WORD OUT teen summer reading 2014... Don't Read Alone!

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Don't Read Alone!

Your Bookmark Here: Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life

What?! A Word Out bookclub featuring an amazing graphic novel set in our very own Toronto? I know, I know, you want the details right...

Brian Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life" is #1 of a series of 6 graphic novels. Set in Toronto, Scott even visits TPLs Wychwood Branch and the Reference Library.  He also spends a lot of time at Sneaky Dee's, an awesome divey sort of restaurant/bar that serves amazing nachoes at the corner of College and Bathurst.  But enough about nachoes... So Scott is this guy, early 20s and he's in a band, loves hanging out with his friends and has a girlfriend, 17 yr. old Knives (who is awesome). Along comes the mysterious and equally awesome Ramona Flowers for whom Scott falls deeply.  But there is a catch - in order to be with her, he has to battle her 7 evil ex-boyfriends.  Is he up for the challenge?  You have to read all 6 to find out!

Or, you could watch the 2010 Blockbuster, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring our very own local Bramptonian, Michael Cera. 

Read them on your own and submit a review to the Word Out website to win a prize OR, join me at Maria A. Shchuka in August to discuss the book and watch the film. Call 416-394-1001 to register. 

Novels worthy of reading on Mandela Day

Today is the late Nelson Mandela's birthday. In 2010 July 18 was officially "Mandela Day" by the United Nations.

Today is a day to reflect on the legacy of a great man who fought for the end of apartheid in South Africa and supported similar struggles against oppression and prejudice around the world.

Here are some great recently published novels that I think Nelson would be proud of. The characters in these stories are all struggling to deal with oppression or prejudice in one form or another. Some have happy endings, some are dark, but in all cases the characters can be said to triumph through their will to change the society they live in.

 

Cy In Chains

In the post-Civil War South, a seventeen-year-old African American boy, accused of a crime, is living in a labor camp where brutality, near starvation, humiliation, and rape are commonplace.

 

 

 

 

No Crystal Stair

A documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller. When a white banker told him to sell fried chicken, not books, because "Negroes don't read," Lewis took five books and one-hundred dollars and built a bookstore. It soon became the intellectual center of Harlem, a refuge for everyone from Muhammad Ali to Malcolm X.

 

 

Alligator Bayou

To 14-year-old Calogero, newly arrived from Italy, Tallulah is a lush world full of contradictions, hidden rules, and tension between the black and white communities. He’s startled and thrilled by the danger of a ’gator hunt in the midnight bayou, and by his powerful feelings for Patricia, a sharpwitted, sweet-natured black girl. Some people welcome the Italians. Most do not. Calogero’s family is caught in the middle: the whites don’t see them as equal, but befriending "Negroes" is dangerous. Every day brings Calogero and his family closer to a a terrifying, violent confrontation.

 

Having Faith In The Polar Girls' Prison

Against the stark and haunting landscape of Canada's Far North, fifteen-year-old Trista chronicles the events of her life from her room in the Polar Girls' Prison. Caught in the decline of sexual abuse, drunkenness, and failed motherhood, Trista tries to make sense of her past, especially the events that led her to jail.

 

 

 

 

A Matter of Souls

 A series of vignettes reveal life in the Deep South for African Americans as they experience discrimination in a doctor's office, lynching, and other forms of oppression, especially during the 1960s.

 

 

 

 

Darius & Twig

Darius and Twig are an unlikely pair: Darius is a writer whose only escape is his alter ego, a peregrine falcon named Fury, and Twig is a middle-distance runner striving for athletic success. But they are drawn together in the struggle to overcome the obstacles that life in Harlem throws at them. The two friends must face down bullies, an abusive uncle, and the idea that they'll be stuck in the same place forever.

 

 

Rachel's Promise

It is late 1903, and Rachel and her family are leaving Russia to escape the murderous riots against Jews. China offers refuge, but life for them there is difficult and strange. The opportunity to write for a Jewish newspaper may help Rachel ensure her family's survival while not giving up her dreams for her future. Still in Russia, Rachel's friend Sergei leaves home for a factory job in St. Petersburg, soon joining the rebelling workers, but realizing he has traded one source of danger for another. Separated by so much, the two teenagers try to make their way in the turbulent political times of the early twentieth century--their only connection the letters they write, and their fierce hope for the future.

