You know what they say – having fun isn’t hard when you have a library card! Here in Toronto, our library cards are unlocking so much more than traditional books lately. 3D printers and filmmaking equipment are recent additions to the collection, and just yesterday, the TPL introduced Hoopla, a movie and music streaming service.

TPL cardholders can access an archive of more than 10,000 films and 250,000 albums, and families will be delighted by a wide selection of animated and feature film favourites like Babe and Billy Elliott and educational videos, from language learning to beginner’s yoga.

But what struck us at Story Planet is an extensive selection of documentaries – for all ages! We’ve done a bit of the legwork and picked out five favourites to help you get started, but we’d love to know which docs you’d recommend for our Story Planet students and staff.

1. Dear. Mr. Watterson (2013) – An inside look at the creation of Calvin & Hobbes, the “best comic strip in the history of the universe.” (That’s the documentary talking, not us…necessarily.) 

2. The Sci-Fi Boys (2006) – Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ray Bradubry…the list goes on! This doc peeks behind the fourth wall of special effects to reveal how it’s done and who’s doing it.

3. Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story (2011) – Have you played Monopoloy? Have your parents played Monopoly? Have your parents’ parents played Monopoly? Probably. Find out why! 

4. Kings of Pastry (2010) – It’s probably a good idea to stock up on sweets before settling in with these pastry greats. But if you have an aspiring chef in your family, this doc is a visual feast that will surely inspire (and probably make you hungry.) 

5. Afghan Star (2009) – Pop culture is returning to Afghanistan after years of unrest, but it’s still dangerous to be a performer. Afghan Star is Tolo TV’s American Idol-style singing competition and this doc follows the four young finalists who risk everything to become their country’s next music icon. 

 

We’ve got book trailers on the brain these days. For the past five weeks we’ve been working with Hilary Leung (author of Ninja, Cowboy, Bear) to lead a group of exceptional young writers in the creation of a brand new, wholly original, and totally wacky picture book. Last week was the final week of production before the pages were sent off to the printer for publication, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to toot our own horn! Our devoted volunteer and expert photog, Scott, is putting together a book trailer to announce the impending arrival of our publication.

This process got us thinking about book trailers in general. What does a good book trailer look like? How much of the story does it reveal? Does it tell you about the author(s)? The Illustrator(s)? The publishing team? We sought out inspiration straight from the source: book trailers for our favourite books! So while you wait for us to complete our very first book trailer, please enjoy…

 

Story Planet’s Top 5 Favourite Book Trailers of ALL TIME!

 

5. Ninja Cowboy Bear presents: The Way of the Ninja, by David Bruins and Hilary Leung

In a totally unbiased move, number five on our top five list comes from our story-making collaborater, Hilary Leung himself. This trailer is bright, fun, and full of energy, which is exactly what you can expect from a Ninja Cowboy Bear book. What’s more, the key words give you a taste of what you’re getting into, without giving too much away.

 

4. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo and K.G. Campbell

Some jazzy background music, a draws-you-in opening sequence, beautiful illustrations, and kooky characters – what more could you ask of a book trailer? This trailer is all about building curiosity and intrigue in the viewer. What kind of adventures could a girl and her squirrel possibly get up to? What has Flora’s mother got against Ulysses? And what has a vacuum got to do with it?

 

3. 13 Words, by Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman

In a completely different approach, Lemony Snicket uses his book trailer to reveal everything. The book is called 13 words, and that’s exactly what this trailer gives us: all 13 words, one by one, peppered with hilarious digressions in Snicket’s characteristically witty manner. And yet, I still want to read the book! Knowing what the words are – which range from “hat” to “mezzo soprano” – makes the viewer more curious to find out how Snicket squeezes them all into a single story.

 

2. A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay

Beautiful and terrifying animation swirls through each frame, enticing you into Conor’s nightmare. A pallet of sombre colours and the plaintive sighs of a single violin create an eerie world that you are eager and afraid to enter at the same time. An endorsement from Philip Pullman definitely doesn’t hurt, either!

