Drum Roll Please for KELLEY ARMSTRONG!!!

KELLEY ARMSTRONG IS COMING TO KW!
The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy, The Reckoning is the fantastic, suspense-filled final installment in Chloe Saunders' thrilling adventure. Kelley Armstrong is the author of New York Times bestselling The Summoning and The Awakening, as well as the internationally bestselling series, Women of the Otherworld. Meet her at at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Kelley will be presenting at 7pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

GET A FREE TICKET TO SEE KELLEY

WHEN YOU PURCHASE

THE RECKONING OR

THE TALES OF THE OTHERWORLD

FROM WORDS WORTH BOOKS!

KELLEY ARMSTRONG's earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed. Today she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves while safely locked in her basement writing-dungeon. To read more about the Darkest Powers trilogy, click HERE.

“Armstrong not only writes interesting page turners, she has also achieved that unlikely goal, what all writers strive for: a genre of her own.” – The Walrus

The Darkest Powers Series, Book 3: The Reckoning
The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy, The Reckoning is the fantastic, suspense-filled final installment in Chloe Saunders' thrilling adventure.

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I'm on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We're hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We'll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we'd left behind and take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Alyxandra Harvey’s vampire story, Hearts at Stake, is a new spin on an old theme. We like to think of her as the Canadian Stephenie Meyer; if she was BFF with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Meet her at at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Alyxandra will be presenting at 6:30pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Alyx Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of ‘The Lady of Shalott’ by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

HEARTS AT STAKE: The Drake Chronicles

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black - agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.
Luckily she has her own secret weapon - her human best friend Lucy - who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life - Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black - in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.
Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters - vampire or otherwise.

For Serious Faery Lovers Pt.2 - Lesley Livingston!

Acclaimed author, Lesley Livinston presents Darklight, the sequel to Wondrous Strange, at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Lesley will be presenting at 6pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

LESLEY LIVINGSTON is the author of critically acclaimed Wondrous Strange, as well as an actress. She has a master’s degree in English from the University of Toronto, where she specialized in Arthurian and Shakespearean literature. She is a principal performer and founding member of the Tempest Theatre Group, based in Toronto.

Reviews for the first book in the trilogy, Wondrous Strange:

"The narrative is rich with incident and mounting tension.... it builds on the familiar without sacrificing originality...” – Quill & Quire, Starred Review

“Oh, bestselling Twilight, thou hast a strong contender…with mastery, Livingston handles the dramatic agony of growing up… as a young adult fantasy, this book has it all.” – The Globe and Mail

In Darklight, the sequel to Wondrous Strange, Kelley Winslow finds her NYC acting career blossoming as she takes the lead in Romeo and Juliet. But she also finds herself desperately missing Sonny Flannery—who was forced back to the Faerie Otherworld, charged with a dangerous mission by Kelley’s father, King Auberon.

When Kelley finds herself thrown into the Otherworld following a deadly chase in Central Park, her passionate reunion with Sonny is cut short. Ancient magick is stirring, and a dangerous enemy has Sonny and Kelley caught in a web of Faerie deception that could tear their love apart.

For Serious Faery Lovers - R.J. Anderson!

Stratford author, R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world in her Faery Rebels series. Hear all about it at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. R.J. will be presenting at 5:30pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

R. J. ANDERSON was born in Uganda, raised in Ontario, schooled in New Jersey, and has spent much of her life dreaming of entirely other worlds. At the age of twelve she borrowed her parents' electric typewriter and began hammering out her first fantasy novel. Now married and the mother of three young sons, Rebecca reads to her children the classic works of fantasy and science fiction that enlivened her own childhood, and she tries to bring a similar sense of humor, adventure, and timeless wonder to her own work. Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter is her first published novel. She lives in Stratford, Ontario. Visit the author on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter

A spirited debut novel of forgotten magic, forbidden friendship and a fierce faery—from a stellar new Canadian talent

Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake.
Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction? Talented newcomer R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world and weaves a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.

