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TOFFEE by Sarah Crossan – One Book School Programme

Riverbank Arts Centre and Kildare County Council Library Service are collaborating to present an exciting opportunity for Kildare secondary schools – a ‘One-Book’ programme which will culminate in an event with leading YA writer Sarah Crossan, the current Laureate na nÓg,  at Riverbank Arts Centre on Thursday April 30th, National Poetry Day. 

WE WILL PROVIDE: 

  • Paperback copies of Sarah Crossan’s new book TOFFEE  (these books can be kept by each student reader participating in the One Book programme,  a gift courtesy of Kildare Library Service) 
  • A teaching resource pack for TOFFEE
  • Tickets for each student/reader and their teacher(s)  to an event at Riverbank Arts Centre with Sarah Crossan, Laureate Na nÓg, on Thursday 30th April, 2020 (11am, duration 90 mins) 

TO JOIN THE TY ONE BOOK PROGRAMME YOU NEED TO:

  • Read TOFFEE with your students between now 30th April (ideally during English class, but a book club approach with a TY year group could work also)
  • Join us at Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge on Thursday, 30th April, National Poetry Day,  for the event with Sarah Crossan

Please note, each school group will be responsible for their own transport to this event – every other aspect of this programme, including the paperback books, will be provided free of charge. Participating groups must be available to attend the event on Thursday April 30th

We can accommodate 140 TY students on the TOFFEE ONE BOOK PROGRAMME.
Places will be allocated to Kildare schools on a first come, first served basis.
For more information or to apply to take part, please contact:  Theresa Davidson – Theresa@riverbank.ie or on Box Office Tel:  045 448327  

ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Allison runs away from home she doesn’t expect to be taken in by Marla, an elderly woman with dementia, who mistakes her for an old friend called Toffee. Allison is used to hiding who she really is, and trying to be what other people want her to be. And so, Toffee is who she becomes. But as her bond with Marla grows, Allison begins to ask herself –where is home? What is a family? And most importantly, who am I, really?

Poignant, thought-provoking and incredibly moving, TOFFEE explores mental health and friendship – while asking what it means to be a family.

Read an extract from TOFFEE

TOFFEE by Sarah Crossan was published by Bloomsbury in 2019        

REVIEWS:

“Impossible not to read it in a single gulp” –  The Times

“Utterly sublime” –  Cecelia Ahern

“Compelling and beautifully wrought” –  The Sunday Times

“A book that changes its reader for the better” –  Guardian

“Undoubtedly one of the best books of the year” –  The Irish Times

“One of our most original writers” –  John Boyne

   

 

Sarah Crossan
Sarah Crossan is an internationally acclaimed verse novelist, best known for her books for young adults, including One, Moonrise, and Toffee. Her books have won many awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal. In May 2018, she was named as Ireland’s fifth Laureate na nÓg by President Michael D. Higgins. Her theme as Laureate is #WeAreThePoets, a two-year project inspiring young people to express themselves through poetry and verse. Sarah has a particular interest in working with marginalised communities. Under the #WeAreThePoets banner she has collaborated with a team of writers to deliver workshops, as well as a national event showcasing the young voices that have participated in her Laureate project.
Laureate na nÓg
Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council. It is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Poetry Ireland and is managed by Children’s Books Ireland. The honour was established by the Arts Council to engage young people with high quality literature and to underline the importance of children’s literature in our cultural and imaginative lives. For more info: https://childrenslaureate.ie/

 

This One Book programme is a collaboration between: