On May 19, the York Mills Bookclub held a joint meeting with representatives from Literature for Life at the Bookclub-in-a-Box Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Literature for Life is a unique organization devoted to bringing the love of books to young single mothers and their children. The York Mills Book Club is devoted to supporting their efforts to instill family literacy and thereby build strong communities.

The event centered on a discussion of Lawrence Hill’s excellent novel, The Book of Negroes. The group of young mothers, North York Bookclub members, Literature for Life executive director, Jo Altilia, board members and interns. The facilitator was Marilyn Herbert of Bookclub-in-a-Box. The conversation was enthusiastic and lively and felt as though it could continue for hours.

The youngest members of the group were three children who spent their time doing drama, based on stories, with Ryan Galloway, a Bookclub-in-a-Box Activity Centre leader.

All photos by Desi Dinardo, a Literature for Life intern.