A Passion for Poetry ALAN CUMYN’S NEW MALE HERO a TRAIN, the HOCKEY SWEATER and a SUPRISING STORY

$4.95 SPRING 2012 VOL. 35 NO. 2

RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS A Passion for Poetry ALAN CUMYN’S NEW MALE HERO A TRAIN, THE HOCKEY SWEATER AND A SUPRISING STORY

02 recommended new books by Karen Patkau, Aubrey Davis, 7125274 86123 30+ Christopher Paul Curtis and more TThe MMoosstt Awarddeded Cannada ian Chillddrrenen’s’s Booo k of alll Timme The 10th Anniversary of the Beloved True Story

In the spring of 2000, a small Holocaust education center in Tokyo received a suitcase from the Auschwitz museum. It was marked “Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Orphan.” Fumiko Ishioka and the children at the center were determined to learn more. The heartbreaking story they uncovered — of a brave young girl killed in the Holocaust and survived only by her brother, George — was captured in Karen Levine’s book Hana’s Suitcase, published in 2002.

People across the country have taken Hana into their hearts. This new edition contains the original story plus updates from author Karen Levine, Hana’s brother George Brady, and Fumiko Ishioka. With over 60 pages of new materials, including children’s letters, art, photographs, and an audio CD.

April 2012 Hana’s Suitcase Anniversary Album By Karen Levine Ages 9 + up ISBN: 978-1-926920-36-8 $24.95 Enhanced ebook available on the iBookstore

Find out more at www.socialjusticestories.comm

www.secondstorypress.ca CONTENTS THISI ISSUE booknews Spring 2012 Volume 35 No. 2 18 All Fired Up! Young readers revel in books at the 2011 Festival of Trees celebration. “All Fired Up” looks at plans for the 2012 Festival and other intriguing Editorr Gillian O’Reilly Copy Editor and Proofreaderr Mary Roycroft Ranni ways people across the country are getting kids and books together. Design Perna Siegrist Design 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 — $21.95 plus sales tax (includes Best Books for Kids & Teens) Contact the CCBC for bulk subscriptions and for US or overseas subscription rates. Spring 2012 (April, 2012) 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 Brian Pudden, Ontario Library Association

4 Opinion: A train, a classic story 18 All Fired Up! Getting Excited and a surprising passion about books across Canada Children’s literature reviewer Bernie From radio panels to international reading Goedhart remembers two surprising fans quizzes, getting kids excited about books of a children’s classic. takes many forms.

6 News Roundup 20 Bookmark! Poetry Pops! New online platform for Canadian books; Eighteen books show that great poetry comes Joyce Barkhouse remembered; Exciting in many different packages – from lively “Seven” project; Read to Me! celebrates picture book stories to thoughtful collections 10th anniversary; new Book Week blog. to captivating novels in verse.

8 Seen at ... 22 The Classroom Bookshelf: For COVER: Illustration from the 2012 TD Canadian young scientists and teen researchers Children’s Book Week poster by Janice Nadeau A photographic look at book events. © 2012. TD Canadian Children’s Book Week takes A new series offers vivid look at ecosystems; place May 5 to 12, 2012. For more information, 10 Author Proﬁ le: a valuable book fosters virtuoso researchers visit www.bookweek.ca. Alan Cumyn’s New Male Hero and writers. MEDIUM: The artwork was rendered in watercolour. Sylvia McNicoll looks at Alan Cumyn and 24 Book Bits: Let Me Tell You a Secret... ABOUT THE ARTIST: Illustrator of several books, his new male heroes – honest, vulnerable Janice Nadeau is a three-time recipient of the and romantic – for middle grade and teen Four new books for teens explore secrets that Governor General’s Literary Award (Illustration). readers. are stumbled on and secrets that are hidden Her evocative, poetic and sophisticated style is a – and the repercussions that result. mix of retro and modern. Describing her Book Week 14 Focus: Passing on a Passion image, she says “On my illustration, there is a for Poetry 26 We Recommend central character, a librarian who is reading a book to the children gathered around her. On the cover, Dedicated poets are working in different Reviews of the latest in ﬁ ne Canadian books we see that the story she’s reading is about the capacities – as writers, editors, educators for children and teens. two creatures at the entrance of the library. and community catalysts – to bring young I was inspired by the beautiful entryway of the people and poetry together. 40 Index of Reviews Lillian H. Smith library branch.” For more information, please visit www.janicenadeau.com.

SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 1 New from Eric Walters

New in paperback!

WHEN ELEPHANTS FIGHT THE MATATU CATBOY AGA ES 10+ IIllluustrateed byy Eva Cammpbbelelll AAGGESE 9+ • 9797811555 4699535 7 • $9.995 pbb AGAGESES 4–88 • 9787 155546930016 • $1919.995 hhcc 9977881554646993559 $14.4 000 ppb ““SSololidd writting, stronng kidd chaharacters,, 9781155551443990006 $1$ 99.9595 hhcc “Thhe MaM tat tuu is bobothth a beauuttifi uull ccaariringg aduults, andn cutu e animi als CCBC Best Books starred selection aannd a lighht-t heh arrtteed glg imi psp e intoto ccooululd mmaakee thhis a pop pup lalar choioiccee.” Resource Links “The Year’s Best” tthhe lil vev s ana d sttoorrieies ofof theh Keennyyaan —BBookoklist pep opplele. WaWalterers exxpertlyy swiwittcchehes “AA thohouugghthtful histstoorricaal andnd COMING SEPTEMBER 2012: ggeearrs on thehe reaeader by turu nin ngng a popolil tiicacal ananalalysy iis to aasssiistst yoouungg HUNTER sts ory off advenentuturer intn o onne rereadadere s——ala onng wiithth maanny aann ofo hilarrittyy.” —KiK rkrkuuss TThhe seeqqueel to CaCatbboyoy oolldeder rereadader undndererstannddaabbly AAGGEESS 9+ • 979781814545989801015778 • $9$9.995 pbpb ccoonfnfuusseded by worlld eve ennttsss—in sseeeie ngg howow thehesese cononﬂ ictsicict arise.” TThhe ststorory oof CCaatbtboyoy tolold throughththrough —QuQuilll & QuQuirire vveerryy dififfefererentnt eyes.e

SEVEN CO M I N G E

H 10.10.2012 T SERIES See the trailer: www.seventheseries.com 7 novels written by 7 bestselling Canadian authors: ErEricic Walaltetersrs, JoJohnhn Wililsoson,n, Teded Stataununtoton,n, Ricichahardrd Scrcrimimgeger,r, NoNorarah McMcClClinintotockck, Sigmgmunund BrBrououwewer anand ShShanane PePeacacocock also available as ebooks FROM THE EDITOR GILLL IAN O’REILLY

Board of Directors Sheila Barry, President Todd Kyle, Vice-President Leigh Chalmers, Treasurer Jean-François Bouchard Diane Davy Lisa Doucet Sharon Jennings Charles McCarragher Susan McLennan Jo-Anne Naslund Felicia Quon Itah Sadu Staff Charlotte Teeple Executive Director Shannon Howe Barnes Program Coordinator Meghan Howe Library Coordinator Holly Kent Sales and Marketing Manager Dawn Todd General Manager THE POWER OF POETRY, THE POWER OF STORIES In his recently published memoir, Stories About Storytellers, veteran editor / publisher Patrons Doug Gibson talks about arriving at his new job at Macmillan of Canada in 1974. The company was headed by Hugh Kane, and Gibson recalls, “the corridors in the stately Marilyn Baillie Kit Pearson old building at 70 Bond Street were alive with gossip of how Hugh was championing a The Peter and Eleanor Daniels Foundation crazy project, a couple of children’s books by a poet named Dennis Lee, illustrated by Tina Powell Ian and Deb Wallace Hugh’s old friend Frank Newfeld, that would need to sell ten times the usual number of copies sold by Canadian children’s books before they broke even. The whole thing was Sponsors going to be a disaster.” Amazon.ca Friesens Fortunately, as we know, Alligator Pie and its successor Nicholas Knock and Other People HarperCollins Canada surpassed expectations and were reissued over the years by various publishers (some no Penguin Group (Canada) Rawlinson Moving & Storage longer extant) and in various forms. This year sees the welcome reissue of Alligator Pie TD Bank Group and Garbage Delight by HarperCollins Canada, making sure the much-loved classics fi nd a new generation of readers. Funders Canada Council for the Arts April is National Poetry Month. Whether you are reading, writing or performing it, poetry Canadian Heritage (BPIDP) is a great way to enjoy language and literature. As you will read in Carol-Ann Hoyte’s Charles Baillie feature article “Passing on a Passion for Poetry,” Canadian poets are working in many Fleck Family Foundation different capacities to bring young people and poetry together. As editors, parents, teachers Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism and community activists, they are celebrating and encouraging the joy of poetry. PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Poetry can also be the basis for an excellent picture book or even a novel in verse for teens. PEI Department of Tourism and Culture Our “Bookmark!” list extends the range of poetry, giving you a variety of titles to explore, Ontario Arts Council savour and display to young readers in your school or library. Ontario Arts Foundation Toronto Public Library The theme of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2012 (May 5 to 12) is “Read a Book, Yukon Department of Education Share a Story.” On our “Opinion” page, book reviewer Bernie Goedhart gives us a moving look at the power of one story to capture readers and listeners all over the country. Like us! Facebook.com/KidsBookCentre Follow us on Twitter: @KidsBookCentre Elsewhere in the magazine, you’ll fi nd an intriguing profi le of author Alan Cumyn and his new type of male hero, a look at some great ways to keep kids involved with books and, of course, reviews of exciting new books that we recommend to you. Our Thanks The work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Happy reading! 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.

We acknowledge the ﬁ nancial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for this project. Your feedback is important! WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS ON ANY OF THE ARTICLES THAT APPEAR IN CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS. PLEASE SEND THEM TO [email protected] OR TO CCBC, 40 ORCHARD VIEW BLVD., SUITE 217, TORONTO ON M4R 1B9

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 3 OPINION BERNRNIE GOEDHART A train, a classic story and a surprising passion d © Department o National Resources Canada. All rights reserve © Department o National Resources Canada.

Th is is my 35th year of professional involvement with children’s immigrants from Holland, my parents, siblings and I boarded a train literature — mostly as a freelance book reviewer, but sometimes as a in Halifax aft er an ocean crossing and travelled across the country to freelance writer focusing on specifi c authors or illustrators. It started settle in Vancouver. (I’ve oft en thought that journey may have also when my fi rst-born was about two years old. While he and his broth- had something to do with my subsequent love of children’s books. In er have long since outgrown children’s books, I have not; I’m now in emigrating fi rst from Indonesia, where I was born, to Holland and my 60s and they continue to enrich my life. Reading and reviewing then to Canada, my parents were forced to jettison a lot of belong- children’s books has provided respite from the occasional grind of a ings and keep only the essentials; most of the books and toys my day job — whether during the years as a stay-at-home mom, or sub- siblings and I had in our homeland were left behind. Reading was an sequent years spent working as an editor. Writing about kids’ lit has integral part of my childhood, and I’ve oft en thought that in collect- put me in contact with wonderful authors and illustrators, and made ing children’s books as an adult I may have been trying to replicate for some interesting connections. For every person who has raised what was lost in my youth.) an eyebrow at my passion for children’s literature, there have been Anyway, there I was, working for VIA Rail and, in the course of people who have shared that passion — sometimes surprisingly so. those years, I had occasion to travel the Skeena, a passenger train that Take, for example, the time I was working in the public aff airs de- runs between Jasper, Alberta, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. partment of Canada’s passenger rail network, editing the employee I’d made trips through the Rockies by train numerous times, hav- newspaper. Most of that work was done out of a cubicle at VIA Rail ing moved to Edmonton aft er Vancouver and travelled by train to headquarters in Montreal, but sometimes it put me in a railway sta- visit family on the West Coast during many summer holidays. As tion or on board a train where I had the chance to talk to employees such, I was familiar with Jasper and its surroundings, but had never on their own turf. Th at was my favourite part of the job; I loved trains before made the journey north through the interior to the Pacifi c and had a special fondness for the people who worked them. Maybe Coast. Nor had I ever experienced a train such as the Skeena, which it had something to do with my fi rst memories of Canada when, as made stops in what appeared to be bush country — dropping off

4 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA “ When I said yes, that I had interviewed Roch Carrier, he grinned from ear to ear.”

(and picking up) hunters and fi shermen whose destinations were two men did the unlikeliest of things: they traded lines from Th e isolated camps and whose baggage sometimes included canoes. If Hockey Sweaterr, one aft er the other, reciting a sizable portion of the memory serves me right, in those days stops were made even where text from memory. no train station or platform was in sight; train crews knew the loca- But here’s the part that surprised me the most: they did it in Roch tion of First Nations settlements and bush camps and it was possible Carrier’s French-Canadian accent! to board (or detrain) in the midst of what looked to the uninitiated Every so oft en, life gives you a moment when all is revealed — like wilderness. Its breathtaking surroundings and unique clientele when you realize how lucky you are to be here, and that you have made the Skeena one of the most interesting trains in VIA’s opera- much in common with the rest of humanity. Th is was one of those tion, and the trip I took ranks high in my list of fond memories. But moments for me. I watched two grown men in the heart of Canada’s not just because of the train. westernmost province recite a text written by someone from Que- It was late at night on the two-day journey — well past midnight — bec — a text about a childhood incident that resonates with men and I was in the bar car, talking with the conductor, when the train and women, boys and girls throughout this country. A story about groaned to a halt. Outside, it was pitch dark, but I was starting to get a young boy who idolizes Rocket Richard and the Canadiens, but is used to the fact that the Skeena — unlike the transcontinental trains forced to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater because his mother with which I was more familiar — did not always pull up at brightly does not want to off end the Mr. Eaton whose catalogue helps her buy lit stations and platforms. Th e conductor had already explained that things she needs for her family in that small village in Quebec. A some stops involved simply tossing bags of mail or supplies from the story that spans such distances, and provides such connections. train, so when it shuddered to a halt in the dark with no station in Over the years, Th e Hockey Sweaterr has become my go-to gift sight, I thought nothing of it. Th is stop was brief and soon we were book for anyone who might be new to Canada. I’ve given it to friends on our way again. But the heavy door to the bar car suddenly swung and relations, to babies just born, to authors and illustrators from open and in walked a burly, bearded, tattooed giant of a man. He other lands. I’ve read about it in newspapers (including the sports dropped himself into a seat beside the conductor and struck up an section) and magazines, talked about it with author Roch Carrier easy conversation; he was clearly a regular. Th eir exchange was lively, and illustrator Sheldon Cohen, heard them talk about it with others. male-oriented and work-related. A locomotive engineer for CN, he But the sweetest memory I have of this book is that night in the bar was on his way home and he made this trip oft en. But when he saw car, many years ago, travelling through northern BC and listening to me, his relaxed mood changed. “Who’s she?” I could see him asking two railway men recite the words of a Canadian classic. himself. And when the conductor introduced me as being from VIA Bernie Goedhart is the children’s book reviewer for The Gazette in Montreal. headquarters, the man’s mood darkened even more. I wasn’t all that surprised. VIA, a Crown corporation, had gone through its share of ups and downs; established in the 1970s to take More for fans of The Hockey Sweater! Artist Sheldon Cohen’s new book, over passenger service from the Canadian Pacifi c and Canadian This Sweater Is for You!! (ECW Press), gives a glimpse into the process of National railways, it operates on tracks largely owned by CN and making this classic work into a beloved ﬁ lm. In May, the Toronto Symphony has experienced its share of cuts and downsizing. More than a few Orchestra will perform an orchestral adaptation of The Hockey Sweaterr by employees regarded those at headquarters with some suspicion, so I Toronto composer Abigail Richardson. understood why the mountain man in that bar car treated me like an interloper. But then the conductor told him that I also did some freelance writing — about children’s books. “No kidding?” the bearded man said, sitting up a little straighter. “In Montreal?” I nodded. “Do you know that book Th e Hockey Sweater?” he asked. “Have you ever met the author?” When I said yes, that I had interviewed Roch Carrier, he grinned from ear to ear. “I have kids,” he said, “and we read that book all the time. And at Christmas, we listen to the author read it on CBC radio.” He turned to the conductor. “Do you know it?” And the conductor nodded; yes, he did. “Th e winters of my childhood were long, long seasons,” he began, reciting from memory. Th e burly engineer joined in, then the conductor, then the engineer again. Sitting in that bar car, as the train clickety-clacked its way through the darkness, those

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 5 INDUSTRY News Roundup AWARDS, BOOK LAUNCHES, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THE LATEST NEWS

