Some traditions may have been around for generations. I still make my great grandmother’s stuffing every year. Other traditions slowly evolve over the years. From the time my oldest daughter was born, each year my mom would give us all a new pair of pajamas to open on Christmas Eve.

It is now my practice on Christmas Eve to make a simple dinner of tourtiere, potatoes, salad and homemade doughnuts in honour of my husband’s French-Canadian grandma.

Whether we are together or apart, my mom still makes sure we all have our Christmas Eve pajamas.

Years ago, I also began getting a new book and treats for everyone to open that evening after dinner. This all sets the scene for a relaxing and cozy night at home.

One thing I have loved about living in different provinces is discovering all the local businesses, artists and artisans in each new place. Since being in Saskatchewan, I have been thrilled to discover lots of great writers for readers of all ages.

Jessica Williams is a children’s author from Swift Current. Her first book, Mama’s Cloud, explores the topic of mental illness in a gentle, age-appropriate way for young children. The illustrations are stunning and complement the soft feel of this book. Her latest work, Sleeping Brilliant, is a modern take on an old fairytale, princesses, with elements of STEM.

Alice Kuipers of Saskatoon writes for both younger children and teens. I have enjoyed her Violet and Victor picture books for younger children. Her Polly Diamond books, and World’s Worst Parrot are fun options for junior fiction.

Though published over a decade ago, I love the concept of her young adult story Life on the Refrigerator Door, which tells a story in a series of post-it notes between a mother and daughter left on the fridge. Newer young adult titles she has released include Me and Me, and The Death of Us.

Kristine Scarrow lives in Saskatoon and writes for a young adult audience. Though I haven’t read her works, when I reached out to writer and librarian friends, her name kept coming up. Recommendations included The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl, and The 11th Hour.

Miriam Korner lives in Northern Saskatchewan with her husband and 12 sled dogs. For young teens who like novels about animals and adventure, her books are a good choice. Yellow Dog and Qaqavii are both fast-paced stories about kids, dogs and life in the north. She has picture books for younger children as well.

Arthur Slade of Saskatoon has lots of titles to choose from, including graphic novels, middle grade fiction and young adult fiction. His book The Hunchback Assignments was the winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. His novel Dust won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. If you have a teen who likes dragons and fantasy, this would be a good author to check out.

I find that though my children are grown, I still enjoy children and young adult books. Many classics I read repeatedly. I also have fun finding new writers. Above is just a small sampling of writers this province has to offer.

-Denise Leduc