 

1. The Dark, by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

Two Lemony Snicket books in a single top 5 list, you ask? Hear me out. This trailer is our favourite because it combines all the necessary elements: a spooky soundscape, a cliffhanger that reveals just enough while still keeping you on edge, and scenes of real kids engrossed in the book. To top it all off, the trailer is narrated by none other than the master of imagination, Neil Gaiman.

 

Now that you’ve seen the trailers – why not buy the books? All these titles (and more!) are available for purchase at the ITA. And be sure to watch this space for our very own book trailer, and eventual book, which will be coming soon to a Story Planet near you!

Each month we will pit two worthy opponents against each other, and YOU will decide with your donation which is the mightier. The two contenders in this first round are Star Trek and Star Wars. Which one will reign in this battle of the stars? There is only ONE week left to vote for your favourite star before we make way for a new battle in April, so come into the ITA to make your donation and make your choice! All proceeds go to supporting Story Planet programming.

Last week, our intrepid ITA Manager Rebecca went on a scouting mission to the bizarre land known to Earthlings as NYC. Her assignment: To infiltrate the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and collect data on the 112th annual American International Toy Fair. The fair is a place where Earthling merchants gather to hawk their wares to toy stores and bookshops, so Rebecca conducted an in-depth study of strange new products to sell in the ITA. Naturally, the report she delivered to Story Planet’s Alien Chieftess upon her return is top secret and classified information, but she did leak some exciting details of her expedition to the Head of Interstellar Communications. Read on, brave explorers!

What is The New York Toy Fair? The NY Toy Fair is a huge gathering of toy companies showing off their product for buyers, store owners, and other “industry” people.  It’s the place to find out what new stuff a company will be putting out, as well as discovering lots of great vendors you didn’t know existed!

What were your top 3 favourite booths? Ooh, number one has to be the MakerBot 3D printers– watching a little machine construct perfect plastic figurines from practically nothing was the highlight of the whole trip!  I also had a blast popping into the Celestial Buddies booth, because how cute is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot nose?!  It was also really exciting to see GoldieBlox in person– these construction toys designed to get girls interested in engineering got their start on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, and the people who work there are all the nicest.

I ♥ NY: Agree or disagree? Controversial question!  New York is an amazing place– so much to see and do!– but it’s also huge, and I’m a Story Planet gal at heart.

Any travel horror stories to share? No, travelling through the Intergalactic Travel Authority is always a pleasant trip!  I grabbed a coffee, checked the Departures board to make sure my flight was running on schedule, and off I went.

What exciting new products will be appearing in the ITA? Well, that depends entirely on how many companies offer intergalactic shipping.  You’ll have to come in and see!

Usually it takes Cupid a little longer to fly through our airspace, and what with this supersonic storm system blowing in from Neptune, we thought he wouldn’t make it at all this year. But boy, were we wrong! We arrived on Monday morning to find the loveliest note waiting for us. Now this wasn’t a love note, per se, but it was definitely a note full of love.

It seems that members of the Graduate English Association at the University of Toronto organized an event recently where they shared writing that they did when they were kids (fun!). Besides having a grand old time rediscovering their writerly roots, they also collected donations to give to a charity…and they picked us!

We are so touched by the GEA’s thoughtful note and generous donation. Thanks to you, we will be able to help more young authors-to-be find their voice. Thank you for being our Valentine! (We only ask that you invite us to your event next time, because it sounds fantastic!)

P.S. Curious about what we do here at Story Planet? Let us tell you…

 

You may not know this, but Story Planet is orbited by no fewer than 17 moons, so Lunar New Year is a very special time in our corner of the galaxy. Traditionally, our Lunar New Year festival is a weeklong celebration of creativity, spontaneity, reflection, and competitive moon-walking.

We love to swap stories about customs and traditions with the Earthlings who come through the ITA, so over the years we’ve  learned a lot about Lunar New Year celebrations on Earth. This year Lunar New Year falls on January 31st, and in the Chinese Zodiac we are in the year of the horse. (For our Alien friends, a horse is a four-pronged, swish-tailed creature similar to a Saturnian Prindlesnoot.)