Joyce Barkhouse (1913-2012) ties will include incorporating the CCBC’s Noted author Joyce Barkhouse passed rich archive of book reviews into the away from heart disease on February 2, existing listings on the site. Th e CCBC and 2012, in Bridgewater, Lunenburg County, the ACP expect that this development will Nova Scotia. Barkhouse was one of Nova encourage the use of Canadian children’s Scotia’s fi nest writers for children, and her books in schools and libraries. Project works include Anna’s Pett and Pit Pony. work will begin this spring, and carry on In 2007, she was named to the Order of to the end of 2013. Nova Scotia, and in 2009, to the Order of Canada. Exciting “Seven” project A Nova Scotia native, Barkhouse taught features seven connected books elementary school in both the Maritimes On October 10, 2012, an exciting project and Montreal. As a teacher, she noticed the will see seven linked books by seven diff er- lack of Canadian reading material for chil- ent authors published at once. Th e Seven dren and so began her career in writing for series, published by Orca Book Publishers, children, publishing her fi rst non-fi ction gives readers the connected stories of seven book, George Dawson: Th e Little Giant, cousins, all grandsons of a man named in 1974. David McLean. In his will, McLean leaves

She went on to write several other books arss a task to each boy, each of whose story is B and short stories, including the picture written by one of the seven authors. eter book Anna’s Pet, which she wrote with P Th e idea for the series started with Eric her niece Margaret Atwood, and which Barkhouse was an early member of Walters, and he enlisted six colleagues was illustrated by Ann Blades (published Th e Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, to take part: John Wilson, Ted Staunton, in 1980, and re-issued in a new edition in the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Richard Scrimger, Norah McClintock, 2011). Her most famous book was the novel Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Sigmund Brouwer and Shane Peacock. Pit Ponyy, the story of Willie, an 11-year-old Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP). Each author brings his or her signature boy in early 20th-century Nova Scotia who Author Claire Mackay remembers, “Joyce style to the series while keeping the story is forced to work as a trapper in a Cape Barkhouse joined CANSCAIP in 1978, linked to the other adventures. Breton coal mine, and Gem, the Sable when it was scarcely more than embryonic. Th e eldest grandson, age 17, climbs Island “pit” pony he befriends. Th e story She was our fi rst member east of Ontario Mount Kilimanjaro; another discovers his won the Ann Connor Brimer Award for — and a dear friend.” grandfather’s journal of the Spanish Civil Children’s Literature and was later turned Donations in memory of Joyce Bark- War in Spain; a third has to visit France; a into a Gemini-winning CBC-TV fi lm, and house may be made to the Writers’ Federa- fourth travels to northern Canada; a fi ft h then a miniseries. tion of Nova Scotia. has to fi nd an aging fi lm star; the sixth has Author Marjorie Gann, a former teacher, to go to Iceland and the youngest (age 15) recalls, “I remember Joyce Barkhouse New Online Platform for simply has to get a tattoo. coming to speak to our Grade 6 students in Canadian Books Describing the process, Walters says, Amherst, Nova Scotia, when she was a very Th e Canadian Children’s Book Centre “Instantly, messages started to fl y between youthful 80! She was beautiful and spoke (CCBC) has announced a partnership with the writers as we craft ed our individual engagingly to the kids, who were reading the Association of Canadian Publishers stories and then ‘reshaped’ aspects to fi t in Pit Ponyy at the time. She had done her re- (ACP) to add a distinct layer of high-value with what the others were writing. For my search well and had much history to share content for librarians and educators to the book, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Th ere, with her young audience. She proved that 49thShelf.com’s listing of Canadian-au- atop the mountain, I sent a text message you didn’t have to change who you were thored and Canadian-illustrated children’s to John Wilson, just as the character in my to appeal to youngsters — and you didn’t books. Th e 49thShelf.com is a recently book sends one to the character in John’s have to put on a show. Th ese were kids launched online discovery platform for book. I can only hope that the readers will from tough homes, many from families Canadian books and currently lists close enjoy these unique books as much as we all that had no books in the house, and they to 50,000 Canadian children’s titles. enjoyed writing them.” responded immediately to Joyce’s warm, With funding through the Ontario For more on the series and on the indi- quiet manner. She will be missed.” government’s Entertainment and Creative vidual books or to watch the trailer, visit Cluster Partnerships Fund, project activi- www.seventheseries.com.

6 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Read to your baby. Today and every day.

www.readtome.ca Read to Me! celebrates 10 years of giving books to babies

Read to Me! celebrates 10th anniversary McDougall, former librarian for the Read to Me! is a province-wide program Th is year Read to Me!, Nova Scotia’s early Canadian Children’s Book Centre, adds, delivered at every hospital in Nova Scotia reading promotion program marks a de- “Having worked at bringing books and that provides maternity services. When cade of bringing books to every baby born children together in Canada for over 30 the program fi rst launched, the idea of in- in the province. Th rough this remarkable years, I know the Read to Me! model works tegrating books and reading into newborn project, families are visited within 24 — it is perfect in its simplicity and power- care was unique, but now hospital staff hours of the birth of their baby, and are ful in its impact. Read to Me! is universal across the province have embraced the given a free bag of books and the mes- — given to every baby born in the province program, and McDougall says that parents sage that reading to their baby is impor- — and is delivered right at the hospital now have an expectation of receiving their tant. During the past decade, Read to Me! bedside, which makes the important Read to Me! bag of books aft er their baby has delivered over 80,000 bags containing connection between literacy and health. is born. more than 200,000 free high-quality Th e program honours the diverse cultures Special events to mark Read to Me!’s board books. in Nova Scotia, and was wisely funded 10th anniversary will take place in Nova Read to Me! Director Carol McDougall through an endowment which ensures it Scotia libraries and hospitals throughout says, “When I think of the 80,000 Read to will be around for coming generations the year. McDougall says she is proud of Me! bags we’ve distributed, I see 80,000 of children.” what Read to Me! has accomplished. parents cuddled up reading to their babies, Th e task of the Read to Me! team has “Th is program has helped nurture a love of 80,000 toddlers enjoying their books and been made easier by developments in reading for a whole generation of children, 80,000 children entering school with a love publishing. McDougall observes, “Ten and will go on to touch the lives of every of books and reading. Th at is a powerful years ago when the program was launched baby born in the province for generations impact and a very smart investment in one of the challenges was fi nding board to come.” the future of Nova Scotia.” books that were suitable for newborns — Th e Read to Me! bag contains everything books with a simple text, good rhythm Happy TD Canadian families need to start reading to a baby and rhyme and bold simple images. Few Children’s Book Week! right from birth, including baby books, a Canadian publishers were producing board Share the story! May 5 to 12, 2012, is CD of music and rhymes, and baby’s fi rst books and even fewer were producing ones TD Canadian Children’s Book Week. For library card. Th e Read to Me! bag is avail- suitable for the newborn development pe- the latest news on the week’s celebrations, able in English, French, Chinese, Arabic riod. Now, ten years later, I am thrilled to the winners of the annual Writing Contest and Mi’kmaq, and the program also pro- see that gap in Canadian publishing being (announced on May 9) and the new vides Braille and signing books. fi lled with a growing number of excellent Book Week blog, visit www.bookweek.ca. Th e bag also contains the Read to Me! books for babies.” Join us on Facebook and Twitter to get Family Reading Guide, which takes fami- A research study conducted with over daily author, illustrator and storyteller lies through their baby’s fi rst year month- 1,000 families showed the program was updates from the road! by-month — with information on reading making a diff erence — parents who Facebook: /kidsbookcentre development, reading tips and monthly received the Read to Me! bag read to their Twitter: @kidsbookcentre book and rhyme recommendations. Th is baby more than families who had not guide was created by Read to Me! and is received books when their baby was born. available for sale across Canada. Evidence has shown that reading to a newborn can positively impact the cognitive and emotional development of the child.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 7 EVENTS Seen at... A PHOTOGRAPHIC LOOK AT CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK EVENTS n Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigratio © At the Ontario Library Association Superconference in February, author Sylvia McNicoll signs advance Congratulations to Barbara Reid on being copies of crush.candy.corpse for fans, including fellow author Cheryl Rainﬁ eld (Hunted). named to the Order of Ontario! y ll a d oo g ena Coakle ian l L A photo we love! Library Assistant Keenan At Bakka Phoenix Books in Toronto, Megan Crew signs books at the launch of her dystopian novel, Gauthier holds a copy of Canadian Children’s The Way We Fall. Book News at the Yellowknife Public Library.

8 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Naked is best!

BirthdayBirthday SuitSuit Olive Senior • Artwork by Eugenie Fernandes Will Johnny’s parents ever get him to wear clothes? Written by one of Canada’s most respected authors, Birthday Suit captures the rhythmic lilt of the Caribbean while the vibrant illustrations reflect the warmth and humour of the text. Young children everywhere will laugh out loud as Johnny foils every attempt to get him into clothes. Ages 3 –6

annick press | excellence & innovation www.annickpress.com available from your favourite bookstore

Discover our great new books for middle-graders!

Max Finder Mystery Sir Seth Thistlethwaite Seeks Pick Up Your Pen Collected Casebook Volume 6 the Truth of Betty the Yeti 978-1-926973-11-1 PB • $14.95 978-1-926973-21-0 PB • $11.95 Book 3 Ages 6-9 978-1-926973-22-7 HC • $15.95 978-1-926973-26-5 PB • $8.95 The Secret Life of Money Ages 8+ 978-1-926973-27-2 HC • $15.95 978-1-926973-18-0 PB • $13.95 Ages 7-10 978-1-926973-19-7 HC • $19.95 Ages 9-13 www.owlkidsbooks.com Distributed through University of Toronto Press 1-800-565-9523

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 9 PROFILE ALANAN CUMYN Alan Cumyn’sy New Male Hero Honest, vulnerable and romantic BY SYLVIA MCNICOLL

girl, he fell in love and, to impress her, bought two pairs, praying he would have enough to pay for them at the cash. He did — but, more importantly, he started writing letters and poems to her as a precursor to perhaps asking her out for a hot chocolate. In the end, he never sent them. While the letters didn’t result in a love aff air with a girl, they inspired a love of writing and a great capacity for writing about love. Aft er high school, Alan tried his father’s suggestion of a military college because it off ered him plenty of access to sports and leadership training. He lasted a year; it was too military for him. So he pursued his true love — literature — earning a BA and then an MA in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor. Alistair MacLeod, his professor at the time, called him one of the best young writers in Canada, and Alan’s fi rst book of short stories was quickly picked up by a small Montreal publisher. Unfortunately, the publisher went under before the book hit print. “I was almost crushed,” Alan says but he also felt himself fortunate in that he always found interesting work that fed his writing. Over the next few years, he directed volunteers with a Katimavik project; then he taught English in China. He continued to write but, because it took seven years for him to sell one short story for $50, he decided to try novels instead. Aft er another couple of years, his fi rst novel was picked up, but his original collection remained unpublished.

Reach for the “Skye” “It was one of the best weeks in my career — to see this quiet, unassuming man have this electrifying eff ect on the students.” One Christmas, when Alan discovered himself short of cash, he Alan Cumyn is the hero to whom Gail Henderson is referring. Gail wrote a story as a Christmas gift for his daughter Gwen (now a had taught for 24 years when her class at Sea View Public, a small Toronto actor). His wife reminded him about his other daughter, school of some 35 pupils in the remote community of Port Alice, Anna (currently a student at Ontario College of Art and Design), BC, won him as a writing mentor from the Vancouver International not even allowing for the possibility that both could share the same Writing Festival. In the fall of 2011, Alan worked with all the stu- story. So he was forced to write a second. dents from kindergarten through high school for fi ve days and then Th ose episodes about the innocent misadventurer, Owen Skye, continued a one-on-one mentorship via Skype and email with three were best-loved gift s; so, of course, Alan reused the idea and wrote of the older students. A very supportive instructor, he gently coaxed more stories for diff erent occasions until he had another collection. several rewrites out of the young writers over a fi ve-week period. When he read these somewhat nostalgic pieces at workshops and “Change paragraphs for diff erent speakers” and “Add more descrip- festivals, their quirky authenticity received such good reactions that tion” were two of the suggestions he made to them. “Never give up” he began submitting them everywhere. No success. Four years of was the piece of advice the students most remember. rejection. Until, on another fairly broke Christmas, he decided that Ground- wood was the right house to publish Th e Secret Life of Owen Skye. So The beginnings what if they’d already rejected it. He reasoned that the fi rst reader Before asking them to write, Alan shared an anecdote with the stu- was probably long gone and he called editor Shelley Tanaka who dents. His parents wouldn’t allow him to have blue jeans like the agreed to read it. Aft er the weekend, publisher Patsy Aldana person- other kids, so Alan saved his own money to buy the coveted and ally called to accept it. Alan comments, “it was the slowest accep- forbidden denim. When he walked into the store and met the sales- tance ever, and yet also the quickest.” Never give up.

10 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA “Even if an author is writing exceptionally well, there’s a terrifying element of luck involved.”

Is Alan really Owen Skye? cess aside, Alan never intended to write a sequel about Owen. But “Owen was skinny and his ears stuck out and he almost always he found himself intrigued by Owen’s predicament. Th e girl of his did what (his brother) Andy said.” Alan wears earphones while obsession had moved. How would he deal with the loneliness? we’re Skyping this interview but, hidden ears aside, from his In the next installment, Aft er Sylvia, Alan focused his narrative boyish good looks, it’s not hard to guess this description is semi- camera over Owen’s shoulder as he struggled on without the girl autobiographical. with “eyes like the summer sky made into a jewel.” Small tasks such Alan comes from a long line of male-dominated families. His as cooking his own egg, fi nding his dog’s rock, running for class father, one of a houseful of headstrong boys, rebelled against his president and inviting Sylvia to his birthday off er high drama and engineer dad and failed university. Enjoying the career he stumbled gentle humour. Owen’s huge eff orts and large heart win him the girl into — prospecting and running geological exploration crews in the and many readers, like one student at Sea View who listened to a north — he nonetheless gave it up in order to raise a family. Just like reading: “It’s funny!” Precisely the ordinary everydayness of Owen’s Owen Skye’s father, Alan’s dad hated his insurance-selling job, and struggles also encouraged Alan’s writing students at the school. his wife supported him when he quit to pursue a career in education. In Dear Sylvia, Owen Skye fi nally fi nds his own voice, as Alan Unlike Horace Skye, who failed at his new venture (writing a novel), Cumyn originally did, in a volume of unsent letters to the girl he Alan’s father succeeded at his, becoming an excellent teacher. Alan loves. Th e achingly personal notes, accidentally misspelled for extra has clearly inherited his talent for connecting with students. poignancy, try to explain Owen’s life to Sylvia. Th ey succeeded in Like Owen, Alan is the middle child between two brothers, winning a Silver Birch Express Award. Richard, also a fi ction writer, and Steve, a stage and screen actor in Toronto. All followed their parents’ lesson of working at jobs they Work Rhythm love (their mother is a visual artist). As with most writers, Alan is infl uenced by his everyday life, and Aft er a good breakfast and a Tai Chi workout, Alan writes for a most of his experiences have found their way into novels. He credits couple of hours. Th e fi rst draft is usually in longhand, and he doesn’t his third job, preparing reports for the Immigration and Refugee push too hard or force the story out. He works the rest of the day on Board of Canada, with teaching him the discipline of researching other things — editing or his distance teaching job at Vermont Col- and writing clearly and concisely to tight deadlines. From those lege of Fine Arts, or even on chores around the house, and allows the experiences he wrote two adult novels, Man of Bone, which detailed next scene to percolate in his imagination. When he was younger, the abuse suff ered by a political prisoner, and Burridge Unbound, he banged out the second draft on a typewriter, but currently he about that survivor’s life aft er release. uses voice-activated soft ware, reading the draft to his computer. His books take a long time to write, oft en two years, as he reads and rereads them out loud. His wife Suzanne Evans, also a writer, acts as Applause, awards and more Skye fi rst reader. His mother — and for his children’s books, kids of the Burridge Unboundd netted Alan a Giller nomination, but he is philo- appropriate age — test out his draft s. sophical about both rejection and awards. “‘Literary merit’ defi es defi nition,” says Alan, “and book writing Did Owen Skye grow up in Tilt? is not like bike racing, there is no agreed-upon course, no objective stopwatch to measure accomplishment; it’s so subjective, in fact, that From May 2010 to May 2011, Alan was the Chair of Th e Writers’ the same book can be considered both timeless and terrible by dif- Union of Canada (he has an altruistic bent towards leadership just ferent professional critics. Even if an author is writing exceptionally like Owen Skye). He also began teaching at Vermont College of Fine well, there’s a terrifying element of luck involved.” (“Giller Glitz: Th e Arts. “It’s a joy to work there, the environment of learning is not com- View from the List” Th e New Quarterlyy winter/spring 2001) petitive, it’s supportive.” On one of the ten-day residencies, which he Nevertheless, it was aft er his novel was shortlisted for the Giller describes as non-stop social and intellectual stimulation, Alan lis- that Alan submitted Th e Secret Life of Owen Skye for the second tened to a lecture on desire given by Louise Hawes. Th e exercise she time to Groundwood. It was published in 2002. Owen Skye won the gave at the end was for everyone to write a letter to him or herself Mr. Christie Award, and was shortlisted for the Governor General’s at a younger age. When Alan saw himself on a basketball court, the Literary Award, the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award and the kernel was planted for Tilt, his YA novel published in 2011. Rocky Mountain Book Award, as well as many other prizes. Suc- “Th e perfect jump shot begins in the soles of the feet. It moves like

