Join the TD Summer Reading Club!

I remember counting down to the last days of school until finally…school's out for the summer! Summer for me as a child was filled with ice cream trucks, sandboxes, picnics, barbeques and trips to the library. Yes, you heard me correctly. Trips to the library. That's because every summer for as long as I could remember I had participated in the Summer Reading Club at my local library.

The TD Summer Reading Club keeps kids reading throughout the summer and the best part is the program is completely FREE. Children of all ages are welcome. This year the theme is GO! and every child gets a free activity booklet and passport. A sticker is awarded for every book read. Collect all nine stickers to get a certificate and be recognized on our wall of fame.

The official Cedarbrae Library TD Summer Reading Club rules are

 

1. Starting July 4, you can report on one book once a day
2. You must bring your passport and the book you have read (if possible) in order to report.
3. Books must be at your reading level.
4. You must be able to answer questions about the book you’ve read.

The book reporting hours will be:

Monday to Friday: 10 AM – 12 PM, 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM

Saturday: 10 AM- 12 PM, 2-4 PM

So come by, register to pick up your free activity book and passport and join us in a great summer of reading fun! Let's join the club!

 

 

 

Designer & Delicious: Decorate cupcakes and your own clutch!

If you've got sweet style - or a sweet tooth - you're not gonna wanna miss these two events at Cedarbrae this July!

DIY projects can be a fun way to use ordinary household items for new purposes and it can definitely be a creative way to express your style and taste. On Thursday July 11, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, join us in the Teen Zone to design your own cute clutch or purse using duct tape in colourful prints, fabric, ribbons and more! We provide the materials and get you started making something personalized and beautiful.

You can satisfy your sugar craving all while learning the basics of cupcake decorating on Tuesday July 23, from 1-2 PM. A professional from Centennial College will show you how to make a basic cupcake look store-front worthy with a few simple techniques. Added bonus? Everything is provided AND nut-free!

Be sure to drop in to see a librarian or call us at 416-396-8850 to register your spot as space is limited!

Going to university or college in the fall?

Then you'd best be prepared for higher level essay writing.

Luckily, there is a free four-part workshop being offered at Cedarbrae Branch starting July 16. Plus it's taught by a university professor. It's a great opportunity to learn from someone who could very well be grading your papers one day ;)

Registration is required. Space is very limited. Please call 416-396-8850. See the link above for more details on the workshop content.

Students entering grade 12 are welcome as well.

Advice for first time homebuyers

A year ago, almost exactly, I bought my first car and found that there was so much information to consider when buying a used car that I was inspired to blog about it. Now my fiancé and I just bought our first house. Yeah, you could say it's been a busy year (did I mention we're getting married in Sept too? Yikes!). 

Now, a house is a bit more of an investment than a car, indeed it's probably the biggest investment you'll ever make. So while I hope you find this list of resources helpful, it is by no means exhaustive. Hopefully it will help you as you meander through the highs and lows of becoming a home owner.

 

1) Educating and orienting yourself:

What are REALTORS, brokers, and agents and how are they different from one another? This site has a pretty good explanation.

Learn about the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS) on the Toronto Real Estate Board's website. Their site in general has a lot of information and is definitely something you will want to check out, especially information on the current housing market and the B.R.A. There is similar, less Toronto-specific, information on the Canadian Real Estate Association website

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is the place to go for information on buying a home, mortgage loan insurance, renting a home, maintaining a home, and renovating a home, as well as available programs and financial assistance. The most helpful page I found was their step-by-step guide to buying a home.

 

Sometimes the library also hosts programs, like the information session for first-time home buyers at Downsview Branch on Oct 9 at 7:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

There are of course also a plethora of books, databases, recommended websites, and magazines on the topic.

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) The fun part: finding houses to view! 

In addition to classifieds and other ads, there are two websites that allow consumers to access most listings on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS):

Realtor.ca and Zoocasa

 

3) Figuring out your financing and putting in offers to purchase.

This real estate blog has a great outline of the steps involved in submitting an offer.

It's always a good idea to keep on top of real estate related news. You can find older articles not available on newspaper homepages through the library online here.

Remember that there are many closings costs that you might not have considered. I know I didn't!  

 

Happy hunting!

Dealing with the heat

The City of Toronto continues to be under a heat alert today, which has recently been upgraded to an extreme heat alert.

Find public places in the city (like libraries!) listed here on the Toronto Public Health site dedicated to Heat Alerts. Library locations and hours can be found here.

Other great tips for staying safe and cool in an extreme heat alert can be found on the Health Canada website. For example, did you know that headaches are one of the signs of heat illness?

We're open!

I've had several people ask if we're closed during the summer.

