Cary Fagan, Born Writer Music Books for All Ages

$4.95 WINTER 2013 VOL. 36 NO. 1

RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS

Cary Fagan, born writer Music books for all ages

01 30+ recommended new books by Arthur Slade, K’naan, Martine Leavitt, Karen Patkau and more 7125274 86123 This spring we’re hanging out our best!

by Alma Fullerton Community Soup ebecca Bender 978-1-927485-27-9 (HC with jacket) $19.95 d © Re Hoogie in the Middle by Stephanie McLellan and illustrated by Dean Griffi ths 978-1-927485-28-6 (HC with jacket) $17.95 Namesake by Sue MacLeod 978-1-927485-29-3 (PB) $14.95 978-1-927485-32-3 (HC) $21.95 Nix Minus One by Jill MacLean 978-1-927485-25-5 (PB) $14.95 978-1-927485-24-8 (HC) $21.95 Hoogie in Bunny Suit © Dean Griffiths; Laughing Bir Suit © Dean Griffiths; Hoogie in Bunny

[email protected] facebook.com/pajamapress @pajamapress1 pinterest.com/pajamapress CONTENTS THISI ISSUE booknews Winter 2013 Volume 36 No. 1 7 Seen at ... Trilby Kent, author of Stones for My Fatherr and winner of the Editorr Gillian O’Reilly 2012 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, celebrates with Copy Editor and Proofreaderr Shannon Howe Barnes Charlotte Teeple, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Design Perna Siegrist Design Centre, and Tim Hockey, President & CEO of TD Canada Trust. Advertising Michael Wile Editorial Committee Peter Carver, Brenda Halliday, Merle Harris, Diane Kerner, Cora Lee, Carol McDougall, Liza Morrison, Shelley Stagg Peterson, Charlotte Teeple, Gail Winskill This informative magazine published quarterly by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre is available by yearly subscription. Single subscription — $24.95 plus sales tax (includes 2 issues of Best Books for Kids & Teens) Contact the CCBC for bulk subscriptions and for US or overseas subscription rates. Winter 2013 (January 2013) Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement 40010217 Published by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre ISSN 1705 – 7809 For change of address, subscriptions, or return of undeliverable copies, contact: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre 40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 217 Toronto, ON M4R 1B9 Tel 416.975.0010 Fax 416.975.8970 Email [email protected] Website www.bookcentre.ca Review copies, catalogues and press releases should be sent to the Editor at: [email protected] or to Gillian O’Reilly c/o the above address. For advertising information, contact: Michael Wile at [email protected] or 416.531.1483 © 2012 Greig Reekie Photos

4 Opinion: Savouring good news 18 Happy Birthday to CANSCAIP in tough times and CWILL BC Gillian O’Reilly looks at some good news Two important organizations for children’s stories amidst challenging times for the book writers celebrate signifi cant milestones. book business. 20 Bookmark! Making Music 6 News Roundup Twenty books, from fact to fi ction, celebrate International Disabilities Collection fi nds music and music-makers. home in Toronto; Celebrate Science! most successful ever — plus locusts!; Book Week 22 The Classroom Bookshelf news and updates; New Events Calendar for children’s book lovers everywhere. COVER: Illustration from Uncle Wally’s Old Brown 24 Book Bits: Biting into Board Books Shoe, illustrated and written by Wallace Edwards, Five books for babies and toddlers start published by Orca Book Publishers, © 2012. 7 Seen at ... youngsters on their reading journey. Used with permission. For more information, A photographic look at book events. visit www.orcabook.com. 26 We Recommend MEDIUM: Watercolour, gouache and pencil. 10 Cary Fagan: A Born Writer Reviews of the latest in fi ne Canadian books ABOUT THE ARTIST: An award-winning author With 18 children’s books to date, Cary Fagan for children and teens. and illustrator, Wallace Edwards is a graduate of the says he owes his career to persistence, hard Ontario College of Art. His paintings and illustrations work and luck. Index of Reviews are found in public and private collections, books, 40 magazines and on public display in Canada and the United States. Wallace has been the guest speaker 14 Focus: A Seriously Funny at many conferences, literary events, schools and Author Roundtable libraries. He fi nds visiting with students from Four authors talk about humour, darker Kindergarten to Grade 6 especially enjoyable, where subjects and the balance between serious his presentations consist of reading, discussions and funny. and drawing. Wallace lives in Yarker, Ontario.

WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 1 We’re honoured to honour great books

Meet the 2012 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award winners.

Encouraging a love of reading is one of our great passions. That’s why we’re proud sponsors of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Congratulations to winning authors Trilby Kent and Mario Brassard as well as illustrator Suana Verelst on their powerful stories of resilience and strength.

Administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award is one of the largest awards of its kind. To learn more, please visit tdreads.com/awardwinners FROM THE EDITOR GILLL IAN O’REILLY

Board of Directors Todd Kyle, President Felicia Quon, Vice-President Leigh Chalmers, Treasurer Sheila Barry Lisa Doucet Sharon Jennings Shar Levine Charles McCarragher Susan McLennan Daryl Novak Itah Sadu Roland Stringer Staff Charlotte Teeple Executive Director Shannon Howe Barnes Program Coordinator Meghan Howe Library Coordinator Holly Kent Sales and Marketing Manager Dawn Todd General Manager “Humour is a perfectly legitimate response to the horror of the world.” This quote from Scottish writer A.L. Kennedy was used in a recent discussion of dark humour on CBC Radio’s Writers & Company. Patrons For kids and teens, the horrors of the world can range widely in level of gravity — from Marilyn Baillie Kit Pearson ways that adults can bewilder and mortify young people to the very real tragedies of death The Peter and Eleanor Daniels Foundation and grieving. Yet, funny books and funny/serious books are enthusiastically embraced by Tina Powell young readers. I’ve often felt that we don’t give enough credit to the writers who have the Ian and Deb Wallace talent to create these books. Perhaps it’s because humour continues to be seen as easy Sponsors to write. Perhaps it’s because, as Ted Staunton observes in this issue, humour is a Amazon.ca much more subjective quality. Friesens HarperCollins Canada In “A Seriously Funny Roundtable,” Melanie Fishbane interviews four excellent writers Penguin Group (Canada) about humour and how they use it in books which make their readers think seriously and Rawlinson Moving & Storage TD Bank Group laugh at the same time. Gordon Korman, Susin Nielsen, Alan Silberberg and Ted Staunton offer thought-provoking comments on their craft. Funders I’ve known author Cary Fagan for many years (he was one of the two people who set me Canada Council for the Arts Canadian Heritage (BPIDP) up on a date with my husband) and I’ve always been impressed with his perseverance and Charles Baillie commitment to his craft. Sylvia McNicoll interviews this prolifi c author who has known Fleck Family Foundation since childhood that he wanted to be a writer. Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism Two organizations which support, promote and nourish the many talented children’s book PEI Department of Education creators in this country are celebrating signifi cant anniversaries this year. You’ll fi nd out and Early Childhood Development more on page 18. PEI Department of Tourism and Culture Ontario Arts Council Take a look at our selected list of books with music themes on page 20 and check out all Ontario Arts Foundation Toronto Public Library the Book Week news and updates on page 6. Yukon Department of Education Happy reading!

Our Thanks The work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre is made possible through the generous support of our members, volunteers, sponsors, funders and the continuing assistance of the Canada Council, Writing and Publishing Section, and the Public Readings Program. Your feedback is important! EMAIL COMMENTS TO [email protected]

We acknowledge the ﬁ nancial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for this project. Like us! Facebook.com/KidsBookCentre

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 3 OPINION GILLL IAN O’REILLY Savouring good news in tough times

As has been observed before, people involved in children’s books are possessed of a relentless optimism. Given all the challenges of writing, illustrating and publishing for children — and running bookstores for children — they have to! Even though you may hear a certain amount of moaning or a number of dour predictions from those same creators and producers, they couldn’t be in the business of children’s books if they weren’t possessed of a core compulsion to look cheerfully into the future. Th is past year, however, has proved a challenge. As I write this, Douglas & McIntyre is in creditor protection with the outcome to be announced in February. Although mainly a publisher for the adult market, D&M and its sister company Greystone Books have published excellent and award-winning non-fi ction for young people. In 2012, a number of independent bookstores shut down branches of their operation (Nicholas Hoare Books in Ottawa and Montreal) or closed their doors (Toronto Women’s Bookstore and Th e Book Mark in Toronto, Titles in Peterborough, Greenwoods in Edmonton). Over the holiday came the sad news that Benjamin’s Books, the 13-year- old children’s bookstore in Rothesay, New Brunswick, was closing its doors. And, while children’s books have always been judged by

Kendal Hanson the general media to be less important and less “literary” than their Patsy Aldana presents the Matt Cohen Award to Jean Little. adult counterparts, the diminution of children’s book coverage in a number of newspapers this past year has been very discouraging. Th ere are, however, good news stories to cheer us and fuel the crazy optimism of this business.

The Writers’ Trust spotlights children’s books Th is past fall, children’s books and children’s authors were high- lighted at the annual Writers’ Trust Awards Gala. Paul Yee won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the prize presented annually to a children’s book author for a body of work. As someone who maintains her own private list of authors who should receive this award (and I’m sure I’m not alone), I was delighted to see Paul Yee honoured in this way. He’s been high on my list for a long time. As the jury wrote, “Paul Yee has contributed uniquely and power- fully to our literary landscape over a writing career that spans almost 30 years. He was virtually the fi rst children’s author to docu- n ment the Chinese-Canadian experience from its early days to the present. Ghost Train, Tales from Gold Mountain, and Dead Man’s

endal Hanso Goldd now stand as classics. Layered and haunting, they strike at the K heart of human character, while at the same time portraying a very Kirsten Hanson, Chair of the Metcalf Foundation, presents the Vicky Metcalf Award to Paul Yee. particular historical setting in vivid, economical prose. Even in his quick, contemporary short stories he writes from a strong position of familiarity and knowledge, bringing up many facets and varieties in the Canadian experience of immigration. And yet, in almost all his stories, whether historical or contemporary, there is a moment of revelation or character change that pivots on human passions that we all share. His recent teen novels have a biting voice that speaks to issues of identity, racism, and sexual discrimination, both inside and

4 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA outside the Canadian-Chinese community. His is a body of work to times all seven of them. Th ere was power in numbers; they attracted wrestle with, one that leaves the reader altered, and that deserves our audiences as large as 3,000. In addition, author Sigmund Brouwer, recognition.” whose character is a young musician forced from his home by a sa- Usually, among the Writers’ Trust Awards, the Vicky Metcalf distic stepfather, has created a band and music video for his character Award is the only opportunity to honour children’s book writers. and an original song “Rock the Boat” (www.devilspassnovel.com). Th is year, however, Jean Little was awarded the Matt Cohen Award: Th e series has attracted a great deal of interest in the foreign rights In Celebration of a Writing Life. Th is prize recognizes a lifetime of market as well as a few nibbles in the area of movie rights. Th ere is distinguished work by a Canadian writer, working in either poetry talk of another series from the same team — remember that crazy or prose in either French or English. Janet Lunn is the only other optimism of people in the book business? — one which could appear children’s book author to have won this award since its establish- as early as 2014. ment in 2000. Power of a group — great for the books, great for authors individ- “A Writing Life” is a very apt description of Jean Little’s 50-year ually and together, great for helping to get attention and awareness career. Her fi rst book was published in 1962 and her most recent of books and reading. appeared in the fall of 2012. In recognizing Jean’s contribution to our literature, the jury said, “In all, Jean has written 50 books for children and young adults, and is one of the best loved and most respected children’s authors in the country.” Children’s bookstores Many of Jean Little’s books feature characters who have, or whose Children’s bookstores have been a challenging business since the lives are aff ected by those with, a disability and she believed those fi rst one opened in Canada in 1929 (not an auspicious year to start a children had a right to be represented in fi ction. But the strength business) and the unhappy news from Benjamin’s Books reminds us of her writing is her uncanny ability to get inside the head of any that it is still tough sledding. If I could, I’d give an award to each and child and vividly and honestly depict all the emotions of childhood every children’s bookstore in Canada — from Woozles in Halifax — from joy to loneliness to jealousy to the security of coming home. through Livres Babar in Montreal, Kaleidoscope in Ottawa, Mabel’s It is wonderful to see her honoured this way. Fables and Ella Minnow in Toronto and Kidsbooks in Vancouver — On the fi ft ieth anniversary of the Vicky Metcalf Award, the Writ- for their service and commitment to their customers and their sup- ers’ Trust Distinguished Contribution Award went to the Metcalf port for the authors and illustrators in this country. I was reminded Foundation itself — for its important support of Canadian children’s of what they can do when I recently ordered two backlist books on- books through this prize. “A model of generosity, care, and a will- line from my local store (Mabel’s Fables) and got an almost instant ingness to make a diff erence, for 50 years the Metcalf Foundation email saying the books were in stock and ready and, by the way, the has stood fi rmly behind Canadian authors, helping to recognize the author was in the store at that very moment and would I like them brightest members of our country’s children’s literature community.” autographed. Yes! (A short video about the Vicky Metcalf Award and what it is means A recent story in Th e Atlanticc magazine by American adult author to authors — featuring previous recipients Julie Johnston, Marthe Ann Patchett detailed the establishment of a bookstore in Nashville Jocelyn and Kenneth Oppel — can be found at www.writerstrust. by Patchett and two other booklovers (www.theatlantic.com/maga com/Awards.) zine/archive/2012/12/the-bookstore-strikes-back/309164/). Crazy optimism is not, apparently, limited to the Canadian scene. Patch- ett ended up doing a great many media appearances where she was constantly asked about the future of independent bookstores. She The Seven Series decided to draw on her experience in the fashion magazine world Th ere were many good books published in 2012, too numerous to list where she had realized “what everyone in fashion already knew: a here (although, I admit, my colleagues have heard me rave particu- trend is whatever you call a trend.” Consequently, she writes, “‘Th e larly about Th e Stamp Collectorr by Jennifer Lanthier and François small independent bookstore is coming back,’ I told reporters in Th isdale). Among them, the Seven series was a mammoth undertak- Bangladesh and Berlin. ‘It’s part of a trend.’” ing by Orca Book Publishers and the seven authors involved — and it Inspired by both Patchett’s observation and by some of the good turned out to be a very good news story. Initiated by prolifi c author news stories from 2012, I’m welcoming 2013, determined to identify Eric Walters, the project saw seven writers create linked stories about a few developments. “Children’s books are being acknowledged as the seven grandsons of a man who leaves them each a task in his will. the important literary form they are — it’s part of a trend.” “Support Th e manuscript deadline was October 31, 2011 and the publication your independent children’s bookstore so they can succeed in the date was October 10, 2012, so the achievements of editor Sarah Har- face of current challenges — it’s part of a trend.” “Canadian authors vey (armed with spreadsheet, index cards and more) is awe-inspir- and publishers are taking on crazily ambitious projects and succeed- ing, especially as she also published a novel of her own this fall. ing wonderfully — it’s part of a trend.” Fift y thousand books in the Seven series were sold in the fi rst And now I’m off to check out the New Year’s Day list of nomi- six weeks. All the books are in their second printing and one is in nees to the Order of Canada — a list which never includes enough its third printing. Teachers’ guides are available on Orca’s website children’s authors and illustrators. Maybe it’s time to start a new (www.orcabook.com). Although Orca had high hopes for the series, trend. publisher Andrew Wooldridge acknowledges that it proved “bigger Gillian O’Reilly is the Editor of Canadian Children’s Book News. than we thought it would be.” Th e authors — all seasoned and entertaining performers — took the show on the road, doing appearances in pairs, in fours and some-

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 5 INDUSTRY News Roundup AWARDS, BOOK LAUNCHES, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THE LATEST NEWS

with tricks from their new book Hockey cabinet where we can showcase the more Science. Th e keynote speaker was Dr. delicate IBBY treasures.” In addition, David Close, Director, Aboriginal Fisheries online access will open up the collection Research Unit at the University of British to a worldwide audience. Columbia Fisheries Centre. Th e books in the collection are selected Presenters had an extra encounter with from submissions from around the world. science at a pre-conference party featuring IBBY Canada Past President Brenda Hal- Crunchy Science. Conference coordinator liday explains, “Every two years IBBY Shar Levine explains, “Professor Murray invites its national sections in 77 coun- Isman, Dean of Land and Food Systems, tries to submit recently published books generously off ered up some of the insects produced especially for young people with from his lab. His preparation and demon- disabilities, as well as regular books serv- stration of things to do with meal worms ing special needs. Th e jury also looks for and locusts had guests squealing with picture books and novels from the regular delight. Roasted meal worms taste a bit like children’s book production that portray peanuts, while locusts sautéed in garlic and persons with special needs — with an