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 11 “There is no greater potential of changing someone’s life than to have a young reader open your page and settle in.”

a wave through the calves and thighs up to the hips and along the spine to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand and out through the fi nger- tips, a natural stroke as at ease in the universe as an ocean wave that curls and falls. Easier than breathing. Truer than thought.” Th ese are the kind of private thoughts Tilt’s 16-year-old protago- nist, Stan Dart, jots down in his notebook. Stan’s other pursuit, not surprisingly, is a girl named Janine. Unlike the Owen Skye series, Tiltt off ers a more 21st century backdrop of the broken home, with Stan struggling to grow into a responsible man, against and unlike his father. But, if Owen and his brothers ask the question, “Do only girls know the secret of how to have babies?” Stan answers, somewhat misguidedly, that he too is in on the secret. Stan loves Janine but can’t communicate with her the way Owen does with Sylvia. He’s at his sexual peak, and there is no socially acceptable outlet (how can he talk about his constant erections?). Crazy complications ensue. Th e fi rst is the rumour that Janine is gay or “tilted.” Th e rest result from his own unbalanced family. Alan aims to write books that he would have liked to read as a boy and, while his own father taught sex-ed to middle-schoolers, he needed to leave literature lying around to teach his own sons. Tilt would be the book Alan would leave lying around for his children. In fact, his daughters were his teen test readers at the time. Th ey were fascinated and perhaps learned from it. Now, as he works on his latest project, another adult novel, he doesn’t pay too much attention to the shortlists on which Tiltt may or may not appear. As he says, “Th e truly felt experience of literature is private — private in the writing, private in the reading. I love to win awards, of course, and to sell books, but what keeps me going is the sense of reaching readers one at a time, my story into your head and body. Nobody loves a book more than a child does. Th ere is no greater potential of changing someone’s life than to have a young reader open your page and settle in.” Books by Alan Cumyn Back at Sea View, the students have completed their mentorship with Alan and are settling down to enjoy the other half of this very The Secret Life of Owen Skye private experience. Instead of writing and having him critique their GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2002 work, they are opening his pages and having their lives changed. After Sylvia Sylvia McNicoll is the author of crush. candy. corpse. (James Lorimer & Company). GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2004 She’s deﬁ nitely not the inspiration for the Owen Skye/Sylvia love affair because she has never worked in a jean store. Dear Sylvia GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2008

Tilt GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2011

For more information on Alan Cumyn, visit www.alancumyn.com.

12 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA

FOCUS POETETRY Passing on a Passion for Poetry BY CAROL-ANN HOYTE

While Canada has seen some groundbreaking classic collections of poetry for children, such as The Wind Has Wings, Alligator Pie and ’Til All the Stars Have Fallen, and while there are a number of picture books that feature stories in verse, Canadian mainstream publishers have published only around 30 children’s poetry collections written by ten or so authors since 2000. Our country does not have a children’s poet laureate or a publisher dedicated exclusively to publishing poetry titles for young people. The good news, however, is that there are dedicated folks, like Tiffany Stone, JonArno Lawson, Kalli Dakos, Shauntay Grant and Michael Kavanagh, working in different capacities — as writers, editors, educators and community catalysts — to bring young people and poetry together. Publishing poetry

Tiff any Stone knows children’s poetry from both sides of the editor’s desk. Not only is she a children’s poet, but she also serves as poetry editor for Vancouver’s Tradewind Books. Stone says that editing poetry is tough. She explains that poets have a built-in sense of rhythm and musicality when it comes to language, which means elements such as rhyme, rhythm and syllable stresses seem problem-free when poets read their own work. As a result, trouble spots present in poems oft en only become apparent when other people read them. As an editor, it is her job to fi nd these potential problem areas and work with the poet to correct them. Th is can mean modifying the scansion of a line or searching for the per- Tiffany Stone fect word. She also has to be tuned in to the content of the poem. “If it’s telling a story, does the story work? Are there any contradictions? Is the language serving the story or taking control? Finally, I have to check whether the illustrator’s interpretation of the poem requires any changes to the poem itself,” says the poet who is based in Maple Feeling at home Ridge, BC. with poetry Tradewind Books generally publishes one poetry title per year. Th e fact that its poetry titles have earned multiple awards and hon- JonArno Lawson’s poetry collections for children have not gone ours bestowed by adults and children disproves the commonly held unnoticed. His book Black Stars in a White Night Skyy was the 2007 beliefs that poetry doesn’t sell and that children don’t like poetry. winner of the prestigious Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excel- Stone says, “Kids oft en read poetry collections again and again. lence in North American Poetry, while his book Th e Man in the Poems are powerful. Th ey stick in your head, become part of you. If Moon-Fixer’s Mask was a 2005 fi nalist for the same award. poetry doesn’t sell, maybe it’s because it’s hidden away on the back Th is Toronto poet is the editor of Inside Out: Children’s Poets shelves of bookstores and libraries where people won’t stumble upon Discuss Th eir Work. He is also the father of three children who love it by accident. Maybe segregating poetry does it a disservice. Maybe poetry. Here, he shares simple and subtle ways that parents can use if publishers published more poetry, more kids would read it.” to connect their off spring with poetry and make the sharing of it a regular and pleasant aspect of home life.

14 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA JonArno Lawson Kalli Dakos

Lawson believes songs are ideal tools for tuning kids in to poetry. From the earliest weeks of children’s lives, he encourages parents Taking poetry to play CDs of sung traditional nursery rhymes and to learn and sing them themselves. He adds that Joe Raposo’s songs written for to school “Sesame Street,” many considered classics, are great musical fare to share with kids. Th e poet also suggests that parents can cultivate With eight published school-themed collections of poetry for chil- a passion for poetry in children and teens by watching musicals, dren, Kalli Dakos’s love for schools and for her past work as a teacher singing their songs and listening to the soundtracks of the musicals. and reading specialist is no secret. “I am ‘a fi sh in water’ when I walk As a poet, Lawson encourages parents to keep an open mind about the hallways of a school. I’ll always write about this world.” what constitutes poetry and to not shy away from silliness. “Th e trick Educators take heed: poetry is a pedagogical wonder because it is maybe to be respectful of a very wide range of work, and not to be can reach all students regardless of their learning abilities and diff er- constantly saying ‘this is just verse,’ ‘these are merely lyrics,’ ‘this is ences. “Even the most reluctant student is pulled into literacy by the true poetry’ — if your child enjoys a clever advertising jingle, then spirit of my presentations, and many can’t wait to get back to their let them enjoy it and take it further in a game — have them alter it or classrooms to write about the school world, to dramatize poetry and extend it. to read the poems,” says Dakos. “You can also just do playful word games — rhyming games or Th e Ottawa poet has faced the challenge of getting her name and rhyming lines, no matter how nonsensical. Some adults get nervous work known in Canada since returning here in 2004. Th ough she about nonsense — they want poetry to have logic, or they want their is Canadian, she is better known in the US because her books have kids to use real words, but if you can let all of that go and just play, been published there and she lived there for many decades. Dakos’s it’s great fun.” next collection, Recess in the Dark, deals with life in Canada’s far Where teens are concerned, Lawson notes that many of them fi nd north. She hopes a Canadian publisher will take it on, so as to have a American artist/author Edward Gorey’s books quite appealing. He publishing company here to help promote her work. To date, Cana- says parents can read through poetry written specifi cally for young dian publishers who have read it have responded with rejections, but adults and select a few diff erent off erings, which they can then two US houses have expressed interest in publishing the book. make available to teens, not force on them. Lawson, who also writes Teachers who wish to share poetry with their students may be poetry for adults, mentions there are books aimed at adults that hard pressed to fi nd room for it in an already jam-packed schedule, young people fi nd accessible. He names bpNichol’s Selected Organs but Dakos says, “Poetry inspires our children to lead good lives. It is and Pablo Neruda’s Book of Questions as amazing works of poetry far more important than the required course material, so smuggle for teens. it in any way you can.” She suggests that teachers read poems daily in their classrooms, post poetry everywhere (on walls, by drinking fountains, in bathrooms and hallways), share poems that touch their hearts, and sneak poetry into moments when students are just hanging around. “Always remember that a poem can change a child and a child can change the world.”

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 15 Magazine helps poetry go global

Michael Kavanagh broke new ground with the 2010 launch of Th e Scrumblerr, an international independent magazine publishing top- notch poetry for children. Th is Canadian poet based in Oxford, UK, cites the conservative nature of current children’s literary magazines (which are focused on short stories) and his participation in a children’s poetry workshop with Carol Ann Duff y (the current UK poet laureate) as the factors that inspired him to create the publication. Th e Scrumblerr features poems (and artwork) craft ed by contributors from around the world, ranging from young people to emerging and established adult writers. Shauntay Grant “I get positive comments from people — oft en parents will express surprise that as soon as their children got the magazine they immediately sat down and devoured it and started writing poems of their Taking poetry own. Th is is exactly the response I wanted it to get — something that will inspire kids to create,” says Kavanagh whose poems for children out into the community have appeared in the anthologies Poems for Children (Oxfam), Read Me At Schooll (Macmillan), and Michael Rosen’s A-Z, Th e Best Chil- Shauntay Grant is a poetry messenger for the people of Halifax. She dren’s Poetry From Agard to Zephaniah (Puffi n). recently completed her term as the city’s third poet laureate, and her Canadian interest in the magazine, though small, is growing. On two poems, Up Home and Th e City Speaks in Drums, are both set in a further positive note, Kavanagh is pleased to have published the Halifax and were published as picture books by Nimbus Publishing. work of several Canadian poets, notably JonArno Lawson. Th ough She now serves as the artistic producer for Wordrhythm Produc- the magazine’s sales fi gures are low, its reach is wide, extending tions, an organization that creates spaces for community and cre- beyond the UK to readers in nations including Australia, the United ative exploration through poetry and music via Wordrhythm Kids States and India. and Poets 4 Change. What’s on Kavanagh’s wish list for Th e Scrumbler? He would like Th e poet explains how youth benefi t from participating in the pro- to sell more issues of the magazine so that it earns a profi t, which grams: “Th ey are exposed to various genres of poetry and perfor- would enable him to pay contributors, to publish the magazine as a mance that they may not experience elsewhere — from spoken word quarterly and to receive more high-quality submissions. “I’d also like to storytelling, songwriting, dub poetry... it’s showing them that to see a lot more take up in school libraries so that it was something poetry isn’t one-dimensional, there are so many ways to approach that librarians saw as a ‘go-to’ resources for young creative writers.” it.” Wordrhythm Kids, which began in November 2011, is a free aft er-school program off ered at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library. Th e program off ers eight-to-twelve-year-olds the opportunity to participate in workshops led by poets who use rhythm and spoken-word performance in their work as storytellers. ISSUE 3 For Grant, the program’s greatest gift is “watching some of the youth try their hand at poetry and spoken word for the fi rst time and [watching] them overcome their fears of expressing themselves on the page, or of public speaking.” Poets 4 Change is a project that launched in April 2010. It has a core youth-facilitation team that assists with organizing, coordi- nating events and facilitating workshops in the community. One of Poets 4 Change’s off erings is a spoken-word performance series called CommUNITY. Th e series features an intergenerational poetry slam competition where established and emerging performers are Michael Kavanagh welcome to take the stage. Th e event’s admission fee is paid by dona- tion, and poets compete to win the evening’s proceeds for a charity of their choice. Grant notes that one of the program’s greatest rewards for her is “being able to connect with some incredible organizations and indi- viduals working for change, and think about how we can use poetry and art to impact our communities in a positive way.”

16 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SAMPLER OF CANADIAN POETRY COLLECTIONS Current and coming FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS poetry attractions A Funeral in the Bathroom written by Kalli Dakos (Albert Whitman & Company, 2011) April is National Poetry Month, an annual event celebrated across North America. Visit Th e League of Canadian Poets (LCP) web- Bird site www.poets.ca for ideas on how to get your poetry groove on written by Zetta Elliott during April. Th e LCP, a national, non-profi t poetry organization, illustrated by Shadra Strikland (Lee and Low, 2009) runs Young Poets Week, which takes place this year from April 15 to If I Had a Million Onions 21, and the Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Canadian Youth. written by Sheree Fitch Th e league’s youngpoets.ca website also off ers teachers a wealth of illustrated by Yayo (Tradewind Books, 2005) poetry resources. Poetry in Voice (www.poetryinvoice.com) is a poetry-recita- Shake-Awakes tion contest for high-school students. Th e goal of the competition, written by Robert Heidbreder founded by philanthropist Scott Griffi n (who also established the illustrated by Marc Mongeau (Tradewind Books, 2011) prestigious Griffi n Prize for Poetry), is to promote the art of poetry in both the classroom and the community. Th e competition was Think Again fi rst held in 2011 in Ontario and became bilingual when it expanded written by JonArno Lawson to the province of Quebec in 2012. Th e good news for high-school illustrated by Julie Morstad (Kids Can Press, 2010) teachers in the rest of the country is that the competition will take place nationwide in 2013. So Cool Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults (PACYA) is written by Dennis Lee a grassroots, not-for-profi t organization dedicated to promoting illustrated by Maryann Kovalski (Key Porter Books, 2004) poetry for every age group. One of its three main goals is to create a global online hub for all things poetry. Visit PACYA’s daily blog aRHYTHMetic (poetryatplay.org) to learn more about the organization founded in written by Tiffany Stone, Kari-Lynn Winters and 2011 by US poet-storyteller-author-fi lmmaker Steven Withrow. Lori Sherritt-Fleming Th e great French poet, Charles Baudelaire, said, “Any healthy illustrated by Scot Ritchie (Gumboot Books, 2009) man can go without food for two days — but not without poetry.” Shauntay Grant, Kalli Dakos, JonArno Lawson, Tiff any Stone, African Acrostics: A Word in Edgeways Michael Kavanagh and others are working to inject a daily dose of written by Avis Harley poetry into children’s and teen’s literary diets. You can too! Every photographs by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick Press, 2009) day is a perfect day to read, share or write a poem. Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for Our Fragile Times Carol-Ann Hoyte is an emerging children’s poet who works as assistant librarian at Selwyn House School in Westmount, QC. She is also the sole Canadian serving on the written and illustrated by Barbara Wyn Klunder 2011-2013 advisory board of Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults (PACYA). (Groundwood Books, 2007)

Baaaad Animals written by Tiffany Stone illustrated by Christina Leist (Tradewind Books, 2006)

The Naming Book of Rascally Rhymes written by Jordan D. Troutt illustrated by Sarah Preston Bloor (Palimpsest Press, 2008)

Winter Sport: Poems written by Priscila Uppal (Mansﬁ eld Press, 2010)

RECENT CHILDREN’S POETRY COLLECTIONS ILLUSTRATED BY CANADIANS

BookSpeak! Poems About Books written by Laura Purdie Salas illustrated by Josée Bisaillon (Clarion Books, 2011)

I Am the Book poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins illustrated by Yayo (Holiday House, 2010)

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 17 All Fired Up! Getting excited about books across Canada BY GILLIAN O’REILLY

