The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program. They offer groups for readers of all types, including the Red Maple Award reading program, for students in grades 7 & 8, which includes a fiction list every year, and a non-fiction list every two years, and the White Pine Award, which familiarizes high school readers with great Canadian young adult fiction. Awards for both programs are given out at the Festival of Trees in May at Harbourfront Centre.

8000 young readers descend upon Harbourfront Centre for this annual celebration of reading.  Did you hear that?  Descend.  If you’re part of the gang (of readers, that is) you know that an epic word is fitting.  It’s a scientific fact that people who read are 300 to 60 000 times more intelligent than their non-reading counterparts.  So when we go places, we descend.  From our pedestals, from our bicycles, from our land of make-believe where everything is good.  And when we descend, we do it when it counts.

On My 15th and 16th, there will be workshops, award ceremonies, and more. Teresa Toten and Eric Walters will read from The Taming, brought to you by Celebration of Young Readers. This novel is the story of a shy high school girl who falls for the theatre and a troubled boy. As well, Karen Levine will present the tenth anniversary of Canada’s most-awarded children’s book of all time, Hana’s Suitcase. Ticket price is included with admission to Forest of Reading Festival of Trees ($14).

My sister Claire used to belong to a book club at school.  I belonged to one at !ndigo, where we got to pick out treats from their coffee shop (remember when it wasn’t Starbucks?) and go talk about books in a field scored by telephone wires behind the big-box buildings of Burlington. Claire got to go to a festival in Toronto, got to wear these sparkly things in her pigtails, and came home with all these ribbons and stories about authors, etc.  I can’t remember details because I was busy building a shield of love to block my eyes and ears, so I wouldn’t lash out in a jealous rage.

Learn from my mistakes.  Get to the train station/ subway station/ directly to the Harbourfront Centre, and dig the vibes of what you’re lucky enough to just have handed to you!

Tickets $10/ FREE for members, students and youth 25 and under with ID

Box office information 416 973 300 or readings.org