Alex Gabriel butter were the same fl avour and texture as emphasis on similarities rather than dif- Dinner is served at Celebrate Science! (l to r) shrimp. And yes, we all ate them!” ferences, to encourage understanding and Leslie Johnstone, Shar Levine, Murray Isman. empathy. Th e fi nal selection of approxi- International Disabilities Collection mately 50 outstanding books is featured in Celebrate Science! ﬁ nds home in Toronto a biennial catalogue, and exhibited at the most successful ever — plus locusts! An international collection of books for Bologna Children’s Book Fair and other Celebrate Science, the annual event for and about young people with disabilities conferences and venues internationally, teachers and educators, aims to inspire has found a home in Canada. Th e IBBY before joining the permanent collection.” young minds to love science and math Documentation Centre of Books for Dis- For further information on IBBY and through interesting science books, simple abled Young People, established in 1985 the biennial Outstanding Books for Young hands-on activities and science collec- and formerly centred in Oslo, Norway, will People with Disabilities catalogues, visit tions. Th e third Celebrate Science, held be moving to the North York Central Li- www.ibby.org. on November 3 at the Beaty Biodiversity brary in the Toronto Public Library system Museum in Vancouver, was the most in 2013. IBBY, the International Board on Book Week: February Release successful ever, according to conference Books for Young People, is an network of for Book Week materials co-organizer Shar Levine — sold out and people from around the world committed Starting in February, teachers and librar- with a waiting list of 20 names. to bringing children and books together. ians can purchase TD Canadian Children’s Speakers included a variety of science Th e Toronto Public Library was selected Book Week posters and bookmarks for writers, illustrators and scientists. Art- from a range of international applicants. their classroom or library, and will be able ist Dianna Bonder shared her thoughts Th e collection, which now comprises to access the theme guide and activities on why science illustrations have to be over 4,000 books, represents the best titles online. both fun and accurate. Information Book published worldwide for children and Award-winning author and illustrator Award nominee Dora Lee spoke about teens with special needs. Formats include Marthe Jocelyn, and her daughter Nell Joc- some of the fascinating information in her books with sign language illustrations, elyn, have created this year’s Book Week book and her passion for inspiring young BLISS symbols, PCS pictograms, Braille or 2013 poster image which perfectly captures girls to pursue careers in science. Other tactile illustrations and cloth books. Th e the Book Week theme All the Bookshelf’s a speakers included museum interpreter and North York Central Library will be mak- Stage. Bookmarks using the poster image writer Alex Gabriel; Gillian Richardson, ing the collection widely accessible. Sharon help share the magic of Book Week with all author of the award-winning Kaboom! Moynes, Manager of Readers, Youth and the students in your classroom or library. and other books; Michelle Mulder, author Children’s Services at the North York Cen- Th e theme guide All the Bookshelf’s a and bike enthusiast who described how tral Library, says, “Once the IBBY books Stage: Celebrating the Performing Arts is bikes can be used as centrifuges, knife arrive and are prepared for our public available free online. Th e Canadian Chil- sharpeners and other unusual products; shelves, there will be a designated area for dren’s Book Centre has carefully sourced and a hands-on science demonstration by them within the Children’s Department Canadian books that look at musical in- authors Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone complete with IBBY signage and a display continued on page 8

6 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA EVENTS Seen at... A PHOTOGRAPHIC LOOK AT CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK EVENTS y Kent ll Ho Mitchell Catherine Philippe Béha and his new friends celebrate the 2012 TD Grade One Book Giveaway! Cybèle Young, winner of the Elizabeth Mrazik- Cleaver Award for A Few Blocks. s 2012 Greig Reekie Photo © Above: Dirty Dog Boogie and more: Loris Lesynski records ﬁ ve of her books for the new ebook and audio ebook versions from Open Road Integrated Media.

Above right: Celebrating the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction: Quinn Fleck, illustrator Karen Reczuch, author Susan Vande Griek, and David Fleck.

Below right: In the huddle — launching And the Crowd Goes Wild! A Global Gathering of Sports Poems, editor Carol-Ann Hoyte (second from left) celebrates with Pippa Kennard of y Right to Play, illustrator Kevin Sylvester and contributor Jocelyn Shipley. illian O’Reill G

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 7 struments, the circus, ballet, puppet shows, Book Week: the opera, music, song and dance. Th ese Who’s Going Where? CCBC Book books will introduce readers to diff erent Alberta Events Calendar art forms, as well as to characters whose Your Canadian source for kid’s book events Selina Eisenberg, storyteller lives have been changed because of a con- Alma Fullerton, author nection to music, theatre, song and dance. New! Events Calendar for British Columbia children’s book lovers everywhere Interior Th e new CCBC Book Events Calendar Charles de Lint, author (events.bookcentre.ca) is an easy-to-use, Lower Mainland comprehensive source for all events related Richard Scrimger, author to Canadian children’s books. Launching to the public in January 2013 and Vancouver Island linked to both the CCBC home page Marthe Jocelyn, author & illustrator (www.bookcentre.ca) and to the Manitoba Book Week home page (www.bookweek.ca), Wallace Edwards, author & illustrator the site enables booklovers to specify a Sylvia Gunnery, author location and search for events in their area. Th ey can also sort by type of event, price, New Brunswick language, and reading level. Eric Walters, author While anyone can view the calendar and Newfoundland share events through email, Facebook, or Hélène Boudreau, author Twitter, posting events is a unique perk of Canadian Children’s Book Centre mem- Labrador bership. Th e site can be accessed at events. Jennifer Lanthier, author bookcentre.ca, and members of the CCBC Northwest Territories can apply for an online profi le and begin Lorna Schultz Nicholson, author posting as soon as the profi le has been Book Week: Writing Contest approved. Th ose who are not yet members Nova Scotia Th e nine dedicated judges for the annual can sign up at www.bookcentre.ca/store Sylvia McNicoll, author Book Week Writing Contest for Kids & before applying for a profi le. Teens will be hard at work through Febru- Nunavut Th e CCBC launched a BETA version in ary and March, engaged in the diffi cult Sarah Tsiang, author September 2012 and feedback from those task of evaluating the many creative eff orts already posting events already has been Ontario submitted by the February 1 deadline and enthusiastic. Erin Woods of Pajama Press Rachelle Delaney, author picking a winner for each grade. Students says, “For Pajama Press, the major appeal Maureen Fergus, author from Grades 4 to 12 are eligible. of the CCBC events calendar has been Gary Kent, author & Kim LaFave, Contest winners will be announced on the ability to reach a specifi c audience illustrator May 8 during TD Canadian Children’s of people who work in children’s books. Anne Renaud, author Book Week 2013. For further information, We found it especially useful in advertis- Caroll Simpson, author & illustrator visit www.bookweek.ca. ing our annual fall book launch. And, of Maureen Ulrich, author course, it’s great to see what other people Cassy Welburn, storyteller Book Week: Find public readings in the industry are doing, too.” in your region Prince Edward Island Saff ron Beckwith, Vice-President of Th ere are scores of free public readings Ron Lightburn, author & illustrator Ampersand, adds, “I think the events page taking place across Canada during TD is great. It’s fabulous to have a central Quebec (English-language tour) Canadian Children’s Book Week. Th ese national source for Canadian kids’ books!” Dan Bar-el, author & storyteller readings, generously funded by the Canada JonArno Lawson, author & poet Council for the Arts, are held in public Looking for... awards news or history? Catherine Rondina, author libraries, community centres, bookstores For the most up-to-date awards news, as Max Tell, storyteller and, in the case of remote regions where well as an authoritative and comprehensive John Wilson, author there is not a public library, local schools. list of Canadian children’s books awards, As of April 15, you can check online to see Saskatchewan visit www.bookcentre.ca/award. if there is a reading in your area to enjoy! Lizann Flatt, author Lois Peterson, author Yukon Geneviève Côté, author & illustrator

8 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA .ASO !S=N@O 2AREASO

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If you love Canadian kids’ books, go to the source: bookcentre.ca

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre PROFILE CARYRY FAGAN Cary Fagan: A Born Writer Persistent, Hardworking and Lucky BY SYLVIA MCNICOLL

The Beginning “I had an essentially happy childhood and was blessed with won- At the University of Toronto, he won nine writing prizes along the derful parents, but I seemed to have had a somewhat melancholy path to his degree in English. Th is promising start then stalled for nature, which made me introspective, and with a tendency to live in over ten years. Fagan wrote hard, supporting himself with freelance my head.” Like some of the characters in his books, Cary Fagan grew work for magazines, editing jobs and even a paste up job in London, up in a privileged household in a well-to-do suburb. His parents Ontario. His creative writing, however, did not get published very came from modest circumstances — his father arrived in Canada as oft en. “I didn’t realize it then, but I wasn’t ready. I was persistent a refugee and his Toronto-born mother began working in her teens though — I worked hard and I kept working at it.” when her father died — but they worked hard and ended up pro- In frustration, he self-published a number of chapbooks. His last viding well for their family. (His dad was a lawyer and businessman, one, Nora by the Sea (published in 1988), earned praise on CBC from however, not the dental fl oss tycoon from his 2011 novel Banjo of Timothy Findley. Finally, in 1990, his non-fi ction book, City Hall Destiny.) Growing up, Fagan and his two brothers were loved and and Mrs. Godd was published, along with a fi rst collection of short cherished, but his family was insular and, while close to his older stories, History Lessons. As luck would have it, a number of novels brothers, he wandered the school playground alone. quickly placed with traditional publishers aft erwards and that fi rst When his two brothers went fi shing, he was happy to sit some- non-fi ction book was named a 1990 fi nalist for the Toronto Book where near them and scribble out stories. “My parents were very sup- Awards. portive of my writing. Th ey encouraged me when I was a kid and never stopped. Somehow they believed I could make it.” Turning to Children’s Books While he loved writing from an early age, he did not enjoy reading Aft er Dickens, Fagan also enjoyed reading the Russian classics. as much as his brothers. At 16, because he knew he wanted to write Gogol’s short story “Th e Overcoat,” in which a clerk dies for the loss for a living, he thought he had better train by studying the classics, of a hard earned coat, moved Fagan so much he wanted to write a beginning with a dull-looking edition of Charles Dickens’ Great happier version. Expectations. Surprising himself, he loved it and he kept reading. By this time he was telling stories to his nephews and drawing

10 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA little illustrated books for his two daughters, which made him look Making Magic Happen more closely at children’s literature. His wife at the time, Joanne Fagan’s approach has always been to juggle several projects at the Schwartz, was studying to become a children’s librarian, bringing same time, writing adult fi ction and non-fi ction, children’s picture home wonderful stories to read. Gogol’s adult short story gradually books and novels. “Th ere are diff erences in my approach to writing for morphed into Fagan’s more optimistic retelling in his fi rst picture kids and adults, but most of the satisfactions are the same. Revealing book, Gogol’s Coat. Fagan created another picture book adaptation, character, building a credible and involving story, trying to capture Th e Market Wedding, from Abraham Cahan’s story “A Ghetto Wed- an idea and a feeling in a way that opens something up for the reader ding,” in which a couple spends every last cent on a lavish wedding — that’s all a part of writing. And there are particular satisfactions in the hopes that the gift s will furnish their house. Th at story earned that come with each, as well. If I could write only adult or only kids’ him the 2004 World Storytelling Award. books, I’d feel bereft , as if a part of me was missing.” His fi rst children’s novel began as a picture book. Daughter of the He likes to work anywhere from a week to several months on one Great Zandini featured a master magician who wanted to pass his project. For picture books he keeps in mind the nature of the lis- professional legacy to the wrong child. Fagan’s editor, Kathy Low- tening experience and the fact that each turn of the page requires a inger, thought it should be longer. “I didn’t just extend it but made certain dramatic moment, like a chapter break. He’s grown in that the story more involved, and even added a sort of unseen villain (a he now allows the illustrator more space to contribute and resists the newspaper reporter). She was right, it became a much better story.” urge to share his vision with her or him. “In a novel I hope to give my main character some depth, espe- Getting Lucky cially his or her emotional life as it changes through the narrative.” In 2001, Daughter of the Great Zandini won a Mr. Christie Book Even for kids, he doesn’t like to spell everything out, but leans toward Award Silver Medal. Lowinger then asked him to co-write a non- a more ambiguous ending, leaving it up to the reader to fi ll in parts fi ction ballet memoir with Chan Hon Goh (Beyond the Dance: A Bal- of the story. lerina’s Life) which shortlisted for the 2003 Norma Fleck Award for Fagan is one of those disciplined authors who resists the lure of the Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction. For his next book, Fagan decided Internet. He works in a variety of places but on an average morning to draw a greater audience of children with a work of pure entertain- heads up to his study on the third fl oor where the Internet is banned. ment — and the result was Th e Fortress of Kaspar Snit, the adventures Th at’s his rule for now at least. He writes for a couple of hours and of two children who battle a dastardly, fountain-stealing villain. Th e only then takes a break to check his email, research or perhaps read. book was rewarded with a Silver Birch Honour Book citation. (Besides writing, he edits books, mentors other writers and teaches Aft er fi ve more books with Tundra, Fagan was invited by Lowinger picture book writing at University of Toronto’s School of Continuing to continue Mordecai Richlar’s Jacob Two-Two series. Intrigued by Studies.) In the aft ernoon he heads back for a second writing session, the family story underpinning the series, Fagan re-read the three something he found hard to do in the earlier part of his career. novels and instead of continuing the saga, created a tale to link the Although his household is a busy one with two daughters, Rachel fi rst and second, explaining the movement from England to Canada. (21) and Sophie (15), and two stepsons, Emilio (21) and Joachim Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas attracted much attention for Fagan, (15), around at various times, Fagan likes to stay connected with including profi les in Th e Globe and Maill and Publishers Weekly, his writing by working at least a couple of hours a day, even on the as well as the book being named a Quill & Quire Book of the Year weekend. His wife, Rebecca Comay, understands as she is a professor in 2009. of philosophy and an author too (Mourning Sickness, Hegel and the Fagan considers his children’s writing to have been blessed with French Revolution). On vacations, sometimes, they enjoy working greater good fortune than his adult writing. Over the years, he has quietly together. received many nominations for “Tree” awards, which, he says, have For some projects, picture books especially, he may head for the given his books life and drawn huge sales. Th is year his latest picture local coff ee shop and write the fi rst draft longhand. On a holiday book, Ella May and the Wishing Stone, is on the Blue Spruce Award in Cape Breton, he wrote Gogol’s Coatt at Tim Hortons. He likewise shortlist. wrote a chunk of his latest novel, Th e Boy in the Box, on a Netbook in As well, his recent adult book of stories, Life Among the Apes, was Tompkins Square Park in New York. longlisted for the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize before it was even for- mally launched. For the fi rst few days he was shocked and thrilled; Second Draft, Third Draft, Publication then the pressure to make the shortlist set in. Th e book did not make Fagan’s favourite self-editing tool is allowing a fi rst draft to sit to get it further but that initial announcement immediately sent it into distance — sometimes for weeks, sometimes for as long as a year. a second print run. “Like most authors, I have ambiguous feelings Although his wife and children sometimes read and comment on his about awards — you know, the nature of making things a competi- stories, when asked about using writing groups or other fi rst readers, tion — but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be shortlisted or win.” he says “I like to greedily keep it to myself.” When asked about the pinnacles of his career, he doesn’t cite that Th e next time he looks at that draft , he can take bigger leaps, longlisting or any other award. Rather, it is how his own children slashing and burning. He also becomes more descriptive. But it is can see and respond to his work. “Not all kids really understand the third draft he enjoys the most; with very little external changes what their parents do, but my daughters have from the earliest age, to be made, this draft will feel closest to the shape he wants. and then my wonderful stepsons. I make up stories. Th ey certainly He enjoys and credits the input of savvy editors on his many proj- understand that. And that they’re proud of me gives me one of my ects along the way: Kathy Lowinger, Kathryn Cole, Sue Tate, Shelley greatest rewards. Th e kids have all come down to the ceremony for Tanaka, Patsy Aldana, Sheila Barry and Lynne Missen. “Th ey were the Tree awards at Harbourfront and have heard the crazy cheering, all nice people to work with too.” have seen the line-ups for autographs. Th at’s pretty sweet.”

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 11 The Future Since the end of that decade of frustration in his twenties, all of their homes. Th reatened with sinister consequences for attempted Fagan’s stories fi nd publishers. Some take longer than others and escapes and missing their families, they nevertheless become hooked they certainly aren’t all easy. Currently his work is placed by Trans- on the adrenalin of show business. atlantic Literary Agency’s Marie Campbell for his children’s books Whereas all of his other series books have been one-off s that grew and Sam Haywood for his adult work. into more episodes, this story is designed to be a two-parter. Th e His most recent work, and his 18th book for kids, Th e Boy in the ending defi nitely warrants a “to be continued.” Fagan says, “If it is a Box, returns to his earlier themes of magic. It is a substantial book, satisfying novel, hopefully the readers will hold their breath until the longer than his previous kids’ novels, with a hypnotic dark feel. A next book.” travelling show uses the thrill of performance to lure 12-year-old Sul- Sylvia McNicoll, author of crush. candy. corpse (Lorimer) will be one of those readers livan Mintz, as well as all the other children in the show, away from holding her breath for the next installment.

