Open Book: April 2021

Open book
In this issue

 

Letter from CELA’s Executive Director

Happy April! Where I live on the west coast spring has definitely sprung and I am looking forward to warmer days and more opportunities to be outside.

At CELA we are also looking forward to plenty of new books being added to our collection. We’re featuring some in this newsletter and more on our website. You can also find new titles using the filters on our website.

We are in the planning stages for our continuing conversations with the federal government about our future federal funding models. Our advocacy campaign last month raised awareness of the need for sustained funding for accessible book production and though the federal government re-instated our funding for the coming year, we still have work to do to ensure long-term sustainable funding. If you would like to stay up to date, you can check out our advocacy page. We recently added the video and transcripts of our townhall meetings. We want to thank those who reached out to the MPs to urge them to reverse the funding cuts. If you haven’t had an opportunity to make a comment, our advocacy page now has updated letters users, libraries and our supporters can send to their MPs.

Lastly, I wanted to assure you that we will continue to do everything we can to support our users through the ongoing impacts of COVID. We continue to follow stringent safety protocols, and to offer temporary accounts for those who may require them due to library closures. Information is available on our COVID-19 information page. 

Stay safe and happy reading!

Laurie Davidson
CELA Executive Director

 

Tales of two planets

New books about climate change

On a recent appearance on AMI Audio we featured some titles which are new to our collection and address the issue of climate change from different perspectives or in new and interesting ways.  

  • Tales of two planets: Stories of climate change and inequality in a divided world by John Freeman. Building from his acclaimed anthology Tales of Two Americas, beloved writer and editor John Freeman draws together a group  of our greatest writers from around the world to help us see how the environmental crisis is hitting some of the most vulnerable communities where they live. Margaret Atwood is one of the featured authors, as is Lauren Groff, Edwidge Danticat and Tahmima Anam, to name a few. The topic is addressed through a collection of short stories, essays, poems and journalism and through the lens of diverse racial, cultural and geographical perspectives.
  • How to avoid a climate disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need by Bill Gates. In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical - and accessible - plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions - suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise.
  • The archipelago of hope: wisdom and resilience from the edge of climate change by Gleb Raygorodetsky. One cannot turn on the news today without a report on an extreme-weather event or the latest update on Antarctica. But while our politicians argue, the truth is that climate change is already here. Nobody knows this better than Indigenous peoples who, having developed an intimate relationship with ecosystems over generations, have observed these changes for decades. For them, climate change is not an abstract concept or policy issue, but the reality of daily life. After two decades of working with indigenous communities, Gleb Raygorodetsky shows how these communities are actually islands of biological and cultural diversity in the ever-rising sea of development and urbanization.

There are also two books for or by young adults.

  • Voices of Change: Twelve Visions for How to Solve the Climate Crisis by various authors. In Voices of Change, a group of Canada’s most accomplished young environmentalists outline bold visions for how we can fight climate change and create a sustainable way of living. The twelve essays in Voices of Change, by fifteen inspiring youth leading the climate change movement in Canada, explore the most challenging issues around climate change, from sustainability to activism. The contributors, from all across the nation, describe their own work developing successful initiatives that have positively brought about environmental change - from creating a "Library of Things" in Waterloo, Ontario, to an ocean-education program in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The authors of this anthology speak passionately about their own experiences working for climate justice - facing racism, apathy, and a world changed by COVID-19 - while also expressing hope and exploring solutions for how youth can fight climate change in Canada and beyond, effecting significant change.
  • How to Change Everything: The Young Human's Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other by Naomi Klein, Rebecca Stefoff. A long-awaited guide to climate action and justice for young readers by bestselling, award-winning, internationally acclaimed writer and climate activist Naomi Klein. In her first book written for young readers, internationally acclaimed, bestselling author and social activist Naomi Klein, with Rebecca Steffof, lays out the facts and challenges of climate change and the movement for climate justice. Using examples of change and protest from around the world, including profiles of young activists from a wide range of backgrounds, Klein shows that young people are not just part of the climate change movement, they are leading the way. How to Change Everything will provide readers with clear information about how our planet is changing, but also, more importantly, with inspiration, ideas, and tools for action.

 

Stephen Leacock Award longlist announced

Congratulations to the writers longlisted for the 2020 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. The prize, worth $15,000, is awarded to the most humorous Canadian book of the year. The three finalists will be revealed on May 3, 2021, with the winner being announced on June 4, 2021.

If you are looking for a laugh, and we could all use a good one these days, there are a number of the longlisted titles in our collection.

 

What’s your Best Bet?

What books would library staff recommend for kids and young adults? The Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets Committee would be the ones to ask. Best Bets is a long standing OLA committee with a strong voice in promoting Canadian literature for children and young adults. The committee is a group of reading enthusiasts, who work in libraries, and are actively involved with collection development, programming or services to youth. Over the course of a calendar year, the Best Bets Committee reads hundreds of Canadian books, choosing what they consider to be the best, from picture books to young adult, in both fiction and non-fiction. At the OLA conference in the winter, these "bets bets" are presented to librarians and teacher librarians.

The lists are great resources for anyone looking for more reading suggestions. All the books are by Canadians, or illustrated by Canadians, and are ones that Best Bets seeks out to read. This means that many small Canadian presses are included.

Check out the accessible versions of the Best Bet titles.

 

The hill we climb: An inaugural poem for the country book

On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe. Her poem “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” can now be cherished in this special audiobook.

Read The hill we climb: An inaugural poem for the country

 

The four winds: A novel by Kristin Hannah

Top five books

Most popular with our readers this month:

  1. The four winds: A novel by Kristin Hannah Bestsellers (fiction)
  2. Quiet in her bones by Nalini Singh Suspense and thrillers
  3. The push by Ashley Audrain General fiction
  4. Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Michael McKinley Hockey
  5. The first cut by Peter Robinson Mysteries and crime stories

 

The brave

Featured title for kids: The brave

Collin can't help himself - he has a unique condition that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It's a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father. When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he's never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.

Collin's quirk is matched by that of his neighbor, Orenda, a girl who lives mostly in her treehouse and believes she is turning into a butterfly. With Orenda's help, Collin works hard to overcome his challenges. His real test comes when he must step up for his new friend and trust his new family.

Read The brave

 

Little house in the big woods (Little house books ; #1) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Top five for kids

Most popular with kids this month:

  1. Little house in the big woods (Little house books ; #1) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  2. Ramona and her father (Ramona Ser. #4) by Beverly Cleary
  3. Megabat / (Megabat #1) by Anna Humphrey
  4. The dragonet prophecy: Wings of fire series, book 1 (Wings of Fire) by Tui T Sutherland
  5. Rook (Barrington Stoke teen) by Anthony McGowan

 

The black flamingo by Dean Atta

Top five for teens

Most popular with teens this month:

  1. The black flamingo by Dean Atta
  2. One of us is lying by Karen M. McManus
  3. Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith
  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins
  5. Midnight sun (Twilight Saga #5) by Stephenie Meyer

 

Service Tip

Did you know CELA offers books in a variety of languages? Offered as part of our agreement with Bookshare, books are available in Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French and Dutch. English, Spanish, and French are available in etext, synthetic audio, and computer-generated braille. All other languages are available in etext and computer-generated braille only, not in in audio. Find out more on our Languages Offered page.

 

Holiday Hours

CELA will be closed Monday, May 24 for the Victoria Day holiday. We will re-open with regular hours on Tuesday, May 25.

 

Stay connected!

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