The Forest of Reading: Cultivating a Love of Literacy with Meredith Tutching

More than just a book program, the Forest of Reading® is a movement—inviting young readers from across the country to read, reflect, and vote for their favourite Canadian titles. With a strong emphasis on student voice, diversity in literature, and celebrating Canadian authors and illustrators, this program nurtures a sense of ownership and joy around reading that extends well beyond the classroom. That’s why we’re thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Meredith Tutching, the heart and soul behind this beloved program and Director through the Ontario Library Association. Read on for the inside scoop and to benefit from Meredith’s expert advice on how to participate in the program and festival—and inspire a lifelong love of reading in the process.

At Teachers on Call, our in-person and online tutoring service is always looking to highlight programs that make reading exciting, empowering, and accessible for students. One program we love to spotlight is the Forest of Reading — Canada’s largest recreational reading initiative. Our team also loves how the program introduces children to the concept of voting through book selection—an idea that aligns with our passion for teaching civics education, as highlighted in our recent blog on Empowering Future Voters. In this blog, Meredith shares how the Forest of Reading engages learners of all ages—from English to French language streams—with enriching activities, author interactions, and the electrifying energy of the annual Forest of Reading Festival (lovingly dubbed the “rock concert of reading”). Whether you’re an educator, library professional, or parent, there’s something here for everyone looking to inspire the next generation of readers and storytellers.

Behind the Books: A Chat with Meredith Tutching of the Forest of Reading

For anyone new to the Forest of Reading, can you tell us what it’s all about and what makes it so special?

The Forest of Reading is special in our eyes as it is one of the very few programs in the country that gives all the power to the young readers. Each April close to 150,000 young people vote for their favourite books. It isn’t a jury of adults, or literary types telling us which books are the best. The voters are the readers themselves and they do such an amazing job selecting what is the most enjoyable.

The other piece that makes the Forest of Reading so special is that the program is about reading engagement and reading for fun. It’s not a literary program or an education program where kids write reports on what they have learned. We have activities and resources for educators and library staff to use, but ultimately it is about getting young people excited about reading.

How does the Forest of Reading celebrate Canadian books, authors, illustrators, and publishers—and why is that so important?]

The Forest of Reading is important to the entire book ecosystem in Canada. The program supports Canadian writers, but also supports the Canadian Book Publishing program. The program has an official wholesaler, Tinlids Inc., that works with publishers to get their books into school boards across the country and libraries - ultimately getting them to young readers. All stakeholders are important pieces in the program and we try very hard to ensure that all of them are supported.

The Forest of Reading also offers programs in French. How can students in French-language schools, as well as those in Core French, Extended French, or French Immersion programs, get involved—and can you tell us more about the different French categories available?

Our French language programs are the only ones of their kind in Canada. We offer three programs, Le prix Peuplier, Mélèze and Tamarac. Whether you are at a French language school, French Immersion, Extended French or just a group of parents supporting their child to read in French there is a program for you. 

These lists are selected by educators and library professionals that work with young readers. The majority of these committees are made up of Francophone and Franco-Ontarians and they are keen to showcase the best of Canadian books in French. This program does not accept translations with the hope of ensuring we are having authentic French-Canadian books reaching young people.

Why is the festival known as the “rock concert of reading”? What gives it that electric energy and buzz?

The energy at the Festival is unreal and nothing you would expect for a celebration about books. Young readers are passionate about their favourite books and the Festival allows them the opportunity to cheer and get excited, just like they would for their favourite musician or band. You can see hundreds of kids waving books in their air and screaming at the top of their lungs when their favourite author enters the stage.

Each award ceremony brings all the authors and illustrators to the stage in a parade and they are introduced by their biggest fans! Hundreds of kids apply to be the person who introduces the authors and holds the sign that leads the way. It is a real honour for the authors to get to meet these kids. They always comment that this is a highlight for them, just as much as it is for the readers.

How can schools attend the Forest of Reading Festival? What should educators know about bringing students, and are there virtual options or digital ceremonies available for classes outside the Greater Toronto Area or those unable to attend in person?

