海角大神

Wesley King, a Canadian young-adult author, was in fifth grade when he first voted in a little children鈥檚 book festival in Ontario. He cast his ballot for 鈥淪ilverwing,鈥� about the adventures of a young bat. The book hooked him on reading, and its author became something of an early idol for him.

Two decades later, Mr. King鈥檚 first book, 鈥淭he Vindico,鈥� was nominated in that same festival. And he found himself competing with 鈥淪ilverwing鈥� author Kenneth Oppel. But more important to Mr. King was the full circle that was suddenly so obvious. He was once a kid 鈥渙ut there,鈥� he says, rooting for the author he now shared the stage with (and ended up beating).

For Ontario teacher-librarian Ruth Gretsinger, who has mentored thousands of students in this reading program, it was the clearest proof of why a children鈥檚 literary festival is so important. 鈥淚t showed something has come of it somewhere along the line,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t may take years down the road, but it does bear fruit.鈥�

Welcome to Forest of Reading, Canada鈥檚 largest K-12 reading festival, where the kids vote on the authors they love best, and both come together in an event that turns writers into 鈥渞ock stars鈥� for three days each May.

In a typical year, the Ontario Library Association event draws some 15,000 children to the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Six thousand of them might fill an auditorium; 600 will wait in line to get their favorite book signed.

In a second year under pandemic, the May 18-20 event will be virtual again. But the passions are no less. And in some ways, it is more cherished in a school year marked by sudden closures to in-person learning and where almost no extracurricular activities could be held.

鈥淩eading is one of those things that a lot of people turned to in this pandemic,鈥� says Ms. Gretsinger, who teaches in Niagara and is a co-chair of the program. 鈥淩eading, of course, can be an escape from the present troubles, or it can comfort or can give flight to that imagination, or help children process all these difficult emotions. So in these times, running the Forest of Reading festival is more important than ever.鈥�

Forest of Reading has always been a passion project. The committees, which consist of about 150 volunteers from library and school sectors, will read dozens if not hundreds of books over the summer and whittle the list down to the nominees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an exorbitant amount of reading,鈥� says Meredith Tutching, the director of the reading program.

Kids return to school in the fall clamoring for their age group鈥檚 lists, and then more than 270,000 students will spend the year reading, either in English or in French, before they vote in the spring. The event culminates in Toronto, with satellite events held throughout towns across Ontario.

Mr. King, who might be better known in the U.S. for The Wizenard Series, which he wrote with the late Kobe Bryant, says the enthusiasm from the children is something to behold. 鈥淵ou walk into some hockey arena or a big auditorium and then everyone鈥檚 just standing up and cheering and screaming at once,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd then when you go to sign books afterwards, you鈥檒l have 500 or 600 kids in line. You don鈥檛 see 500 to 600 people in line at a regular bookstore. I was totally blown away the first year.鈥�

Isabelle Hobbs, the other co-chair and a teacher-librarian in the Durham region, helped shape the program from its very beginning. She particularly recalls those students who had never opened a book before participating in the program, but then find themselves so impassioned at the festival that they are visibly angered when 鈥渢heir book鈥� doesn鈥檛 win.

It鈥檚 the lifelong reading habit that matters most to her, forged in students like Thomas Nedanis, whom she recalls as one of her more enthusiastic participants. 鈥淚 signed up for every reading club she had,鈥� he says today, now in his junior year. His high school doesn鈥檛 participate in the program, but he still looks at the nominee list and reads the books he鈥檚 interested in. 鈥淚 just find that I lose myself in a book.鈥�

A major driver of the festival is getting Canadian kids to read Canadian authors, a fact that previously couldn鈥檛 be taken for granted. 鈥淕rowing up I was immersed in American authors because that鈥檚 usually what you saw,鈥� says Ms. Hobbs. 鈥淔or me it was all about Nancy Drew.鈥�

For readers of nominated author Tanaz Bhathena, whose new fantasy 鈥淗unted by the Sky鈥� is set in medieval India, they get to identify with female protagonists. 鈥淭hey love seeing themselves represented, especially young Canadian readers who are of Indian descent,鈥� says聽Ms. Bhathena. 鈥淭hese kids love the fact that they can see themselves being heroes instead of just side characters or villains.鈥�

Mr. King鈥檚 new book, 鈥淪ara and the Search for Normal,鈥� is nominated this year, his sixth book to be selected. The plot revolves around a middle schooler鈥檚 struggles with mental health 鈥� a theme that kids across Canada can identify with this year, as everyone is seeking out 鈥渘ormal.鈥�

Forest of Reading won鈥檛, of course, be exactly the same under the pandemic. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 a big deal that they still have something that they鈥檝e had in other years,鈥� says Ms. Hobbs, of the program going forward despite all of the limitations. 鈥淚鈥檓 almost tearing as I say this, holy cow. But it鈥檚 some little sense of normal for them.鈥