National Network for Equitable Library Service

Mother Anqelique runs a shelter for homeless mothers and their children in a run-down inner-city area, where drug addiction, prostitution and random acts of violence are facts of life. One day, newly orphaned Jamal and his sister Chantay arrive at the shelter, hungry and scared. As Angelique tries to find a new home for them, she develops a fascination with seven-year-old Jamal, who seems to inhabit a world of his own. Jamal tells her fantastic stories of a man named Jacky Wacky, who protects the poor children of the city and punishes the adults who harm them.

When Mia, a Jewish teenager from Ontario, goes to Israel to spend the summer studying at a yeshiva, or seminary, she wants to connect with the land and deepen her understanding of Judaism. However, Mia's summer plans go astray when she falls in love with a non-Jewish tourist, Andrew. Through him, Mia learns about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and starts to questions her Zionist aspirations. In particular, Mia is disturbed by the Palestinian's loss of their olive trees, and the state of Israel's planting of pine trees, symbolizing the setting down of new roots.

In the isolated rural community of Unity, the people of The Movement live a simple life guided by a set of religious principles and laws that are unique to them. Polygamy is the norm, strict obedience is expected and it is customary for young girls to be assigned to much older husbands. Celeste was born and raised in Unity, yet she struggles to fit in.

Ellie Gold is an orthodox Jewish teenager living in Toronto in the late eighties. Ellie has no doubts about her strict religious upbringing until she falls in love with another girl at her grandmother's cottage. Aware that homosexuality clashes with Jewish observance, Ellie feels forced to either alter her sexuality or leave her community. Meanwhile, Ellie's mother, Chana, becomes convinced she has a messianic role to play, and her sister, Neshama, chafes against the restrictions of her faith.

El viaje de Ayrus es un cuento filosófico para todos. Relata la historia de un hombre joven quien efectúa una búsqueda iniciática con miras a obtener los secretos del elixir de la vida y de la píldora de la inmortalidad. En el transcurso de su periplo, Ayrus tratará de encontrar sus remotos orígenes al contacto con ciertas tradiciones ancestrales. Su recorrido lo llevará hasta varias regiones del mundo, incluyendo la América, el continente Negro, Villapayaso y Asia.

The Voyage of Ayrus is a philosophical tale for everyone. It relates the story of a young man on an initiation quest, seeking the secrets of the elixir of life and the pill of immortality. During his travels, Ayrus will come in contact with various ancestral traditions as he attempts to retrace his distant origins. His quest will take him to different parts of the world, including America, the Black Continent, Clownville and Asia.

Le voyage d’Ayrus est un conte philosophique pour tous. Il relate l’histoire d’un jeune homme qui poursuit une quête initiatique afin d’obtenir les secrets de l’élixir de vie et de la pilule d’immortalité. Au cours de son périple, Ayrus tentera de retrouver ses origines lointaines au contact de certaines traditions ancestrales. Son parcours l’amènera dans plusieurs régions du monde, incluant l’Amérique, le continent Noir, Clownville et l’Asie.

Un chaton famélique est arraché des bidonvilles pour être transporté vers un somptueux sanctuaire par nul autre que le dalaï-lama. Ses yeux bleus, saisissants, découvriront bientôt tout de la vie du grand maître bouddhiste: une sagesse éternelle qui ne se révèle que dans les moments de grande tranquillité entre l’homme et l’animal. Vous suivrez le chat de Sa Sainteté tandis qu’il se frotte contre les vedettes de Hollywood, qu’il enseigne aux pieds des maîtres tibétains, et qu’il apprend ce qu’est la vie d’un bodhisattva au XXIe siècle.

«Il y a au fond de moi un espace qui a espéré entendre un certain son, un ton particulier qui a le pouvoir de transformer ma vie brisée. J’ai fouillé le monde entier à la recherche de ce son, espérant qu’un jour il frôlerait mon oreille et rejoindrait ma conscience, pour être absorbé par mon âme, où il résonnerait avec les cordes vibratoires de mon coeur. Et que sentirais-je, en ce moment déterminant où la grâce descendrait en moi? Je peux le dire, à présent, car j’ai reconnu cette musique au moment où j’ai entendu ta voix.

At twenty, Sheyda Porrouya's life is almost over. Born in Iran on the day staunchly orthodox mullas declare the birth of the Islamic Republic, she is witness to their purging of the country of all things Western and un-Islamic. To make matters worse, as she matures, Sheyda seems increasingly unable to distinguish between fairy tale and reality. And her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. Accused of killing her mother, Sheyda is sentenced to death by hanging.