This year we will host 5,500 at Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2G8) over 3 days (May 13-15, 2025). The first two days are for four of the English programs (Silver Birch Express, Silver Birch Fiction, Red Maple and White Pine). The third day is dedicated to our French program for le prix Mélèze and le prix Tamarac. It is the best field trip option out there. Kids that come get to see a ceremony, attend workshops/presentations by their favourites, get autographs or visit one of the 20 vendors that are on site. Every kid also walks away with a Free book donated by Canadian Publishers and sponsored by First Book Canada.

But not to worry if you are too far away or can't attend. We offer digital ceremonies for all nine of the programs, hosted by celebrities and all of the authors and illustrators participate. It is a great way for those that want to celebrate in their own community to be able to do so. The ceremonies are released by the Forest on YouTube on May 16th.

What kinds of activities can readers look forward to at the Festival—any special highlights you’d like to share?

The attendees are on site for 4 hours from 10am-2pm. In this time there is no shortage of things to do. We have Forest merchandise and books to purchase, food trucks, a new candy store and prizes that can be won at different vendors. Check out all of the exhibitors on site. There is a Festival DJ on site all day and each ceremony has a warm-up dancer or band to get everyone excited.

Will students and readers get the chance to meet or hear from authors and illustrators? How does that work?

Absolutely! That is a big draw for coming to the Festival. We have over 30 workshops and presentations that happen each year by the nominees. We have caricature drawings this year by nominee, Mei Yu. Every nominee in attendance autographs for an hour so readers can line up to meet their favourites face to face.

Throughout the school year, the Forest of Reading offers high-quality online literacy and reading engagement resources. Can you share how these are used in classrooms, libraries, or even at home?

For the 2025 program we have curated together over 50 virtual offerings. From panel discussion to interviews by young people, we showcase our books and authors so that readers can really get to know these authors. Connecting readers to the creators is an important part of the Forest program.

All of these virtual visits are found on the password portion of the website for registrants of the Forest. Anyone can register from October 1st to June 30th to access all of 500+ activities and 50+ videos.

One of the most exciting parts of the Forest is the chance for readers to vote for their favourite books. How does the voting process work, and what do young readers look forward to most about it?

Voting happens from April 1st to 30th with the ‘official voting’ on April 23rd, World Book Day. Voting happens at the community level and educators, parents and library staff may choose to do it their own way, however the votes can be submitted as a group. We offer ballot, voting summaries and polling station signs on the password portion of the site and guidelines, but ultimately, we ask educators to run the voting process the way that best suits their community. We encourage readers to read 5 of 10 books (8 of 10 for picture books), but ultimately it is those running the program that know their readers the best.

How do you hope the Forest of Reading program will inspire the next generation of readers, creators, and storytellers across Canada?

The Forest of Reading committees select each year what is being published in Canada. We have seen an exciting change with respect to representation in books and we want all young readers to be exposed to the great books we have in Canada. Like Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop once said books should be like mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. The Forest of Reading is where young people see reflections of themselves while exploring new worlds.

We hope that educators and library professionals will continue to spread the word about the Forest of Reading and the power that the kids have to vote.

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At Teachers on Call, we believe in spotlighting programs that inspire a lifelong love of reading—and the Forest of Reading does exactly that. By empowering students to choose and celebrate their favourite Canadian books, this initiative helps young readers see themselves in stories, while exploring new voices and perspectives. 

We’ve also had the privilege of connecting with several Forest of Reading–nominated authors through our Hooked on Books series, where we dive deeper into the writing process and what makes these stories so impactful. From coast to coast, this year’s Forest of Reading nominees shine a spotlight on Canadian talent, with authors from Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Toronto, Waterloo, Charlottetown, and more communities. From our recent interviews with talents like Wali Shah, Heather Smith, and Joel A Sutherland, it’s clear that the passion behind these books is as powerful as the readers who champion them. If you haven’t checked them out yet, we invite you to explore the series and join us in celebrating the incredible community behind Canada’s largest literary festival for young readers.

Photography credit: Tracey Biel