For those of you celebrating Lunar New Year on Earth, we have some book recommendations to share. These titles (and more!) are all available at Story Planet’s Intergalactic Travel Authority, or at your local library.

 

Year of the Dog – Grace Lin

Even though we’re in the year the of the horse, Grace Lin’s chapter book, “The Year of the Dog,” is a heartwarming tale for all seasons. The story follows Pacy, a Taiwanese American girl who is finding it difficult to be both Taiwanese and American at the same time. Pacy learns that the year of the dog is the year she is destined to “find herself.” Although there are some bumps along the way, the new year brings Pacy a fresh perspective on how to be many things at once, and she discovers the importance of friendship, family, and finding one’s passion.

 

Chin Chiang and the Dragon Dance – Ian Wallace

In this beautifully illustrated tale, we are celebrating the year of the dragon. Chin Chiang, a Chinese Canadian boy, is nervous about performing the dragon dance at the New Year festival for the first time. Worried that he will let his family down, Chin Chiang runs away. But he can’t escape his responsibility forever. With the help of an unexpected friend, Chin Chiang regains his confidence, and faces his fears.

 

Lighting Our World: A Year of Celebrations – Catherine Rondina

This colourful information book explores of celebrations of light across the globe.  Catherine Rondina shares exciting stories of new and old customs told from the perspectives of children from 31 countries around the world. The rich and energetic illustrations by Jacqui Oakley lift these stories right off the page.

 

How do you celebrate Lunar New Year? Tell us in the comment section below!

National Family Literacy Day is an annual awareness day started by ABC Life Literacy in 1999 to promote the importance of fostering literacy in our communities and at home. This year Family Literacy Day falls on a Monday – January 27th to be precise – but why limit your celebrations to one day when you could be riding the reading and writing train all week? We have plenty of suggestions for how you and your family can share a story together throughout the week.

 

Tuesday, January 21st

We’ll start with the obvious: Read a book together!

Our Social Enterprise Manager Extraordinaire, Beck, has been recommending the classic Norton Juster children’s novel, The Phantom Tollbooth, left right and centre recently. Story Planet’s Alien Chieftess, Liz, recommends The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, by Teresa Toten for middle grade readers. The bilingual (English and Cree) picture book, Caribou Song by Tomson Highway and John Rombough, is the current favourite of the Head of Interstellar Communications, Genie. These titles and more are all available to purchase at the Intergalactic Travel Authority.

More info: https://sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca/store/

 

Wednesday, January 22nd

If the storytellers in your family are not at the reading and writing stage yet, or happen to thrive on oral storytelling, why not explore literacy through digital media tools. Hilary Leung, author of the Ninja Cowboy Bear series, and The Pirate Girl’s Treasure, recently introduced us to Sago Sago, a company that creates storytelling apps for kids. An app like Sago Mini Doodlecast allows you to draw and record your voice at the same time so that you can tell a story as you illustrate, or just capture your whole creative process at once.

More advanced readers and writers should explore Wattpad – an online platform for storytellers. On Wattpad you will find stories written by both Margaret Atwood and your neighbour down the street. Explore new genres, discover new authors, or publish your own work!

More info: http://www.sagosago.com, http://www.wattpad.com/home

 

Thursday, January 23rd

Have fun with your words by playing a literary board game. Tried and true classics like Scrabble and Boggle are always fun, but there are so many more games out there to discover. Bananagrams is a raucous no-holds-barred, free-for-all version of Scrabble, where players compose their own word chains and race to be the first to use up all their tiles. Rory’s Story Cubes are an excellent prompt for story writing: simply throw the dice and compose a story based on the pictures that come up. Bananagrams, Rory’s Story Cubes, and many more fun literary games are available to purchase at the Intergalatic Travel Authority.

