Scarborough is a low-income, culturally diverse neighbourhood east of Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America; like many inner-city communities, it suffers under the weight of poverty, drugs, crime, and urban blight. Scarborough the novel employs a multitude of voices to tell the story of a tight-knit neighbourhood under fire: among them, Victor, a black artist harassed by the police; Winsum, a West Indian restaurant owner struggling to keep it together; and Hina, a Muslim school worker who witnesses first-hand the impact of poverty on education. And then there are the three kids who work to rise above a system that consistently fails them: Bing, a gay Filipino boy who lives under the shadow of his father's mental illness; Sylvie, Bing's best friend, a Native girl whose family struggles to find a permanent home to live in; and Laura, whose history of neglect by her mother is destined to repeat itself with her father. It offers a raw yet empathetic glimpse into a troubled community that locates its dignity in unexpected places: a neighbourhood that refuses to be undone. Download discussion questions.
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You must have a valid Coquitlam Public Library card to reserve your book club set. The card used to pick up the book club set must match the card used to make the reservation. Reservations can be made a minimum of 7 days before the pickup date and a maximum of 1 year in advance.
- Use the booking grid below to click on your preferred pickup date OR click on the “Go To Date” button to select a date using the calendar. Green spaces indicate item availability.
- The return date will be set automatically.
- Click the white “Add to Cart & Checkout” button.
- If you clicked on the blue “Add to Cart” button, you will need to scroll to top of page and click on the green “1 item / Checkout” button to complete your booking.
- Fill out the booking form.
- Check the Terms & Conditions box.
- Click on “Submit my Booking” button.
- IMPORTANT: The software only allows you to add to cart and check out ONE ITEM at a time. Repeat steps 1-5 for additional reservations.
You will receive an email notification when your reservation has been approved.
- Your Book Club Set will be ready on your selected pickup date. Your 7-week loan begins on your selected pickup date. No renewals permitted.
- Book Clubs must check out a complete set (12 copies); all copies must be returned at the same time by the due date.