Selected Titles by Cary Fagan

The Boy in the Box Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas The Fortress of Kaspar Snit (Master Melville’s Medicine Show, Book I) illustrated by Dušan Petriˇcić TUNDRA BOOKS, 2004 PENGUIN CANADA, 2012 TUNDRA BOOKS, 2009 Beyond the Dance: A Ballerina’s Life Mr. Zinger’s Hat Thing-Thing written by Chan Hon Goh and Cary Fagan illustrated by Dušan Petriˇcić illustrated by Nicolas Debon TUNDRA BOOKS, 2002 TUNDRA BOOKS, 2012 TUNDRA BOOKS, 2008 Daughter of the Great Zandini Banjo of Destiny Ten Lessons for Kaspar Snit illustrated by Cybèle Young illustrated by Selçuk Demirel TUNDRA BOOKS, 2008 TUNDRA BOOKS, 2001 GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2011 Mr. Karp’s Last Glass The Market Wedding Ella May and the Wishing Stone GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2008 illustrated by Regolo Ricci illustrated by Geneviève Côté TUNDRA BOOKS, 2000 TUNDRA BOOKS, 2011 My New Shirt illustrated by Dušan Petriˇcić Gogol’s Coat The Big Swim TUNDRA BOOKS, 2007 illustrated by Regolo Ricci GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2010 TUNDRA BOOKS, 1998 Directed by Kaspar Snit Book of Big Brothers TUNDRA BOOKS, 2007 illustrated by Luc Melanson GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2010 Ten Old Men and a Mouse For more on the author, illustrated by Gary Clement visit www.caryfagan.com TUNDRA BOOKS, 2007

12 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA FREEDOM TO READ WEEK FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 2, 2013 Join us in raising awareness about censorship, freedom of expression and our access to Canadian writing! Visit www.freedomtoread.ca to order your Freedom to Read annual review of censorship issues in Canada and 2013 posters. A project of the BOOK AND PERIODICAL COUNCIL

Book and Periodical Council

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2012 John Spray Mystery Award Established in 2011 to honour excellence in mystery book genre and sponsored by John Spray, President of the Mantis Investigation Agency, this $5,000 prize is awarded annually to a Canadian author of an outstanding work of mystery writing for young people.

Charlie’sC Key writtenw by Rob Mills Canadian Orca Book Publishers Children’s 978-1-55469-872-1 (pb) $9.95 Book Centre Awards

The John Spray Mystery Award is administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

For more information and for jury comments, visit www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 13 FOCUS HUUMOUR A Seriously Funny Author Roundtable BY MELANIE FISHBANE

Recently, when Governor General Literary Award-winner Susin Many of your books deal with a particular serious Nielsen was at a teacher-librarian event, one of them described her (sometimes tragic) issue, such as bullying, politics, and books as “seriously funny.” death/dying/grieving. How did you decide to use humour “I thought this was a great expression so I’m stealing it!” writes to approach these issues in a way that felt authentic to Nielsen when being interviewed for this article. I’m going to follow the story and its character? her lead and steal it, too, because it is the perfect expression to describe the kind of humour that the following Canadian authors Gordon Korman: I think we have to stipulate that some issues are use when dealing with diffi cult issues. While humour in children’s more serious than others. In Schooled, I tackle bullying; in Pop, it’s literature isn’t necessarily a new trend, what is new is the increase a retired football player suff ering from CTE, a degenerative brain in writers willing to use this tool to explore darker issues. disease. So, obviously, I’ve got more room for comedy in the former The four authors interviewed for this roundtable are not only than the latter. But in both novels, there’s a place for humour, just as skilled in getting the laughs, but also in knowing how to be funny there is in our lives, even in some of the darkest moments. without losing the emotional resonance. Whether it is dealing Alan Silberberg: When I began Milo, my intention was to write a with the extremes of bullying, a disease like Alzheimer’s, writing light, funny book with cartoon illustrations about a boy in junior a grief narrative, or changes in family dynamics, Gordon Korman, high school. Diary of a Wimpy Kidd had just made a splash so I wanted Susin Nielsen, Alan Silberberg and Ted Staunton fi nd the balance to create something funny and cartoony. Th e farthest thing from my between the serious and funny, showing kids that laughter can mind was that I wanted to write a book about a boy grieving his truly be the best medicine. mother’s death. But as I got into it and established Milo’s funny tone Since the publication of his fi rst book, This Can’t Be Happening at of voice I realized that I was using my own voice as a 13-year-old. Macdonald Hall, 35 years ago, Gordon Korman has written over 75 Drawing from my past brought up all of the emotional memories of books. His recent works include Ungifted, Schooledd and Pop. Susin being an adolescent whose mom had died when he was nine. It was Nielsen’s tragic and funny book, The Reluctant Journal of Henry a seamless transition to let Milo’s story continue to come out from K. Larsen, won the 2012 Governor General’s Literary Award. She that place inside me and to continue letting the humour and sadness is also the author of Word Nerdd and Dear George Clooney, Please stay intertwined, because that’s what life was like for me. I was still a Marry My Mom. Author and musician Ted Staunton has written funny kid — but also a kid caught up in sadness and confusion. Life nearly 40 books since his picture book Puddleman was published is never all one thing or the other and my book allowed me to tell a in 1983. His most recent books include Jump Cut (part of the Seven story that was both. series), Acting Up and the early reader Morgan Gets Cracking. Alan Silberberg is the author of Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze and the forthcoming book, The Awesome, Almost 100% True Adventures of Matt & Craz.

Susin Nielsen

Gordon Korman

14 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA “These days, the smart, ironic teen narrator is ascendant, but I still carry a torch for the earnest, humourless character – the more admirable the better – who, despite all his / her admirable qualities, just doesn’t see the forest for the trees.”

— Gordon Korman

Susin Nielsen: I always feel that as long as I’m staying true to my Gordon: When you’re writing for an audience that has grown up narrator, then I’m being authentic. And kids at the age of 12 or 13 surrounded by TV, movies and YouTube, it’s vital that characters’ tend to have a very self-centered view of the world. I don’t mean that voices be authentic. Whatever your opinion of kids’ media-domi- in a bad way at all. I just mean that there is a lot they’re learning and nated lives, today’s young readers bring a highly-developed ear fi guring out and a lot they haven’t quite grasped yet. So, even if I’m for dialogue and voice to the table. And, of course, in humourous writing about the most tragic of circumstances, if it’s from a 13-year- novels, a lot of the narration and conversation is funny. Th ese days, old boy’s perspective, there will be parts that will (hopefully) make the smart, ironic teen narrator is ascendant, but I still carry a torch you laugh. for the earnest, humourless character — the more admirable the better — who, despite all his/her admirable qualities, just doesn’t see Ted Staunton: I’m not sure that any of my books deal with bul- the forest for the trees. At least seven times out of ten, I’ll go with lying, politics, or death (Okay, maybe a tiny bit of death and some characters that don’tt get the joke. Sometimes, the best humour is bullying, but that’s out of a lot of books. Th ere is a divorce in one.) between author and reader, leaving the cast out of the loop. I use those issues as a counterbalance to some of the zanier stuff , rather than attempting to skewer them. Alan: From page one, my main character, Milo, was always a funny kid so my intention from the start was to let him be a peculiar, weird and funny guy. But as the story developed and I realized more and more that Milo’s story was in part my own story, I was aware that I needed his voice to remain true to his character and to be funny as well as introspective. His comic voice was the counterpoint to his sadness and like me, Milo uses his sense of humour as a protective layer — something I wanted to give to the reader too. Susin: I would like to change my answer to any of the above three answers as they are far more intelligent and thought-provoking. Who won’t sue me for plagiarism?

Alan Silberberg

Each of your characters has their own distinct voice and humour is a device that helps them deal with their situation. Was this something intentional or did it grow as the story developed?

Susin: I can’t imagine writing a book without humour. I think perhaps it’s my philosophy on life in general; you laugh, you cry. Ted: I think all writers try to give their characters distinctive voices, whether they’re aiming for funny or not. You (or I) grow into the character’s voice as you go. Th e usual comic voice seems to me either Ted puzzled or aggrieved. Th is is because funny has to come from an Staunton outside perspective. It’s the outsider who sees things diff erently, and outsiders tend to be either angry or confused. Th en the writer can rage, mock, tease, or do all of the above more subtly by pretending befuddlement while writing outrageous stuff .

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 15 “Humour is the door most people, and especially kids, will walk through without question.” – Alan Silberberg

Why do you think that younger readers (and adults) them diff erently. I can’t say exactly how, but I’m sure I’d have a more respond to humour in such a positive way? restrained, measured approach. Yet I was much closer to my readers in both age and sensibility when I wrote those early books, so it’s Alan: Humour is the door most people, and especially kids, will dangerous to call one style “better.” I used humour a certain way walk through without question. Th at isn’t to say that funny books when I was getting started. I have a diff erent tack now. Th at’s all. are “easy” books or stray away from emotional topics. But, when a Susin: Regarding Th e Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, I defi - book can use humour to be the guide dog through potentially dif- nitely felt I was walking out on a creaky and unstable creative limb. fi cult terrain, I think the reader feels less vulnerable. Humour makes Using humour when there was such a horrible tragedy at the heart it comfortable to experience the other feelings that the writer hoped of the story, I felt I was stretching boundaries, perhaps. But it was a to evoke. risk I needed to take, as I could never have written about such a dark Ted: I don’t know that readers do respond positively to humour in subject without having moments of levity as well. any overwhelming way. In most cases, humour is way too subjec- Ted: Suspense, adventure, romance, are pretty easy to judge: they’re tive to have broad appeal. You’re always going to disappoint someone either happening or they’re not. Humour is much harder to defi ne. who says you’re too broad or too juvenile or too esoteric or too subtle Nothing is innately funny to everyone. Even the fat guy/banana peel or off ensive... setup isn’t funny to the fat guy; funny is all a function of perspective Susin: To be honest, I fi nd books without any humour in them are (see above). At the same time I think that anything has the potential not my favourite, so I’m not going to write a book without humour to be funny — to some people in some circumstances — and any- either. I go back to my overall philosophy; I love a book that can thing is fair game. You’ve got to have some unfunny to make the make me laugh and cry! I also love books that are just straight on funny bits funnier. Even the Marx Brothers had their biggest movie funny. I laughed just as much as my son did when he was younger hits when they wove sappy, unfunny romances into their zaniness. and I read Captain Underpants aloud to him. It’s like pitching: keep changing your pace unless you’ve got a killer fastball. Gordon: When my early books came out in the late seventies, I was blown away by the kid-lit luminaries of the time who expressed amazement at their popularity. Isn’t it kind of a no-brainer that We know that story can come from personal tragedy, or be laughing is fun? I’m kind of surprised that the question has to be inspired by real events. In books where you have done that, asked. what were some of the challenges? What kinds of things in the story or character had to change to make the novel more authentic? Were you surprised at the way certain When do you think that humour isn’t appropriate? aspects of the story turned out? Is there a line? Alan: Milo was a personal story for me. Th ough many of the events Alan: I really don’t think there is a line where humour isn’t appro- in the book were not based on actual events in my childhood, the priate. I think there are so many diff erent styles of humour that it’s emotional truth was there. I exposed a few moments that my family the writer’s job to keep the style of humour in line with the subject strongly related to and was careful to not make things too specifi c for matter. fear of hurting anyone’s feelings. One thing that had to change in the Gordon: Obviously, there are limits, but I don’t think they are static book was giving Milo an emotional sense of closure in grieving his standards that can be applied to every novel. When I look back at mother. To do this, I had to create several scenes that I wished had the books I wrote as a teenager, I see a lot of excess in the humour happened when I was a kid but sadly never did. But in writing those department. I couldn’t get enough slapstick. I pounded repeating scenes I was able to create a satisfi ed feeling inside of my adult self, jokes endlessly. Smart-alecky comments crackled like gunshots in which was a welcome surprise for me. a fi refi ght. If I were writing those stories today, I’d absolutely tackle

“Suspense, adventure, romance, are pretty easy to judge: they’re either happening or they’re not. Humour is much harder to deﬁ ne.” – Ted Staunton

16 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA “A friend of mine says the way to write ﬁ ction is to start with the truth and then lie big time. That seems to sum it up.” – Ted Staunton

Ted: A friend of mine says the way to write fi ction is to start with the Susin: My secondary characters are really important to my stories. truth and then lie big time. Th at seems to sum it up. Sometimes the I love craft ing them and getting to know them, especially the ones hardest thing is to come up with something strangerr than the truth. that appear in more than one of my novels, because then I get to How my stories turn out should always surprise me; if they don’t, know another aspect to them that I haven’t yet uncovered. In Th e then I know they aren’t any good. Reluctant Journall we’re meeting these people through Henry’s eyes, and a lot of them seem almost stereotypes, or one-dimensional at Gordon: In my case, the only personal tragedy was in the inspira- fi rst, because that’s how Henry’s seeing them, too. But as he gets to tion for Pop. In the nineties, I watched my grandmother’s deteriora- know them, so do we, and hopefully they become 3D at that point. tion from Alzheimer’s Disease. She never played in the NFL, obvi- Th ey do also defi nitely help provide comic relief on occasion. In Th e ously. But CTE, the head-trauma-induced condition aff ecting NFL Reluctant Journall this band of misfi t toys eventually becomes, in a veterans, was initially believed to be early-onset Alzheimers. sense, Henry’s new family, the people who will help him move for- Alzheimer’s aff ected my grandmother oddly at fi rst. She mixed up ward in his life. generations. A son-in-law became her brother-in-law, long deceased. Her daughter was her sister. Well over 90, living in a home for the Ted: My protagonists practically never understand the world or the aged, she worried that she was AWOL from her parents, violating community around them; that’s part of their outsider status. Th at curfew in this strange place, and her father was going to be angry. doesn’t mean my main character is always the weirdo. Sometimes Th is became the premise of Pop. What if a football player with CTE they’re the only sane one in the room. It’s just that neither they nor begins to confuse a teenage quarterback with his old high school the others in the book know that. It’s my job to make sure the reader football buddy? And, surprisingly, that provided a lot of opportuni- does. ties for humour, since I had an odd couple, ages 16 and 55 respec- Alan: Milo’s best friend Marshall is even more of a goofb all than tively, who were essentially two high school class-clown-style hell- Milo. I wanted Milo to exist in a real universe and imagined that the raisers. kid who accepted him would be a kid who was also kind of odd. I Susin: I’ve never written a book that was inspired by a real event think it’s important for books that are supposed to be funny to have (although I did get the initial nubbin of an idea from reading a Wally characters, both central and secondary, who champion that cause. Lamb book, and he’d placed one of his characters in the very real But when every character in a book says funny things, I usually Columbine tragedy). Th ere are always things that surprise me as check out a bit because I don’t think real life is like that. I also think I’m writing, places the characters take me that weren’t necessarily if the voice of a book is “funny” then you need to have balance with what I’d planned, or been thinking of. Th ose are usually pretty sweet characters who would never get the punch lines! moments. Melanie Fishbane is a freelance writer in Toronto with over 16 years experience in children’s literature. She is currently doing her MFA at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

As you build your secondary characters and the community that surrounds your main character, how do these elements For further information about these authors, foster your protagonist’s understanding of the situation visit their websites at: and, maybe, provide some comic relief? www.gordonkorman.com Gordon: Th e secondary characters are always my favourites, since you can get away with making them more extreme. In almost all www.susinnielsen.com my books, the supporting cast is funnier than the protagonists. As www.silberbooks.com readers, we laugh with the main characters, and even att them, but we have to be able to continue relate to them and see the world through www.tedstauntonbooks.com their eyes. For the minor characters, though, a writer has much more freedom to go crazy.