The adventure continues in Wayfarer

The faeries of the Oak are in danger of extinction, and their only hope for survival rests in fifteen-year-oldLinden. Armed with the last of her people's magic, she travels bravely into the modern human world. Along the way she makes a reluctant ally—a human boy named Timothy. Soon Linden and Timothy discover a danger much worse than the Oakenfolk's loss of magic . . . a potent evil that threatens to enslave faeries and humans alike. In a fevered, desperate chase across the country, Tim and Linden must risk their lives to seek an ancient power before it's too late to save everyone they love.

CBC broadcaster Kevin Sylvester presents his latest book for kids, Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders, at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Kevin will be presenting at 4pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

KEVIN SYLVESTER is an award-winning writer, illustrator and broadcaster. His books include Gold Medal for Weird (2009) and Sports Hall of Weird (2006). His book for adults, Shadrin has Scored for Russia, was nominated for the Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour in 2002. His illustrations have been seen in The Toronto Star, the Literary Review of Canada and on cbc.ca. Kevin is often heard on CBC Radio. He lives in Toronto, Ontario

“Good fun!” — Three-star Michelin Chef Gordon Ramsay on Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders

From award-winning illustrator and broadcaster Kevin Sylvester comes Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders, the first adventure of a culinary whiz kid with a nose for crime fighting.
Neil Flambé is a 14-year-old wunderchef who can cook anything and brags that he can cook it better than anyone else. Patrons pay top dollar and wait months for reservations at his tiny, boutique restaurant. But what Neil’s patrons don’t know is that he’s also a budding detective. It all started when his incredible sense of smell helped acquit his mother’s client of murder. Ever since, Police Inspector Sean Nakamura has relied on Neil to help him solve case after case. Now, with many of the best chefs in town turning up dead, Neil’s olfactory talents are needed to save some of his closest competition. As more chefs fall prey to the killer, Neil finds himself working not only to solve the murder, but to eliminate himself as the prime suspect. Kevin Sylvester’s witty text and whimsical illustrations make Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders an inventive, rollicking romp into a world of culinary mystery.

Nan Forler helps us to Fly Away in her book Bird Child

Local teacher, Nan Forler, gets help bringing her story, Bird Child alive at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Nan will be presenting at 3:30pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Born in Elmira, Ontario, NAN FORLER has degrees in both music and education, and she has taught junior kindergarten through to grade eight for over twenty years. Nan has studied music in Vienna, Italy, traveled through England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and driven coast-to-coast through North America. As a mother and teacher, she encourages her students and her own children to speak out against injustice, both in the schoolyard and in the global community and this is reflected in her first book, Bird Child. She lives in Waterloo, Ontario.

Bullying and the ability to rise above it are at the heart of this strikingly beautiful picture book, Bird Child. All school-aged children have either bullied, been bullied, or witnessed bullying, and all too often, they feel powerless to stop what has been set in motion. Such is not the case with Eliza. Her mother has given her “wings to fly” and the ability to see all the possibilities that lie before her. So, when bullies pick on the new student, Lainey, gradually robbing her of her smile and ability to paint beautiful pictures, Eliza wants to help, and she does, by finding a way to show Lainey all that she can be. Then in the schoolyard, Eliza stands up to the bullies. One by one, the other children add their voices, and soon the bullies have skulked away. Lyrical and eloquent yet realistic and down to earth, Nan Forler’s text is complemented beautifully with François Thisdale’s haunting images. This is a book for every child, every classroom, and every library.

Penguins and Pirates UNITE!

Cartoonist, Patricia Storms, is excited to have your help performing her book, The Pirate and the Penguin, a story that puts a humorous, modern spin on a familiar tale at the Turning Pages Literary Festival. This is part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Patricia will be presenting at 2:30pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).



Patricia Storms is a freelance cartoonist and illustrator who delights in entertaining readers of all ages. She has done work for The National Post, Hallmark, TD Bank, chickaDEE Magazine, and Barnes and Noble. She lives and creates in Toronto with her husband and two fat cats in a 92-year-oldhouse that’s full to the brim with books. You can find Patricia on Facebook and on the Owl Kids Facebook page too - including a video about her book HERE!



