Special week dedicated to celebrating literacy and introducing young
    readers to the magic of books begins November 17th

    TORONTO, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) and
TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) are celebrating the 30th anniversary of TD
Canadian Children's Book Week from November 17-24 with a host of activities
planned at schools, libraries and community centres across Canada. As part of
TD Canadian Children's Book Week, nearly half a million copies of The Zlooksh
by renowned children's author Dominique Demers and illustrated by well-known
Quebec illustrator Fanny will soon be in the hands of grade one students
courtesy of TD.
    "Reading - whether alone or with a parent - is not only critical in the
development of a child's imagination, but also in many of the skills required
to live a happy and productive life," said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD
Bank Financial Group and TD's literacy champion. "TD Canadian Children's Book
Week is a wonderful way of encouraging our kids to learn and discover."
    Since TD became the title sponsor of Canadian Children's Book Week in
2000, the Bank has provided more than four million books to grade one students
across Canada.

    Facts on TD Canadian Children's Book Week:

    -   Since its inception in 1977, TD Canadian Children's Book Week has
        provided children aged five to 17 with tools and materials to help
        develop a joy and interest in reading.
    -   To celebrate the 30th anniversary, 30 authors, illustrators and
        storytellers will take part in a national tour to promote the magic
        of reading and the importance of literacy.
    -   Book Week tour activities will be held in over 175 communities and
        will be attended by more than 40,000 children, parents, teachers,
        librarians and booksellers.
    -   This year's theme is 'The Magic of Books."
    -   For more information on the participating authors and their programs
        visit www.bookweek.ca.

    This is the first time a Québec publisher's book has been chosen for the
national giveaway program. The Zlooksh is a charming story about a young boy
named Zachary who, when asked by his teacher to draw a picture of his
favourite animal, uses his imagination to create an animal that can't be found
in a zoo. Thanks to translator Sarah Cummins, The Zlooksh is now available to
English-language readers. TD is also sending 2,000 copies of The Zlooksh on CD
to visually impaired students, schools for the blind, the CNIB library and to
various public libraries across Canada.
    "Being able to provide every grade one student with a new book is a
critical component in our quest to open up the world of reading to children,"
said Charlotte Teeple, executive director, CCBC. "We're proud to partner with
TD to reinforce the importance of reading to so many Canadian children and we
hope The Zlooksh is just one of many adventures they enjoy throughout the
school year."
    Last month, TD and the CCBC recognized Canadian children's authors with
the third annual TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards. Sarah Ellis's Odd
Man Out was awarded the most distinguished English-language book and André
Leblanc's L'Envers de la chanson: des enfants au travail, 1850-1950 was the
winner of the most distinguished French-language book. Each author was awarded
$20,000, one of the largest prizes for children's literature in Canada.

    About TD Community Giving: Making a Difference Together

    Children's health, literacy and education, and the environment are the
three primary areas of focus for TD's community giving. The major flagship
programs within these areas are: TD Children's Hospital Fund, TD Friends of
the Environment Foundation and the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, TD
Canadian Children's Book Week, TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community
Leadership, and the TD Summer Reading Club. In addition, through the support
of our customers and employees, TD is involved with a host of national,
regional and local programs in support of diversity, arts and culture and
other causes. In 2006, TD donated $33 million to more than 1,600 charities and
not-for-profit organizations across Canada.

    About the Canadian Children's Book Centre (www.bookcentre.ca)

    A national not-for-profit organization and registered charity, the
Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) was founded in 1976 to promote, support
and encourage the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for
children and teens. With book collections and extensive resources in five
cities across Canada, the CCBC is a treasure-trove for anyone interested in
Canadian books for young readers.

    /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: Photos accompanying this release are available on
    the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
    Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
    website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
    members of the media/

For further information: Sandra Chiovitti, Andrea Farnell, Porter
Novelli Canada for TDBFG, (416) 422-7170, (416) 422-7162,
sandra.chiovitti@porternovelli.com, andrea.farnell@porternovelli.com