“The secondary characters are always my favourites, since you can get away with making them more extreme.” – Gordon Korman

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 17 ANNIVERSARIES CANSNSCAIP & CWILL BC

Milestones: CANSCAIP and CWILL BC reach signiﬁ cant birthdays BY GILLIAN O’REILLY

invited to share their expertise with the children of the town. Many were strangers to each other; all realized they needed (and wanted) to know others working in their fi eld. Out of this need for professional stimulation, a support group was born. Th irty-fi ve years later, CANSCAIP has over 400 Members (published authors and illustrators and professional performers) and over 600 Friends — librarians, parents, publishers, not-yet-published creators and others who are interested in aspects of children’s books, illustrations and performances. n CANSCAIP hosts regular meetings in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and, on a less formal basis, Ottawa and Halifax. In addi-

athy Stinso tion, there are professional development conferences in three loca- K tions. Packaging Your Imagination takes place annually in Toronto Richard Scrimger and Allan Stratton at CANSCAIP’s Packaging Your Imagination 2012. and the Prairie Horizons conference occurs biennially in Lumsden, Saskatchewan. Th e Imagine a Story conference took place in Mon- Th is year 2013 sees signifi cant birthdays for two Canadian organiza- treal in 2010 and 2011 and plans are afoot to make it regular event. tions of children’s authors and illustrators — milestones that point to Karen Krossing, CANSCAIP’s current president, notes that “Pack- the vibrant and collegial communities of children’s book creators. aging Your Imagination has recently expanded to include the very Th is spring, CWILL BC Society (Children’s Writers and Illustra- popular manuscript and portfolio critiquing sessions with industry tors of BC Society) celebrates its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1993 experts, as well as master-level workshops in writing and illus- to serve published authors and illustrators in BC, the organization trating.” CANSCAIP also promotes its Members through online now boasts 160 members with over 2,500 titles to their credit. forums and the quarterly CANSCAIP NEWS. CWILL BC carries out a number of promotional and professional In celebration of its 35th anniversary, CANSCAIP has estab- development opportunities for its members and, while the individual lished its fi rst Creator-in-Residence program. From January 15 to projects have changed over the years, the focus is always to highlight May 15, 2013, CANSCAIP will have two Creators-in-Residence: BC and encourage the talent of the provinces’ creators both locally and illustrator Dianna Bonder and Ontario author Kathy Stinson. Th is provincially. (Th e CWILL BC blog includes an excellent list of “BC- program will encourage exchanges between the Creators-in-Resi- Created Books Set In British Columbian Locations.”) dence and the CANSCAIP community across Canada, and to foster Kathryn Shoemaker, one of CWILL’s co-founders (along with mentorship of new and emerging authors and illustrators who are author Norma Charles), notes, “We have always tried to promote both Members and Friends of CANSCAIP. As part of this program, our members’ work throughout the province through our website’s Bonder and Stinson will each be conducting twelve Creator-in-Res- speakers list and through partnering with other organizations inter- idence Blue Pencil Mentorships, as well as writing articles on craft ested in children’s literature such as the CCBC, IBBY Canada, the for the CANSCAIP NEWS. Krossing adds, “We wanted to celebrate BC Teacher Librarians Association and the Vancouver Children’s CANSCAIP’s 35 years by giving back to the community of Members Literature Roundtable and our local libraries and school districts.” and Friends. Supporting, connecting and promoting Canadian cre- President Shar Levine adds that, among the new projects coming ators for children is what this organization is all about.” on stream, “Th ere is going to be an art exhibit of our illustrators Th e professional development and promotional assistance these and we are working closely with the Vancouver Children’s Literature organizations off er their members has doubtless allowed each orga- Roundtable to have author speed dating events with librarians. We nization to grow and thrive. Over and above that, however, the main still do an event at Vancouver’s main library on how to get published benefi t each has given the talented creators of this country is prob- and we have a number of other literary and literacy events around ably the one expressed succinctly on the CWILL BC website — “the the city. We have recently partnered with Books for Me! a local Van- friendship, inspiration and support of colleagues in the fi eld of chil- couver charity that gives gently used children’s books to the most dren’s writing and illustrating.” needy kids in our city.” For further information on CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators CWILL BC Society, visit www.cwillbc.ca. and Performers) grew out of a Canada Day Conference organized in 1977 by the Port Colborne Public Library in Ontario. Eleven art- For further information on ists — eight writers, two illustrators and one performer — had been CANSCAIP, visit www.canscaip.org.

18 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton Art by Gabrielle Grimard

Read the remarkable true story of a young Inuit girl who reminds us what power we hold when we can read. When I Was Eight makes the bestselling memoir Fatty Legs accessible to young children. Ages 6–9

16 awards 9 awards

annick press www.annickpress.com available from your favourite bookstore

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2012 Geoff rey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People Established in 1988 in memory of historian and author Geoff rey Bilson, this $5,000 prize is awarded annually to the Canadian author of an outstanding work of historical ﬁ ction.

Canadian Children’s TheT Hangman in the Mirror Book Centre writtenw by Kate Cayley Awards Annick Press

978-1-55451-357-4 (hc) $21.95 The Geoffrey 978-1-55451-356-7 (pb) $12.95 Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People is administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

For more information and for jury comments, visit www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 19 BOOKMARK MUUSIC FOR ALL AGES

“B OOKMARK!” HIGHLIGHTS BOOKS FOR A VARIETY OF more to life than high-tops and hook shots. GRADE LEVELS AROUND A PARTICULAR THEME. Confl icting priorities cause problems between Kyle and others. When his pal CCBC Library Coordinator Meghan Howe offers books for all who love music becomes the target of homophobic hatred, and good stories. For more books on music and the performing arts, the theme Kyle must make some diffi cult choices. of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2013, visit www.bookweek.ca. For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band written by Dave Bidini (Tundra Books, 2004) Learn about becoming a rock-and-roll Making Music musician. Bidini off ers history, information about the music trade, vocational guid- PICTURE BOOKS FOR Th is touching tale of a boy’s dream to have ance and hard-won advice from his own KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3 his own fi ddle is based on the true story experience. of Émile Benoit, the gift ed Newfoundland Canadian Railroad Trilogy musician. On his twelft h birthday, his Learn to Speak Music: A Guide written by Gordon Lightfoot father presents him with a fi ddle made to Creating, Performing, and illustrated by Ian Wallace of old violin parts. Soon he is amazing Promoting Your Songs (Groundwood Books, 2010) everyone by playing tunes he has written by John Crossingham composed in his head. illustrated by Jeff Kulak Award-winning artist Ian Wallace (Owlkids, 2009) illustrates Gordon Lightfoot’s beloved song Lullaby Berceuse: with sweeping landscapes and evocative A member of the indie band Broken Social A Warm Prairie Night portrayals of the people who lived the Scene, Crossingham knows something written by Connie Kaldor and building of the railroad. Th is book includes about the music world. He covers several Carmen Campagne Lightfoot’s music and lyrics, a brief history aspects of music making, from choosing illustrated by Brian Deines of the railroad, notes on the illustrations and learning to play an instrument to (La montagne secrète, 2006) and further reading. promoting your music. Colour artwork All Th rough the Night, Bonne Nuit… with a retro vibe rounds out this fun-fi lled The Circle Game Gorgeous illustrations complement this guide for young musicians. written by Joni Mitchell bedtime storybook, which includes lyrics illustrated by Brian Deines and an award-winning CD of English Music by Morgan (Dancing Cat Books, 2011) and French lullabies. (First Novels) written by Ted Staunton Th is book introduces Joni Mitchell’s song illustrated by Bill Slavin to a new generation through captivating JUNIOR NON-FICTION AND (Formac Publishing, 2010) artwork by Brian Deines. Th e story is a nod FICTION FOR GRADES 4 TO 8 to a boy’s childhood dreams and memories; Morgan isn’t happy when his parents sign as years pass, his dreams change, but his him up for fl oor hockey. He’d much rather Libby’s Got the Beat sense of wonder remains. take piano lessons. When Aldeen Hummel, (Streetlights) the Godzilla of Grade Th ree and a good written by Robert Rayner The City Speaks in Drums hockey player, is signed up for piano, they (Lorimer, 2010) written by Shauntay Grant craft a plan to trade places. How long can illustrated by Susan Tooke Libby’s entire school’s provincial test results they fool the coach, the piano teacher and (Nimbus Publishing, 2010) are low. With extra-curricular activities on their parents? hold so students can retake the test, Libby Th e sounds of the city — from basketball and her friends set out to prove the value of Oscar Peterson: players and musicians to dancers and staging a concert by applying real-life situ- The Man and His Jazz children — create a fast-paced and exciting ations to classroom learning. If they teach written by Jack Batten rhythmic poem as two boys from Halifax Professor Brayne a lesson along the way, (Tundra Books, 2012) explore their neighbourhood. Vivid, eye- that will be good too. catching illustrations capture the action In September 1949, “Jazz at the Philhar- and sights of this east coast city. monic” performed in New York City. Crossover Twenty-four-year-old Oscar Peterson from (Orca Sports) A Gift of Music: Montreal was invited onstage to play the written by Jeff Rud Émile Benoit and his Fiddle piano. Th is American debut marked the (Orca Book Publishers, 2008) written by Alice Walsh beginning of what was to become interna- illustrated by Geoff Butler When basketball player Kyle decides to try tional recognition of Oscar Peterson as (Tuckamore Books, 2010) out for the school musical, he fi nds there’s the world’s greatest jazz pianist.

20 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Power Chord Hannah Waters and the Daughter (Orca Currents) of Johann Sebastian Bach written by Ted Staunton written by Barbara Nickel (Orca Book Publishers, 2011) (Penguin Group Canada, 2005) Fourteen-year-old Ace starts a band with From award-winning author Barbara his friends Denny and Pig in hopes that Nickel comes an unforgettable tale of two girls will notice them. Ace discovers he lonely girls. Born centuries apart, they loves playing music more than anything, become entwined like the music of two but his friends have other interests. When violins, and change each other’s lives. they fi nally get a chance to perform, Ace learns a tough lesson about plagiarism. The Landing written by John Ibbitson Talisa’s Song (Kids Can Press, 2008) (Tales of Three Lands) Ben is shown an unfamiliar, liberating written by Linda Smith world by a cultured and wealthy New York (Coteau Books, 2005) woman. Aft er he plays the violin for her Talisa Th atcher thinks she’s useless because and her friends, it makes him more des- she’s the only one in her family who can’t perate to fl ee Th e Landing, a hardscrabble perform magic. But she learns the power farm on Lake Muskoka. Th en, one stormy of her own gift of music when she saves the night on the lake, everything changes. life of a young man unjustly accused of murder. Out of Darkness: The Jeff Healey Story written by Cindy Watson SENIOR NON-FICTION AND (Dundurn Press, 2010) FICTION FOR GRADES 7 AND UP Given up for adoption, losing both eyes to cancer and then losing his own mother to Drummer Girl cancer, Jeff Healey had all the excuses not written by Karen Bass to succeed. But from the moment he laid a (Coteau Books, 2011) guitar across his lap, it was clear he was no Sid’s the best drummer in the school, ordinary kid. He became one of the most and desperately wants to get into its most infl uential blues-rock and jazz performers popular band. But the band members have of our time. diff erent opinions about having a girl in an otherwise all-boy band. Sid must decide The Vinyl Princess how far she’s willing to compromise her written by Yvonne Prinz identity — and herself — to achieve (HarperCollins Canada, 2010) her goal. Sixteen-year-old Allie has the summer job of her dreams, working at Bob and Bob Flat-Out Rock: Records. Surrounded by music, she is about Ten Great Bands of the ‘60s to set up her secret identity as “Th e Vinyl written by Mike Tanner Princess” — author of a zine and a blog. But (Annick Press, 2006) the store is losing sales, and there’s been a From Bob Dylan to Th e Beatles, Tanner string of robberies in the neighbourhood. profi les 10 rock bands from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Photos and sidebars highlight the times Virtuosity that formed the backdrop for this musical written by Jessica Martinez revolution. Teen readers will may also want (Simon Pulse, 2011) to read Tanner’s Resurrection Blues. Carmen, a 17-year-old violin prodigy, wants to win the Guarneri competition. Jeremy stands between her and her goal. Carmen knows kissing Jeremy will not end well, but she can’t resist him and she can’t trust him with her secret — an anti-anxiety-drug addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and always doing what’s expected of her.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA REVIEWS ESPEP CIALLY FOR TEACHERS The Classroom Bookshelf FOOD, FARMING, HEALTH AND FESTIVALS BY SANDRA O’BRIEN

Whether children plant a garden, speak out about their right to healthy food choices, join the ﬁ ght against poverty or share their customs and traditions with others to encourage tolerance, they can be empowered to make the world they live in a better place.

Lighting Our World: Mimi’s Village: And How A Year of Celebrations Basic Health Care Transformed It written by Catherine Rondina (Citizen Kid) illustrated by Jacqui Oakley written by Katie Smith Milway Kids Can Press, 2012 illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes 978-1-55453-594-1 (hc) $18.95 Kids Can Press, 2012 for Grades 2 to 5 978-0-1-55453-722-8 (hc) $18.95 for Grades 3 to 6 Non-ﬁ ction | Social Studies | Cultures | Celebrations | Multiculturalism Non-ﬁ ction | Social Studies | Global Awareness | Rural Communities People use light to celebrate special occasions all over the world. Th is book takes children on a journey around the globe including When Mimi’s little sister Nakkissi becomes sick, Mimi and her the United Kingdom, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and family must travel to the health clinic in the next village to get South America and New Zealand. It introduces them to the Nakkissi the help she needs. Nurse Tela gives Nakkissi clean water many cultures that use light — in the form of candles, bonfi res mixed with sugar and salt to help her get well and teaches Mimi or fi reworks — to mark signifi cant events. Each two-page spread why she weighs the infant babies and administers vaccinations. discusses at least two festivals or celebrations and the text is Mimi’s village needs their own clinic and the elders decide they surrounded by colourful illustrations. A glossary of terms is should build one. Aft er many months, the clinic is built and Nurse included at the back in the book. Tela makes her fi rst visit to Mimi’s village just in time to help What I liked about this book was that it covered a wider range deliver Mimi’s new baby brother. Nurse Tela teaches the families in of holidays, festivals and celebrations than I have previously seen the village many important things about clean water, hand washing and even introduced me to a few I hadn’t heard of. While the and mosquito nets and Mimi and her Ma join the village health information is fairly brief about each holiday, it provides students committee. As Mimi watches and listens to Nurse Tela talk to the with a starting point to begin their research and allows them to village women she dreams of one day becoming a nurse or a doctor share their own knowledge of these events. Written for students so she can help other villages become healthy too. in the late primary or early junior grades, this resource is one that Written with older primary and younger junior students in teachers will fi nd helpful when studying or celebrating these mind, Mimi’s story is a blend of real stories from Africa where cultural events in their classrooms. clean water, hand washing, mosquito nets and village health workers have helped to save the lives of millions of children who live in poverty. Th e story teaches children the issues surrounding global health and encourages them to get involved. At the back of the book, readers will fi nd factual information about why basic health care is so important and what they can do to help.

22 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA What’s for Lunch? How Schoolchildren Potatoes on Rooftops: Eat Around the World Farming in the City written by Andrea Curtis written by Hadley Dyer photographs by Yvonne Duivenvoorden Annick Press, 2012 Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012 978-1-55451-424-3 (pb) $14.95 978-0-88995-482-3 (pb) $12.95 978-1-55451-425-0 (hc) $24.95 for Grades 5 to 8 for Grades 4 to 7

Non-ﬁ ction | Global Awareness | Food and Nutrition Non-ﬁ ction | Urban Farming | Ecology | Sustainability | Food Th is book not only discusses what children are eating for lunch Th is book reveals the many creative ways people have begun to around the world but the impact that young people can have when farm in urban spaces from futuristic pod greenhouses to food they choose to take control of what they are eating in their school producing wall panels, industrial sized composters to buckets on cafeterias and school lunch programs. Sadly Canada is one of the balconies. As people discover how easy it is to grow fresh food in few developed nations in the world that doesn’t off er a national the city, they learn that growing food closer to home reduces the nutrition program for school-age children. Th ere are, however, impact that shipping has on the environment, they are able to feed programs like Th e Stop Community Food Centre’s Green Barn in people who might otherwise go without and they begin to make downtown Toronto. As described in this book, it is an education our cities greener, which helps reduce global warming. centre with lush gardens, a greenhouse and a professional kitchen Th e fi rst section of the book discusses city living and where where children learn how to grow, cook and eat good food. By the food comes from to feed all those urban dwellers. Th e second comparing what children eat for lunch from Japan, Russia, Kenya, section teaches us how we can change our urban landscapes and Afghanistan and the United States, we learn about issues such as the third section informs us of other ways we can green our cities, climate change, health and poverty, and discover that some coun- such as raising chicks, aquaculture (growing water-dwelling plants tries off er nutritious and well-balanced meals while others barely and animals), composting and water harvesting. Th e fi nal section meet basic nutrition standards. encourages people to get involved in their community, school or Th e photographs drew me in (perhaps reading it right before backyard and gives examples of people who have done just that. lunch had something to do with that); then the information Although this book seems to be written for students in the grabbed my attention and kept me interested from start to fi nish. junior grades, the concepts Hadley Dyer discusses are pertinent I learned about the plight of farmers in Peru, the challenges of to students in the primary, intermediate and senior grades as well. world hunger that face the United Nations World Food Programme, It could be used as a resource in the social studies curriculum when diet-related illnesses that are plaguing our children today and the studying living things or the environmental impact of shipping impact we have on the environment when we buy food that has food around the globe, and in the health curriculum when studying been shipped from countries overseas or large scale farms. nutrition. It could also be used in humanities courses in high Appropriate for students from the junior grades to high school, school, such as individual and family living or food and nutrition, this book will inspire many to start growing their own food, to encourage students to grow their own produce to cook with at infl uence parents and teachers to start advocating for better lunch home or school. programs for children and encourage kids to take charge of what Hopefully, the book will be used to inspire young urban dwellers they’re eating, where it comes from and what impact they can to start growing their own food in their backyards, on their balco- have on global issues. nies, at school or in a community garden.