From radio panels to international reading quizzes, getting kids PICKING THE WINNERS AT excited about books takes many forms. As these four current ex- SOUTH SLOPE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL amples show, exciting programs are happening in diff erent parts At South Slope Elementary School in Burnaby, BC, teacher-librari- of Canada. an Jennifer Araujo conducts her own version of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. YOUNG CANADA READS NON-FICTION! Both in 2010 and 2011, she read all of the books on the shortlist For several years, CBC Radio’s “Mainstreet” – the aft ernoon drive for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award to her primary students show in Halifax – has been hosting Young Canada Reads. Scheduled (Grades 1 to 3) and a few in Grade 4 during their library time. She to run at approximately the same time of year as Canada Reads, the says, “We would follow each reading with a discussion of what part young people’s competition asks fi ve readers to argue for a book of they liked, connections they made, how the text and illustrations their choosing and select the book that all Canadian kids should worked together, etc. During our last session, students had a chance read. to look at each of the books in small groups and then they voted for Th is year, when Canada Reads focused on non-fi ction, Young their favourite.” Canada Reads did the same. Th e fi ve young panellists, ranging in Last year, the kids’ overwhelming favourite was Janet Perlman’s age from 13 to 15, discussed fi ve non-fi ction books with “Main- Th e Delicious Bug (Kids Can Press). Th is year, the votes were a little street” host Stephanie Domet. Th e books on the table were Th e Bite more evenly distributed, but the most votes went to Spork (Kids Can of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland (Annick Press). You can read some of the students’ comments on Jennifer Press); Charlie: A Home Child’s Life in Canada by Beryl Young (Key Araujo’s blog at https://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/southslope-library/. Porter Books, newly re-issued by Ronsdale Press); Fire on the Wa- Aft er running the “contest” with her South Slope classes, Araujo ter: Th e Red-Hot Career of Superstar Rower Ned Hanlan by Wendy also read the books to two classes from the BC Provincial School A. Lewis (James Lorimer & Company); Guardian Angel House by for the Deaf. Interestingly, their choices were diff erent. She says, Kathy Clark (Second Story Press) and Season of Rage: Hugh Burnett “Although they enjoyed all the books, the deaf students preferred and the Struggle for Civil Rights by John Cooper (Tundra Books). Singing Away the Dark (Simply Read Books) and In Front of My “We are always trying to program things our listeners are inter- House (Kids Can Press). Th ey are very attuned to visual details and ested in,” explains Stephanie Domet, when asked about Young Can- information. In fact, they noticed some details in the illustrations ada Reads and the regular children’s book reviews that “Mainstreet” that none of the South Slope students or I (aft er several readings) off ers. “It’s a service to our listeners.” noticed. I read the stories using an Elmo projector and our interac- She adds, “I don’t have kids but I know what it’s like to go to Woo- tive whiteboard so they could all see the pictures on a much bigger zles and stand there and not quite know where to start.” scale. Th e stories were interpreted in American Sign Language as I In previous years, when the discussion focused on fi ction titles, read them.” the panellists picked their own book. Th is year, the fi ve young readers felt they didn’t have as much familiarity with non-fi ction, so FOREST OF READING® KEEPS GROWING! the “Mainstreet” team (aft er consulting the booksellers at Woozles, A quarter of a million children and teens across Ontario are reading librarians and reviews) picked a selection of books with inspiring Canadian books through the Forest of Reading program of the On- stories. Th e panellists had thoughtful comments about each book tario Library Association (OLA). Organizers of the program, which and were almost unanimous in selecting Th e Bite of the Mango as encompasses awards such as the Blue Spruce, the Silver Birch, the the winner. All of them said they would be more interested in read- Red Maple, the White Pine and the Prix Tamarac, are confi dent that ing non-fi ction in the future. there are even more unregistered readers who are taking part in the All fi ve Young Canada Reads episodes can be found at program informally. www.cbc.ca/mainstreetns/episodes/. Registration is way up this year, says the OLA’s Meredith Tutch- ing. She attributes the rise in part to a concerted eff ort to market the program to more schools. As well, she says, they have tried to

18 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Brian Pudden, Ontario Library Association

In 2011, the fi rst year the Quiz was held in Canada, 13 teams from the Toronto area competed for the chance to go to the international fi nals. In February 2012, 44 teams from southern Ontario vied for the honour of representing Canada at the international fi nals in Auckland, New Zealand, in July. Nancy Davidson, National Coor- dinator, Kids’ Lit Quiz Canada, says that the jump in registration Festival of Trees’ White Pine fi nalists and one of their teen champions was “fuelled in part by the exceptional performance of Team Cana- da – the youngest team at the World Final — from Summit Heights increase the value to participants with additional content in the reg- Public School in Toronto, who won a silver medal!” istration packages (such as helpful instructions and activities). Th ey Th e 2012 winning team (from University of Toronto Schools) will are aware that, while some schools’ programs are run by teacher- compete against children from the host country, as well as Austra- librarians, others are run by principals, other staff or volunteer par- lia, the United States, Great Britain and South Africa. ent groups. At the Canadian competition, held at a Toronto elementary school A big part of the Forest of Reading program is the Festival of on February 7, 2012, the room was buzzing with excitement from the Trees™ — taking place in mid-May. At the two-day Toronto event, competitors, the young student runners who collected each team’s thousands of kids have the chance to celebrate the authors, hear the written answers and rushed them to the scorekeepers, and the au- announcement of the winners and meet the authors in autograph dience. An “Awesome Authors” team of Lena Coakley, Philippa sessions and workshops. A record 85 authors will be attending this Dowding, Anne Dublin and CCBN Editor Gillian O’Reilly matched year, to be welcomed by their fans. their wits with the young readers. Mabel’s Fables Bookstore gave In addition, there will be similar ceremonies in Ottawa and Th un- out book prizes aft er each round, the adult audience also competed der Bay in the following days. Eleven authors will be in attendance for gift certifi cates from Mabel’s Fables, and authors Kevin Sylvester in Ottawa and seven or eight in Th under Bay. While the winners and Jonathan Auxier were on hand to share in the fun. Th e Hon. will be known, the children and teens will have the same opportu- Laurel Broten, Ontario’s Minister of Education, came to announce nities for workshops, autographs and games. Tutching says that the the winning team and to congratulate all the participants. Th under Bay event was sold out two weeks aft er it was announced, Nancy Davidson says that there is considerable interest in hav- and 1,000 kids will be meeting the writers who have inspired such ing a Vancouver heat and she is also working on other areas of the an enthusiastic response. country. Th e challenge is to create the funding and infrastructure Satellite Forest of Reading programs — run by individual organi- for Canadian heats and travel to a national fi nal. “My goal is for the zations rather than by the OLA — will also be taking place in Dur- competition to be truly pan-Canadian.” ham Region, Peel Region, North Bay, Parry Sound and Hamilton. For further information on the Kids’ Lit Quiz or to try your hand Th roughout February and March, the OLA also conducted a at questions from past competitions, visit www.kidslitquiz.ca or competition to fi nd the most passionate Forest reader. Th e response www.kidslitquiz.com. was excellent as kids sent in essays and YouTube videos to show why Gillian O’Reilly is editor of Canadian Children’s Book News. they were the most enthusiastic.

KIDS’ LIT QUIZ EXPANDING IN CANADA! Th e international Kids’ Lit Quiz, founded 20 years ago in New Zea- land and now active in six countries, is growing rapidly in Canada with 44 teams competing in 2012. Th e Kids’ Lit Quiz gives keen readers (ages 10 to 13) the chance to compete with other readers in Canada and, if successful, with teams from around the world. Teams of four work together to answer 100 questions in ten categories — categories they learn only a minute before the competition begins. Founder Wayne Mills travels around the globe to act as quizmaster for the competitions. Th e teams compete in one big venue, writing down their group’s answers. In several countries (including Canada), a team of authors, librarians or even politicians joins the competition, although their scores don’t count. Authors team (and gargoyle mascot) at the Kids Lit Quiz fi nal.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 19 BOOKMARK POETETRY

“BOOKMARK!” HIGHLIGHTS BOOKS FOR A VARIETY OF A Second is a Hiccup: GRADE LEVELS AROUND A PARTICULAR THEME. A Child’s Book of Time written by Hazel Hutchins, Great poetry comes in many different packages — from lively picture book illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton stories to thoughtful collections to captivating novels in verse. CCBC Library (Scholastic Canada, 2009 ©2004) Coordinator Meghan Howe has put together a selection of poetic treasures As time plays out in seconds, hours, weeks published since 2004. and years, happy rhyming thoughts link with endearing illustrations to refl ect childhood days. A wonderful read-aloud. Th is title was a shortlisted for the 2005 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Chil- Poetry Pops! dren’s Non-Fiction. Shoe Shakes PICTURE BOOKS FOR KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3 written by Loris Lesynski, illustrated by Michael Martchenko Alligator Pie Mabel Murple (Annick Press, 2007) written by Dennis Lee, written by Sheree Fitch, illustrated by Frank Newfeld illustrated by Sydney Smith Rain boots / snow boots / go boots / go! In 11 (HarperCollins Canada, 2012) (Nimbus Publishing, 2010) poems, the author-poet serves up a feast of footwear fun. Artwork, rendered in pencil, “Alligator Pie, alligator pie, / If I don’t get A zany tongue twister featuring Mabel watercolour and gouache, highlights the some I think I’m gonna die.” Th is newly re- Murple, a daredevil who rides a purple text’s frolicsome nature. Young readers will issued anthology by Canada’s most beloved motorbike through purple puddles in her also enjoy Lesynski’s Dirty Dog Boogie, children’s poet has delighted readers of all vivid purple world. Sheree Fitch’s classic is Nothing Beats a Pizza and Zigzag: Zoems for ages since the fi rst edition was published in back in print with rich new illustrations Zindergarten. 1974. Other Lee classics include Garbage by Sydney Smith. Originally published in Delightt and Nicholas Knock and 1995 by Doubleday Canada with illustra- Other People. tions by Maryann Kovalski. POETRY FOR GRADES 3 TO 5 Buttercup’s Lovely Day On My Walk Earth Magic written by Carolyn Beck, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, written by Dionne Brand, illustrated by Andrea Beck illustrated by Christina Leist illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes (Orca Book Publishers, 2008) (Tradewind Books, 2009) (Kids Can Press, 2006) In poetry that winds like a creek through Join this little boy and his mom as they Simple chants, skipping songs and more a farmer’s fi eld, readers journey through venture out on a summer walk and get sophisticated poems celebrate Caribbean a lovely day in Buttercup’s life. As the cow caught in a rainstorm. Experience the things life. First published in 1979, this striking dreams about what she loves, she draws us he hears, sees, tastes and feels and imag- new edition features vibrant paintings and deep into her rich and wonderful world. ine what he smells! Th e simple text, with line drawings. Th is tale features acrylic paintings on water- onomatopoeic words, will attract young colour paper. children to this rhyming story.

Crocodiles Play! written by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by Rae Maté (Tradewind Books, 2008) Th e crocs get their athletic groove on. As kids use clues found in the rhyming text to guess which sports are being played, they will discover answers that have a funny twist. Strong verbs like “dodge” and “dash” are not only fun to say but heighten the action factor in this reptilian romp through sports. A great companion to 2005’s Croco- diles Sayy and Heidbreder’s other works, including Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, Lickety-Splitt and A Sea-Wishing Day.

20 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA The Eco-Diary of Kiran Singer Burn POETRY FOR GRADES 9 TO 12 written by Sue Ann Alderson, written by Alma Fullerton illustrated by Millie Ballance (Dancing Cat Books, 2010) The Apprentice’s Masterpiece: (Tradewind Books, 2007) A Story of Medieval Spain Th is powerful free-verse novel explores written by Melanie Little Kiran Singer wonders what a kid can do to Casey’s desperate attempt to take care of her (Annick Press, 2008) help preserve the earth. Her grandmother autistic sister and keep her family together introduces her to the wonders of Vancou- aft er her mother leaves. Th is title was short- Ramon is from a family of conversos, Jews ver’s Camosun Bog. Poems and rich illustra- listed for the 2011 TD Canadian Children’s who have converted to Christianity. Amir tions celebrate life and our ability to make Literature Award. See also Fullerton’s wears the robe and red patch of a Muslim. a diff erence. Libertad, which was shortlisted for the 2009 Th e boys come to know each other but TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. then are separated. One is enslaved, and the “I Did It Because...”: other takes up service for the Inquisitors. How a Poem Happens The Crazy Man Th eir paths cross again in a chilling scene. written by Loris Lesynski, written by Pamela Porter Shortlisted for the 2009 Geoff rey Bilson illustrated by Michael Martchenko (Groundwood Books, 2005) Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. (Annick Press, 2006) Emaline’s devastated by a terrible farm Lesynski off ers favourite poems and new accident, but healing comes about in unex- Fishtailing ones, too — plus tips for writing in rhyme, pected ways. A moving story, told in free written by Wendy Phillips illustration ideas and more. Martchenko’s verse, that deals with loss, disabilities and (Coteau Books, 2010) energetic art adds to the fun! hope. Th is title won the 2006 Geoff rey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for In this collection of poems, emails and Zorgamazoo Young People and the TD Canadian notes, the voices of Natalie, Tricia, Kyle, written by Robert Paul Weston, Children’s Literature Award. Miguel, Mrs. Farr and Ms Nishi are cleverly illustrated by Victor Rivas Villa interwoven to tell the story of four high- (Razorbill/Penguin, 2008) The Highwayman school students desperately trying to fi nd written by Alfred Noyes, their place in the world. As Natalie manipu- Morty the zorgle is the odd fi gure Katrina lates her friends, dangerous consequences spotted, bumbling through the subway. He’s illustrated by Murray Kimber (Kids Can Press, 2005) ensue. Winner of the 2011 Governor been sent on a quest to fi nd Zorgamazoo’s General’s Literary Award. lost zorgles. When Morty and Katrina join Kimber’s stunning noir interpretation of forces, they discover all of the Earth’s most the 1907 ballad is a darkly brilliant achieve- Karma magical creatures have been kidnapped. ment that stays true to the poem’s tragic written by Cathy Ostlere spirit. Young readers will also enjoy other (Pufﬁ n Canada, 2011) titles in the Vision in Poetry series featuring POETRY FOR GRADES 6 TO 9 other award-winning Canadian illustrators, Th is exquisite novel in verse is the story including Casey at the Bat, Jabberwocky, of two young people caught up in the hor- Ann and Seamus Th e Lady of Shallot, My Letter to the World rendous riots following the assassination of written by Kevin Major, and Other Poems, Th e Owl and the Pussycat India’s Prime Minister Indira Ghandi. illustrated by David Blackwood and Th e Raven. (Groundwood Books, 2003) In 1828, off the coast of Newfoundland, a young girl came upon the wreck of the Despatch, an Irish immigrant ship destined for Quebec. A poetic and powerful retelling.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 21 REVIEWS ESPEP CIALLY FOR TEACHERS The Classroom Bookshelf BY SANDRA O’BRIEN

Ecosystems Series written and illustrated by Karen Patkau Tundra Books, 2012 for Grades 2 to 5 Who Needs a Jungle? A Rainforest Ecosystem 978-0-88776-992-4 (hc) $19.99 Who Needs an Iceberg? An Arctic Ecosystem 978-0-88776-993-1 (hc) $19.99 Who Needs a Swamp? A Wetland Ecosystem 978-0-88776-991-7 (hc) $19.99

Non-ﬁ ction | Environmental Science & Ecology | Environmental Conservation & Protection | Zoology

Th e area surrounding the equator is covered in tropical rainforests, with pictures and brief descriptions about the ecosystem’s inhabit- and there are more kinds of plants and animals in this area than ants. A world map to show where each particular ecosystem can anywhere else on earth. Th e rainforest grows in layers that include be found and a glossary of relevant terms is also included in each the emergent trees, the canopy, the understory and the forest fl oor. book. Written at a Grade 2 to 5 level, the books are 32 pages long In Who Needs a Jungle? A Rainforest Ecosystem we meet many and the text is limited to one quarter of the page, which is an of the inhabitants that live in the various layers of the jungle and attractive feature for reluctant readers. Th is series should prove learn about the life cycle of a rainforest. Author Karen Patkau also to be a useful resource to introduce young students to the world’s explains how the trees protect the land and how the jungle aff ects ecosystems and their importance to our survival. weather. Finally, she explains how the rainforest supplies us with valuable oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients and raw materials and why we need the world’s rainforests to be protected. The Research Virtuoso: In a vast cold place on the top of the world, known as the Arctic, How to Find Anything You Need to Know glaciers that are thousands of years old can be found. In Who Needs written by Toronto Public Library an Iceberg? An Arctic Ecosystem we learn how icebergs form and illustrated by Victor Gad that the Arctic tundra is a great treeless plain that receives little Annick Press, 2012 precipitation. We meet the fascinating inhabitants that live on land 9781554513949 (pb) $14.95 and in the sea and discover the stark diff erence between summer for Grade 12 and up and winter in this polar region. Patkau also explains how global warming is contributing to the melting of the Arctic Ice Cap and Non-ﬁ ction | Internet | Technology | Research | Problem Solving | Study how this will aff ect our world. Although swamps may oft en be seen as dangerous, useless places, In this revised and updated guide, students are taught about the the draining of them to create farmland or to rid an area of insects process of researching. Th ey will learn how to conceive, organize, ruins a unique habitat for the plants and animals that live there. carry out and record research for papers and projects. Written for Swamps also protect shoreline and clean water, which improves the college and university students, this guide would also be an excel- quality of life, both on land and in the sea. In Who Needs a Swamp? lent resource for all Grade 12 students to have and read before A Wetland Ecosystem we meet the glorious creatures that inhabit they hit campus in the fall. wetlands and discover how swamps prevent fl ooding, protect soil Th e book begins by discussing how to prepare oneself to do and play an important part in the earth’s water cycle. research. It looks at Bloom’s Taxonomy and explains how to use Patkau explains the importance of each ecosystem with clear it to dig deeper into the research in order to analyze, evaluate and and concise details, using computer-generated artwork to bring the create. Th is fi rst section stresses the importance of understanding fl ora and fauna of each system to life in this new series from Tundra the requirements of the assignment and committing to a research Books. Each volume explains what makes a particular ecosystem plan. It then goes on to discuss how to gather existing knowledge unique, discusses the food chain and contains a four-page section and ideas; identify key words; use visual organizers; access knowl-

