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As the Lunar New Year began, I rode my Fire Horse into a new role at The Children’s Book Bank, a charity that provides free books and free literacy programmes to children, their caregivers and their educators. CBB operates from four different locations (or “book banks”) across the city: Regent Park, Sherbourne, Jane and Finch, and Morningside. This is the view of one of the two spaces that I manage, just before we open in the morning and after we close at the end of the day, an oasis of calm, wonder and joy, filled with books, books and more books, all waiting to find homes in the beating hearts of young readers. To find out more about what we do, visit our website or follow us on Instagram!
January 28, 2026
A new start at The Children’s Book Bank
If I can create a mirror for even one child in the world, I will have accomplished something meaningful
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"Maureen was agile, warm, brilliantly organized - a joy to speak with"
"I was stunned at how much time and thought she had put into preparing ...and then how spontaneous, fun and thoughtful she was as our conversations unfolded. Helping to organise the Hong Kong Literary Festival in 2023, Maureen was as professional, kind and engaging as any such host i've ever known, and as a writer herself - as well as so many other things - she brought more to our interactions than I had any reason to expect. "
Pico Iyer, Author
© Derek Shapton
"What Maureen did on our days was the first of its kind"
"She showed our senior elementary girls how refreshing it is to read stories where the contexts are relatable, and the characters look like them and carry some of the same emotions as they do. To be seen and heard in a diverse world is comforting.
Maureen’s hands-on techniques were engaging and facilitated meaningful interaction during the workshop. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the sessions.
English Dept. Head
"Thank you for telling us that we should put down our phones and not be imprisoned by our phones.
"Nowadays actually many people use their phones all the time and never put it down, also I am one. After listening to you, I think I would like to try a day without my phone, and I can already foresee many new experiences in my ‘daily’ life
Secondary School Student
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Read my musings as a Malaysian writer, wandering the earth, listening to the universe and writing the stories behind my photographs.
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