The Pirate and the Penguin


“This one will hit many a funny bone in old and young alike.”~ Kirkus Reviews



Loosely based on the classic story of The Prince and the Pauper, The Pirate and thePenguin puts a humorous, modern spin on a familiar tale, perfect for bedtime or story hour. Penguin is not your typical Antarctic bird. While his contented friends spend their days doing yoga, daydreaming, and daydreaming about doing yoga, this free spirit is planning his great escape. He’s done with the frigid, barren expanse of the South Pole. He’s had it with the communal escapades of his feathered fraternity. What he wants is adventure!!! And he’s ready to go at it alone…Pirate, on the other hand, wants no part in his vocation’s raucous, adventurous ways. Exploration? Treasure? Conquest? Bah! Caught under the pounding Caribbean sun,surrounded by a crew of dimwits, this captain longs for a simpler life. Free from his itchy sunburns. Free from the endless travel. If only he could find such a place…From the mind of veteran children’s illustrator Patricia Storms comes the tale of how these two misfits find each other and, in the process, find the solution to all of their problems. The Pirate and the Penguin follows these two characters as they inevitably converge and playfully discover the lives they’ve been seeking all along. Storms’s gift for both simple, touching rendering of her characters and keen, subtle details in her settings has yielded a book that is equal parts loving parable andenergetic adventure. A true gem of a picture book!

Jeff Szpirglas wants ONE MINUTE of your Time!

Jeff Szpirglas loves anything that kids love! His picturebook, Just a Minute!, is a fun take on what can happen in a minute (and an hour, a day, a month, a year…) Meet Jeff at the Turning Pages Literary Festival as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Jeff will be presenting at 2pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Jeff Szpirglas loves disgusting things, silly things, scary things—in fact, if it appeals to kids, then it appeals to Jeff! Jeff’s first book, the highly acclaimed Gross Universe: Your Guide to All Disgusting Things Under the Sun, was shortlisted for the Canadian Science Writers’ Association Science in Society Children’s Book Award and was a finalist for the Independent Publishers Award. His other books include They Did What?!, Fear this Book, and Just a Minute! His stories have been published in Chirp and chickaDEE magazines, where he once worked as the kids’ page editor. And he has written for the television series’ Polka Dot Shorts, Ricky’s Room, and System Crash, and co-produced two radio pieces for CBC’s Out Front. Jeff currently lives in Toronto, where he influenes young minds on a daily basis as a middle school teacher. You can find Jeff on Facebook and on Twitter. His books are published by Owl Kids, you can become a fan of Owl on Facebook too!

Did you know that in just a minute -Your heart will beat 60 to 100 times, Your kitchen faucet will send 2 to 4 gallons of water down the drain, A cheetah racing after its food will run the length of 4 to 5 football fields?

Just a Minute! A Crazy Adventure in Time is more than just a picture book; it couples a delightfully zany story with a fact-filled look at what can happen in a minute (and an hour, a day, a month, a year…) So what can happen in just a minute? Readers will have to follow David (who is almost 5 million minutes old) through his wacky day to find out!

It’s the weekend and David’s family has big plans to go to the zoo, but their outing takes some decidedly unusual turns—including escaped animals, a crashed movie set, and backyard hi-jinks. As readers come along for the ride, they learn a myriad of facts (featured as bubbles on the pages) related to what can happen in a minute in the world all around them.

For example:
- An elephant, the world’s largest land mammal, only averages around 30 heartbeats a minute. That’s 50 times slower than the world’s smallest shrew!

- In one minute, a good marathon runner can run 230 meters (755 feet)—the length of about 3 downtown city blocks.

- Most movies run 100 minutes long. That works out to 2,700 meters (9,000 feet) of film to make up a movie you see in the theater. That’s nearly 100 basketball courts long!

Vivid and energetic artwork is the perfect complement to the lively text. Plus, a special section at the back of the book presents a brief history of time devices, from sundials to water clocks and candle clocks, all the way through to atomic clocks. Howlingly funny, surprising, and fascinating, this is a tour through time that readers won’t want to miss!

