Our #RoadTripReadingClub is now in Toronto, the most diverse city in the world! Toronto is home to world renowned universities, a major film festival, 7 major league sports teams and, most importantly, the Book Centre! Here are the books we recommend about our home.
Walking in the City with Jane by Susan Hughes, illustrated by Valérie Boivin (Kids Can Press, 2018) Ages 6-9, Grades 2-3
From the time she was a young girl, Jane Jacobs’ curious mind made her a keen observer of everything around her. When she grew up, she moved to New York City, a place full of new wonders for her to explore. It was there she realized that, just like in nature, a city is an ecosystem. “It is made of different parts — sidewalks, parks, stores, neighbourhoods, City Hall . . . and people, of course. When they all work together, the city is healthy.” So, when city planner Robert Moses proposed creating highways through the city that would destroy neighbourhoods and much of what made New York great, Jane decided she couldn’t let it happen. She stood up to the officials and rallied her neighbours to stop the plans — and even got arrested! Jane’s bravery and ideas had a huge influence on urban planning that is still being felt today.
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Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press, 2004) Ages 14+, Grades 9-10
Scott Pilgrim’s life is totally sweet. He’s 23 years old, he’s in a rockband, he’s “between jobs” and he’s dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott’s awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life.
Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Toronto ABC by Paul Covello (HarperCollins Canada, 2014)
Ages 3-6, Preschool-Grade 1
Explore Toronto’s best known landmarks and neighbourhoods in this eye-catching book for the very young. From Casa Loma to High Park to the CN Tower, this alphabetical tour shows off the best the city has to offer in a bright contemporary style that will attract both local tots and tiny tourists.
Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Shattered Glass (Secrets) by Teresa Toten (Orca Book Publishers, 2015)
Ages 12 and up, Grades 7-8
Toni has always had nightmares about fire, and she also has burn scars but no idea how she got them. So when fire destroys the orphanage she has grown up in, she is ready to make her way to Toronto, where she hopes to discover the truth about the mother she believes hurt and then abandoned her. Toronto proves to be both daunting and exciting for Toni, whose charm and innocence attract attention — not always positive — wherever she goes. Buoyed by the music she hears at the folk club where she finds a job, and encouraged by her glamorous landlady, Toni unearths shocking information that contradicts everything she believes and makes her re-evaluate what she feels for all the new people in her life.
Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Find out more about Road Trip Reading Club at our website. Want to read along with us? Let us know how you’re doing or what your own Road Trip Reading looks like using the hashtag #RoadTripReadingClub. Also, be sure to enter our summer photography contest!
Stay tuned for our next stop and get to know the rest of Ontario!