22 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA OWN A CANADIAN TREASURE! ENJOY A DAZZLING EXHIBIT! edge of others, including teachers and librarians; consider the audience and develop a focus for the research. Art Auction of Locating information and where to go to do that is discussed in the second section. It explains there are three types of information — Originalg Illustrations primary, secondary and tertiary sources — and gives examples of each kind. It further elaborates on using the Internet and search engines; the library, its card catalogue and databases; archives and from Canadian how to use an archival fi nding aid; and how to conduct personal interviews as sources of possible information. Children’s Books Th e third section deals with evaluating and processing the A FUNDRAISER FOR THE information once it’s collected. It explains how to skim and scan for CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE relevant information using the ABCs of evaluation — Is the Author someone you can trust? When evaluating the Body of a source, consider these: objectivity, accuracy, completeness, relevancy and October 16, 2012 format. And fi nally how Current is the information? Once this step is complete, the note taking begins, and the latter part of this section helps students organize the information they’ve collected Over so far. Plagiarism is discussed at length to help students avoid this 80 pieces dangerous trap, as are quotes, citation styles and bibliographic data. Finally, students are ready to create their masterpieces. Th e last of art section explains how to craft a strong thesis statement, how to from 73 create an outline or structure for the paper, and the draft ing stage. n noted Th e authors provide a list of what is essential to any good research illustrators! paper and a fi ve-point checklist to evaluate the content; verify the oseé Bisaillo J facts; check the transitions, language and mechanics; polish the © documentation and think about the presentation, whether it be visual, oral or written. The Art Auction will be preceded by a month-long Th e Grab & Go pages included at the end of each section provide exhibit at the new Education Centre at the Montreal an invaluable resource for students at each stage of the research Museum of Fine Art throughout September. process as they include a Get Organized Checklistt and blank tem- plates to use. Recommended books on writing and research are also A superb opportunity to enjoy a remarkable array cited. Once students are fi nished writing essays, this guide will also of talent from this country’s great illustrators. help them do research when they’re ready to buy their fi rst car, plan a vacation or when looking for a new job. It is hard to imagine a Contributing artists include: Steve Adams, Marion Arbona, more comprehensive guide to doing research than this one. Grade Isabelle Arsenault, Doris Barrette, Christiane Beauregard, 12, college and university students would all benefi t from owning Philippe Béha, Rebecca Bender, Steve Beshwaty, Josée Bisaillon, Sylvie Bourbonnière, France Brassard, Geneviève Côté, such a well-structured book. Stéphan Daigle, Brian Deines, Kady MacDonald Denton, Sandra O’Brien is a former teacher with an M.Ed. in Children’s Literature. Wallace Edwards, Jean-Paul Eid, Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal, Fanny, Eugenie Fernandes, Annouchka Gravel Galouchko, Manon Gauthier, Marie-Louise Gay, Celia Godkin, Jacques Goldstyn, Georgia Graham, Gabrielle Grimard, Mylène Henry, Pierre Houde, Martha and Nell Jocelyn, Dominique Jolin, Susan Rennick Jolliffe, Stéphane Jorisch, Melinda Josie, Vladyana Krykorka, Darcia Labrosse, Anabelle Lachance, Benoît Laverdière, Mireille Levert, Isabelle Malenfant, Céline Malépart, Michael Martchenko, Jirina Marton, Josée Masse, Caroline Merola, Judith Christine Mills, Robin Muller, Janice Nadeau, Gillian Newland, Ruth Ohi, Karen Patkau, Stéphane Poulin, Barbara Reid, Scot Ritchie, Bruce Roberts, Rogé, Graham Ross, Marisol Sarrazin, Kathryn Shoemaker, Bruno St-Aubin, François Thisdale, Jan Thornhill, Jean-Luc Trudel, Anne Villeneuve, Andrea Wayne von Königslöw, Mary Wallace, Mélanie Watt, Janet Wilson, Yayo, Daniela Zékina, Ludmila Zeman, Ange Zhang, Song Nan Zhang, Werner Zimmermann

Mark your calendars now!

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA REVIEWS BOOK BITS Let Me Tell You a Secret… BY LISA DOUCET

Circle of Cranes Above 40 Things Stolen Away written by Annette LeBox written by Leah Bobet I Want to Tell You written by Alyxandra Harvey Penguin Canada, 2012 Arthur A. Levine Books written by Alice Kuipers Bloomsbury USA, 2012 978-0-8037-3443-2, (hc) $18.00 (Scholastic Inc.), 2012 Harper Trophy Canada, 2012 978-0-8027-2189-1 (hc) $21.00 for Grades 7 to 11 978-0-545-28670-0 (hc )$19.99 978-1-44340-587-4 (pb ) $14.99 for Grades 7 to 19 for Grades 8 and up for Grades 9 and up Fiction | Migrant Workers | Fiction | Fantasy | Faeries | Friendship | Secrets Fiction | Urban Fantasy | Secrets Fiction | Choices | Secrets Secrets

Secrets — especially family secrets — provide rich fodder for young Suyin’s story is as beautifully told and intricately woven as the adult novelists. Some of the best-loved books, past and present, are exquisite tapestries that are so central to it. Th e depiction of the steeped in secrets, oft en depicting the fi ne line between secrets and migrant workers’ plight in America, the country to which they have lies. Occasionally protagonists must learn when to protect a secret been lured with false promises, is convincingly told and provides a and when secrets only serve to create division and discord. In each of riveting read, while Suyin’s secret life with the cranes lends a beauti- the following — very distinct — tales, the main characters stumble ful fairy-tale quality to the story. Many secrets are eventually re- upon an important secret and/or hold within themselves a secret vealed to Suyin by the crane women, but she, too, keeps secrets from with major repercussions. In each case, how these secrets aff ect and her newfound friends, and these prove costly and damaging. But just shape these young people makes for entertaining reading. as LeBox weaves her story into a delicate, unifi ed whole so, too, does Circle of Cranes by Annette LeBox is an intriguing blend of Suyin learn to blend the realities of her existence. folk tale and contemporary social commentary. Suyin, an orphan In Leah Bobet’s fi rst novel, Above, we also fi nd a gritty real-world girl from a poor Chinese village, is chosen by her people to go to setting for a gorgeously craft ed urban fantasy that is steeped in America to earn much-needed money to send back to the village. secrets. Here we fi nd Safe, an underground community that has Alas, when she embarks on this life-changing voyage, Suyin learns evolved to provide refuge to those who have been labelled as Sick, the terrible truth: that the villagers have essentially sold her into Freak or Beast, to save them from the Whitecoats and to off er all the slavery. She becomes one of the many women forced to work in a comforts of a home. Matthew is their Teller. He is also deeply in love sweatshop in present-day New York City. Th e working conditions with Ariel, a fragile and broken slip of a girl whom he once found in are deplorable, the illegal workers suff er mistreatment and cruelty at the Tunnels and has gently, lovingly cared for ever since — Ariel the the hands of their bosses and they work long, hard days for very little Bee-Girl with her diaphanous wings and her penchant for running pay. In fact, many months go by without their receiving any pay at away, Ariel who has horrible secrets that prevent Matthew from be- all. Th e only things that help Suyin get through these dark days are ing able to reach her despite his best eff orts. And then, on Sanctuary the friends she has made and her special secret: her initiation into Night, Safe is invaded by an army of Shadows. Atticus, their leader the Crane Sisterhood. During covert visits with her crane sisters, and mentor, is slain. A handful of survivors — Matthew and Ariel, they gently guide and teach her. Slowly she learns the secrets of her Whisper and Jack — fl ee to the world Above. It falls to them to past, present and future as well as the truth about her mother and her regroup and to fi nd a way to reclaim and rebuild their shattered un- own unique destiny. While Suyin’s daily life is one of drudgery and derground home, their Sanctuary from those who will never accept hardship, she alone can save the Crane Sisterhood from certain ex- them as they are. As Matthew struggles to hold on to his beloved tinction. Ultimately, she comes to see that her two seemingly separate Ariel, he begins to learn her secrets and very nearly lets himself be lives are very much interwoven and that the lessons she learns from destroyed by them. He is also forced to face the truth about Atticus the crane women are just as important to her in her everyday life. and Safe — and the secrets from the past that he has guarded and/

24 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA or denied — that have lead to this. Above is indeed a story of secrets, and of beauty and brokenness. It is heartbreaking and exquisite, a lyrical rendering of fl awed but beautiful people. Readers will revel in the musicality of the prose as they are transported into the heart of ANNUAL Safe and its many secrets. Of course contemporary teens in very real-world settings also GENERAL keep and discover secrets… and are hurt by them. In Alice Kuipers’ latest off ering, 40 Th ings I Want To Tell You, Bird is a totally together MEETING teen who thrives on being organized and in control. She is a model student who has a wonderful boyfriend, an amazingly supportive and quirky best friend, parents who adore her and a fi rm vision for OF THE her future. She also has an online column in which she shares her Top Tips and doles out advice to teens who write to her with their CANADIAN questions. But from the moment that Pete Loewen, a known rebel and troublemaker, arrives on the scene, Bird’s seemingly perfect world starts to cave in. Despite her best eff orts to deny and resist her CHILDREN’S attraction to him, Bird can’t help but see all the ways in which she has been lying to herself and others. As her life races very much out BOOK CENTRE of control, Bird instinctively tries to keep everything to herself until she can come up with all the right answers. But when her secrets come to light, she ends up hurting many of the people she loves Tuesday, June 19,9, 2012 most. Slowly, painfully she fi nds her own truth, a truth that she 6:00 p.m. can live with. Many teens will empathize with Bird and her fear of facing her own imperfections, even as they shake their heads at the inevitability of the fall that she sets herself up for. Best friend Cleo is a likeable, Room 200 well-developed character. Unfortunately, Pete, despite his signifi cant Northern District Library role in the story, remains a largely unknown and one-dimensional individual who claims that there is more to him than meets the eye 40 Orchard View Blvd. although we are never given the opportunity to see this. Neverthe- (Yonge and Eglinton) less, the secrets that come to light through the course of the story Toronto, Ontario will entice and engage numerous readers. Finding out that one’s aunt is the wife of a mutinous fairy king M4R 1B9 who refuses to give up his throne would certainly qualify as the discovery of a major family secret! Th is is precisely what happens to Eloise Hart in Stolen Awayy by Alyxandra Harvey. Without much Reception to follow at warning, Eloise and her best friends, Jo and Devin, fi nd themselves The Canadian Children’s Book Centre fi rmly entrenched in the politics and intrigues of the world of faery as Eloise is kidnapped by the power-hungry Lord Strahan. When her Aunt Antonia arrives on the scene and Eloise is transported safely back home, she and her friends soon realize that they will need to formulate a pretty serious plan to rescue Antonia and to take down Lord Strahan. With the help of the odd assortment of faery folk that they’ve encountered along the way, the teens return to Strahan’s rath and set in motion a plot to overthrow the evil lord. Stolen Awayy is a fast-paced tale that is chock full of fascinating faery lore. Both Eloise and Jo, who narrate the story in alternating Guest Speaker: chapters, learn shocking secrets about signifi cant people in their Marsha Skrypuch lives. Th e three teens are very likeable and believable characters whose friendship is one of the strongest elements of the book. Th e dialogue is smart and witty, and readers will enjoy their antics both Members and public welcome in the real world and the faery realm. Secrets… at the heart of all four of these tales lie a variety of secrets. Some are long-held family secrets with huge implications while others are smaller, though no less signifi cant to those aff ected by them. Th ese are four very diff erent books, but each isj ust waiting to share its secrets! For more information, visit Lisa Doucet is Co-Manager of Woozles, the Halifax bookstore. www.bookcentre.ca

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 25 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS We Recommend NEW AND NOTED BOOKS FOR TODDLERS TO TEENS

The Mouse Who Saved Egypt Virginia Wolf written by Karim Alrawi written by Kyo Maclear illustrated by Bee Willey illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault Tradewind Books, 2011 Kids Can Press, 2012 978-1-896580-79-1 (hc) $16.95 978-1-55453-649-8 (hc) $18.95 for Kindergarten to Grade 3 for Kindergarten to Grade 3

Picture Book | Folk Tales | Mice | Egypt Picture Book | Depression | Sisters | Imagination A desert thornbush has entrapped a mouse. Freedom surprisingly From the creative duo of Spork comes the imaginative tale of two comes from the rescuing hand of a young Egyptian prince who, sisters — one who is depressed and the other who will do whatever upon noticing the tiny one’s plight, releases the creature. “True it takes to help her sister shake the blues. Th is story was inspired by greatness is being kind, and true kindness is never forgotten,” the British writer Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. grateful mouse tells the prince as it scurries away. In time, the Th e real Virginia Woolf suff ered through periods of depression her prince is crowned a pharaoh, proving to be a kindly and just ruler. entire life. All goes well until disturbing news comes that a large foreign army Th e story opens with Vanessa explaining that her sister is planning to attack Egypt. Th e mouse, overhearing this report, Virginia woke up in a wolfi sh mood. She doesn’t want Vanessa to persuades his diminutive compatriots that his rescuer needs their paint her picture or to visit with any of her friends. As Maclear assistance. By the thousands, the mice set off across the desert, writes “Th e whole house sank. / Up became down. / Bright became and while the enemy sleeps, they gnaw through the leather of their dim. / Glad became gloom.”” No matter what Vanessa does, she can’t saddles, shields, bows and clothing. Th e foes flee upon realizing pull Virginia out of her depressive state. that they can not lift their weapons, saddle their horses or wear In a tender moment shared by the sisters, Virginia says that their clothes. In gratitude, the pharaoh builds a temple in honour she might feel better if she was fl ying. When Vanessa asks where of the sun god, placing a statue of a golden mouse inside to remind she would like to go, Virginia describes the perfect place —“a the Egyptians “...that every act of kindness is rewarded — though place with frosted cakes and beautiful fl owers and excellent trees to sometimes in unexpected ways.” climb...”” — a place she calls Bloomsberry. Egyptian-born Karim Alrawi narrates a captivating ancient While Virginia sleeps, Vanessa comes up with a plan that she Middle Eastern folk tale in an unadorned, yet engaging, manner. hopes will help her ailing sister. She grabs her art supplies and His voice is that of a storyteller, capturing the mystique and the decides to paint Bloomsberry. Up until this moment, Arsenault’s grandeur of the land and its people. colour palette is primarily black, grey and white with touches Bee Willey’s double-paged digital artwork educates as well as of red, yellow and blue. However, when Vanessa begins to paint entertains. Readers will be fascinated not only by the ancient Egyp- Bloomsberry, the pages explode in colour. Th e eff ect is similar to tian panorama, but also with the architecture, customs, clothing the moment when Dorothy opens the door to reveal Munchkinland and communications of this venerable civilization. Look closely! in all its Technicolor glory in the fi lm version of Th e Wizard of Oz. Th e heroic mouse can be spotted on nearly every page. When Virginia awakes from her sleep, she takes notice of Van- Th is delightful teaching tale exemplifi es what a big diff erence a essa’s eff orts and joins in helping to create Bloomsberry. At this little bit of kindness can make. moment “Th e whole house lift ed. / Down became up. / Dim became

Senta Ross is a former elementary teacher and teacher-librarian in Kitchener, Ontario. bright. / Gloom became glad.” Th roughout the story, Arsenault paints Virginia as a dark silhouette of a wolf. At the end, when Virginia has recovered, the illustrator provides a visual surprise for readers. Th is gentle story, hand lettered by the illustrator herself and with artwork rendered in mixed media that was digitally assem- bled, will introduce young readers to the topic of depression in a sensitive manner. Arsenault’s exquisite artwork is perfectly paired with Maclear’s emotionally powerful text.