 

Answer: not at all!

 

The only change in hours is that branches are no longer open on Sundays. We'll be open on Sundays again once school starts back up in the fall.

 

For more information and updates, see the Sunday hours page in the Hours & Locations section of the website.

Cycling Maps are Here!

We get a lot of questions about the Toronto Cycling Map every Spring, and I'm happy to say we've finally got copies in at the branch!

If you'd like to check it out online, take a look on the website; I've just linked to the Scarborough section, but the full map is available.

The Toronto Cycling website has a ton more information - including updates on bike by-laws, trails under construction, bike riding courses and more.

 

Interested in a map? Drop by any of our service desks in the branch and pick one up while we have copies!

Sri Lankans Without Borders is looking for creative writers!

Are you a Sri Lankan-Canadian with a desire to write? We've got an exciting opportunity for you to team up with an established author and get started!

First: a little background about the organization that is making this happen:

"Sri Lankans Without Borders is a growing not-for-profit network based in Toronto that provides Canadians of Sri Lankan origin with opportunities to connect, build and lead initiatives that promote dialogue and cross-community engagement in  the Sri Lankan Canadian diaspora..."

SLWB is about connecting Canadians that trace their origins back to Sri Lanka and helping them grow, create and better the communities they are part of.

To support this mission, the Cedarbrae branch will be pairing up with SLWB to offer Pen Pals: a creative writing workshop to help grow and nurture creative writing skills. We'll be having this in our Learning Centre on the afternoon of Saturday, July 6 from 1:30-4:30 PM.

You'll get the benefit of working with Koom Kankesan, author of the funny and insightful Panic Button, as well as a new book, The Rajapaksa Stories. You'll have access to the library computers, refreshments and a wide variety of library resources to help support you in your work.

Did I mention all this is for free?

If you've got more questions, or are ready to register, be sure to contact the SLWB directly. You can get in touch via email ([email protected]) or call Amra, the program coordinator, at 647-924-9443.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Show Your Pride!

This year we celebrate Pride beginning tomorrow, June 21 to June 30, with the annual Pride Parade taking place on Sunday, June 30th at 2 PM, starting at Bloor St E and Church St in downtown Toronto.

Although the Pride Parade tends to take centre stage, don't forget that there are many events going on throughout the city celebrating LGBT issues.

On June 21st, in Scarborough, East Metro Youth Services will be hosting a Pride BBQ for all ages. It starts at 4 PM, so if you're in the Cedarbrae area, be sure not to miss it!

We've also got a new booklist up to celebrate new fiction and non-fiction works, including the latest book from author Shyam Selvadurai, who also wrote the memorable Funny Boy (still relevant after almost 20 years!) and Cinnamon Gardens, both featuring a young, gay character against the backdrop of upheaval in Sri Lanka.

If you step into the Cedarbrae Branch, be sure to check out our Pride book display, highlighting books for children, teens and adults and selected by our librarians.

If you're looking for great books for kids that talk about LGBT families and issues in fun and informative ways, check out our Rainbow Families board on Pinterest for more ideas.

If you're wandering around downtown (near Yonge/Bloor), you can always pop by the Yorkville Branch, that houses a pretty large LGBT collection, with new items of interest displayed prominently.

Happy Pride, Toronto!

 

 

Even After Father's Day

Hope you all had a great Father's Day -- whether you were the lucky dad getting pampered, or the kids planning for the perfect day!

Father's Day isn't just about one day of celebrating, of course: our dads are often big influences on us every day. They're the ones that will pick you up when you're down, support you in spite of it all... and probably have a really cheesy sense of humour.

One of my oldest memories of my dad is riding on the New York subway when I was very young; we would make up nonsense stories and tell jokes the whole way to my babysitter's house, before he left for work or school. Our subway rides weren't particularly exciting maybe, but they were definitely part of how I think of my relationship with my dad: one filled with a love of stories, laughter, and, well, a lot of long commuting!

If you're interested in picking up some books in your post-Father's Day haze, here are a few, with two famous fathers thrown in! The books I've highlighted below are all specifically about dads and daughters, but there are lots of other fiction books about father-son relationships too.

I most recently read The Professor's Daughter, and really enjoyed its mix of great writing style, and thoroughly engaging story of family and obligation. The Tenth Circle is fast-paced, one of Jodi Picoult's better books (in my opinion!), and includes graphic book style segments throughout the chapters. Mr Shakespeare's Bastard is about Shakespeare (obviously...) while The Sweet Girl tells the tale of Pythias, Aristotle's witty daughter.

Have any fun stories about your dad, or a great dad in your life? Or read a book that showcased a particularly memorable father figure? Share with us in the comments!