With kids out of school for the February break, there is no shortage of activity for them to take in at the Moose Jaw Public Library.

The inaugural I Read Canadian Day takes place on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in conjunction with Festival of Words and Palliser Regional Library.

It will feature readings from local poet Robert Currie and local children’s author Melanie McFarlane. Children’s library Tina Dolcetti explains the importance of reading Canadian literature.

“Who knew we have such an impressive array of homegrown talent that is just as great as the American authors south of the border,” Dolcetti said. “You can read, you can laugh, you can have mysteries, you can find it all here in Canada too.”

Author Eric Walters came up with the idea of I Read Canadian Day to promote literature in this country.

“He found that the best-seller lists in Canada often mirrored the best-seller lists in the States,” Dolcetti said. “He thought it was really, really important for us to learn about what exists here in Canada.”

Admission is free to the I Read Canadian Day events.

The week will kick off with a Lego workshop on Tuesday, a robotics workshop on Wednesday and Thursday morning will be a Dance Blast. Registration is required for the workshops.

Library social media co-ordinator Kim Churko said the children’s library is a great place for kids to be kids.

“We encourage them to explore and discover and be children, be who they are,” Churko said. “It’s a very welcoming environment. We like to celebrate that.”

The week wraps up with Family Fun Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. Dolcetti explains the event.

“It’s more of a new initiative. So basically it’s for families that want to come and stay and play for five minutes or who have to jet out at a certain time, so it’s OK to come and go,” Dolcetti said.

More information on events happening over the February break can be found on the library’s website.