Author & Illustrator Laurel Croza & Matt James!

Author and illustrator team, Laurel Croza and Matt James, share their book, I Know Here, a story that will resonate with anyone who has moved to a new place at the Turning Pages Literary Festival as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Laurel & Matt will be presenting at 12:30pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Laurel Croza lived near four dam sites when she was a child, moving nine times and attending six schools before she was fourteen. I Know Here is based on her memories of leaving Saskatchewan for Toronto. Laurel lives in Markham, Ontario.

Matt James is a noted painter, illustrator and musician. His first book, Yellow Moon, Apple Moon by Pamela Porter, was a Governor General’s Award finalist for illustration. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

In, I Know Here, a little girl lives with her family in a trailer in northeastern Saskatchewan, where her father is building a dam. She knows everything about the place she lives — her road, her school, the forest where she plays hide-and-seek and where the wolf howls at night, the hill where she goes tobogganing in winter . . . But the dam is nearly finished and when summer comes the family is moving to Toronto — a place marked by a big red star on the map at school.
“Have people in Toronto seen what I’ve seen?” the little girl asks. And with her teacher’s help she finds a way to keep everything she loves about home.
This simple, beautifully written story, complemented by Matt James’s vibrant, imaginative illustrations, will resonate deeply with anyone who has had to leave their home for a new place.

Get a Big Bear Hug from Nicholas Oldland!

Get a big hug from author Nicholas Oldland when he reads Big Bear Hug, an environmental fable delivered with a lot of heart and many big hugs at the Turning Pages Literary Festival a day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Nicholas will be presenting at 12noon at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Nicholas Oldland earned a degree in Fine Arts at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada and enjoyed success as a commercial artist and filmmaker before taking up the role of Creative Director at Hatley, a popular apparel company. Big Bear Hug is his first picture book.

A huge bear wanders through the forest giving hugs to beavers, moose, birds and of course, trees. This bear is so filled with happiness that he loves giving hugs to all living things…until he meets a human wielding a tree cutting axe. Suddenly the bear doesn’t feel like hugging anymore and must make a difficult decision on how to stop destruction in his forest.
Expressive comic style illustrations show the startled and hilarious expressions of the woodland animals that the loving bear encounters. Readers may recognize some of these characters from Hatley apparel, a North American company of which creator Nicholas Oldland is the Creative Director. Printed on FSC mixed sources certified paper — Big Bear Hug has an important “green” message delivered with humor and heart. The environmental message of this book is funny and powerful, while simple enough to engage very young children.

Illustrator Laura Beingessner Shares Her Picture Books

Turning Pages Literary Festival is pleased that children's illustrator, Laura Beingessner, will be sharing her books and illustrations with children, as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Laura will be presenting at 11:30am at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

LAURA BEINGESSNER has loved to draw and paint ever since she was a little girl. She is the illustrator of three books for children, including the award-winning If the Shoe Fits, a New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing pick. She lives in Toronto with her husband and son.






Our Corner Grocery Store By Joanne Schwartz, Illustrated by Laura Beingessner
Ana Maria takes great pleasure and pride in her grandparents’ corner grocery store. Every Saturday she spends the day helping to arrange fruits and vegetables, greet the customers, and keep things neat and tidy. Through her day we meet the neighbors and learn what an important part the corner grocery store plays in the community.
Nonno Domenico, Nonna Rosa, and Ana Maria supply more than goods as the steady stream of customers arrives. Lunches are made, news is shared, bargains are purchased, recipes are traded, and cheerful ciaos are called. By the end of a long day, Ana Maria has a true sense of just how wonderful the sights and smells within the store are and how much they mean to everyone.
Charmingly illustrated in great detail, Our Corner Grocery Store pays tribute to the small independent grocers who supply color and atmosphere to city streets. Young readers will particularly enjoy finding and naming the wide array of produce, breads, candies, and dry goods that abound in this friendly establishment.

