Harry Potter 20!

Feel old yet? June 26^th Marked the 20^th anniversary of Harry Potter! Quill and Quire asked booksellers all across Canada to reflect on the impact and importance of J.K. Rowling’s revolutionary saga since its release two decades ago. From inspiring new readers, then and now, to some crediting Rowling with the revival of an industry, check out the memories Canadian Booksellers shared here. 

What To Expect When You're Reading YA

PW does a great job of summing up trends in teen books. This season, publishers are continuing to respond to subjects out there that are very topical: mental illness, gender identity, etc. To read the full article click here.

When Everything Feels Like The Movies

Well there certainly has been ALOT of conversation around this book. Today at OLA we have over 150 people registered for our book talk on LGBTQ Reading Recommendations for Teens; so I thought it would be fitting to post Raziel's response to all the hoopla as well as some of the other pieces.

Raziel Reid’s own response to Barbara Kay’s criticism in The Walrus: http://thewalrus.ca/smells-likes-teen-dispirit/

An excellent video/text review in The National Post by books editor Emily M. Keeler and video “Close-Read” columnist Anna Fitzpatrick

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/27/raziel-reid-when-everything-feels-like-the-movies-controversy/

Elaine “Lainey Gossip” Lui has also been writing about the book (which she is championing during the Canada Reads debates March 16-19) on her website:

http://www.laineygossip.com/Intro-for-January-28--2015/35535

An inside look at STAINED by Cheryl Rainfield

Cheryl Rainfield writes the books she needed as a teen and couldn't find. In Stained, her fourth YA novel, Sarah, who has a port wine stain and some body image issues, is abducted and must find a way to rescue herself. Like Sarah, Cheryl had to rely on her own strength to survive many threatening situations. Earlier this fall, Cheryl spoke to a group of teenagers at Indigo Yorkdale. Cheryl spoke very passionately and strongly, and her personal story and reading were remarkably powerful. A self-defence seminar/demonstration was also part of this event.

Stained recently received a four-star review in CM Magazine. Cheryl is scheduled to make an appearance at OLA Super Conference at the Thomas Allen & Son booth. Follow Thomas Allen & Son on Twitter for more information.

Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

$20.99, hardcover

ISBN: 9780547942087

Publication date: October 1, 2013

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Distributed in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son

Eleanor & Park

It's great to see Eleanor & Park getting so much love lately! Rainbow Rowell's book about first love is definitely adored around these parts, and it seems like The Toronto Star feels the same way! Here's their review:

"This may well turn out to be the best-written teen romance of 2013. Rowell alternates between the perspectives of Eleanor, whose flamboyant hair, large figure and weird clothes make her the butt of bullies at her new school, and Park, who finds himself first sharing his comics with her (X-men; Watchmen) and then his music (the Smiths; Joy Division) — this is 1986, after all. Rowell writes of the breath-taking, cautious, astonished moments of adolescent romance with lucid, poetic intensity; at the same time, she evokes the threat of domestic violence with a bite that deepens the teens’ ultimate triumph. Highly recommended."

E&P is, indeed, a very well done romance. Rowell takes the reader on a journey as these two misfit teens experience the awkwardness, confusion, and INTENSE FEELINGS that come with falling in love for the first time, and it does this without being too sexy or saccharine, as many YA novels tend to be. It is really written quite wonderfully and let's just say that many tears were shed whilst reading this book. Many, many tears.

Heather Reisman, CEO of Chapters Indigo, has also joined the E&P love-fest by including it as one of her 2013 Top Summer Reads for Teens! Pretty amazing.

So ... You should probably read it.