Meghan Howe is the Library Coordinator at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

26 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Kishka for Koppel Th e Qalupalik is an evil monster living beneath the icy ocean’s written by Aubrey Davis surface. Children are admonished not to wander close to the water’s illustrations by Sheldon Cohen edge for fear the qalupalik will kidnap them and carry them far Orca Book Publishers 2011 out to sea. One spring day as the ice is breaking up, three children 978-1-55469-299-6 (hc) $19.95 ignore this warning and play on the beach. When the qalupalik is for Kindergarten to Grade 3 spotted, they fl ee from the shore. Unfortunately, one orphan boy is captured because the holes in his kamiik (boots) slow him down. Picture Book | Folk Tales | Humour | Jewish Story Th e monster becomes intrigued with the boy’s bare feet, and the As Koppel, the junkman, plods wearily along, his legs feeling heavy orphan cleverly devises an opportunity to escape by threatening “like Mama’s noodle pudding,” he fi nds a discarded meat grinder that his toes will devour the beast. Th e frightened qalupalik disap- that off ers him three wishes. Rushing home, he and his wife eagerly pears into the water — without the child. plan for an extravagant future. Sadly, when two wishes are used Iqaluit-born performer and storyteller Elisha Kilabuk animates accidentally, Koppel ends up with a length of kishka (sausage) our senses through his spare, yet vivid, retelling of this traditional attached to his nose. Desperately, the third wish is activated to tale. Th rough his words we can see, hear and feel what is trans- redeem the situation. Koppel and Yetta have the wisdom to realize piring: “Th e qalupaliit make strange sounds that can be heard that they are rich in what matters, their love for each other. coming from under the ice. Th ey sound similar to underwater air Based on the popular three-wishes motif, this version has its bubbles, like ‘biibii...biibii...biibii...’” Joy Ang’s eerie digital illustra- own unique vitality and fl avour. Th e old-time Jewish humour tions of the menacing qalupalik — its slimy green skin, webbed feet and vocabulary as well as the fast-paced sassy dialogue all add an and empty eyes — will linger on in readers’ memories long aft er the appealing piquancy. A Yiddish glossary is appended. book has been set aside. Th e meat grinder is portrayed with its own personality, and the Th e Legend of the Fogg also concerns a monster, though the tone characters of Koppel and Yetta are realistically lovable. With their here is defi nitely more sinister than in Th e Qalupalik. A young human foibles and frailties, they demonstrate that true happiness man named Quannguaviniq walks on the tundra, meeting there does not lie in material wealth, a salutary lesson for all. an enormous tuurngaq, a demonic spirit in the shape of a hideous Sheldon Cohen, award-winning animator and illustrator, has giant. Fearing that the tuurngaq will kill him, Quannguaviniq lies created rich, colourful acrylic artwork full of wry observation. upon the ground, pretending to be frozen to death. Fooled, the Subtle details, such as hilarious facial expressions, demonstrate monster carries the man to his family, where they wait for the body the many fl uctuations of mood, and the artful whimsy is in perfect to thaw before devouring him. As the family sleeps, Quanngua- harmony with the drollery of the text. viniq plans his escape. He beheads the tuurngaq and runs out into Th is story, adapted from a 2007 movie, is another great example the darkness, only to be followed relentlessly by the giant’s ter- of Aubrey Davis’s ability to give an old tale an ethnic twist. It is an rifying wife. Th e ever resourceful young man urges her to drink appealing addition for all collections and an irresistible read aloud all the water from a river until she explodes. Th e steam emanating for story time. from her body creates a thick fog over the land, this for the very

Aileen Wortley is a retired children’s librarian in Toronto. fi rst time. From the opening sentence, Nunavut storyteller Qaunaq Mik- kigak, together with Toronto librarian and author Joanne Schwartz, The Qalupalik entrances us with the retelling of this centuries-old Inuit tale. written by Elisha Kilabuk Readers will experience good versus evil, the force of nature and illustrated by Joy Ang plenty of suspense. Details such as “Th e cry of the raven pierced the Inhabit Media Inc., 2011 silence. Th en it was quiet again,” contribute greatly to the richness 978-1-926569-31-4 (hc) $12.95 of the text. for Grades 1 to 3 Danny Christopher’s digital and watercolour illustrations eff ectively portray the barren and haunting Arctic environment. Picture Book | Inuit Mythology | Monsters Although most of the story takes place at night, Christopher mas- The Legend of the Fog terfully employs the shards of light radiating from the moonlight written by Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz and campfi re to outline the ghostly setting and characters. illustrated by Danny Christopher Both the “qalupalik” and “tuurngaq” will now become better Inhabit Media Inc., 2011 known within the lexicon of Canadian mythology as a result of 978-1-926569-45-1 (hc) $13.95 these two fi ne publications. for Grades 3 to 6 Senta Ross

Picture Book | Inuit Mythology | Monsters Th e focus of Inhabit Media is to acquaint modern-day readers with the rich tradition of Inuit storytelling and to ensure that aspects of Inuit oral history are preserved for future generations. Here are two creative publications that pertain to Arctic mythological creatures.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 27 Seal Song In this esoteric book, readers feel they are in a dream world. Th e written by Andrea Spalding stark land, the strange, remote characters and the use of haunting, illustrated by Pascal Milelli melodic refrains combine to create an illusory, sometimes men- Orca Book Publishers, 2011 acing atmosphere. Th is quality is reinforced by extravagant cos- 978-1-55469-242-2 (hc) $19.95 tumes and fanciful made-up faces but mostly through the beautiful for Grades 1 to 4 photographic images of lonely fi gures trudging through surreal, harsh landscapes. Picture Book | Folk Tale | Celtic Mythology | A fi rst children’s book for Diana Kolpak and photographer Kath- Fishing Life | West Coast leen Finlay, Starfalll can be read as a simple quest story but is more Finn, the son of a salmon fi sherman, loves nothing more than to overtly an allegory for the triumph of good over evil and the need slip away to a secret cove to swim with the seals. His greatest wish to endure in order to achieve one’s goals. Th is duality of purpose is to hear the seals singing, for it is believed that this will bring does not always fl ow smoothly and in some areas has weakened the good fortune. One aft ernoon, Finn rescues his favourite seal by plotline, detracting from an otherwise intriguing and original con- untangling her from old netting. While caring for her he says, cept. Nevertheless, this title will make a handsome and thoughtful “You’re my best friend. I wish you lived on land.” Th at night Finn addition for large and special libraries or in classrooms where there hears the singing of the seals for the fi rst time. An unusual child is an opportunity to discuss the ideals encompassed within the named Sheila appears on the wharf the very next day. Rumours story. abound that she is one of the seal folk: “Th e child will never let salt Aileen Wortley water touch her skin. If it does, she must return to the sea.” Finn befriends Sheila, but notes how she shrinks away from the water. Strangely, Finn and his father begin to catch a record number of Dog Breath salmon. In his quest to take in even more, Finn rows alone into a written by Carolyn Beck storm, ignoring Sheila’s pleas to remain on land. It is now her turn illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan to save his life, but by entering the sea her human shape reverts Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011 to that of a seal. 978-1-55455-180-4 (hc) $18.95 Andrea Spalding has intertwined traditional Celtic folklore with for Grades 2 and up the west coast fi shing way of life to create an enchanting story about Picture Book | Animals | Dogs | Death & Dying a loyal and, ultimately, life-altering friendship. She writes beautifully, with such powerful imagery and a strong sense of place that Th e death of a pet is diffi cult territory, but this book approaches the text could easily stand on its own. Feel the suspense and force the subject with grace and good humour. of the storm from this brief excerpt: “Finn’s boat fl oundered in Refl ecting on the loss of his dog, the young narrator takes us the heaving swells. Th e wind howled, freezing his hands. Th e rain through his fondest memories of his furry friend — where he became blinding sleet. ‘Which way?’ he cried.” slept, his favourite toys, plus lots of the kind of mischief familiar to Pascal Milelli’s vibrant oil paintings transport readers to the nat- dog lovers everywhere. Dribbly toilet bowl drinks, stolen turkeys, ural surroundings of a fi shing community. He achieves a dramatic musical howlings and runaway days are all part of the bittersweet eff ect yb employing blocks of colour, with emphasis on blues and musings. greens, so supporting Spalding by creating the perfect atmosphere Dog owners will recognize so much here, from the “waggy and for her beautifully craft ed text. An inspired pairing! Seal Songg will happy” looks to bath time pathos (“wet and skinny, fur stuck to captivate and entrance young imaginations. your bones”), from chewed socks to spilled teacups (that wagging tail again!). It’s an honest portrayal of a relationship that defi nitely Senta Ross has its ups and downs. Author Carolyn Beck has a delightful way with language, and Starfall her portrait of this lovable, all-purpose dog is astonishingly real. Written by Diana Kolpak Details such as the jingle of a collar, or the touch of a cold muzzle in Photographs by Kathleen Finlay the early morning, bring the relationship between dog and owner to Red Deer Press, 2011 life. And Brooke Kerrigan’s illustrations of this comical, quizzical 978-0-88995-469-4 (hc) $19.95 canine make each scene absolutely vivid. for Grades 1 to 4 Dog Breath describes how a beloved pet can leave an indelible mark on a family’s emotional landscape, and off ers a way of holding Picture Book | Fantasy | Quest | Endurance memories of a lost loved one close to your heart. Th e book will be a On her journey through a frozen landscape, Meera, a clown, good jumping-off point for young children who need to fi nd a way searches for stars that will return light to her dark winter world. to accept the loss of a well-loved pet.

Persisting despite harsh, exhausting circumstances, she meets var- Darby Macnab is a Media Technician in the Learning Commons at The Bishop ious characters en route, including a wooden fortune teller, a dream Strachan School. tree and a spinner. Some help her while others present hurdles to be overcome. Using the principles of belief and bravery, she endures until she is shown that the light for which she searches is within her. With this awareness she unleashes the stars and brings an end to winter.

28 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Breakfast on a Dragon’s Tail and Other Book Bites written and illustrated by Martin Springett Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011 IN OUR 978-1-55455-193-4 (hc) $18.95 for Grades 3 and up NEXT ISSUE... Picture Book | Imagination & Play | Story Writing Speculative Fiction Today! It has been said that the most important character in any story Rachel Seigel offers a look at is the reader. In this off ering from writer and illustrator Martin Springett, the saying could not be truer. Breakfast on a Dragon’s what is happening in Canadian Taill is not so much a story but a collection of “book bites” or fi rst pages of many tales intended to entice readers to complete the sto- speculative ﬁ ction for children ries themselves. Each two-page spread has a full-page illustration and teens and the fi rst page of a story, ending with some questions for the reader to consider as they fi nish the tale. Th e fi rst story involves a princess determined to go for a summer Plus ride despite warnings that a great dragon is roaming the country- side. Other “bites” include a boy with a lost mother, a girl who a proﬁ le of Penny Draper, authorhor confronts bullies in her dreams, a winter imp who keeps coming of the Disaster Strikes! series;ries; out to play in the summer and a girl who goes inside the world of her favourite book. Springett’s accompanying illustrations are done how books like This Darkark in a variety of styles with plenty of colour and enough detail to draw the eye of readers young and old alike. Endeavour and the Boyy Sherlock While not a traditional picture book, Breakfast on a Dragon’s Holmes series can leadd readers Taill is a rich, multi-level classroom resource. Pre-readers might complete the stories orally or by creating their own illustrations. to the classics; and reviewsviews In the primary and junior grades, the tales could be fi nished as poems, comic books, picture or chapter books or even scripts for of over 30 new titles drama. As an art project students could create their own cover illustrations. Th e possibilities for extension activities are plentiful. Springett encourages his readers to use their imaginations as well as off ering some concrete story-writing tips in the Author’s Note. As an added bonus, completed stories can be sent to the publisher COMING to be posted on the website. Tracey Schindler is a teacher who currently works at the Ajax Public Library. IN MAY 2012... Watch for Box of Shocks written by Chris McMahen the new edition of Orca Book Publishers 2011 978-1-55469-917-9 (pb) $9.95 Best Books for Kids & Teens, for Grades 3 to 6 your guide to the best Fiction | Adventure | Family Life new Canadian books, Oliver craves freedom from his parents’ over- protective restrictions. In quiet rebellion he magazines, audio and video begins a series of secret, daring adventures, obsessively placing handpicked by experts. souvenirs from each escapade in an old wooden box he calls his “Box of Shocks.” Returning from vacation to fi nd his family has unexpect- edly moved house, he is horrifi ed to realize that his cherished box remains behind in its secret hiding place. While retrieving his treasure he befriends the new occupant — sad, unloved Diggory. Oliver now learns another interpretation of shocking and an appreciation of his own life. For more information, visit Oliver is a well-drawn character whose pragmatic attitude, honesty www.bookcentre.ca and humour are endearing, and who quickly overcomes the reader’s

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 29 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

initial impression of selfi shness. Th e story is told in the fi rst person, The Grave Robber’s Apprentice and we are swept along as he rationalizes his behaviour, braves a written by Allan Stratton mysterious house, evades the jaws of a fi erce dog or recognizes the HarperCollins Canada, 2012 tragic circumstances in which Diggory lives and his own compara- 978-1-55468-825-8 (hc) $18.99 tive good fortune. 978-1-44341-145-5 (ebook) $14.99 While Oliver’s parents are positive role models with real personali- for Grades 4 and up ties, the shadowy characters of Diggory and his family are disqui- Fiction | Fantasy | Adventure eting and more symbolic. Th eir circumstances, perhaps realistically, are never really resolved, leaving both the reader and Oliver pon- Hans has a mysterious past. Adopted as a baby dering Diggory’s fate and hoping that the friendship off ered by Oliver when Knobbe the Bent, the grave robber, found him washed ashore was enough to make a diff erence. in a wooden box, he has no idea what his true origins are. When With a facetious warning to read at your own risk, this well- the evil Archduke Arnulf chooses Countess Angela Gabriela von written novel is a fast-paced, quirky experience that touches poi- Schwanenberg to be the next in a long line of child brides who die gnantly upon more serious issues. It will capture children’s attention on their wedding day, she is forced to fl ee. Fate brings her together from the start, combining as it does adventure, humour and just a with Hans, and the two of them set off on a dangerous quest little coming of age. to uncover the truth about Hans’ past and to save Angela from

Aileen Wortley unimaginable horrors. Allan Stratton, renowned young adult author, makes his middle- grade debut with this rip-roaring fantasy adventure. Containing all The Mighty Miss Malone of the elements of a successful fairy tale, the novel will hook readers written by Christopher Paul Curtis from the start. Random House of Canada, 2012 Hans, the grave robber’s apprentice, is obviously more than 978-0-385-73-491-2 (hc) $18.99 what he appears to be, and hints about his identity are sprinkled for Grades 3 to 7 liberally throughout the text. He is kind, loyal and courageous, has graces above his station, and, of course, a strange birthmark Fiction | Great Depression | Black American History on his shoulder. Angela has an active imagination and a penchant Twelve-year-old Deza Malone is the smartest for drama, and she too is courageous, resourceful and intelligent. girl in her class, and seems destined for special Both are extremely likeable, and their relationship is completely things. Her older brother, Jimmie, may not have her smarts, but he believable. has a voice like an angel, and when he sings, people stop to listen. Th e writing is clever and funny, and the book moves along Th e town of Gary has been hit hard by the Depression, and jobs swift ly. While it does contain many fantasy elements, the novel’s are scarce — especially for black men like Deza’s father. When her biggest strength is that ultimately the villains are defeated with a father leaves Gary to fi nd work, Deza, Jimmie and their mother set combination of ingenuity and dramatic fl are. off in his wake, always holding hope that they will fi nd him. Th eir Whether as a read alone or a read aloud, this wholly enjoyable journey takes many twists and turns, but the spirit with which novel is bound to become a popular choice with young readers and Deza faces it all proves that she is the Mighty Miss Malone. will take its place amongst other beloved children’s classics. Th is new novel by Christopher Paul Curtis marks the fi rst time Rachel Seigel he has written from a girl’s point of view, and the eff ort is a successful one. Deza’s character practically jumps off the page, and Curtis gets the voice exactly right. She’s smart and spunky and The Winter Pony loyal, but is also stubborn and fi ercely competitive. Th ese qualities written by Iain Lawrence sometimes lead her to good things, and sometimes to bad, but no Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011 matter what, she is always entertaining and endearing. One of the 978-0-385-73377-9 (hc) $18.99 more interesting aspects of Deza are the two parts of her brain, 978-0-375-98361-0 (ebook) $16.99 which are a lot like the angel and devil on her shoulders. On the one for Grades 6 to 9 side is the part that tells her to be good, and knows the diff erence Fiction | Antarctic History | Polar Explorers between right and wrong. On the other side is the part that is the troublemaker, and sometimes it takes great will to ignore it. A white pony’s carefree years in Siberia’s forests Th e historical setting is vividly depicted, and readers will get an end abruptly when he is captured and put to work under the con- excellent sense of the hardships of the time. Th e story is also well- stant lash of cruelty. When he is chosen to accompany Englishman paced and interesting, and never feels didactic or old-fashioned. Robert Falcon Scott’s quest to become the fi rst to reach the South Overall this is an excellent and enjoyable read and will hold Pole, the last thing he expects from Scott’s men is kindness — and appeal for both male and female readers. a name, James Pigg. Once in Antarctica, the entire crew is instantly

Rachel Seigel is Selection Manager at S&B Books in Mississauga. swept up in a race to the Pole against the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. It is evident that in this frigid land, not all were meant to survive, and not all will. With an introduction setting up the race through Antarctica, the story moves in lurches at the start. Lawrence takes the time to ease

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$4.95 Teachers and librarians, we know you are faced with WINTER 2012 VOL. 35 NO. 1 the challenging task of buying the best books for your schools on a limited budget. Best Books for Kids & Teens RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS and Canadian Children’s Book News, are resources to Illustration Plus! Graphic Novel Artistry help you choose the right books for your classrooms ILLUSTRATOR IAN WALLACE 40+ LEAVES NOTHING recommended TO CHANCE new books and libraries every time. by Deborah Ellis, CONFESSIONS ON Karen Bass, SLIPPING INTO FICTION Brian Deines, Special bulk subscription rates to school boards ensure GOLD MEDAL Sigmund Brouwer OLYMPIC READING and more that every library in your board gets two issues of BBKT each year and four issues of CCBN. Take advantage of our special subscription rates. It’s time to ﬁ ll your classrooms and libraries with the best. Purchase a subscription for every school in your board today!