PRAISE FOR Our Corner Grocery Store:
“… A quiet charmer of a picture book.” – Booklist
“Beingessner’s folksy illustrations and Schwartz’s easy text fit well together and are filled with details…. Reading this book is as appealing as spending a day in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – both provide a gentle and welcome escape.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal “
"The artist has used bold colours for her lovingly detailed pictures and done a splendid job of evoking the urban environment….” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

Sail Away With Me By Jane Collins-Phillipe, Illustrated by Laura Beingessner
Jane Collins-Phillipe loves the sea – after all she has spent many years living on a sailboat – and she has collected verses old and new to share her understanding and affection. Some of the poems will be familiar, like Eugene Field’s “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.” Others are from Collin-Phillipe’s own pen and are sure to become favorites. Who could resist a poem about a ship with a hippo for a captain and a giraffe named Joyce for a lookout?
Laura Beingessner’s charming art is the perfect complement to a collection that will delight children, whether they are old salts or landlubbers.

Children's Poet Arnot McCallum

Turning Pages Literary Festival is pleased that children's poet, Arnot McCallum is presenting his collection of poetry, Eanie Meanie Hate Zucchini, as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Arnot will be presenting at 11am at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Arnot McCallum is a an author of numerous childrens books and poems. He was a teacher in Windsor for 35 years. Arnot now judges story writing contests for CBC Radio, offers writing workshops for children and enjoys meeting readers of his books.

Arnot's newest book, Eanie Meanie Hate Zucchini, is an illustrated book of whimsical poems for children filled with true-to-life experiences in the world of a child. The poems appeal to the fantasy and imagination of the readers. The rhythmic flow of the poetic language encourages the children to read, memorize and chant the poems many times over. This book is ideal for that special moment in the evening when a bedtime poem is just the right soother to close the day. Or when a case of the giggles set in and you want to hear more laughter.

Here are some of our favorite poems:

My Snowman's Nose
Sing a song of snowmen.
A happy winter ballad.
My sister stole my snowman's nose,
And now it's in her salad!

It's My Room
Mom says my room's a pigsty.
There's litter everywhere.
Lots of junk and rotting fruit,
And dirty underwear.
It may be sort of rustic.
And have a sticky floor.
But that's the way I like it.
So Mom, just close the door!

Local Author Frank Glew

Turning Pages Literary Festival is pleased that Local Author, Frank Glew, is presenting his collection of wonderful animal stories for children, as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Frank will be presenting at 10:30am at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

Frank Glew was born in Clinton, Ontario. He is the third child of seven children. Frank grew up in a family with lots of love but little money. During his childhood, he developed a keen love of nature , farming and sports. In school, he had a difficult time getting interested in reading during primary school. Frank thought most books were written for girls and did not interest him. His first job was in a one room school teaching all grades. He claims it was the best learning situation a teacher could have. Frank is married to Sharon Becker and has two daughter, Andrea and Lisa.

Frank has taught at all grade levels of education from kindergarten to university. He believes in a holistic, integrated, active and student centered approach to learning. He has practiced these beliefs in a pragmatic way throughout his career.

Frank has won numerous awards for his children's books including The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for significant contribution to Canada, Community, Literarcy and Fellow Canadians.
Frank believes strongly that “Literacy gives you Wings”. He says: "We can never overemphasize the importance of reading to children. The best reward for writing books is presenting and explaining how and why I write.All of my books have an important environmental message as well as the fostering of character education and universal values".

Frank's nine books include: That Chickadee Feeling, When I Grow Up I Want to be Just Like My Dog, Butterfly Wishes and Sameul's Most Important Message.

His newest book, Little Ladybug Earns Her Spots, is about Little Ladybug's first day of school. She notices that she is different from other ladybugs. Other ladybugs have spots. She has no spots and this makes her feel very sad. Little Ladybug does not want to be different from her school mates. Having spots becomes an obsession with her. With the help of friends, she learns it is what you are on the inside that really matters. By using the true facts about the habitat of ladybugs, this story brings out a most important lesson on equity and inclusion of others that are different from yourself. Little Ladybug comes to the conclusion, “Ladybug, Ladybug as kind as can be, it’s what Iam on the inside that is really me.”