More info: https://sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca/store/

 

Friday, January 24th

Spend your P.A. day at the library with everyone’s favourite coward, Scaredy Squirrel! Scaredy and the librarians at the Amesbury Park branch of the Toronto Public Library have organized a literary scavenger hunt for adventurous readers (but not too adventurous!). Visit the TPL website to see the many other Family Literacy activities happening all this week and next.

More info: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMEVT158870&R=EVT158870

 

Saturday, January 25th

Participate in a Story Mob! “A what?” you ask, allow me to explain. Much like its predecessor, the Flash Mob, a Story Mob is a secret gathering of people that appear all together all at once to add some magic and whimsy to the lives of passers-by. But instead of hitting each other with pillows, or doing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance, Story Mobs recreate a beloved children’s story. Small Print Toronto has teamed up with the the TPL to organized several Story Mobs at locations throughout the city. This Saturday they are taking on Julia Donaldson’s Gruffalo, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. For reader parts, costume ideas, and more info on how to get involved, head on over to the Story Mob website.

More info: http://storymobs.ca/2014/01/were-going-on-a-gruffalo-hunt/

 

Sunday, January 26th

Bring your family to Story Planet for the launch of Gabby: Drama Queen, a new book in the Gabby series from author Joyce Grant and illustrator Jan Dolby. There will be fun activities and games all afternoon, and both the author and illustrator will be there to sign copies!

You might also want to pay a visit to the Ontario Science Centre for their star-studded Family Literacy Day line-up. Robert Munsch, Ruth Ohi, Kenneth Oppel, Kevin Sylvester, and other bright literary lights will be in attendance!

More info: https://sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca/event/book-launch-for-gabby-drama-queen/, http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/Calendar/204/

 

Monday, January 27th

The theme for this year’s Family Literacy Day is “15 Minutes of Fun.” ABC Life Literacy has an excellent list of ideas for how you and your family can share some time together and improve literacy at the same time. Best of all, these activities are simple and free! Why not invent your own riddles together (#6), or make up a recipe together and post it online (#3). Head over to their website for the complete list.

More info: http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/15-minutes-of-fun

On the surface, January will look like a quiet month at Story Planet. But don’t be fooled by our cool collected demeanour because, just like ducks, we are paddling furiously just below the surface trying to organize all the incredible programs and events we have planned for 2014!

In the meantime, we have some fabulous friends who will be using our space to run their programs starting this weekend. See below for more details!

 

Bad Dog Youth Academy: Winter Registration

Classes run Saturdays, Jan 18 to March 22, 2014 (9 classes in total). No class February 15, March 8 due to holidays.

We are offering three classes for ages 10 to 18: Youth Foundations 2 from 12-2 pm, Youth Foundations 1 from 2-4 pm and Youth Performance Ensemble 4-6 pm. You can find more information on each class on the Youth Academy site.

Each class will participate in our Academy Showcase on March 23 at Palmerston Library.

We will also be presenting the premiere of our Bad Dog Kids Show on Saturday, February 1st at Palmerston Library. This is monthly improv show for kids and families that provides an exciting alternative to Saturday morning cartoons and brings childhood literacy favourites to life with an improvised twist!

For more information on classes and enrollment please contact Lisa at Youth@BadDogTheatre.com

 

Breathe In & Shine: Mindfulness for Children & Families

Are you interested in sharing mindfulness with your children?

In this 4-week program, Sara will introduce child-friendly mindfulness practices to children and their families that they can then practice together at home. Practices will include games, songs, stories, art activities and everyday mindful awareness practices that can help to reduce stress and support connection in today’s often hectic households.

WHO: For children ages 6-8 and their caregivers.
WHEN: January 20 – February 10, 2014 (4 Mondays), 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Story Planet. 1165 Bloor St. W. (Bloor just West of Dufferin).
COST: $110 per family (up to 3 people.) – includes all art materials, a mindfulness
activity booklet and a copy of “No Ordinary Apple: A Story about Eating Mindfully”

Please email info@mindfulfamilies.ca to register. Space is limited to 5 families.

Sara Marlowe is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and so the program may be covered by some extended benefits plans. Please discuss with your insurance provider.