time benefits
  • Personal time off during the holiday season
  • Progressive vacation allowance
  • Discounts on personal material purchases

 

Library Bound is currently hiring in our Processing, Cataloguing, and Print departments.  If you would like to join our team, we welcome you to submit your resume.

Please apply to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  Thank you for your interest in Library Bound.

Details
Category: About

Your Canadian choice for all your library needs  

Library Bound Inc. provides solutions to Canadian library needs. Specializing in print, video, music, audio books, and multilingual products, Library Bound has the materials to create a collection that your patrons will enjoy.

We also provide the services you need to ensure that all your material is shelf-ready. We offer acquisition, cataloguing, processing, and Automatic Release Programs as part of our complete package of services.

Contact us today for more information on how we can meet your specific collection needs.

Details
Category: About

Library Bound works in an environment of mutual respect with our customers and suppliers to deliver quality services at a fair price.  Our primary goal is to provide products and programs that offer competitive choices to Canadian libraries, while ensuring our company’s long-term viability through sound fiscal management and operational efficiency.

Connect With Us Today

Library Bound (LBI) is Canada's premier material supplier to public libraries.  Connect with us to see how we can help through reliable efficiencies and assisted delivery.

 
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