Burst Your Bubble!: Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You're Missing

Written by Joyce Grant

Illustrated by Jan Dolby

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-712-3

48 pp.

Ages 8–12

November 2025 

 

Many young people today are very tech savvy. They've grown up using computers, googling everything from reviews about restaurants to info for an essay, and getting their news through social media. And while we all need to be more vigilant about what information is presented to us and how we get it, I suspect that those who've grown up with the technology may be more comfortable accepting it at face value. Joyce Grant's latest book will enlighten every one of us to the power and perils of algorithms in framing our interactions online.

From Burst Your Bubble!, written by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Jan Dolby

Burst Your Bubble! begins with an explanation of information bubbles which can also refer to filters, information silos, echo chambers, or personalization that reflects your age, background, hobbies, and more. No matter the term, bubbles cut us off from a richness and diversity of points of view and information that might never enter our bubbles. To understand how these bubbles arise, Joyce Grant discusses how algorithms gather information about us using digital cookies and tracking the sites we visit; why they are used; how they can benefit us and why they are dangerous; and why we need to burst out of our bubbles. 

From Burst Your Bubble!, written by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Jan Dolby

There's a lot of fabulous information about how algorithms work but most importantly Joyce Grant advises readers how to take control back from those algorithms. While it's not unusual to feel vulnerable when using the internet—and there are so many things beyond our control when we use digital media—Burst Your Bubble! informs about so much that which is in our influence, whether it is retraining our brains to think differently, being aware of what reinforces those bubbles, or setting up opportunities to change the algorithms.

While I've reviewed a number of books created from the collaboration of Joyce Grant and Jan Dolby (e.g., Gabby, Wonder Girl, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2016), this is my first that is non-fiction, and it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's an astonishingly fresh look at the power of online algorithms and how to protect ourselves and even manage them. Jan Dolby's illustrations give Joyce Grant's text some of the freshness with lively artwork. Jan Dolby gives both colour and depth to what could have been dry content. She even finds innovative ways to illustrate the power of algorithms to pick up on our interests and grab our attention.

From Burst Your Bubble!, written by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Jan Dolby

Information is a powerful thing, whether it is something used against us or something that we control. With the right information, courtesy of Burst Your Bubble!: Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You're Missing, young readers will be able to get beyond those manipulations and see a broader online world that is diverse, rich, and open.

 

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If you're near Burlington, Ontario today, you might want to check out the book launch for Burst Your Bubble! Author Joyce Grant will be in attendance, and there will be books for purchase as well as signing. Here are the details:

 

Date:          Saturday, November 8, 2025

 

Time:         1 p.m. EST

 

Location:    A Different Drummer Books

                    513 Locust Street

                    Burlington, ON

                    L7S 1V3 

                    (905) 639-0925

N.B. I saw that there will be cupcakes!