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$4.95 FALL 2016 VOL. 39 NO. 3 RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS NO N-FICTION It’s All About The Facts Jan Thornhill on the Pleasures of Researching Non-Fiction For Kids Reviews of over 35 books by Jennifer Lanthier, Andrew Larsen, Kit Pearson, Kenneth Oppel and more PRINTING OF THIS ISSUE DONATED BY FRIESENS Reading, naturally. Ronsdale friesens.com 1.866.324.6401 CONTENTS THIS ISSUE booknews Fall 2016 Volume 39 No.3 Joel Sutherland takes a selfie with a giant lobster on his visit to New Brunswick for the Hackmatack Award celebrations this spring. Editor Sandra O’Brien Copy Editor and Proofreader Mary Roycroft Ranni Joel’s book, Haunted Canada 5, won the Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award, Design Perna Siegrist Design part of Ontario’s Forest of Reading Program. Advertising Michael Wile 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. Fall 2016 (October 2016) 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 Sandra O’Brien c/o the above address. For advertising information, contact: Michael Wile at [email protected] or 416.531.1483 4 20 Opinion: Sloths, Moths and Vulture Pee Bookmark! Non-Fiction books Jan Thornhill discusses the pleasures of A selection of non-fiction books for students researching non-fiction books for kids. from Kindergarten to Grade 12. 6 22 News Roundup The Classroom Bookshelf New award created in honour of Joan Betty Tracey Schindler reviews three new books Stuchner; Shar Levine named to Order of about children who have had to fight for the Canada; 20 more books to receive Reading right to an education. COVER: Illustration from Elliot, written by Lights plaques in Vancouver; William Bell Julie Pearson, illustrated by Manon Gauthier and (1945-2016); TD Canadian Children’s Book 24 translated by Erin Woods. Originally published Book Bits: Non-Fiction in French by Éditions Les 400 coups © 2014. Week 2017: Apply for a Reading; TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2017: The Tour Roster. Non-fiction books — opening the minds Published in English by Pajama Press © 2016. and challenging the thoughts of young people Used with permission. For more information, visit www.editions400coups.com or 8 today. www.pajamapress.com. Keep Your Eye On... Kira Vermond 26 MEDIUM: Paper Collage. 10 We Recommend ABOUT THE ILLUStrator: Manon Gauthier Profile: Helaine Becker on writing, Reviews of the latest Canadian books for is a graphic artist who made the leap to picture fiction vs. non-fiction, and selling sizzle children and teens. book illustration in 2006. After her first book was (not steak) shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Joel A. Sutherland profiles the witty Helaine 40 Award for Children’s Literature, she dedicated Becker who has written over 70 books for Index of Reviews herself entirely to illustration, and to giving children. presentations and art workshops in schools across Quebec. A flexible artist, Manon works in 12 many media, including gouache, pencils and Focus: It’s All About the Facts paper collage. She lives in Montreal. Margriet Ruurs, Julie McLaughlin, Sarah Harvey and Marie Bartholomew discuss the creation of Canadian non-fiction books for young readers. Printed in Canada. FALL 2016 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 1 7 NOVELS WRITTEN BY 7 BESTSELLING AUTHORS Read one. Read them all. how it all began… You choose the order. The seven grandsons from the bestselling Seven (the series) LS and The Seven Sequels return in PREQUE The Seven Prequels, along with their daredevil grandfather, David McLean. 7 GRANDSONS 7 JOURNE YS 7 AUTHORS 7 ASTOUNDING PREQUELS Eric Walters John Wilson Ted Staunton Richard Scrimger Norah McClintock Sigmund Brouwer Shane Peacock Bring their signature writing styles to a series of adventures that take readers from the jungles of Central America to the mysterious streets of Stockholm. The Seven Prequels $59.95 · BoxedAGES 9–12 Set 9781459811706 · 7 linked stories published simultaneously 09.20.16 ALSO AVAILABLE AS EBOOKS! Watch the trailer here! www.thesevenprequels.com FROM THE EDITOR SANDRA O’BRIEN 7 NOVELS WRITTEN BY Board of Directors Daryl Novak, President Roland Stringer, Vice-President 7 BESTSELLING Robin Taylor, Treasurer Nancy Hartry Lynne Missen AUTHORS Shar Levine Sylvia Moretti Leslie McCallum Felicia Quon Carol McDougall Zain Velji Staff Charlotte Teeple Executive Director Read one. Read them all. Shannon Howe Barnes Program Coordinator Meghan Howe Library Coordinator You choose the order. Camilia Kahrizi Marketing and Website Coordinator how it all began… Patrons The