Nuthin' like some good advice...

The Believer Magazine, a delightfully glib off-shoot of the venerable McSweeney's has just put out a new collection of "advice" from a who's who in contemporary comedy. Since this is the brain child of Eric Spritznagel, the co-creator of the hilarious Believer column Sedaratives (with Amy Sedaris) it's no surprise that the coolest of the coolest comics are represented within it's pages.

Now, I know I've used the expressions "who's who" and "coolest of the coolest" here, but I am not committing any hyperbolic overstatement here- literally every comedian who has made me laugh in the last 5 years is a contributor... including but not limited to the entire casts of my 3 all time favorite sketch comedy shows (which happen to be: Mr. Show, Stella and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job on the off chance someone feels like surprising me with a DVD gift basket). Cast members from Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, The Sarah Silverman Program, and The Flight of the Conchords are also represented.

The book is pretty simply laid out, The Believer I sent a selection of real and fake advice letters to over 40 comedians, and printed the best of their responses. It's a pretty fun distraction, and would be a great gift to cheer up a comedy loving buddy on a yucky rainy day such as today. I will leave you with an excerpt from the section by Zach Galifianakis (of The Hangover and Between Two Ferns fame)...

Dear Zach: I have a job that leaves me passionless and empty. It stimulates neither mind nor soul. How can I successfully draw on my creative juices to do something meaningful? Best, Charles.

Dear Charles:

Are you an account at at a cardboard box factory? Boredom is a killer. there are so many things you can do to kick-start a satisfying life. I will give you a few suggestions to get the juices flowing:
1) Start reading Teen People
2) Rent a stretch Hummer and go see Noam Chomsky speak.
3) Model your life after the movie Sideways, but instead of wine make your passion Mountain Dew.
4) Ask a state trooper where the closest gay bar is.
5) Have a Super Bowl party with no television.

Zach.

Love,
Caroline.

*The Heights* by Peter Hedges

Psychologists suggests that passion as a measurable chemical conceit lasts about two years or less in a marriage.
Any one couple may react differently from another, so it follows that dimming ardor is a perennial favourite subject for novelists.
Kate and Tim Welch are the principals in the new Peter Hedges novel The Heights, named for the tony Brooklyn neighbourhood known for it's brownstone houses and monied history.
The Heights is as much a character in the book as anyone else.

A hostess of an annual Labour Day dinner party notes,
"Just for the sake of argument, let's imagine a small chemical weapon is detonated in the centre of the Heights, say at Starbucks, and only this neighbourhood is wiped out.
There goes most of the brains of Wall Street, much of publishing. Gone are some of the brightest lights of this brightly lit city. That cartoonist for the New Yorker, the food critic for the Times, the managing editor of the New York Sun. I'm just saying, there's no place I'd rather live."
Kate and Tim are decidedly less well off than their others, but almost accidentlally find themselves in the good graces of the leisure class. They are specifically of interest to a new couple who have recently bought the largest brownstone in the neighbourhood, Anna Brody and Phillip Ainsworth. When Kate lands a job at a large philanthropic enterprise, she and Tim find their social calendar suddenly overflowing and the mobility and money reveal cracks in the marriage and new temptations as well.

Under pressure to finish a dissertation, Tim finds himself falling under the spell of Anna Brody. Kate is happily married to the a solid history teacher, but in her past is a glamourous TV actor known to millions, who has never gotten over losing Kate years earlier.
From here the obvious fun is in watching two speeding cars that the reader is pretty sure are going to crash into the same brick wall.

Beyond that, however, Peter Hedges, who gained international attention with What's Eating Gilbert Grape, brings a Midwestern sensibility to his urbane New York setting and makes (almost) everyone lovable here.
Major and minor characters alike are similar in that the mistakes they make aren't dark or venal, they are merely extensions of their truer selves. The work of Tom Perrotta and Lionel Shriver (two of my very favourites) come to mind, although Hedges isn't as interested in putting his characters on a slippery slope of amorality.