Sandra O’Brien is a former teacher with an M.Ed. in Children’s Literature.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 23 REVIEWS BOOK BITS Biting into Board Books BY LIAN GOODALL

Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hug Baby Play Checkers and Dot Checkers and Dot written by Susan Musgrave written by Carol McDougall and written by J. Torres at the Zoo photography by Masterﬁ le and Shanda LaRamee-Jones illustrated by J. Lum written by J. Torres Getty Images photography by Blue Vine Photography Tundra Books, 2012 illustrated by J. Lum Orca Book Publishers, 2012 Nimbus Publishing, 2012 978-1-77049-441-1 (board) $8.99 Tundra Books, 2012 978-1-4598-0163-9 (board) $9.95 978-1-55109-902-6 (board) $8.95 for toddler to Preschool 978-1-77049-442-8 (board) $8.99 for newborns to 2 years for newborns to 2 years for toddler to Preschool

From works for newly minted babies to older toddlers, the fi ve through his / her day. Baby, baby / Strolling along / What’s that you books in this article can help craft the most joyous wings for reach- hear? / A chickadee song? / Chick-a-dee-dee all day long / We LOVE ing the goal of family literacy. Starting on the reading journey with strolling along. your wriggling reading partner is magic and the small-sized books Th is warm story of a mom and dad sharing with baby closes with reviewed here are some fi ne fi rst introductions to the delicious an important message: “I love you.” Baby Playy is the fi rst book of world of story. three in a planned series about baby’s fi rst year. (Th e second and Th e fi rst two books — Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hugg and Baby Playy — third are Baby Look and the 2013 title Baby Talk.) are similar in format and visual focus with short text and photo- British Columbian resident Susan Musgrave, the author of Kiss, graphs of babies. Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hugg is the largest of the books. Tickle, Cuddle, Hugg, has written well-known books for adults (Con- Babies and toddlers will want to reach out to touch the 11 almost vict Lover) and some for young people (Dreams Are More Real Th an life-sized faces of the tots with their diff erent expressions: sleepy, Bathtubs). Now a doting grandmother with perhaps a fresh appre- angry, brave and more. Th e wide-eyed babies in Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, ciation for babydom, Musgrave has been inspired to create for the Hug were photographed by various professionals under the Master- youngest book ‘consumers’ (and we know that these chunky books fi le and Getty Images umbrellas. Th e next book, Baby Play, features will certainly be chewed on). Th e baby’s facial expressions and paren- the excellent work of Halifax’s Blue Vine Photography whose lens tal response — “Ella makes a sleepy face. Ella needs a cuddle.” — focused on a single little brown-eyed cherub — crawling, peeking will have the adult-baby duo imitating the squeezing, cuddling and and strolling — the star of the entire book. It might be fun with kissing actions. Th is book fi nishes playfully with a “Kiss, Tickle, either book for parents and babies to imitate their favourite facial Cuddle, Hug, BOO!” expressions. Th ose leaving babyhood and ready for their fi rst story book with Th e authors of these fi rst two books have special qualifi cations, fi ctional characters might fl ip through the work of writer Joseph either as writers or experts in their fi elds. Th e creators of Baby Play Torres of Whitby, Ontario, simply rendered in black and white by are key players in family literacy programs. Carol McDougall is the Jennifer Lum. Fatherhood prompted Torres to write two board director and Shanda LaRamee-Jones is the provincial coordinator books: Checkers and Dot, which looks at patterns, and Checkers and of the Read to Me! Nova Scotia Family Literacy Program, a program Dot at the Zoo, which takes the theme of black and white animals that puts books into the hands of every Nova Scotian family such as: polar bears, penguins, gorillas and zebras. welcoming a new born or adopted child. Th is is McDougall’s Filippino-born Torres is no stranger to craft ing words to meld second book and LaRamee-Jones’s fi rst. with pictures. Among his credits are a number of comic strips, Th e authors’ passion for early literacy is evident in Baby Play. graphic novels and award-winning comic books. He slips easily into While the text may be described as a little lumpy in places — calm, picture book lingo in Checkers and Dot, with appropriately simple yawn and song don’t rhyme — tots and their readers will bounce past language, and not one extra word: “Say ‘hello’ to Checkers. Say ‘hello’ these tiny bumps and enjoy this energetic book that follows baby to Dot.” Readers also meet the pair’s cat, Stripesy, and dog, Spot.

24 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Kids’ Stuff

Look for the Kids’ Stuff section in our NEW 2013 Library Supplies Catalogue.

• Posters • Puppets Call to request your • Displays • Bookmarks FREE copy today! • Furniture • Shelving My First Hockey Book • Book Trucks • And More! text and photography by Ian Crysler Scholastic Canada, 2012 978-4431-0752-5 (board) $9.99 for toddler to Kindergarten reviewed from uncorrected proof

Aft er a quick look at the patterns on each character, “‘Stripesy wants to nap,’ says Dot. ‘Time to go!’ Checkers calls to Spot.” And book readers say “bye-bye” to each character. Th e foursome is back for an outing with Checkers and Dot at the Zoo “and they want you to come too.” For her fi rst picture books, graphic artist and book designer Jennifer Lum has chosen a rounded, almost naive style that one might pleasantly associate with the Japanese concept of “kawaii” (the quality of being adorable). Checkers and Dot, with their broad smiling faces, are my idea of Call: 1.800.268.2123 s Fax: 1.800.871.2397 s Shop Online: www.carrmclean.ca button-cute storybook characters. With the fi ft h book in this review, diapers are done with (or almost done with), teeth are in (or mostly in) and your child is ready for books with pages that are less than a centimetre thick. Might this reviewer suggest something delightful and very Canadian? A hockey book! Not just any hockey book, mind you — a brilliant fi rst hockey IN OUR book. Whether it be ball, road or ice hockey, the girls and boys in Ian Crysler’s My First Hockey Book are clearly having a lot of fun. “Let’s NEXT ISSUE... play!” the text invites, and all the family — moms, dads, tots and older kids — are happily engaged, watching or heft ing their sticks. Th is eff ervescent book made me want to run out, borrow a stick and Non-fi ction for little readers partake in that wonderful aspect of childhood — play. A look at the challenges and How did Toronto-based veteran photographer Crysler get it pleasures of writing non-fi ction so right on his fi rst picture book? It’s possible he has become well acquainted with the qualities of excellent picture books, as Crysler picture books photographs all the work of his talented spouse, Plasticine goddess, Barbara Reid. Th e book ends with a collage of beaming, hockey- Plus playing kids and the words “Hooray for Hockey.” Hooray for hockey indeed! A profi le of author and teacherte And hooray for these fi rst books! In 2013, I will have been review- Sylvia Gunnery; travel books ing children’s books and emphasizing the importance of early family literacy for 30 years. It’s exciting to see, as exemplifi ed with this for summer fun; and reviewsviews of crop of fi ne books, that including boys and girls of diff erent ethnic over 30 new titles backgrounds is a standard in the book industry today. Maybe we will stretch a little more and open up gender roles (only mothers are shown with babies in Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hugg) and broaden the defi nition of family (two dads or two moms) shown on the pages, so that each child, even the youngest, sees its fi rst book as a mirror of its world. For more information, visit lian goodall, now in Whitehorse, Yukon, has been writing about reading and family www.bookcentre.ca literacy since 1983.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 25 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS We Recommend NEW AND NOTED BOOKS FOR TODDLERS TO TEENS

Lumpito and A Good Trade the Painter from Spain written by Alma Fullerton written by Monica Kulling illustrated by Karen Patkau illustrated by Dean Grifﬁ ths Pajama Press, 2012 Pajama Press, 2012 978-0-9869495-9-3 (hc) $19.95 978-1-927485-00-2 (hc) $19.95 for Kindergarten to Grade 2 for Kindergarten to Grade 2 Picture Book | Uganda |Children & War | Gifts Picture Book | Dogs | Art and Art History Every morning at dawn, Kato leaves his Ugandan village to begin Lump (German for “rascal”) is a dachshund living in Rome with his challenging barefoot hike to fetch water. Carrying two jerry David, a famous photographer. Lump’s fortune changes when he cans, the boy traverses through grass, down hills, and past cattle accompanies David on a road trip to visit the acclaimed Spanish in fi elds guarded by soldiers. When he reaches the village well, he painter, Pablo Picasso, in the south of France. At Picasso’s villa, fi lls the cans with a day’s supply of water. Aft er splashing his weary, Lump encounters a large friendly dog named Yam, and Esmeralda, dusty feet, Kato begins his long trek home, conveying the heavy an amiable goat. He is, however, particularly captivated by the containers on his head and in his hand. An aid worker’s truck artist, who has aff ectionately nicknamed him “Lumpito.” Picasso, near the village square catches his attention. Th e child becomes so delighting in the dachshund, feeds him delicacies off a specially excited by what he spots inside the vehicle that he dashes home to designed plate and takes great pleasure in his company day and look for something special to present to the aid worker in exchange night, so much so that Lumpito remains behind when David for the life-altering gift ... a single white poppy from his garden for returns to Rome. brand new shoes! Based on a true account by photographer David Douglas Alma Fullerton introduces us to the life of a young boy living in Duncan, Lumpito’s fi rst master, Monica Kulling has written a a war-torn country. Readers will quickly deduce that Kato’s days memorable tale about the bond between man and dog, only in are fraught with hardship and danger as well as joy. Th e text is brief this instance the individual happens to be the world-famous artist and subtle, yet descriptive enough so that we can feel Kato’s energy Pablo Picasso. Witness their growing aff ection for each other: as well as his weariness, hear the splash of water and the laughter “Picasso lay on the ground beside Lumpito. ‘Th ings look diff erent of the children, and sense the menacing presence of the watchful from down here,’ he said stroking Lumpito’s long body... If Lumpito soldiers. Witness Kato’s elation when he fi nds the perfect gift to give had been a cat, he would have purred.” Not only has Kulling cap- to the aid worker: “Rushing through his chores, Kato runs to the tured the artist’s expansive personality and sense of humour in her garden and stops when he spies the single white poppy. Tenderly, he text, but she has also made reference to some of the art in which kneels to pick it. Between bouncy children, Kato weaves, cradling Lumpito has been immortalized. the poppy, careful not to crush it.” Dean Griffi ths’ watercolour illustrations are absolutely Karen Patkau’s evocative digital illustrations provide further endearing. From the moment we meet Lumpito on the bookcover, illuminating details about Kato’s environment: the Ugandan with his inquisitive face and lengthy body wrapped from the village where he lives, the territory traversed en route to get water, front to the back, we recognize that he is one very special dog. the changing hues of the sky, the brilliant colours of the children’s It is obvious that Griffi ths has researched Picasso and his work, clothing, the friend with the artifi cial leg, the exquisiteness of as he has imbued the essence of both into his own art in a most the white poppy. Th e artwork is a perfect match for Fullerton’s expressive and creative manner. understated text. Together they provide an enriching insight into Make way for a new wave of readers who will, no doubt, one boy’s life in a distant country, and the preciousness of peace endeavour to examine Picasso’s paintings with the hope of and goodwill. spotting his four-legged muse. Senta Ross Senta Ross is a former elementary teacher and teacher-librarian in Kitchener, Ontario.

26 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Show morning threshing waits for neither man nor beast. Farm animals written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards and wild animals all enjoy distinctive personalities. Teachers and Orca Book Publishers, 2012 librarians with access to document projection cameras could use 978-1-4598-0154-7 (hc) $19.95 these drawings in a unit on inventions or simple machines too. for Kindergarten to Grade 2 Brilliant work by both author and illustrator results in a fun-fi lled must-have book for school and public library shelves. Picture Book | Animals | Cumulative Tale Ellen Donogh is a teacher-librarian at Queenston and Luxton Elementary Schools Th is story opens with a very simple statement: “Th is is Uncle in Winnipeg. Wally’s old brown shoe.” Th e illustration, however, lets you know that this is a very special old brown shoe since it has wheels, one of which is a bright red, white and blue target. Th en you set off on Big City Bees a cumulative and circular tale that ends with the old brown shoe, written by Maggie de Vries although we now know more about the red wheel. As a cumulative illustrated by Renné Benoit tale, each page repeats all of the events in the previous pages — Greystone Books, 2012 all of the extraordinary events such as “Th is the fi sh with a spooky 978-1-55365-906-8 (hc) $19.95 mask that startled the bee that kissed the frog that chased the pig that for Kindergarten to Grade 3 tickled the kitten that drove around in Uncle Wally’s old brown shoe.” Using watercolour, gouache and pencil, Wallace Edwards has, Picture Book | Urban Farming | Animal Life Cycles | Bees as always, created the most fantastic rich and detailed illustrations In an inner city community garden, siblings Matthew and Sophie full of images not mentioned in the text. Th e only constant is that are growing pumpkins under the tutelage of their grandfather. the animal on each page has the old brown shoe — and there is a “We’ll need bees to make the pumpkins grow,” says Matthew. tiger somewhere. Th e animals are realistic in many ways, while also “What if they don’t come?” If the pumpkin fl owers aren’t pollinated being exaggerated in others. For instance, the fi sh has faithfully by bees, there will be no pumpkins. rendered scales and also holds a mask in one fi n while fl oating in Worried about a dearth of bees in the city, the young gardeners the air in front of the bee. and their grandfather embark on a search. To their amazement, Reading the story is only half of the process, as you can also they discover four hives high up on the terrace of a hotel. Encour- search through each picture for details such as a green chameleon aged, the children lovingly care for their pumpkin plants during in the leaves or the parrot holding a puzzle piece missing from the summer months while continuously watching for the needed the previous page. Th is is a thoroughly enjoyable addition to any pollinators. Th ey observe the transformation of the seeds as they library that both children and adults will want to read over sprout into shoots, then fl ourish into spreading vines and leaves, and over. complete with the crucial yellow fl owers, some of which bloom for Willow Moonbeam is a math professor and librarian with an interest in knitting, only a single day. Will the city bees arrive in time to pollinate astrology and learning new things. these fl owers? Th rough author Maggie de Vries’s educational and entertaining narrative, readers will learn how bees live, how nectar is trans- Old MacDonald Had Her Farm formed into honey, and why bees are vital for our food supply. written by JonArno Lawson We become witnesses to the working lives of bees as well as the illustrated by Tina Holdcroft ebb and fl ow of a garden throughout the seasons. Th e text is both Annick Press, 2012 factual and descriptive: “A honeybee buzzes over the closest fl ower. 978-1-55451-457-1 (hc) $19.95 Breaths held, the children watch. And, as if by magic, four more 978-1-55451-456-4 (pb) $9.95 bees arrive. Th e fl owers are huge, like goblets. Th e bees are frenzied, for Preschool to Grade 2 sipping nectar, gathering pollen. In and out they crawl...” An aft er- word contains additional information about bees and how families Picture Book | Humour | Language | Farming can help them survive. In Old MacDonald Had Her Farm, JonArno Lawson has created Renné Benoit’s watercolour illustrations convey a sense of a unique song-style read that has youngsters as early as four years place and space. Th e children’s big city environs, with tall build- of age clapping to the familiar refrain — with very diff erent “vowel” ings surrounding the community garden, are juxtaposed with the twist : “A-E-I-O-U and at times Y”. Th e repetition of this refrain coziness of a beehive. We observe the scenery from the viewpoint allows for complete engagement by the reader. Th e extraordinary of both the children and the bees... looking down, up, across and assortment of short vowel words showcased in each verse creates inside. Benoit’s artwork was shortlisted for the 2012 Governor totally tongue-twisted fun as Old MacDonald proceeds to “saw General’s Literary Award for Illustration. barn planks, stack sacks, crank cranks, and whack gnats” and Big City Bees will create awareness about the importance of bees, more. Th is is a masterful work of high educational calibre. no matter where one lives!

