THE SHOW

Host Ainara Alleyne is a 15-year-old Afro-Latina Canadian whose Instagram feed, AinarasBookshelf, has amassed over 9,500 followers. Ainara launched her Instagram account to feature diverse books with diverse stories after noticing a lack of kid books from underrepresented communities at her school and local library. The web and television series Ainara's Bookshelf is inspired by her Instagram account, and is available to stream across Canada on the TVOkids website, YouTube channel and smart TV app. Outside of Canada, you can stream it on marbleKids.

Ainara’s Bookshelf introduces tween viewers to middle-grade books that give visibility to literary works featuring voices, characters, and points of views from underrepresented communities.  

In the series, Ainara welcomes viewers into her modern book loft where she shares her favorite books and offers her trademark, straight-to-camera monologue as she gives viewers a synopsis of her chosen book, describes the characters and their conflicts - no spoilers, though. She also gives her opinion about who might enjoy the book, what ages the story will likely appeal to, and why she thinks it’s an important piece of work.

Some authors featured include Newbery Medal winner Jerry Craft (New Kid and Class Act), New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Claribel A. Ortega (Witchlings), award-winning Indigenous writer David A. Robertson (The Barren Grounds, The Great Bear, and The Stone Child), and acclaimed Canadian author Lawrence Hill (Beatrice and Croc Harry and Book of Negroes).