Reading Local is this Islander's Dream Job

By PEI Youth Ambassador Emily Hunter

Being a book reviewer for Digitally Lit has honestly been one of the best experiences

and decisions I’ve made so far. I have so much creative freedom, and some of the work that I and other Youth Ambassadors have put out in my time with Digitally Lit has been inspiring and invigorating all in one! From Ariela’s blog posts to Wild Willie’s YouTube Channel, to myself getting to make Spotify Playlists for the books I read, the youth we have continue to create amazing content based on the books we love!

As one could likely guess based on this job that I do, I love books, and having an

opportunity such as being a Youth Ambassador with Digitally Lit has been a dream for

me. All the duties that come with the job immerse you to love the books you read even

more. As you could guess, yes, the job entails reading and reviewing books, but there’s

also so much more to it than that.

First off, the books you can choose from are Atlantic Canadian books. When I started

with Digitally Lit, I honestly didn’t think there would be much to choose from, book wise,

because I didn’t know much about the publishers in Atlantic Canada. I was to the

impression I would have a handful of books to pick from and they would all be ‘boring

history.’ Yet, I couldn’t be happier to say I was wrong. There is such a diversity of books

in Atlantic Canada, from romance, mystery, biography, and yes, to even ‘boring history’

(which just so happens to be my favorite genre!). Getting to scroll various catalogs from

publishers like Nimbus Publications, Formac Publishing Company, and Breakwater

Books, to name a few, is a highlight of my job every month.

Digitally Lit is about empowering you as an Atlantic Canadian youth. All of the book

reviewers for Digitally Lit are young people, who use the fact that they are Atlantic Canadian youth to the max. Though there is help from the adults who run Digitally Lit, most of the ideas, posts, and activities that are made under the Digitally Lit name are created by the youth who are Youth Ambassadors and Literacy Champions. All of the youth have social media that they are actively using to get Atlantic Canada and Digitally

Lit on the map, promoting where we are from and what we’re about every day. Through

Digitally Lit you get to do extra activities to explore the books you read and Atlantic

Canada even more, like writing blog posts, getting creative with drawing and music, and

even in some cases, attending actual events to meet authors or have virtual meetings

with them. I’ve actually attended two events during my time with Digitally Lit. The

Hackmatack Children’s Book Awards was the most recent event I attended, and though

I am not much of a children’s book person myself, it was an amazing event where I got

to meet many cool authors like Laura Best.

Getting paid to read books? I read them for free every day, and these free books have

taught me more about my home in Atlantic Canada than school ever had. I’ve never

been more connected to where I call home, and getting to express myself creatively

with other youth while educating and learning from others about the books of Atlantic

Canada has been an inspiring job. I’ve been a Youth Ambassador for Digitally Lit for

over two years now, and I can wholeheartedly say it’s something I’ll never forget and an

opportunity I am forever grateful for—dream and job all in one!