Th e words are accompanied by the most distinct and hilariously Senta Ross imaginative illustrations. Th e work of Tina Holdcroft , they are action-fi lled with varying perspectives. Her bold vividly coloured drawings, each a double-page spread, allow for the inventiveness of the farm machinery operated by old MacDonald. For example, short O page: “Mow crops nonstop…” gives thought to how early

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 27 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

Pit Pony: The Picture Book poet. Th ough his family was far from rich, his was a carefree written by Joyce Barkhouse and Janet Barkhouse life with boyish adventures and friends to share them with. One illustrated by Sydney Smith morning all of that changed as a sound “like angry bees” broke the Formac Publishing, 2012 peace. To comfort him, his grandfather gave K’naan a short poem 978-1-4595-0143-0 (hc) $14.95 which they read together oft en, the now famous opening lines of his for Kindergarten to Grade 4 international anthem: When I get older, I will be stronger, / Th ey’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ fl agg. Picture Book | Family | Hardship | Coal Mining | His mother sought their escape and received papers — for all but Cape Breton his grandfather — to go to the United States and then to Canada. Willie’s father and brother are incapacitated aft er a mine accident, K’naan tells of his fi rst snowfall wearing sandals, his struggle to and the 11-year-old lad must leave school to earn the family’s bread learn English and a fi ght with a boy who called him a mean name through his labour deep under the earth of Cape Breton, Nova — experiences other new Canadian children will recognize. Scotia. However, even in the depth of Willie’s despair, hope shines: All the while he held his grandfather’s words close to his heart. he delights in his pit partner, the brave, wild mare, Gem. Rudy Gutierrez, whose work is sometimes described as “Th e wild horse screamed as its feet left the deck of the schooner” “musical”, provides lively, fl owing illustrations to complement is the gripping fi rst sentence of both the original Pit Ponyy novel K’naan’s text. Th e emotional highs and lows of K’naan’s tale are written by Joyce Barkhouse in 1990, and, the new perfectly scaled- captured in Gutierrez’s colour and composition. K’naan’s childhood down picture book version brought to life by her daughter, edu- before the war is depicted in vibrant, sun-drenched colours, while cator/author Janet Barkhouse. Joyce died in February 2012 at age scenes of the war are in tones of grey. 98. In her dedication, Janet writes that Joyce “would be delighted” Th e music and all of the lyrics to “Wavin’ Flag” follow the story. to introduce Willie and Gem to young children. When older, those A map showing Somalia’s location in Africa and a brief history of same readers may slip into the magic of the Ann Connor Brimer Somalia appear as back matter. And one last brilliant feature to this Award-winning novel, Pit Pony, and other Barkhouse titles. attractive book are the endpapers fi lled with images of countries’ Pit Pony: Th e Picture Book is illustrated by Nova Scotian Sydney fl ags. Hopefully every child reading this book will fi nd the waving Smith, who has recently done several bouncy re-issues of poet fl ag of his or her homeland.

Sheree Fitches’ works. He successfully adopts an old-fashioned, Theo Heras is a children’s librarian and author. heavy outline style that suits the place and time period: 1902 Cape Breton where boys mined alongside men. Smith’s drawings charmingly capture the heart of the story: joy and tragedy; love You Are Stardust and cruelty. Readers experience these contrasts visually through written by Elin Kelsey the bright gold of Willie’s hair against the oppressive black of the illustrated by Soyeon Kim coal mine. Later aft er a mine “bump” (cave-in), heroic Willie lies Owlkids Books, 2012 abed unconscious with dark bruises on his face, while a fi re-warm 978-1-926973-35-7 (hc) $18.95 orange cat snuggles at his feet. Perhaps only a Bluenose, such as 978-1-926973-47-0 (ebook) $12.95 Smith, could have so tenderly rendered the loving faces of Wil- for Kindergarten to Adult lie’s family presenting his birthday dinner — “a huge codfi sh head stuff ed with oats and mashed cod livers — Willie’s favourite meal.” Picture Book | Science | Environment | Ecology Th is is an exceptional book that should be on awards lists. You Are Stardustt is a brief journey through time that takes the lian goodall is the author of a book about Nova Scotian contralto, Portia White – reader from the beginning of the physical universe to our present Singing Towards the Future: The Story of Portia White. day world, while exploring the many connections among the living and non-living entities on earth. Elin Kelsey’s simple, powerful text presents an impressive combination of demonstrable facts When I Get Older: (for example, “New cells line your stomach every three days.”) and The Story behind “Wavin’ Flag” refl ective concepts (for example, “Like you, the earth breathes.”) written by K’naan and Sol Guy At its core, this book deft ly communicates how everything in our illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez world is connected. Tundra Books, 2012 Soyeon Kim’s three-dimensional artwork is a revelation. 978-1-77049-302-5 (hc) $19.99 Her dioramas, constructed on large wooden frames with paper 978-1-77049-303-2 (ebook) $10.99 elements hung on fi shing line, are skillfully executed and poetically for Grades 2 to 5 complement the book’s narrative. (A detailed look at the dioramas Non-ﬁ ction | Biography | Music | Immigrant Experience is included on the reverse of the book jacket.) A book of this type needs a strong combination of literal and abstract interpretation to Th ere is an elegant simplicity in poet/rapper/singer/songwriter support the ideas in the text. Th e resultant combination continually K’naan’s telling of his story. It is an immigrant story many, many rewards the reader with new-found details and ideas each time Canadian children will know personally, though K’naan’s specifi cs it is read. will be his own. As an educator, this picture book is what I like to call a “thinking K’naan grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia, in a loving home with book.” It is the type of multi-leveled narrative that, over time, draws his mother, siblings and beloved grandfather, who was a famous you in and prompts more questions than gives answers. For parents

28 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2012 Marilyn Baille Picture Book Award Established by Charles Baillie in the name of his wife, author Marilyn Baille, this $20,000 prize, shared between author and illustrator, honours excellence in the picture book format for children aged three to eight.

a i l l i e B P n i y c l t i u

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◆ B R O Canadian E Without You O N K N A I Children’s W A ◆ W written and illustrated by R D Book Centre Geneviève Côté Awards a i l l i e Kids Can Press B P n i y c l t 978-1-55453-620-7 (hc) $16.95 i u

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e 978-1-55453-911-6 (ebook) $9.99 The Marilyn Baille

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S Picture Book Award I L A is administered by I N ◆ F the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

For more information and for jury comments, visit www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 29 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

and teachers, it is the best kind of book to share with children of The Giant Bear: An Inuit Folktale all ages because it sparks meaningful conversation. Owlkids Books written by Jose Angutinngurniq off ers an array of parent and teacher resources to complement this illustrated by Eva Widermann book, from links to the Ontario Curriculum to videos about how Inhabit Media, 2012 the art was made (www.owlkidsbooks.com). As well, an app is now 978-1-92709-503-4 (hc) $13.95 available for this book. for Grades 3 to 5

Nancy Rawlinson is an elementary teacher in the Toronto District School Board and Picture Book | Traditional Tales | has a background in math and science. Inuit Culture | Courage Th e Giant Bear: An Inuit Folktale is an impressive short story That One Spooky Night of an Inuit hunter who outsmarts a giant polar bear. Th e colossal written by Dan Bar-el creatures, known as nanurluit, roam the Arctic and wreak havoc illustrated by David Huyck on Inuit communities. Th ey have even been known to take Inuit Kids Can Press, 2012 children from the ice, leaving hunters defenseless against the 978-1-55453-752-5 (pb) $16.95 giant’s size. for Grades 2 to 5 When a lone hunter comes across an enormous breathing hole, he must take immediate action in order to protect his nearby Graphic Novel | Halloween family. Th e danger that lurks below prompts him to use quick Th at One Spooky Nightt is a collection of tales about a Halloween and eff ective hunting skills to trap the nanurluk beneath the ice — evening fi lled with haunted happenings and creepy characters. giving the hunter enough time to reinforce his iglu and plan Th ese linked stories are vibrant in their comic book style of illustra- for attack. tion and scary in the way that thrills and delights young readers. Th is folktale is truly an astounding story of courage. Where Dan Bar-el is known for playing with traditional rhymes and many have failed, one determined Inuit hunter succeeds in eradi- stories as in his recent picture book Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have cating a giant predator. As a traditional Inuit story, the skillful You Been? and his earlier middle grade books such as Th ings are killing of the nanurluk is not meant to be an unhappy event. Th e Looking Grimm, Jill. He continues to cleverly twist classic tropes to death of any animal is not taken lightly, as it represents a means to create something witty and unexpected in Th at One Spooky Night. successfully survive in the Arctic. As depicted in Th e Giant Bearr, “Broom with a View” introduces a witch who, with her dis- meat and furs are abundantly provided for the family/community tasteful-sounding potions, ministers to the aches and complaints of in order to last through the winter. all the land’s ghouls. “Th e Fang Gang” features a cabal of vampires Neil Christopher, Inuit scholar, explains the importance of that invites four friends into its creepy mansion, as long as they indigenous storytelling in the foreword. Folktales are passed from have permission for a play date. And, when the trick-or-treating is each generation as a means to inspire and teach younger listeners. done, the “Aqua-Hero” twins meet the monster behind the “10,000 Although this folktale may be graphic for younger readers, the Tentacles Under the Tub.” message of courage and survival can easily be grasped by a more First-time children’s book illustrator David Huyck matches the mature audience. mood of these spooky stories with a palette of blacks, oranges and Jennifer Walters is a MLIS student at the University of Toronto’s iSchool and murky greens. In true graphic style, the story is developed through an intern at the CCBC. the progression of the illustrated panels and much of the nuance is carried by the visual image, a geniune collaboration between author and illustrator to narrate the silences. Island of Doom On any spooky night, readers aged 7 to 10, cuddled up under (The Hunchback Assignments IV) the covers with their fl ashlights, will fi nd Th at One Spooky Night written by Arthur Slade is the perfect book to devour. HarperCollins Canada, 2012 Based in Fergus, Ontario, Lisa Dalrymple is the author of If It’s No Trouble... 978-1-66568-360-4 (hc) $18.99 A Big Polar Bear. for Grades 6 to 9

Fiction | Steampunk | Spies In Arthur Slade’s fi nal installment of Th e Hunchback Assign- ments, we fi nd our protagonist Modo, the shapeshift ing spy for Th e Permanent Association, and his loyal friend and fellow spy, Octavia Milkweed, in Montreal, Canada, where they receive a strange encoded letter from Colette Brunet, the French spy. She has found Modo’s parents and informs him that they are in great danger. She insists that Modo depart for France immediately, as she alone cannot protect his parents. Unfortunately Modo, Octavia and Colette cannot stop Th e Clockwork Guild from kidnapping Modo’s mother and taking her to a remote island. When Octavia and Modo rejoin his boss Mr. Socrates in North America, they discover Th e

30 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Permanent Association has created an interesting group of soldiers to fi nd — like Shauzia and the indomitable Mrs. Weera. However, to bring down Th e Clockwork Guild. But no one is expecting to My Name Is Parvana certainly takes readers on a diff erent quest encounter ‘Frankenstein-like’ creatures on the island where Miss than the earlier novels. It’s a very brave book, a novel that is deeply Hakkandottir and the leader of Th e Clockwork Guild are hiding poignant, passionately powerful and utterly unforgettable. out and the battle that ensues leaves only one victor standing. Jeffrey Canton is a lecturer at York University where he teaches in the Children’s Once again, Slade has managed to enthrall his audience with Studies program. another chapter in the life of the endearing Modo and his compan- ions. With high adventure, fantastical creatures and some heart- wrenching moments between Modo and those he loves, Slade keeps Yesterday’s Dead readers turning the pages and wanting more. I, for one, am sad to written by Pat Bourke see this series end and I’m sure Slade will receive many pleas from Second Story Press, 2012 his readers to bring these characters back in yet another series. 978-1-926920-32-0 (pb) $11.95 Written for students in the junior grades and up, this fi nal book for Grades 5 to 9 in the series will certainly not disappoint fans of Th e Hunchback Assignments. Fiction | Canadian History | Child Labourers | Spanish Flu | World War I Home Front Sandra O’Brien is a former teacher with an M.Ed. in Children’s Literature. Th irteen-year-old Meredith tells her new Rosedale employer that she is 15 because she desperately needs a job to help her mother My Name Is Parvana back home. Before the brave young woman has had time to adjust written by Deborah Ellis to her new domestic duties, disaster strikes: Spanish Infl uenza Groundwood Books, 2012 sweeps through Toronto in 1918. Meredith’s superiors and some of 978-1-55498-297-4 (hc) $16.95 her employer’s family fall ill, and her employer, a doctor, is called for Grades 4 to 7 away to help with the emergency. Poor Meredith is left to cope and care for the ill as best she can, with the “help” of the same-aged Fiction | Afghanistan | Women’s and Girls’ Rights | daughter of her employer, a girl who initially treats Meredith with Taliban | Religious Freedom | Education | rude disdain. War and Conﬂ ict Around a sometimes rambly plot, author Pat Bourke has craft ed In this stunning sequel to Th e Breadwinner trilogy (Th e Bread- a fantastically detailed novel that would satisfy any young reader’s winnerr, Parvana’s Journeyy and Mud City), Ellis takes us on a desire to fi nd out about the past. Th rough Meredith, the reader harrowing journey into the topsy-turvey world of post-Taliban watches pie dough being rolled out, feels coal dust in the cellar Afghanistan where, for more than 30 years, war and confl ict have and even tastes peppermint sticks: rich, sensual details that many been the rule of the day, children’s rights are ignored and women seasoned authors somehow omit. and girls are subject to horrifi c violence in the name of religious Th e picture Bourke created helped me fi ll in the blanks about fundamentalism. But it’s also a world where the power of the what life may have been like for my own great-grandmother during written word can give one frightened, angry and inspiring teenage her time as a young domestic, when, due to poor living conditions, girl hope for the future, if she can hold on just one more day. she caught typhoid while working for a wealthy Toronto family. Fift een-year-old Parvana is being detained on an American It’s a gift from an author when a reader can experience writing that Army base aft er being found in the ruins of the school for girls helps increase one’s understanding of a time of war, a time when that she and her family built, a building that has been destroyed by very young women worked, and a time when Canadians were being American bombs. Suspected of being a terrorist, she is ruthlessly tested by an invisible and lethal invader. A teacher’s guide is avail- interrogated by her captors — starved, degraded, deprived of sleep, able online at www.secondstorypress.ca. made to stand for endless hours and mentally brutalized. But Par- lian goodall vana refuses to talk, even when the Americans discover explosives and bomb-making equipment on the school grounds. Instead, she takes refuge in her memories of Leila’s Academy of Hope, reliving The Baby Experiment how she was an integral part of creating a space where girls could written by Anne Dublin receive the education they deserve and a place where her ragtag Dundurn Press, 2012 family could be safe. As we witness her senseless interrogation, 978-1-45970-135-9 (pb) $9.99 Parvana takes us on another journey, one she shared with her 978-1-45970-137-3 (ebook) $8.99 mother and older sister Nooria, her younger sister Maryam and for Grades 6 to 10 her adopted brothers Asif and Hassan. It’s an exciting journey but not without frustrations, as Parvana, used to surviving on her Fiction | Jewish History | Courage | Medical Ethics own inside and outside refugee camps, now fi nds herself having to Anne Dublin’s novel, Th e Baby Experiment, is a compelling read. buckle down and be a normal student. Th e heroine, Johanna, and her mother live in poverty following Parvana has done a lot of growing up over the course of Ellis’s the plague deaths of all other family members. Life is harsh in novels, as have her readers, and My Name Is Parvana won’t disap- eighteenth-century Hamburg and Johanna chooses to hide her point. Ellis has woven in memorable bits and pieces from the earlier ethnicity and apply to work outside the Jewish sector. Hired to books into this story, as well as characters that readers will expect care for orphaned babies, she learns, to her horror, that there is

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 31 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

an experiment being conducted and babies are dying. Readers are Freedom Bound shocked to discover the disregard for human life portrayed in the written by Jean Rae Baxter name of science. Ronsdale Press, 2012 Determined to save the baby in her care, Johanna plans to leave 978-1-55380-143-6 (pb) $11.95 her mother and escape to Holland where she can live as a free 978-1-55380-153-5 (ebook) $11.95 citizen. Her plan undergoes a major change when another employee for Grades 7 and up confesses she too can no longer remain at the orphanage and begs Fiction | American Revolution | Courage to join them. Th e hardships they encounter test both their beliefs and friendship. Finding the strength to overcome diffi cult odds In Jean Rae Baxter’s historical novel Freedom Bound, 18-year-old endears Dublin’s characters to the reader and her powerful Loyalist Charlotte Schyler outwits bounty hunters, evades alliga- dialogues expose many racial prejudices of the time. tors, and helps escaped slaves during the fi nal days of the American Not for the faint of heart, Dublin’s work is a realistic portrayal Revolution. Th is concludes Baxter’s trilogy that started with Th e of a dark time for Jews in European society and the tale of a strong Way Lies North (2007) and continued with Broken Traill (2011). and courageous teen. Some subject matter makes this a Aft er arriving from Canada to join her new husband, Nick, in YA designation. Charleston, South Carolina, Charlotte discovers that Nick has

