Whats New in July
@Chez Alpha Books
When Yoga Heals - Reading
Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather
Due to families being in states of toxic stress more than ever, COVID-19 is tipping the scales toward increased vulnerable situations where children are more likely to be left unsupervised with other children or unsafe adults and abused.

Learning to Breathe published in 2018, after 15 years of rewrites and edit is a good read that can provide readers ages 14 and up along with parents a close look at the resilience and sense of empowerment needed to recover from abuse. Written by Vancouver-based Bahamian writer Janice Lynn Mather's, Learning to Breathe is a coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old girl named Indira who is sent from her tiny island home in the Bahamas to finish high school in Nassau. In this debut novel, Indy has to room with her aunt and uncle. Troubles emerge immediately, including an unwanted pregnancy that she must hide from her aunt.

Trapped between self-blame and a sense of futility as a result of being pregnant, Indy stumbles on a yoga retreat center and discovers both allies and kindred souls who accept her and empower her to make choices about her body and find her voice. Mather skillfully balances emotionally wrenching scenes and surprisingly humorous ones; well-drawn supporting characters, including a fiery, self-educated grandmother and an endearingly gallant friend, enrich this debut novel. Ages 14 and up.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6730142/coronavirus-covid-19-child-sexual-abuse-increase/
https://www.cbc.ca/books/janice-lynn-mather-s-novel-was-15-years-in-the-making-now-it-s-a-governor-general-s-literary-award-finalist-1.4737008

A 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
Amelia Bloomer List’s 2019 Top Ten Recommended Feminist Books for Young Readers
A Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize Semifinalist
A BC Book Prize Finalist
Perfect Story for Multiple Language Learners
Students and parents now have an opportunity to access this free download: Mangoes & Monkeybread - Fruity Fun with Ella & Louis at https://lnkd.in/e_YPBsS. These multi-version books are now available in Wolof, English, French and Swedish! This type of multilingualism is important as it bring more positive awareness and attitudes towards other cultures and languages. It is a perfect story for multiple language learners to enjoy a great book in many languages without losing their cultural and language identities.

In this book, Ella & Louis have just arrived in The Gambia for their winter holidays. Settling at home, Louis is already missing sweet strawberries from Stockholm.Join Ella as she takes her brother on a yummy fruit tasting tour and discover fruits native to West Africa that you might have never seen before! Along the way, see if you can find Happy, their adorable little dog who loves a game of hide and seek! A light-hearted journey of discovery with beautiful illustrations and photographs, this charming book shares some of the charm found in the smallest country in Africa
ELS LANGUAGE CENTERS RE-OPENING
Chez Alpha is excited to announce that ELS is now accepting applications for September start dates and future sessions at the USA and Canada centers listed below.

Since 1961, ELS has helped more than 1.2 million students from over 143 countries around the world learn English quickly and effectively. Our goal is to prepare our students to compete, excel, and achieve in the global workplace by offering English language and competencies training.

Open USA centers include:
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Houston, Texas
  • Melbourne, Florida
  • New York (Manhattan), New York
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Open Canada centers include:
  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Toronto, Ontario

In addition, ELS will offer a new and enhanced Intensive Online Plus (ION+) program for students who are in their home country and are unable to travel in 2020. Students can start learning with ELS online and then transfer to an ELS Learning Center in the USA or Canada to finish their program.

For more information contact Chez Alpha Books/maizie@chezalphabks.com
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