 

Beneath My Mother's Feet

When her father is injured, fourteen-year-old Nazia is pulled away from school, her friends, and her preparations for an arranged marriage, to help her mother clean houses in a wealthy part of Karachi, Pakistan, where she finally rebels against the destiny that is planned for her.

Your Bookmark Here: We Were Liars

I consider myself well read in quite a few different genres: I devour sci-fi, fantasy, horror and romance novels equally.  My favourites, however, are suspense and mystery novels. I'm always on the look out for a great new read. Quite honestly, it takes a lot for me to be really surprised by a book, to be shocked and delighted and scratch my head after I've read it.  It's a great feeling, and this is why I loved reading e. lockhart's We Were Liars so much!  I was literally thinking "what the heck just happened here?" at the end of the book.  So much so, that I had to go back and re-read it with my new found knowledge.  You may see this twist coming, but I sure didn't! 

The Sinclair family is an established New England family: rich, dysfunctional, entitled.  Cousins Johnny, Mirren and narrator Cadence, plus outsider Gat Patil (collectively know as 'the Liars')  spend each summer on the family's secluded island paradise relaxing and having fun. Years pass, the cousins get older, their parents and grandparents drift further apart and then a tragedy happens.  Something horrible, that Cadence has blocked from her memory enirely. As the final summer at the Sinclair Island unfolds, Cadence slowly starts to piece things together, with the help of the Liars.  Reminiscent of the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear, and brining in Fairy Tale elements, E. Lockhart has created a truly spell-binding, suspenseful stand-alone read.  Great for kicking back on the beach or in the lounge chair on a sunny afternoon, We Were Liars will keep you riveted!

Also available as an e-book!

 

Your Bookmark Here: Doctor Who: 11 Doctors, 11 Stories

If you're a fan of the Doctor, like I am, you'll know that the BBC celebrated the 50th anniversary of his landmark show very recently.  11 Doctors, 11 Stories was created especially to mark this milestone.  As the title suggests, each one of the eleven stories stars a different incarnation of the Doctor, along with the appropiate companions and some very imaginative secondary characters.  I had a few personal favourites, including Marcus Sedgwick's The Spear of Destiny, which gets seriously into some Norse mythology, and the very spooky Nothing O'Clock by Neil Gaiman, where an ancient enemy of the Time Lord race almost takes over the world.  Some of the most stellar writers working in teen fiction today are included in this collection:  think Charlie Higson, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, and Eoin Colfer, among others.   Did you ever wonder what the Doctor was doing in the few minutes between when he asked Rose to travel with him and when he came back to get her?  Ever wonder what classic villain in children's literature was inspired by the Doctor?  You'll find it all here--literary fanfiction, Doctor Who style!  

 

 

 

Word Out Summer Events at Richview

Richview is hosting some great programs this summer, come check them out:

 

Healthy Eating for Teens

Dare to go beyond KD and ramen. Learn about tons of easy cheap easts that you can make!

Sign up soon - this program fills up fast! 

Two-part program, 5:00pm on Friday July 18th and Friday July 25

 

Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies

Wednesdays, 3:00pm starting July 16th

 

Red Cross Babysitting Training Course

Get certified! Learn how to become a super babysitter.  Ages 11-16. 

August 9th  9am - 5pm

This program requires advance registration and has a fee to cover materials.

 

Get Chalky! Sidewalk Chalk Party

Drop by and decorate the sidewalk with chalk!

Wednesday August 13th 2:00pm

Your Bookmark Here: Love and other perishable items

First published in Australia, Laura Buzo’s novel Love and Other Perishable Items, focuses on a young opinionated teen who falls in love with an older boy. Amelia and Chris first meet at the supermarket where they both work checkout but soon after their first encounter, Amelia falls head over heels in love with University student Chris. The book alternates back and forth between chapters from Chris’ journals and from Amelia’s experiences and feelings about Chris. Over the course of a year, Amelia and Chris' relationship grows.