Ellen Donogh been sent on a mission by the British military and so she is forced to move in with a young, widowed Quaker woman and her three children in the working-class area of Charleston. Her stay turns All These Lives into more than just helping the woman deliver laundry to the upper written by Sarah Wylie class when she becomes involved with helping runaway slaves Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2012 Phoebe and Jammy, and has to disguise herself as a boy to rescue 978-0-37430-208-5 (hc) $19.95 the kidnapped Nick while dodging hungry alligators and ruthless for Grades 7 and up bounty hunters. Th rough Charlotte, Baxter cleverly incorporates details revealing Fiction / Grief / Illness / Siblings how diff erent life was for women, depending on their class and skin Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. Th roughout colour, and for enslaved people during this period in American her life, she’s walked away from situations where she should have history. Baxter doesn’t shy away from life’s grimness or cruelty died, but her fraternal twin, Jena, isn’t as lucky. She has cancer and when describing the whipping of an escaped slave or how Phoebe may not survive. Dani sets out to rid herself of all of her extra lives, became pregnant, but she also shows that girls can have adventures, hoping that if they are put out into the universe, one of them will demonstrate bravery and ingenuity, while also expressing empathy, settle on Jena. But when Dani fi nds herself at the breaking point, tolerance, and perseverance. Baxter’s storytelling is energized by she’s faced with a startling reality: maybe the only life she ever the constant unexpected turns of events and by a protagonist who had is the one she is living. uses her wit and ingenuity to fi nd solutions in life-threatening Wylie’s debut novel sensitively explores how a family copes situations, resulting in a fast-moving, but realistic, page-turner with a serious illness. For Dani, losing Jena would not just be losing appropriate for ages 12 to 16. a sister; it would be losing part of herself. Dani doesn’t know how Karri Yano is an editor and writer in Toronto. to exist without her twin and, moreover, she doesn’t know if she can. Dani’s parents off er little support, and are alternately lost in their grief and in pretending that everything is normal. I, Witness Dani’s voice is candid and realistic; readers will easily under- written by Norah McClintock stand her anger and her helplessness. She lashes out and she illustrated by Mike Deas distances herself from everybody (including her sister), but she also Orca Book Publishers, 2012 has a good heart and tries to be a good daughter. Each section of 978-1-5546-9789-2 (pb) $16.95 the novel represents one of Dani’s lives and, as the novel progresses, for Grades 7 and up Dani’s behaviour becomes more desperate and reckless. Graphic Novel | Crime | Consequences Th is is a beautifully written and powerful novel and, while there is no happily ever aft er, the author does end on a hopeful note You’re trolling through dumpsters in dead-end alleys with your that will leave readers wondering about the fates of both girls long best high school buddy, Robbie, but all you’re fi nding is junk. You aft er reading. turn to your buddy — and he’s watching something happening in

Rachel Seigel is Selection Manager at S&B Books — a division of Whitehots. a window that looks onto the alley: a murder. You both hightail it out of there as fast as you can. You decide not to tell the cops; it might be gang-related, you don’t want to be a snitches and you’re pretty sure they didn’t see the two of you. But you’re wrong. Th ey kill Robbie in a drive-by shooting and then another high school pal, Andre, gets gunned down too. Now you don’t know what to do. You have this terrible secret but can’t tell the cops, can’t tell your dad, can’t tell Andre’s family — though they’re sure you know something. You’re a witness but if you say anything, you’re going to be next.

32 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA POWER PLAY ERIC WALTERS

Bestselling author Eric Walters brings us a powerfulpowerful anandd poignant cautionary taletale aboutabout thethe disturbingdisturbing rerelationshiplationship bbetweenetween a tatalentedlented young hhockeyockey star anandd hhisis prepredatorydatory coaccoachh as it ddescendsescends into sexuasexuall aabuse.buse.

UUnforgettablynforgettably moving and provocative, this is one ooff Walters’Walters’ bestbest novelsnovels to date.date.

97897787 -1-1-443444 40-40 761611-88 • $14.4 999 OriOr ginnala TPBTPBB • JaJanuarry 201301 • Ages 12++

HarperCollinsCanadaHarperCollinsCanada HarperCollinsCaHarperCollinsCa harpercollins.caharpercollinns.ca

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2012 Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy Established in 2011 with the ﬁ rst award being presented in 2012, this award honours excellence in the science ﬁ ction and fantasy genre. The $5,000 prize, awarded annualy to a Canadian author, is sponsored by HarperCollins Canada, in memory of the late Monica Hughes.

Canadian h Children’s ic a u g n h o e WhatW Happened to Serenity? Book Centre s m Winner writtenw by PJ Sarah Collins Awards RedR Deer Press A W A R D 978-0-88995-453-3 (pb) $12.95 The Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy is administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

For more information and for jury comments, visit www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 33 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

Norah McClintock has the reader hooked from the opening emotions and confronting obstacles head-on. While her processing pages of her fi rst graphic novel, I, Witness. As 17-year-old David of events and situations may be diff erent from the norm, her search Boone gets more and more tangled up in the thread of lies he keeps for independence and her desire to be responsible for herself is what spinning in order not to reveal what he witnessed, he also fi nds all young people strive for. Perhaps the main diff erence lies in her himself becoming more and more isolated. McClintock makes ability to succinctly defi ne her goals and the clarity with which readers see the way this secret is eating Boone up, throwing him off she is able to articulate her journey. Readers of all ages will enjoy course at school and putting up walls between him and his friends accompanying Taylor as she — and her white bicycle — navigate because, for them, he’s become a living jinx. She is relentless in the ever-twisting path to adulthood. forcing Boone deeper and deeper into the web he’s created, making Lisa Doucet is Co-Manager of Woozles, the Halifax bookstore. readers see that his only choice is to tell the truth. But Boone can’t. McClintock’s storyline is compellingly illustrated by Mike Deas’s exceptionally rendered drawings. His strong simple black- Under the Moon and-white images have the feel of quick on-the-spot sketches with written by Deborah Kerbel the occasional use of red to highlight the violence that is slowly Dancing Cat Books, 2012 engulfi ng Boone’s world. Deas’s drawings not only give us a real 978-1-77086-090-2 (pb) $14.95 sense of Boone and the terrible dilemma he faces, but help create for Grades 7 and up the raw tension that is at the very heart of McClintock’s story. He makes readers feel that sense of Boone’s being out-of-control Fiction | Death | Friendship | Family | Sleep Deprivation and pushes us, as McClintock’s story does, towards a surprising Eighteen days. Th at is the longest any human has but very satisfying ending. It’s far-and-above the work he’s done managed to go without sleep. But 15-year-old Lily is shaping up for Orca’s Graphic Guide Adventure series and Dalen and Gole. to break that record. She hasn’t slept a wink since the death of her McClintock and Deas make reading I, Witness a truly mesmerizing vibrant Aunt Su — a kindred spirit, and the only one who really and deeply rewarding graphic experience. seemed to get Lily. Now she has only the moon for company in her Jeffrey Canton nocturnal wanderings — that is, until a yearning to hear another human voice brings her to a fateful encounter at a drive-through window with a mysterious (and undeniably handsome) new The White Bicycle transfer student. written by Beverley Brenna It’s a classic setup, lent a quirky charm by Lily’s lively narration Red Deer Press, 2012 — a pleasing blend of realistically-rendered teenage emotion and 978-0-88995-483-0 (pb) $12.95 writerly inclinations. Nothing is quite what it seems in this book; for Grades 8 and up Lily’s introversion is perceived as standoffi shness by her classmates, and only we are privy to the richness of her inner life. Prospective Fiction | Independence | Disabilities love interest Ben seems rude, even hostile — but that attitude is Nineteen-year-old Taylor Jane Simon has very hiding a deeper sense of loss and anxiety. Even Lily’s domineering specifi c goals for her summer. She is spending the season in France mother “General MacArthur” conceals surprising motivations working as a personal care assistant, an accomplishment that she beneath her fl inty exterior. hopes to put on her resume. Th is will help with one of her life goals, Everyone longs to be understood by others, and it is this deep which is to fi nd a full-time job — so that she can someday be inde- loneliness, rather than the simple absence of companionship, that pendent of her mother — despite the fact that she has Asperger’s truly drives our heroine in this 2012 Governor General’s Literary Syndrome. But her mother has come to France too and Taylor Award nominee. Th e process of discovering these hidden depths is resents her eff orts to dictate her activities. also Lily’s adventure in making meaningful contact with the people Taylor is also keeping a journal in which she recalls her child- around her, and it is this central thread that really makes the story hood experiences — to see if it is true that understanding her past shine. Th e result is a gently touching, oft en funny story may help her to deal eff ectively with her present and future. As of grief, anxiety and loneliness — and of the surprise and pleasure these months unfold, Taylor is fi nally able to reassure herself that of those rare points of contact that drive that loneliness away. a) she will not allow herself to be controlled by her fears and b) Lynette Terrill is a librarian and freelance writer. that she has developed strategies to cope with things that upset her and to make wise choices for herself. She also fi nally fi nds the words to explain to her mother her need to be free to make her Enemy Territory own decisions. written by Sharon McKay Like her previous two books, Brenna’s latest novel off ers a keen Annick Press, 2012 and revelatory glimpse into the inner workings of Taylor’s carefully 978-1-55451-431-1 (hc) $21.95 ordered mind. Told entirely from her perspective, the book aff ords 978-1-55451-430-4 (pb) $12.95 readers the opportunity to see how seemingly ordinary experiences for Grades 7 and up can be perceived completely diff erently by someone like Taylor, who interprets the world in a much more literal fashion. Fiction | Friendship | Adventure | War | Middle East In spite of her condition, or more accurately, because of her con- Sam and Yusuf are teens in modern-day Israel, patients at Hadassah dition, Taylor is able to develop admirable ways of coping with her Hospital — a facility that promotes peace, equality and reconcilia-

34 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA tion by treating both Israeli and Palestinian youth. Due to a freak what it takes to be a Samurai), but they are also capable and able accident, Yusuf has lost one eye and has an infection in the other; to fend for themselves. It is also a refreshing change to see three aft er being injured in a suicide bombing, Sam may lose one leg. women who genuinely get along and respect and care for each Th e boys have grown up on opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian other. Strangers at the start of the novel, they quickly discover confl ict, and now fi nd themselves grudging roommates. Aft er a that they work best by combining their strengths and working as spur-of-the-moment escape from the hospital, they also become a team, and the dynamic works perfectly for the story. grudging allies in an outside world fraught with dangers. Th e writing is sharp, witty, and seamlessly alternates between the Sam leaves the hospital, limping on crutches, with Yusuf in tow. three main characters’ points of view. Set in an alternative London, Yusuf has already experienced Sam’s prejudices and defi nitely has the book perfectly captures the contrasting nature of the metropolis his own. He also has no travel papers and is terrifi ed of the implica- — thriving, bustling city by day, and a grimy, dimly lit, dangerous tions of being caught, but desperately wants to experience the Arab place at night. A perfect mix of romance, humour and action, this Quarter of the Old City — a privilege hitherto withheld from him highly entertaining novel will keep teens reading late into the night. because of travel restrictions placed on Palestinians. Rachel Seigel Th e boys face many scary risks and dangers, several of them life-threatening. However, stresses and tension come not only from outside threats. Sam and Yusuf also struggle between themselves, Pirate Cinema wrestling with the anger they feel about the Palestinian-Israeli written by Cory Doctorow confl ict and the stereotypes and ignorance they’ve been exposed Tor Teen, 2012 to. Yusuf and Sam make the journey from peril to safety, but most 978-0-76532-908-0 (hc) $21.99 of all, they go from deep suspicion to solid friendship in a very for Grades 9 and up realistic process. It is important to note that Yusuf has only one eye, and Sam thinks of his injured leg as “bad,” but it is their impair- Fiction | Speculative Fiction | Internet | Creativity and ments that teach them to lean — literally — on each other, and to Intellectual Property work through their mistrust. Trent McCauley is 16, brilliant, and obsessed with making movies Full of grit and bursts of well-placed humour, Enemy Territory on his computer by reassembling footage he downloads from the is a characteristically bold, thought-provoking, important novel net. In near future Britain, where Trent is growing up, this is more from an author and Canadian war artist unafraid to use controver- illegal than ever. Th e punishment for being caught three times is sial issues as a platform to educate and enlighten. McKay’s artistic that your entire household is cut off from the Internet for a year — canvas here is an unlikely friendship used to show the real grass- with no appeal. When Trent’s family gets cut off , it nearly destroys roots work it will take to resolve the confl ict in the Middle East them. Shamed and shattered, he runs away to London, where he — one hard-won bond and one honest dialogue at a time. Enemy connects with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying Territory is another of McKay’s engrossing, superbly researched to fi ght the bill that will criminalize digital copying. Th ings look must-reads for mature teens. bad, but the powers that be didn’t count on the power of a movie to Christina Minaki is working on her second novel. change people’s minds… In Cory Doctorow’s third novel for teens, he deft ly explores the hot-button topic of Internet piracy and copyright, and how much The Friday Society power the government should and does have to limit creativity. written by Adrienne Kress In Doctorow’s Britain, the Internet is more essential than ever. Dial Books/Penguin Canada, 2012 Everything from school to medical to business is Internet based, 978-0-80373-761-7 (hc ) $18.00 and functioning without it is virtually impossible. Trent, a typical for Grades 7 and up tech-savvy teenager, knows that the penalties are stiff , but like most teens, he thinks he’s too smart to get caught. But he does Fiction | Steampunk | Mystery and the eff ects are devastating. Is what he’s doing wrong? While Cora, Nellie and Michiko are three extremely downloading has, technically, been made illegal by the government, talented young women, assistants to powerful men in Edwardian Trent is creating something original out of pre-existing content, London. When a chance meeting at a ball ends with the discovery and the question of whether or not art should be proprietary makes of a murdered mystery man, it’s up to these three to solve the up the central theme of the novel. murder, and the crimes they believe may be connected to it, without Doctorow is an excellent ideas man, and his viewpoint is made calling too much attention to their bosses — or to themselves! extremely clear both in and outside of his writing. Unfortunately, Th is debut steampunk young adult novel from Adrienne Kress at times the message verges on preachy, and it makes it diffi cult to literally begins with a bang, and continues on at an explosive pace. ever be fully drawn into the story. Th e narrative also gets bogged In Cora, Nellie and Michiko, readers will discover three very down by the technical, and though Doctorow’s expertise is evident, diff erent, but extremely well-craft ed characters. Cora, an amateur that level of detail detracts from the reader’s enjoyment. inventor, is a personal assistant to a Member of Parliament and Th ose problems aside, there is a lot right with the novel. Th e set- scientist. Nellie is an assistant to a world-renowned magician, and ting is well-detailed, the characters are richly drawn and likeable, Michiko is a Samurai in training. All three girls work for important and the computer-savvy, socially conscious teens to whom Doc- men, yet each is intelligent, ambitious and has unique strengths. torow’s works appeal, will enjoy the teens vs. the corporation motif. Th ese girls are not sniveling passive heroines. Th ey are at times Rachel Seigel self-doubting (particularly Michiko, who wonders if she really has

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 35 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