seven grandsons Merle Harris PREQUELS Barbara Kissick from the bestselling Seven (the series) Kit Pearson As I write this, we are in the midst of a heat wave that has me seeking refuge in the and The Seven Sequels return in Shelley Stagg Peterson air-conditioned house. So, what better way to spend a hot summer day than to curl up The Seven Prequels Ian and Deb Wallace daredevil grandfather,, along David with McLean. their with some great Canadian children’s literature and a long, cool drink? While I enjoy great Sponsors fiction like everyone else, after years of writing “The Classroom Bookshelf” column, I have 7 GRANDSONS Amazon.ca come to appreciate the amazing non-fiction titles that Canadian authors, illustrators and Charles Baillie publishers create each year. Having read my fair share of non-fiction books, I’ve been 7 JOURNE YS Fleck Family Foundation Friesens fascinated by the range of topics covered and thrilled to see the excellent quality that is 7 AUTHORS HarperCollins Canada being produced. In this issue, we hear from some individuals who have contributed to 7 ASTOUNDING PREQUELS Perna Siegrist Design this wonderful body of work. Rawlinson Moving & Storage Eric Walters Simon & Schuster Canada Jan Thornhill shares her story with us about her years of work in the field as both a John Wilson John Spray Sylvan Learning writer and an illustrator. She regales us with tales of some interesting research she has Ted Staunton TD Bank Group Richard Scrimger undertaken and explains why she had to stop illustrating for a period of time. Joel A. Sutherland profiles the witty and prolific Helaine Becker, who has written over 70 books Norah M cClintock Funders for children and has some savvy advice for those who are trying to break into the business. Sigmund Brouwer Canada Council for the Arts Shane Peacock Canadian Heritage (Canada Book Fund) And, we talk to four individuals who give us insight into their varied experiences while Bring their signature writing styles to a Manitoba Department of Culture, writing, illustrating, editing and designing non-fiction books for kids. Heritage and Tourism series of adventures that take readers Ontario Arts Council Also in this issue, CCBC Library Coordinator, Meghan Howe, has created a list of some from the jungles of Central America to Ontario Arts Foundation the mysterious streets of Stockholm. Toronto Public Library high-quality non-fiction titles in our “Bookmark!” column with books for students from the primary grades to high school; in “The Classroom Bookshelf,” Tracey Schindler reviews Our Thanks books about children who have had to fight for the right to an education, a timely topic We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for for the back to school season; and we introduce you to four fabulous new non-fiction titles the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. in “Book Bits.” We also have a wonderful selection of reviews of new Canadian books for you to enjoy this fall. Venture into a new book today! Sandra O’Brien We acknowledge the financial support of the The Seven Prequels Boxed Set Government of Canada through the Department of 9781459811706 · $59.95 · AGES 9–12 Canadian Heritage’s Canada Book Fund program. 7 linked stories We acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts published Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, which last year funded 1,737 individual artists and 1,095 simultaneously organizations in 223 communities across Ontario for 09.20.16 a total of $52.1 million. ALSO AVAILABLE AS EBOOKS! Your feedback is important! Thank you to Friesens for generously sponsoring the EMAIL COMMENTS TO [email protected] printing of this magazine. Like us! facebook.com/kidsbookcentre Watch the trailer here! Follow us! @kidsbookcentre www.thesevenprequels.com WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA FALL 2016 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 3 OPINION JAN THORNHILL Sloths, Moths and Vulture Pee THE PLEASURES OF RESEARCHING NON-FICTION BOOKS FOR KIDS If I couldn’t find the answer at home, I’d have to bike to the library where I’d Google the old-fashioned way: by flipping through the card index looking for books about elephants. Once I had a pile in front of me, I’d thumb through one in- dex after another looking for “tail” or “baby” or “behaviour” in hopes of finding a fluke entry that would make the illustration for “11 Elephants” in The Wildlife 123 fact based, since all non- fiction needs to be accurate. Accuracy is the one absolute ne- cessity in the field; no matter what age group you’re writing for, you can’t fudge or skimp or rely on your memory.