The novel focuses a great deal on Amelia knowing deep down that developing a relationship with Chris would be almost impossible because of their difference in age.  However, she continues to daydream about him and yearns to be more than just friends. Throughout the book, Chris struggles with graduating University, awkward family relationships, and an old love interest.

Buzo’s novel is filled with first time experiences.  It is a coming of age story about two people trying to get the hang of life and the tribulations of first love. It’s a worthwhile read this summer, so check it out at your local Toronto Public Library location.

 

Dan Riskin at North York Central Library, July 19

Dan Riskin, author of the popular Word Out pick "Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You", wil be visiting North York Central Library to tell disgusting, true tales of how Mother Nature is not a pretty basket of sleeping kittens. 

MNITKY is a fascinating read on the darker side of the natural world and how freaky and relentlessly brutal it can be. Thought dystopian ficition was ruthless? Check out this incredibly true science exposee on the very real, every day dystopia that is Mother Nature.  

Expect gross and incredibly true science stories!

Saturday, July 19th

2:00-4:00pm

North York Central Library

Get there early, this event will be packed! 

Summer Events at S. Walter Stewart

Two crafty programs at S. Walter Stewart!

Get Inspired: Finger Knitting

Forget needles, learn how to knit using only your fingers - and knit anything, anywhere, anytime!

Friday July 25  2:00pm

 

Get Inspired: Rolled Paper Beads

Learn how to make beads just by rolling paper and create amazing jewelry and decorations

Friday August 8, 2:00pm   Sign up in advance.

 

Cartoon Exhibit and Drawing Workshop @ Lillian H. Smith

 

Do you love to look at art?

Do you love to draw?

Do you feedback on your work from a professional?

 

 

Join us on Thursday, July 24th at Lillian H. Smith branch (1 block east of Spadina) for an exhibit of Chinese Cartoonist Tony Wan's work, followed by a drawing workshop!

 Tony Wan has been drawing for contests and newspapers since he was eleven years old. In 1999, he was on Time Magazine's first list of the 100 most influential and iconic people of the year.

Thursday, July 24th, 2014
Exhibit: 10:00am-4:00pm
Lower Level
Workshop: 4:00pm-6:00pm
Room BC
Lillian H. Smith

Please phone (416) 393-7746 to register for the workshop. All materials will be provided. You can also bring some of your previous work for feedback!

Your Bookmark Here – No One Else Can Have You

Touted as a cross between the movie Fargo and Pretty Little Liars, No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale is a scary mystery that is also laugh out loud funny.  It’s a little like holding your hand under the tap, and the water being simultaneously hot and cold. 

Kippy Bushman’s best friend, Ruth, has just been discovered gruesomely murdered in a corn field.  The entire town (Friendship, Wisconsin; population 668) is shocked and horrified and, soon, the dimwitted Sheriff Staake arrests Ruth’s boyfriend, Colt, for the murder.  Kippy has never been a fan of Colt who is a crude, cheating lothario, but she doesn’t buy that he killed Ruth.  Armed with Ruth’s diary (given her by Ruth’s mother), Kippy begins to piece together an altogether different version of Ruth than the one who came over for movie nights and sleepovers all the time. 

Naïve, awkward, and prone to impulsive action, Kippy enlists the help of her crush, Ruth’s older brother, Davey (recently discharged from the army and suffering from PTSD), to unravel the mystery of what really happened to Ruth.  But before they do so, they have to get around some major roadblocks, such as the misguided sheriff who is beginning to get seriously annoyed with Kippy, Kippy’s guidance counselor father who just wants her to drop the whodunnit act and pay attention to the self-help pamphlets he’s brought home for her, and the brigade of Colt’s exes who want to see him locked up for good.

Peopled with memorable and quirky characters, No One Else Can Have You is strong on homespun charm AND heart-pounding mystery.

Looking for more mysteries?  Check out this rave review of Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey.