The Reader is aimed at—though not limited to—first-year courses focussing on essay-writing, found in Ontario colleges, university colleges, and universities. This text challenges students to think, read, discuss and write on a creative and critical level. Organized by rhetorical mode, The Reader includes more than 30 high-interest readings from mainly Canadian sources and introduces readings from “new voices” in literature. The diverse selections provide the authors intent to provide a balance of gender, ethnic, and cultural perspectives. The authors' have highlighted quality literature by both highly-esteemed popular and unknown authors. In addition to the essays themselves, this text provides effective essay writing strategies and many interesting discussion points to engage student interest.