On a playdate, Tim and Anna are watching over their kids and Tim sees storm clouds ahead.
"She paid me with compliments, and it was cloying at first, all the praise. But I grew to like it. She also had a quality charismatic people often possess.
When she spoke to you, you felt as if you were the only person in the world. She was also a bit erratic and could say something impulsive and inappropriate.For example, while we were in the ball pit, she said, "I'll bet you and Kate have great sex."
I liked my answer, "That would be Kate's and my business wouldn't it.?"
"I'm sorry if I made you blush. I guess I just need to believe that someone out there is having..."
"Okay," I said, "We have great sex."
"I knew it."
I neglected to mention: About once every six months."

Themes of money, temptation, class, and the joys and disappointments of parenting make for a great book club title, and Hedges brings it all off with economy and flair.
There is also a kernel of wisdom in The Heights that I wish I had access to in high school. It was bestowed upon a young Tim Welch, and I sorely wish I had been priivy to it.
It would have solved a multitude of adolescent troubles.

The Heights is a great read.

Dave

What on earth would she wear? *Guest Post by Heather Hartt-Sussman*

Turning Pages Literary Festival is pleased that Heather Hartt-Sussman is sharing her book, Nana's Getting Married, as part of the day long celebration of books for children and teens on May 15th. Heather will be presenting at 3pm at The Musem (10 King St. W. Kitchener).

HEATHER HARTT-SUSSMAN, born in Montreal, graduated from Brandeis University and attended the Sorbonne. She has been a copywriter for BCP in Montreal, a reporter for the Hollywood Reporter, editor-in-chief of international news for TV Guide in French Canada, columnist of the popular “Heather Hartt in Hollywood,” and host of E! Entertainment Television’s The Gossip Show. Nana’s Getting Married is her first book. Heather Hartt-Sussman lives in Toronto with her husband, sons Scotty and Jack, and the family dog. http://twitter.com/heatherhartt

Why is it that there is virtually nothing on the market for the bride of a certain age to wear? Just google wedding gowns and words like “girly and glamorous” pop up. Asymmetrical tiers of organza in the “trumpet style” may not necessarily be the right fit for say, the woman over 50. It seems like you have be 22 and a size 2 to put one of these confections on!

The only reason I bring this up is because as wedding season approaches, I think about what if the character in my book Nana’s Getting Married were actually getting married? What on earth would she wear?

In the book, Nana decides to hang up her knitting needles and her oven mitts, if only for a while, as she gets to know the new love of her life, Bob, a little better. She’s so smitten, in fact, that not only does her attention-seeking grandson go on a strike of sorts, but she decides to marry him, much to the consternation of the boy.

The events were taken from a situation in my own life when my mother decided to get re-married. At the wedding my then-5-year-old son said: “But grandmas aren’t supposed to get married!” to which I replied; “Who says?”

But it appears that my son isn’t the only one who feels that grandmas aren’t supposed to get married. As my mother shopped for a frock, it was clear she was either going to look like the mother of the bride, or a woman who was trying to look half her age by squeezing into a tulle and organza strapless outfit that looked more like a straight jacket than anything remotely romantic.

She chose the former.

As baby boomers age and people live longer due to great advances in medicine, more and more people with non-traditional senses of style, are going to be tying the knot for the second, perhaps third, and, dare I say even fourth, times. I say it is time the wedding industry thought about this fact and began planning for a blooming new demographic of Nanas who don’t want to look matronly on one of the happiest days of their mature lives!

- Heather Hartt-Sussman

Advance praise for NANA’S GETTING MARRIED:

…this message about open-mindedness and acceptance hits its mark.”
-Publishers Weekly

“…an excellent job of finding the voice of a six-year-old mightily aggrieved little boy…Georgia Graham is an extraordinary artist…. It is a pleasure to find a picture book whose strong message is matched with a light touch…. Highly Recommended.” – CM Magazine