(You) Set Me on Fire it becomes harder and harder to keep her vow. written by Mariko Tamaki Heartbreakingly, exquisitely beautiful from the very fi rst page, Razorbill Canada, 2012 Martine Leavitt’s latest gem brings readers into the darkness of 978-0-14-318093-7 (pb) $16.00 Angel’s world, fi lled with violence, drugs, cruelty and fear. And for Grades 9 and up yet, in poetry that is spare and taut and true, Leavitt also depicts the friendship, the small kindnesses and the moments of light in Fiction | Relationships | Independence | Self-Discovery the midst of the darkness, the hope — fragile and tender but hope Allison Lee is relieved to be leaving the horrors nonetheless. Angel’s story, interwoven as it is with elements of the of high school behind as she heads off to St. Joseph’s College, far true story of the Robert Picton murders, provides a crystal-clear away from her home town and from all of the unhappiness that she glimpse into the horrors endured by countless young women associates with it. Settling into her new residence, she realizes that who fi nd themselves trapped in the vicious nightmare of life on this is a chance to start over and become someone new, to leave the streets. It is a poignant testament to their bravery, a powerful behind the girl who never had any friends and whose heart was so reminder of their dignity and humanity, and a stunningly beautiful recently broken. Th en Shar takes her under her wing, off ering her acknowledgement of the Angels in our midst. friendship and possibly something more. Allison allows herself to Lisa Doucet become all but consumed by the promises of this new relationship, although she recognizes that Shar can be cruel, manipulative and dangerously unpredictable. But during this time of transition and What Happened to Ivy of growth and self-discovery, Allison also eventually learns that her written by Kathy Stinson scars (both emotional and physical) don’t have to defi ne her and Second Story Press, 2012 that it is never too late to make yet another fresh start. 978-1-926920-81-8 (pb) $11.95 Mariko Tamaki, author of the highly acclaimed graphic novel for Grades 7 to 10 Skim, once again has created a character who is vulnerable and self-deprecating and yet entirely relatable. Allison’s fi rst-person Fiction | Family | Tragedy | Guilt narration succinctly captures the drama and drudgery of everyday Ivy Burke’s life is not easy. Severely disabled because of cerebral life as she and her peers confront the challenges that this new palsy, her life is very diff erent from that of most 11 year olds. But period in their lives aff ords them. It also enables readers to empa- being her older brother has its own challenges. Although David thize with Allison’s own unique struggles and inner turmoil as she loves Ivy and shares a special bond with her, he also resents so wrestles with her feelings for Shar. many things about her: the way she embarrasses him whenever Th is book is an artful depiction of freshman year, so full of they are in public together; how most of his friends no longer want promise and possibilities, and a compelling snapshot of one girl’s to come to his house because of her; the fact that their parents only tumultuous journey through it all. Witty, realistic and wonderful, ever seem to have time for Ivy and her needs, leaving him feeling it is a beautifully told story that leaves readers hoping — and all but invisible to them. So his feelings for Ivy are complicated. believing — that the best is yet to come for Allison. But when she drowns in the lake at their cottage he is absolutely Lisa Doucet devastated. He struggles to deal with his grief and remorse for things that he did to her in anger, things that he now wishes he could take back. But when rumours begin to circulate that his My Book of Life by Angel father may have been part of her drowning, his grief turns to rage. written by Martine Leavitt Could his father really have just let Ivy die? Could there be Groundwood Books,2012 anything, any reason at all, that would make that forgiveable? 978-0-1-55498-117-5 (pb) $14.95 Th is book tackles a very heavy subject with sensitivity and for Grades 9 and up compassion for all those involved. Stinson masterfully depicts the stress that Ivy’s condition puts on the entire family and their Fiction | Prostitution | Drugs | Friendship | relationships, as well as the reality of David’s situation. His mixed Downtown Eastside Vancouver feelings are not only deft ly conveyed but also utterly believable Th e day that Serena disappears is the day that Angel gets a note- (despite the fact that he did seem younger than his 15 years). Th e book and starts to tell her story. Her story began with her mother’s tension is palpable from the fi rst page, and the author manages to death, and with Angel stealing one shoe at the mall. And another provide many diff erent perspectives ranging from David’s feel- shoe. And another single shoe, until Call found her. ings of fury and betrayal to his friend Hannah’s admiration of his Now she is Call’s girl in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Night father’s gentle, patient, boundless love for Ivy to his father’s anguish aft er night she has to go to her corner “at the gate of ten thousand and the agony of experiencing Ivy’s suff ering fi rsthand, knowing happinesses.” Call’s “candy” makes it slightly more bearable for that more painful surgeries were the realities of her foreseeable her to go on her “dates” and get the job done, but Angel makes a future. A thoughtful book that resists providing any clear answers vow to stop taking his candy, now and forever. Th en Call brings to the questions it raises, it gives readers much to think about. home Melli, a silent, scared little girl. Melli is only 11 and Angel Lisa Doucet is desperate to protect her. But with women disappearing off the streets, and rumours of a dangerous Mr. P. somewhere out there, and Call insisting that she make double if she won’t let Melli work,

36 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Doon’t have the time to look for recently puublished books by Canadian authors, illustrators and/or publishers for your school library? Save time!time!Save

• preview and order from CanLit books are: current online book lists • reviewed by educators • order the whole list or • sourced from a variety of individual book titles publishers • receive free teacher notes • content and age appropriate and MARC records for grades k-12 • receive discounts up to 25%225%

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2012 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction Established by the Fleck Family Foundation, this $10,000 prize Canadian recoginizes exceptional non-ﬁ ction books for young people. The award Children’s honours Norma Fleck (1906-1998) who inspired a deep love of reading Book Centre Awards in her children.

Loon writtenw by Susan Vande Griek illustrated by Karen Reczuch Groundwood Books The Norma 978-1-55498-077-2 (hc) $18.95 Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction is administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

For more information and for jury comments, visit www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 37 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

Beyond: A Ghost Story Dinosaur Dance — the latter winning the Blue Spruce Award in written by Graham McNamee 2006. His experience in appealing to young children’s sense of play Random House of Canada, 2012 is apparent in his poems, which will encourage a sense of fun with 978-0-38573-775-3 (hc) $18.95 language while introducing concepts such as rhythm and rhyme. for Grades 9 and up Th e poetic text is complemented by the happy, childlike illustrations of Lori Joy Smith whose artwork has appeared in publica- Fiction | Supernatural | Ghosts tions such as Chirp, Today’s Parentt and American Girl. Smith has Jane was a perfectly normal kid until her shadow took control of chosen a warm, earthy palette which gives the book an inviting feel. her life, and forced her to start doing horrifi c things to herself. Now Children and small animals populate the pages, gleefully munching 17, her shadow has struck again, causing a near fatal accident that lunch, swinging in the park or splashing in the tub. nobody seems to believe wasn’t deliberate. Luckily, she has Lexi, For parents and educators alike, Noisy Poems for a Busy Dayy is her best friend, for support. Determined to fi gure out why these worth having on the bookshelf. At home, the lively illustrations and terrifying things are happening and to put a stop to them, Jane and imaginative wordplay are sure to engage young children at story Lexi’s sleuthing connects her own horrors to the secret history of time. Older siblings or beginning readers may also want to get into a serial killer. the read-aloud action — who can resist reading “bummy-wiggle,” Master of suspense Graham McNamee off ers readers a creepy “gurpy-slurpy” or “sloppy-slurp” out loud! In the classroom, ghost story that will keep readers guessing until the last page. this picture book will inspire art projects, dramatizations and, Jane is a unique and well-developed character. Called a miracle of course, poetry writing! baby because she wasn’t breathing at birth, Jane has accepted the Tracey Schindler is a teacher who currently works at the Ajax Public Library. numerous near-fatal accidents that have befallen her, but is no less terrifi ed by them. Her most recent incident nearly killed her, and she’s terrifi ed of what her shadow will do next. Nightmares have And the Crowd Goes Wild! become daymares, and she also has a tendency to sleepwalk, which A Global Gathering of Sports Poems has resulted in her parents putting a GPS on her to alert them if she edited by Carol-Ann Hoyte and Heidi Bee Roemer tries to leave the house. Jane’s numerous near-death experiences illustrated by Kevin Sylvester cause the kids at school to stare, gossip, or just ignore her, but for Friesen Press, 2012 the most part, Jane just runs with it. In fact, she’s so used to her 978-1-77097-953-6 (pb) $20.99 gruesome reputation that she and Lexi call themselves the 978-1-77097-954-3 (ebook) $3.99 “creep sisters”. for Grades 3 to 8 Lexi is equally as interesting and well-drawn. She knows the truth about Jane’s shadow and, amazingly, believes her. Lexi also Non-ﬁ ction | Poetry | Sports |Language Arts has creepy moments of her own, which makes her perfectly suited Sport is a universal language for kids, crossing boundaries of to Jane, and creates a natural and realistic friendship. nationality, gender and ability. Whether in the schoolyard, orga- Th e chapters are short and crisp, and the story is fast-paced and nized clubs, or as a fan watching a favourite team, kids can connect fl ows well. Flashbacks to Jane’s various accidents help to fl esh out with sport. And the Crowd Goes Wild!, winner of a 2012 Moon- the plot and, while there is a developing love interest, it’s secondary beam Children’s Book Award, is a unique and inspired anthology to the ghost story, and serves mostly to show Jane what she can’t of poems celebrating sport from soccer to skiing, from the World have as long as she is being haunted. Series to the Paralympics. Hoyte and Roemer have compiled this Tense and terrifying, Beyondd is a suspenseful and chilling read delightful collection of 50 sports poems from predominantly that will appeal to any teen who enjoys the kind of book that makes Canadian and American poets, but also including pieces from the you afraid of the dark. British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and Liberia. Rachel Siegel Th e poems cover a wide gamut of sport from conventional (volleyball and football) to the unexpected (checkers and dog-sledding). Th ey are written from the perspective of winners and losers, Noisy Poems for a Busy Day spectators and players, even the equipment (the puck and curling written by Robert Heidbreder stone). Th e poems are funny and poignant, wondrous and silly. Th e illustrated by Lori Joy Smith appealing pen-and-ink illustrations by Kevin Sylvester, author of Kids Can Press, 2012 the popular Neil Flambé series, add an energy and exuberance that 978-1-55453-706-8 (hc) $18.95 will be hard for any reader to resist. for Preschool to Grade 1 Th is book would be an invaluable classroom resource for poetry writing, dramatizations, choral readings and oral presentations. Non-ﬁ ction | Poetry | Daily Routines | Sounds Included is a very helpful list of Poetry Forms and Poetry Devices Scrunchy munch-up, sniggle-giggle, squishy-squash. Noisy Poems which lists the 20 poetic styles in the book and the poems which for a Busy Dayy captures both the simple pleasures and spirited employ them. Th ere is a terrifi c variety of poetry styles and forms, adventures of a young child’s day from waking to bedtime with from traditional verse to Acrostic and Cleave poems. And the pint-sized poems and joyful illustrations. Crowd Goes Wild!! is a true celebration of poetry and sport which A primary teacher for 30 years who won the Prime Minister’s will engage readers and spark their creativity.

Award for Teaching Excellence, Heidbreder has written numerous Tracey Schindler picture books — Lickety-Split, I Wished for a Unicorn, Drumheller

38 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport Drop in written by Deborah Hodges Tundra Books, 2012 978-1-77049-256-1 (hc) $19.99 for a look for Grades 5 and up Non-ﬁ ction | World War II | Holocaust | Kindertransport CCBC Collections Across the Country On December 1, 1938, almost 200 German children whose Drop in for a look at the titles in the Centre’s library orphanage had been burned down on Kristallnachtt left Berlin as collections at the national ofﬁ ce in Toronto or at one of part of a remarkable rescue operation. In the next nine months (the the four regional locations. Phone ahead for hours last transport left Germany on September 1, 1939), nearly 10,000 and availability. Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk in Poland) left their homes and families through the work of the Movement for the Care of In Toronto Children in Germany and found refuge and safety from Hitler’s Canadian Children’s Book Centre Nazi Germany in Britain. In her new book, Deborah Hodge pieces 40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 217 together some of the remarkable tales told by the children who Toronto ON M4R 1B9 lived because they escaped from the Nazis. 416 975-0010 x222 What is most striking about Hodge’s book is how she weaves Contact: Meghan Howe what the children themselves relate into her narrative. In their own [email protected] words, they off er readers insight into the trauma of leaving their families and friends behind, journeying to a place where they In Vancouver didn’t speak the language and felt foreign and alone, unsure what Education Library was happening back home or whether they’d ever see their parents University of British Columbia or siblings again. Beginning with chapters on Hitler’s attack on Faculty of Education (Scarfe Building) European Jewry through the 1930s to Kristallnachtt in October 2125 Main Mall 1938, the book focuses primarily on eight German children, boys Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 and girls between ages 9 to 14, from a range of backgrounds. As 604 822-0940 well, Canadian author Irene N. Watts, who was herself one of the Contact: Christopher Ball Kinder, has written a moving foreword. Hodge provides informa- [email protected] tion on the Jewish, Quaker and Christian groups responsible for rescuing the children and some of the most important women and In Edmonton men in Germany, England and Holland who helped to organize Herbert T. Coutts Education Library this enormous eff ort. Education South Th e text is accompanied by excellent archival photographs, as University of Alberta well as images from memory quilts created by the Kinder and the Edmonton AB T6G 2G5 paintings of Hans Jackson. And Hodge doesn’t just leave the Kinder 780 942-1429 in Britain at the beginning of the Second World War, but follows Contact: Dr. Merrill Distad them not only through to the end of the war but on to their lives [email protected] today. She has also included a list of books for children and adults, DVDs and websites for further research. One very small quibble is In Winnipeg that Hodge doesn’t provide readers with the names of some of the Elizabeth Dafoe Library truly remarkable men and women who were among the Kinder, University of Manitoba people like Nobel Prize laureates Walter Kohn and Arno Penzias, 25 Chancellors Circle Canadian journalist Joe Schlesinger, contemporary artists Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2 like Frank Auerback and Eva Hesse or television personalities 204 474-9977 like Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Contact: Donna Masson Jeffrey Canton [email protected] In Halifax Mount Saint Vincent University Library 166 Bedford Highway Halifax NS B3M 2J6 902 457-6108 Contact: Terrence Paris [email protected]

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2013 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 39 REVIEWS IN THIS ISSUE s hs h t fit fi ffi ffi f i Gri Gr G G n an a ean ea e Dean De D from Lumpito and the Painter from Spain, page 26

Old MacDonald Had Her Farm 22 26 JonArno Lawson, Tina Holdcroft THE CLASSROOM BOOKSHELF WE RECOMMEND Pirate Cinema Lighting Our World: A Year of Celebrations A Good Trade Cory Doctorow Catherine Rondina, Jacqui Oakley Alma Fullerton, Karen Patkau Pit Pony: The Picture Book Mimi’s Village: And How Basic Health Care All These Lives Joyce Barkhouse, Janet Barkhouse, Sydney Smith Transformed It Sarah Wylie Rescuing the Children: The Story of Katie Smith Milway, Eugenie Fernandes And the Crowd Goes Wild! the Kindertransport Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City A Global Gathering of Sports Poems Deborah Hodges Hadley Dyer Carol-Ann Hoyte (ed.), Heidi Bee Roemer (ed.), That One Spooky Night Kevin Sylvester What’s for Lunch? How Schoolchildren Dan Bar-el, David Huyck Eat Around the World The Baby Experiment Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Show Andrea Curtis, Yvonne Duivenvoorden Anne Dublin Wallace Edwards Beyond: A Ghost Story Under the Moon 24 Graham McNamee Deborah Kerbel BOOK BITS Big City Bees What Happened to Ivy Maggie de Vries, Renné Benoit Kathy Stinson Baby Play Enemy Territory When I Get Older: The Story Behind Carol McDougall, Shanda LaRamee-Jones, Sharon McKay “Wavin’ Flag” Blue Vine Photography Freedom Bound K’naan, Sol Guy, Rudy Gutierrez Checkers and Dot Jean Rae Baxter The White Bicycle J. Torres, J. Lum The Friday Society Beverley Brenna Checkers and Dot at the Zoo Adrienne Kress Yesterday’s Dead J. Torres, J. Lum The Giant Bear: An Inuit Folktale Pat Bourke Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hug Jose Angutinngurniq, Eva Widermann You Are Stardust Susan Musgrave, Masterﬁ le, Elin Kelsey, Soyeon Kim Getty Images I, Witness Norah McClintock, Mike Deas (You) Set Me on Fire My First Hockey Book Mariko Tamaki Ian Crysler Island of Doom (The Hunchback Assignments IV) Arthur Slade Lumpito and the Painter from Spain Monica Kulling, Dean Grifﬁ ths My Book of Life by Angel Reviews from Martine Leavitt Canadian Children’s Book News My Name Is Parvana are indexed in the Children’s Literature Deborah Ellis Comprehensive Database, Gale Online Noisy Poems for a Busy Day Databases and EBSCO Publishing. Robert Heidbreder, Lori Joy Smith Visit www.bookcentre.ca

40 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS WINTER 2013 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA &DQDGLDQPDJD]LQHVDUHGLYHUVHGLYHUVH ,QPRUHZD\VWKDQ\RXWKLQN7KDW¶VZK\ZHSXEOLVKKXQGUHGVRIWLWOHVVR\RXNQRZWKHUH¶VRQHMXVW IRU\RX$OO\RXKDYHWRGRLVKHDGWRWKHQHZVVWDQGVORRNIRUWKH*HQXLQH&DQDGLDQ0DJD]LQHLFRQ PDUNLQ JWUXO\&DQDGLDQSXEOLFDWLRQVDQGVWDUWUHDGLQJ,W¶VWKDWHDV\ 9LV LW PDJD]LQHVFDQDGDFDQVDQGWGWÀGGQHZVVWDQGVWRÀQG\RXUQHZ ILWLIDYRXULWHPDJD]LQH The Canadian Children’s Book Centre Suite 217, 40 Orchard View Blvd. Toronto, Ontario M4R 1B9