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the reader into the pony’s mind frame, a simple, plain sort of telling The Green Man style (“To go from a life in a forest to a life like that made me sad. written by Michael Bedard I wanted to drink from a stream, not a bucket…”). James Pigg’s nar- Tundra Books, 2012 rative is interspersed with short passages summarizing specifi cs of 978-1-77049-285-1 (hc) $21.99 the two men’s journey not viewable from a pony’s perspective, and 978-1-77049-293-6 (ebook) $11.99 these sections tend to be more engaging than the main narrative. for Grades 6 to 10 Th is is mainly because of forward movement in the passages, while Fiction | Writing | Creativity | Magic | Family the pony’s storyline consists of multiple accounts of close calls with blizzards, killer whales and illness. All of the above are realistically With his latest novel, writer Michael Bedard detailed, though repetition makes them less gripping than they mines rich and familiar territory (the town of Caledon), familiar could be. characters (the Endicott family) and familiar concerns (the forces Th ings pick up toward the end, with James Pigg’s naïve outlook of life and creativity and the nature of evil) — all of which he fi nally shift ing as Captain Scott shows his true colours. Th e nega- explored in his previous books, A Darker Magicc and Painted Devil. tive atmosphere usually conjured by a steady stream of deaths is But, in doing so, the Governor-General’s Award-winning author off set yb the pony’s straightforward perspective, and the urgency reminds us that no territory is really familiar — that our real world of the race adds an extra boost to the pacing. Th ough the abrupt and mysterious worlds are interwoven. switch to an omniscient point of view to fi nish off the story is jar- When 15-year-old Ophelia (who prefers to be called O) heads ring, readers will pick up the story’s thread easily, eager to discover east for the summer to help her Aunt Emily run her used book- how the race across the bottom of the world ultimately ends. store, Th e Green Man, she knows that her aunt, a poet, is somewhat

Yahong Chi is an Ottawa-based book reviewer who blogs at eccentric. Th rough the layered perspectives of O and Emily, we http://yahongchi.blogspot.com. learn that Emily is haunted by the legacy of a recurring magic show presided over by a malevolent magician, Mephisto. Emily grows increasingly anxious as the anniversary of the show approaches. Run Marco Run O fi nds herself drawn to a young poet who appears in the aisles of written by Norma Charles the bookstore. As she, too, is caught up in the mystery, the cluttered Ronsdale Press, 2011 bookstore gives way to lush green ravines and rooms of fl ickering 978-1-55380-131-3 (pb) $11.95 fi re, magic and danger. for Grades 6 to 10 You don’t need to have read A Darker Magicc or Painted Devill to enjoy Th e Green Man. Bedard’s latest novel of illusion and allusion Fiction | Colombia | Vancouver | Kidnapping | off ers rich rewards to the alert, patient reader — and an alternative Stowaways | Courage to much current YA fare. It will appeal to teens and adult readers When Marco’s father, a Canadian-Colombian who enjoy mythology and literature and who will appreciate refer- journalist who exposes police corruption and drug cartels, is kid- ences to Rimbaud, Mallarmé and the healing Green Man. It will napped in front of him, the 13-year-old boy embarks on a perilous also appeal to writers who will savour Bedard’s language and cheer voyage from his home in Buenaventura, Colombia, to Vancouver, O’s growth as a poet, as she takes her own place in a community Canada, in search of the one person he believes can free his father. of creators. “Coraje (courage)” is Marco’s mantra as he fl ees the kidnappers, Brenda Halliday is Head of Library & Information Services at St. Clement’s School stows away on a freighter bound for Canada and eludes authorities in Toronto. in Vancouver. Th e stakes are high in this fast-paced story, where an educated, middle-class boy becomes an injured, starved and indi- gent alien. Even well-intentioned Canadians cannot be trusted. Torn from Troy: Odyssey of a Slave Run Marco Run would work well as an independent study novel written by Patrick Bowman for Grades 6 to 8. A social science approach could emphasize the Ronsdale Press, 2011 cultural and economic diff erences evident between Buenaventura 978-1-55380-110-8 (pb) $11.95 and Vancouver. Small weaknesses in the novel include expository- 978-1-55380-125-2 (ebook) $11.95 heavy dialogue at the beginning and end of the book and a conve- for Grades 6 to 9 nient recollection that helps Marco identify his father’s kidnappers. Fiction | Historical Fiction | Ancient Greece | Th e descriptions of Marco’s route through Vancouver are particu- Trojan War larly fun for readers who know the city.

Aliki Tryphonopoulos is a children’s librarian living in Kamsack, Saskatchewan. Alexi and his sister Melantha, orphans in the beseiged city of Troy, are woken by the sound of rampaging Greek soldiers. Within hours, Melantha is dead — although she managed to kill her attacker before she died — and 15-year-old Alexi is a slave of the invading forces. Fluent in Greek, he is judged useful to his captors and their craft y leader, nicknamed Lopex (the fox). Bundled onto a ship with other slaves, Alexi proves even more valuable to the Greeks during the long journey toward home. A very long journey it will be because Lopex (as Alexi discovers) is Odysseus, King of Ithaca. In this fi rst book in a planned series,

32 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA the young Trojan and the Greeks encounter both the famous Lotos- The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls eaters and the terrifying Cyclops. Alexi’s quick wits and knowledge written by John Lekich of healing (learned from his father) help them through their adven- Orca Book Publishers, 2012 tures. By the end of the book, much danger still waits for Alexi and 978-1-55469-978-0 (pb) $12.95 his captors, but he has also discovered that his sister may be alive for Grades 7 to 10 aft er all. Fiction | Crime and Rehabilitation | Humour | Family Author Patrick Bowman throws the reader immediately into the action and keeps up the excitement throughout the book. It’s Expert at lockpicking, hotwiring cars and no surprise that this book is a 2012 Red Maple Award selection. observing human behaviour, Henry Holloway He skillfully conveys a remarkable amount of factual information is a considerate 15-year-old burglar. He steals what he needs to sur- about the ancient Greeks and Trojans without once slowing the vive, he avoids taking anything of sentimental value and he oft en pace and brings to life the story of Odysseus by making us see it tidies up the houses of people he steals from. He also tries to keep through a Trojan’s eyes. I look forward to the second book in the his Uncle Andy (his legal but temporarily incarcerated guardian) series, Th e Sea God’s Curse, coming in the fall of 2012. from learning about his current life — because they both know that

Gillian O’Reilly is editor of Canadian Children’s Book News. Henry’s late mother wanted him to avoid a life of crime. When Henry gets caught, the judge sends him to live in the small community of Snowfl ake Falls on Vancouver Island through a The Yo-Yo Prophet program called Second Chances. Th e inhabitants of Snowfl ake Falls written by Karen Krossing — especially the Wingate family with whom Henry lives — drive Orca Book Publishers, 2011 him crazy. Forced to work two jobs as well as attend school and 978-1-55469-827-1 (pb) $12.95 “volunteer” to read to an elderly hermit, he seems to be perpetually for Grades 7 and up in humiliating and/or exasperating circumstances. Nevertheless, the town exerts an odd pull on Henry. When his uncle and two Fiction | Performance | Resourcefulness | Yo-Yo Tricks accomplices arrive in Snowfl ake Falls with a scheme to rob the Fourteen-year-old Calvin Layne’s life is any- inhabitants, Henry is forced to choose his alliances — even as the thing but ideal. Nicknamed Lo-Cal for his small town starts to exert its own pull on Uncle Andy and his associates. stature, he is an easy target for high school bullies. With his mother Th is reviewer has been a big fan of the work of author John dead and his father AWOL, he lives with his ailing grandmother Lekich since 2002 when his fi rst book, Th e Losers’ Club, appeared. above her dry-cleaning store. As his fragile existence is increasingly Th e Prisoner of Snowfl ake Falls lives up to expectations and proves threatened by his grandmother’s failing health and the impending what Lekich, in his acknowledgements, refers to as “the comic sale of their home and store, Calvin fi nds solace and a sense of con- potential of larceny.” Henry has a gift for understated humour, and trol over his life in practising yo-yo tricks. One day Calvin yo-yos the plot is full of surprising twists and turns, sometimes solemn on a street corner and discovers the thrill of public performance. and sometimes very funny. Even the quirky characters — and the I’m in the zone. Th e crowd and the street are vanishing, leaving a Wingates, in particular, are extraordinarily odd — have a refresh- calm circle of light and heat around me…It’s a dream. ingly diff erent quirkiness to them. Calvin rehearses a routine but at his fi rst performance he is seen Readers will be engaged by Henry’s predicaments, his honesty by a gang of girls from school whose leader, Rozelle, demands a cut (when crime isn’t involved) and his unique moral code. Th ey will of his earnings in return for becoming his manager. Unable to resist certainly laugh and they might even pick up the odd security tip. her, Calvin is swept up in her scheme to create hype by claiming Gillian O’Reilly that while yo-yoing he can predict the future. Calvin’s life begins to spiral out of control as his grandmother’s health deteriorates, the threat of homelessness looms, and Calvin himself falls victim to his First Descent own yo-yo prophesying. written by Pam Withers Krossing weaves a well-paced coming-of-age story with a diverse Tundra Books, 2011 set of fi nely drawn characters. Calvin’s awkwardness, Rozelle’s 978-1-77049-257-8 (hc) $19.99 brash style and her friend Sasha’s jealousy feel authentic, and 978-1-77049-274-5 (ebook) $10.99 Calvin’s attempts to remain true to himself while negotiating high for Grades 7 to 12 school and the larger adult world will ring true for many young Fiction | Adventure | Sports & Recreation | readers. Readers will root for Calvin as he tries to hold his family Extreme Sports | Colombia together while making diffi cult choices and will be rewarded by a satisfyingly happy ending. Best of all, Krossing’s descriptions of First descent is to kayaking as “fi rst to summit” is to mountain- yo-yo tricks are vivid and tangible enough to make some readers eering. To have one to your credit is an honour that young kayakers reach for a yo-yo of their own. dream of. Rex Scruggs, 17 and ambitious, is no exception. More-

Tracey Schindler over, he’s always had his river in mind — Colombia’s El Furioso, a perilous mountain torrent that once defeated his cantankerous grandfather. But there’s more to fi rst descent than a kayak and a river, as Rex quickly learns when he arrives in a Colombian highland straining with tension between warring guerrillas and

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paramilitarias that threatens to tear the locals’ lives apart. His Trouble in the Hills river guide, Myriam, is one of the locals, a lovely girl with restless written by Helaine Becker dreams of a university education — and mysterious ties to Rex’s Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011 family history. 978-1-55455-174-3 (pb) $9.95 Th is crackerjack tale has it all — secrets to uncover, a hint of for Grades 7 and up romantic tension and, of course, lively action: the whitewater Fiction | Adventure | Social Issues | Drugs and sequences are visceral and exciting even without prior knowledge Alcohol Abuse of kayaking as a sport. Point-of-view duties are shared between Rex and Myriam, so readers may identify with either the former’s Aft er a fi ght with his father, Cam hops on his journey from arrogant naiveté to unselfi sh awareness or with the bike and heads for the hills surrounding his small mountain com- latter’s struggles to follow her heart without neglecting her people. munity. But when a wipe-out wrecks his bike and his ankle, Cam It’s a very real concern: the harsh struggles Colombian villagers is forced to build a fi re and a shelter and camp for the night before face to protect and feed themselves are sensitively and unfl inch- attempting the long walk down. No sooner has he fallen asleep than ingly depicted here, and may inspire more than one reader to he’s startled awake by voices. Instinct tells him the voices are far learn more. from friendly, and suddenly he fi nds himself in all sorts of trouble Brisk, snappy language, an exotic setting and a socially-conscious — the kind of trouble that could get him killed! tale of adventure well told — First Descentt is a solid recommenda- Fift een-year-old Cam is a typical teenage boy. A bit of a rebel, he tion for adventure lovers of any age or gender. resents the responsibilities that sit on his shoulders while his dad

Lynette Terrill is a librarian and freelance writer. is away at work. An adventurer by nature, all he really wants is to be free to ride his mountain bike and do tricks. He’s also impulsive and has a tendency to act rashly and without thinking. It’s one such The Last Song impulsive act that strands him up in the mountains, and sets the written by Eva Wiseman stage for the rest of the story. Tundra Books, 2012 It turns out Cam isn’t the only person in the mountains who’s in 978-0- 88776-979-5 (hc) $19.99 trouble. Circumstances lead him to Samira, an illegal immigrant 978-0-88776-980-1 (ebook) $10.99 on the run from human smugglers, and Dakota, a former friend for Grades 7 and up who has been running drugs up the mountain for cash and now fi nds himself in trouble with his employers. Fiction | Medieval Spain | Jewish History | Prejudice Filled with non-stop action, the story moves at breakneck speed Geoff rey Bilson Award-winner Eva Wiseman’s as Cam faces numerous perilous situations. Th ere is a nominal latest novel, Th e Last Songg, is sure to garner the same critical atten- amount of swearing, but it’s true to the characters and is in context. tion as her previous novels for its rhythmic and lyrical prose and Short chapters, perfect pacing and lots of action make Helaine lush descriptions of setting that cement the reader in the sights and Becker’s debut YA novel a perfect choice for reluctant boy readers, sounds of Medieval Spain and the harsh brutalities of the Spanish and once they pick it up, they’ll fi nd it impossible to put down Inquisition. until the end. Th e setting is Toledo on the cusp of the expulsion of the Jews Rachel Seigel in 1492. Isabel, a devout Catholic, is heartbroken when her loving parents betroth her to a vile young man. Upon discovering that they are doing it to protect her from the Inquisition’s fi nding out Unraveling Isobel the truth about her Jewish ancestry, Isabel befriends a Jewish silver- written by Eileen Cook smith, Yonah. When her father is arrested on suspicion of heresy, Simon & Schuster Canada, 2012 Isabel must rely on her courage and intelligence to save her family. 978-1-4424-1-327-6 (hc) $18.99 Although the novel is a little heavy handed in its political and 978-1-4424-1-329-0 (ebook) $11.99 social framework, Isabel is a strong and insightful character whose for Grades 7 and up voice will resonate with readers as she lingers long aft er one has Fiction | Mystery | Ghosts fi nished reading. Isabel’s transition from a devout Catholic to iden- tifying herself as a Jewish woman is believable because her process Seventeen-year-old Isobel is suddenly uprooted is subtle, and she continues to have spiritual questions at the novel’s from her life in Seattle when her mother marries a man she has end. Th e ending, however, comes on rather abruptly with a few only known for three months and takes her to live in his decaying plot threads — particularly her relationship with Yonah — also left mansion on a tiny island. Isobel does not get along with her new unanswered, making me wonder if Wiseman intends to continue stepfather or his moody, albeit very cute, son. Th ings take a turn for Isabel’s story. Let us hope so. the worse when Isobel begins seeing the ghost of her new family’s

Melanie Fishbane is a freelance writer with over 15 experience working in children’s recently deceased daughter. But is Isobel really seeing ghosts, or has and teen books. she begun exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia, the illness that destroyed her parents’ marriage? Author Eileen Cook has created a good ghost story with some genuinely creepy passages and a couple of twists. Th ere are some clichéd elements, including an evil step-parent and the requisite

