Ainara Alleyne is a nationally recognized youth literacy advocate and the creator and host of Ainara’s Bookshelf, a TVOkids series that celebrates inclusive middle-grade books. Inspired by her popular Instagram account of the same name, Ainara’s Bookshelf and her growing online book club spotlight stories by Black, Indigenous, and other underrepresented authors and characters. Ainara’s mission is simple but powerful: help young readers see themselves reflected in literature and build empathy through diverse storytelling.
She served as Hamilton Public Library’s first Junior Librarian-in-Residence, curating book recommendations and leading community engagement initiatives focused on representation in children’s literature. She regularly visits classrooms and libraries across Ontario, engaging students and educators in discussions about reading, identity, and inclusion. She collaborated with Western University’s Faculty of Education and many school boards to speak with teacher candidates about cultivating a reading culture in today’s classrooms.
Ainara has hosted the Forest of Reading Festival for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, and 2025), bringing her energy and insight to Canada’s largest children’s reading program. In 2024, she was a featured host at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards, where she helped honour outstanding Canadian books for young readers. She has also served as a youth co-host with The FOLD (Festival of Literary Diversity), contributing to vital conversations around representation in publishing.
In addition, Ainara was the Junior Ambassador for the MS Read-a-Thon in 2022 and 2023, encouraging young Canadians to read while raising funds for multiple sclerosis research—proving that reading can be both powerful and purposeful.