Canadians, this one’s for you.

In this episode, Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast welcomes Dr. Reginald Wiebe, Chair of Literature and Language at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) for a fascinating exploration into what ties the two kids from Bayport, U.S.A. to Canada.

Spoiler alert: it’s more than you would think.

What is defined as Canadian content? What does it mean for a book to be classified as Canadian? Why does it matter if a story or author is Canadian? And—possibly most interestingly and not at all off topic—were comic books depicting crime actually illegal in Canada until 2018?

Tune into this week’s episode to find out!

____

Dr. Reginald Wiebe is Chair of Literature and Language at Concordia University of Edmonton. He specializes in Canadian, postcolonial, and graphic literature, and enjoys exploring the intersections between history and fiction in Canadian literature. His book, The Cancer Plot: Terminal Immortality in Marvel’s Moral Universe, co-written with Dr. Dorothy Woodman, explores the use of cancer in the construction in moral narratives in Marvel’s comics.

_____

The original theme music for Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast was composed by Geoff Li (https://www.geoffli.com/).

Sleuth Studies is grateful for the support of Volunteer Alberta, the GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Government of Canada.

Librarians are radical human beings.

In the second part of this two-part episode, special guest Ariel Kleber shares just how important the role of libraries and librarians are in supporting our society’s freedom to read. From a discussion about the Hardy Boys and how they were banned in the 1950s to looking at how members of the public can challenge library content, Kyra and Ariel dive deep into  the impact of book bans in the modern day.

Do you want to know what you can do to support freedom to read? Do you have questions about the process of book challenges in school and public libraries—and how those are drastically different? Do you want to hear the most entertaining stories about Ariel using her librarian powers for good?

If you do, this is the episode for you.

____

Ariel Kleber is a librarian, writer, and passionate advocate for literacy, diversity & representation, and fun in literature. She can be found on Instagram at @misskleber.

_____

The original theme music for Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast was composed by Geoff Li (https://www.geoffli.com/).

Sleuth Studies is grateful for the support of Volunteer Alberta, the GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Government of Canada.

Libraries are truly radical places, friends.

In this episode, Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast welcomes librarian Ariel Kleber for an energizing and inspiring discussion centering around all things libraries. Together, we'll explore what the spines of Hardy Boys books offer potential readers, talk about "books for boys," establish what it means to be a librarian, and learn about just how many factors go into making a book recommendation (spoiler alert: there are a lot).

And, since Kyra and Ariel can talk about the Hardy Boys and libraries *forever,* there’s a part two of this episode featuring even more radical librarian-ism to look forward to.

_____

Ariel Kleber is a librarian, writer, and passionate advocate for literacy, diversity & representation, and fun in literature. She can be found on Instagram at @misskleber.

_____

The original theme music for Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast was composed by Geoff Li (https://www.geoffli.com/).

Sleuth Studies is grateful for the support of Volunteer Alberta, the GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Government of Canada.

Welcome to Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast!

Join your host, Kyra Droog, in this introductory episode to learn more about all the fascinating mysteries heading your way.

With Frank and Joe Hardy (and their friends, of course!) as your guides, Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast will explore everything from the publishing industry and television to book banning and Canadiana.

Did you know that the Hardy Boys were banned in the 1950s,decreed as dangerous to children as alcohol and narcotics? Did you know that the original Franklin W. Dixon (spoiler alert: there's more than one) was Canadian—which directly impacted every aspect of Frank and Joe's existence? Didyou know that two publishing companies own separate rights to the Hardy Boys? With the support of special guests, we will explore these and so much more. 

Friends, grab your handy magnifying glasses.

It's time for Sleuth Studies: The Hardy Boys Podcast.