34 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SaSaSave time!time!ve Visit our website today to preview our preselected basic packages of books that are age, grade, content appropriate or customize a package to more closelyclosely meet thet needs of your SaSaSave money!money!ve school library. CanLit is your single source of recently published books from Canadian authors, illustrators [email protected] and/ or publishers. Book packages are upated and ready 1-888-656-9906 for you to preview every September, January and April. www.canlitforkids.com

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 35 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

mean-girl cheerleader, but Isobel’s struggle to come to terms with Darkest Light her father’s mental illness and the possibility of her also devel- written by Hiromi Goto oping the disease adds some depth. However, while Isobel and her illustrations by Jillian Tamaki parents may be concerned that she is losing her grip on reality, Razorbill/Penguin Group, 2012 readers never doubt for a minute that Isobel is sane and the ghost is 978-0-67006-527-1 (hc) $ 21.00 real. Th e story could have become more of a psychological thriller 978-0-14318-382-2 (ebook) $12.99 if Cook had left the question of whether Isobel is actually seeing for Grades 7 and up ghosts more ambiguous. Still, this is a light, fun read with an Fiction | Fantasy engaging mystery, and teens will enjoy the developing romantic relationship between Isobel and her stepbrother. It has been 16 years since the brave Melanie defeated “Mr. Glue-

Arwen Rudolph is the Rural Branch Supervisor at Palliser Regional Library in skin,” restoring the balance of the realms of Spirit, Flesh and the Saskatchewan. purgatory-like Half World. Sixteen years since she brought the newly reborn Glueskin to the realm of Flesh, there to be raised as a human boy. Sixteen years, while the lingering powers of dark- Falling for Henry: A Novel ness in Half World slowly grew in strength, preparing to call back written by Beverley Brenna the one who once ruled supreme there. And now it is time, and the Red Deer Press, 2011 16-year-old boy, Gee, is not yet ready. 978-0-88995-442-7 (pb) $12.95 Th is sequel to Half Worldd leaps breathlessly into action with only for Grade 7 and up a few short pages of review-prologue to catch us up — but even new readers can dive right into this dark, thoughtful exploration of suf- Fiction | Historical Fiction | Time-slip | Tudor Eng- fering, morality, and humanity. Goto’s central cast — sweetly tough land | Loneliness | Loss goth Cracker, snarkily mystical White Cat, and in-well-over-his- Uncommunicative since the death of her father, head Gee — are reassuringly normal companions on our journey 15-year-old Kate Allen endures an unwanted move to London through Half World’s hallucinatory landscape. Sensitive readers where she must stay with a caring but overbearing sister, attend take note: Half World’s purpose may be purifying, but Goto’s prose a school where her aloofness is taken for haughtiness and battle is poetically nightmarish and sometimes disturbing, paired beauti- feelings of self-loathing, apathy and abandonment. When Kate is fully (and creepily) with Tamaki’s occasional illustrations. transported through time to Tudor England, inhabiting the body of Th e temptations Gee faces are powerful and sensual — and, a young Katherine of Aragon, she believes she has found an escape despite the somewhat Buddhist cosmology, there is something from her troubles through romance with the young, beguiling and reminiscent of Paradise Lostt in our villains’ central conceit: that it attractive Henry VIII. But can her betrothal to the mercurial future is better to rule in Half World than to be shackled to a former life’s king be worth her freedom? And is the loss she seeks to escape an suff erings, even if that freedom and power comes at a terrible cost inevitable part of living? to other souls. Rich, meditative, and a bittersweet pleasure from Tudor England comes alive under Brenna’s meticulous research beginning to end — a fi ne choice for thoughtful fantasy fans. (her author’s note and interview illuminate her sources and Lynette Terrill process). Atmospheric descriptions of the palace dining hall and the steaming kitchen are fascinating. Teens who, like Kate, fi nd history boring may be caught up in her plight where ignorance of Emily Included: A True Story the beliefs, conditions and decorum of the day can have deadly con- written by Kathleen McDonnell sequences. Brenna’s characters are complex, their thoughts oft en Second Story Press 2011 philosophical and poetic. Her novel is tightly edited and intelligent, 978-1-926920-33-7 (pb) $8.95 seamlessly weaving together subjects like the historical extinction for Grades 3 to 6 of wolves in England and tachyon theory. Th emes of love, loss and self-acceptance should appeal to a variety of fi ction and non-fi ction Non-ﬁ ction | Eaton, Emily | Children with readers, from teens to adults. Disabilities | Inclusive Education Brenna’s past fi ction has won awards and her fi rst historical fi c- tion novel should as well. Public and school libraries would be wise Emily, eager to partake in ordinary activi- to purchase a copy in advance. ties with friends, was born with cerebral palsy, unable to speak and lacking control over her movements. Despite these limitations, she Aliki Tryphonopoulos thrives at her local school where she feels accepted, participating as fully as possible. School authorities, however, believe she should attend a special school for the disabled — a school where her family feel she will be marginalized. Th is is the true story of a fi ve-year landmark case to provide equality for Emily and others with disabilities, as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights. Upholding the Eaton family’s belief, the Supreme Court of Canada stated that children in Emily’s situation should be part of mainstream education and segregated only in extreme situations.

36 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA A proud moment in Canadian history is told with sensitivity Space Tourism and authenticity despite the book’s limited visual appeal. Kathleen (Machines of the Future) McDonnell has conveyed in short, readable chapters, illustrated written by Peter McMahon with black and white photographs, both Emily’s personal story and illustrated by Andy Mora its larger impact. Told in the third person, Emily’s inner thoughts Kids Can Press, 2011 and emotions are interpreted for us. In her determination to over- 978-1-55453-368-8 (hc) $18.95 come her medical prognosis and lead a full life as well as battle for for Grades 4 to 7 equality, Emily is a role model. Equally inspiring are her advocates Non-ﬁ ction | Science & Technology | Engineering | Flight | Space who understand that, for Emily to thrive, she needs inclusion not isolation from her community. Readers of Space Tourism might some day blast off for a space Th is book is an enjoyable read as it stands. However in the hands holiday! Author Peter McMahon was nominated for the 2010 of educators and caregivers, its value for children will be greatly Lane Anderson Award for Ultimate Trains, the fi rst book in Kids enhanced through discussion of the various thought-provoking Can’s Machines of the Future series. In Space Tourism, McMahon topics it engenders. informs us that one hotel entrepreneur “hopes to off er four-week

Aileen Wortley stays to the public by the end of 2012” for US $15 million. In the fi rst part of Space Tourism, McMahon gives the short history of the non-work-related space trips that a dozen people 50 Underwear Questions: have taken since 2000. In the second part of the book, the author A Bare-All History explains how advances in technology are rapidly making space (50 Questions) trips more aff ordable. Th e page and a half of text treatments tell written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi about “Living on an International Space Station,” “Space Hotels” illustrated by Ross Kinnaird and other topics, with insets that contain trivia such as the fact that Annick Press, 2011 Space Station meals are now “designed by celebrity chefs Wolfgang 978-1-55451-353-6 (hc) $21.95 Puck and Rachael Ray.” 978-1-55451-352-9 (pb) $12.95 Th is book earns gold stars for its valuable expert interviews that for Grades 4 to 9 link to truly intriguing experiments. NASA astronaut Sunita Wil- liams, for example, describes take-off and “its various stages [that] Non-ﬁ ction | Social History | Clothing | Fashion deliver the astronauts aboard into orbit.” She challenges readers to 50 Underwear Questions: A Bare-All Historyy is Tanya Lloyd Kyi’s second book in Annick Press’s bouncy Question series. Kyi off ers a “timeline that stretches through the centuries like a very long piece of waistband elastic” and peeks under hemlines around the globe. Kids’ Stuff Request Kyi not only gives snappy facts about the development of Lycra your NEW and other topics, but also challenges readers to think about impor- Kids’Catalogue tant fashion and social themes. She shows how sports, for example, today! gave rise to long johns, worn in the style of boxer John L. Sullivan. Kyi also points out that female undergarments — crinolines and s0OSTERS s"OOK"AGS panniers — infl uenced ‘broad’ changes in interior designs (wider s"OOKMARKS s"OOKSHELVES doorways). Kyi writes well, selecting words that literally help illus- s#ARPETS s&URNITURE trate her topic. Illustrator Ross Kinnaird, of New Zealand, makes s"OOK4RUCKS and More! the comic best out of phrases such as “1980s: boxer shorts rise up the fl ag pole of popularity.” Perhaps it is unavoidable that a book with illustrations of bras and terms such as “crotch,” “breast” and “genitals” will engender Call: 1.800.268.2123 s Fax: 1.800.871.2397 s Order Online: www.carrmclean.ca middle-grade giggles. While the book holds no inappropriateness in the mind of this reviewer, it is useful to point out that readers need to be able to decode such terms as “loincloth” and “cache- sexe.” A glossary and historic images of artifacts might have been helpful. Annick has, however, allotted generous space for a fi ne index, ideas for further reading and a bibliography. Th e fresh undies-on-the-clothesline page treatment by book designer Irvin Cheung supports the comic illustrative adornment, the timeline theme and the bold, upbeat writing in this well thought-out approach to the history of underwear. lian goodall has suffered in a bustle and various other undergarment arrangements in her days as a historic interpreter in Ontario museums.

WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 37 REVIEWS RECOCOMMENDED BOOKS

“think about that” when making the multi-stage rocket. Th e direc- Hyena in Petticoats: The Story of tions for this and other projects can be tricky, although the projects Suffragette Nellie McClung themselves are outstanding. Th e impeccably clear illustrations of written and illustrated by Willow Dawson technical and scientifi c illustrator, Andy Mora, make a great diff er- Puffi n Canada, 2011 ence in helping readers successfully complete the projects. 978-0-14-317779-1 (pb) $15.00 Space Tourism has a glossary and an index; both are slim, but for Grades 5 and up appropriate, for this short, 39-page book. Th e publisher’s recom- Non-fi ction | Graphic Biography | Canadian History | mended reading level for this book is Grades 4 to 7, but readers in Women and Politics Grade 3 or even younger would appreciate it, too. With its approach that includes hand-drawn images, interesting facts, true stories and Lone Hawk: The Story of things to make, this book will take spaceniks out of this world! Air Ace Billy Bishop lian goodall written and illustrated by John Lang Puffi n Canada, 2011 978-0-14-317466-0 (pb) $15.00 Last Airlift: A Vietnamese for Grades 5 and up Orphan’s Rescue from War Non-fi ction | Graphic Biography | World War I | written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch Aviation Pajama Press, 2011 9978-0-9869495-4-8 (hc) $17.95 Fearless fl ying ace Billy Bishop and equally fearless suff ragette 978-0-9869495-1-7 (pb) $12.95 Nellie McClung are given the graphic biography treatment in the for Grades 4 and up excellent new books, Lone Hawk: Th e Story of Air Ace Billy Bishop and Hyena in Petticoats: Th e Story of Suff ragette Nellie McClungg. Non-fi ction | Vietnam 1975 | Operation “Babylift” In Lone Hawk, John Lang tells the story of Billy Bishop, the History | Orphans | Adoption | Disability | Courage young soldier from Owen Sound, Ontario, who became one of the Th ought-provoking, heartrending and inspirational, author deadliest fi ghter pilots of the First World War. Bishop’s story is told Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch’s fi rst non-fi ction book chronicles in extreme close-up — the book is about his experience of the war, one woman’s account of a little-known piece of Canadian history: without reference to the war as a greater political event. It assumes the Ontario government-sponsored Operation “Babylift .” that the reader already knows, or for the purposes of reading this In April 1975, South Vietnamese orphans were airlift ed from book doesn’t need to know, the greater details about the war. It’s Saigon and fl own to Ontario where they were adopted by Canadian a compelling and humanizing method of storytelling. Lang’s families. Th is military maneuver saved interracial babies (with black, white and grey art is detailed and particularly excellent in American blood) and disabled children from being killed by the rendering the dogfi ghting scenes. Give this book to middle grade Viet Cong. Written from the perspective of eight-year-old Tuyet, and teen readers looking for adventure or war stories, or anyone who is crippled from polio, the book gives the reader vivid insight interested in the First World War. into life in a Saigon orphanage where children never see the sky Willow Dawson, creator of the excellent No Girls Allowed, tells and subsist amidst a soundtrack of warfare. Tuyet’s story reveals the life story of early twentieth century feminist Nellie McClung in not only the privations and misplacement caused by war but the Hyena in Petticoats. Th e story follows Nellie from early childhood assumptions made by well-meaning people about the desirability dreams, through marrying and becoming a mother, to her many of Western customs and middle-class values. Plentiful food, her political battles. Th ose battles included working for the franchise in own room and her fi rst family initially cause Tuyet mistrust, Manitoba and Alberta, advocating for temperance laws and fi nally discomfort and even terror. becoming one of the Famous Five involved in the “Persons Case.” Th is simply written but masterfully perceptive story of human Dawson paints a portrait of the whole woman, including her resilience and courage belongs on every school and public library struggle to balance her politics with family life. Th ere is a certain shelf. Although it could be read aloud to Grade 3 students and amount of exposition necessary to explain why some of McClung’s independently by Grades 4 to 8 students (e.g., for social studies actions were important, but it is well integrated into the story for or language units), the narrative easily captures an adult. Forchuk the most part. Dawson’s stylized black-and-white art is gorgeously Skrypuch, who has received numerous awards for her historical expressive. In an aft erword, Dawson addresses some of McClung’s novels, enriches this slender book with photos and offi cial docu- views and social campaigns that did not fi t into the main story. ments. Historical and author’s notes, detailing relevant background Give this book to middle grade and teen readers who are interested to Tuyet’s plight and the author’s research methods, make engaging in feminism, Canadian history or great comic art. additions alongside a list of further resources and an index. Laura Shtern is the Children’s Librarian at the Moose Jaw Public Library.

Aliki Tryphonopoulos

38 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA Drop in for a look CCBC Collections Across the Country Drop in for a look at the titles in the Centre’s library collections at the national ofﬁ ce in Toronto or at one of the four regional locations. Phone ahead for hours and availability.

In T oronto Canadian Children’s Book Centre 40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 217 Toronto ON M4R 1B9 416 975-0010 New editions Contact: Meghan Howe [email protected] In 2002, Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine captivated readers with the true story of a Japanese museum curator’s search for In Vancouver Hana Brady, killed in the Holocaust, and her brother George who Education Library survived. In the decade that followed, the book has been sold in University of British Columbia dozens of language, honoured with numerous awards and adapted Faculty of Education (Scarfe Building) for the stage. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of its 2125 Main Mall publication, Second Story Press has released a special edition, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Hana’s Suitcase Anniversary Album. Th e book includes reactions 604 822-8680 from readers around the world, letters and art from children, Contact: Christopher Ball scenes from the play adaptation, covers from the international [email protected] editions and much more. Mister Got to Go and Arnie, written by Lois Simmie and In Edmonton illustrated by Cynthia Nugent, was fi rst published in 2001 by Rain- Herbert T. Coutts Education Library coast Books. A new edition from Red Deer Press brings this tale Education South of a spirited cat and Vancouver’s Sylvia Hotel to a new generation University of Alberta of readers. Edmonton AB T6G 2G5 Dr. Kiss Says Yes, written by Teddy Jam and illustrated by Joanne 780 942-1429 Fitzgerald and fi rst published in 1991, won the Governor General’s Contact: Dr. Merrill Distad Literary Award (Children’s Illustration). Groundwood Books has [email protected] released a new edition of this charming tale of an imaginative young heroine. All royalties from the sales of this book will be In Winnipeg donated to the Joanne Fitzgerald Fund at IBBY Canada (the Cana- Elizabeth Dafoe Library dian section of the International Board on Books for Young People). University of Manitoba Also from Groundwood Books comes a revised edition of Shelley 25 Chancellors Circle Tanaka’s Climate Change, part of the Groundwork Guides series. Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2 Th is updated edition includes the most recent scientifi c fi ndings 204 474-9977 while addressing the main issues. Contact: Emma Kepron [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 SPRING 2012 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 39 REVIEWS IN THIS ISSUE lt i li l enau ena l el e r ile il i Ars M e M l M al a elle c s as a s Willow Dawson Pas Pa Isab from Seal Song, page 28 from Virginia Wolff page 26 from Hyena in Petticoats, page 38

22 26 THE CLASSROOM BOOKSHELF WE RECOMMEND Who Needs a Jungle? A Rainforest Ecosystem 50 Underwear Questions: A Bare-All History (Ecosystems) (50 Questions) Lone Hawk: The Story of Who Needs an Iceberg? An Arctic Ecosystem Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Ross Kinnaird Air Ace Billy Bishop (Ecosystems) John Lang Box of Shocks Who Needs a Swamp? A Wetland Ecosystem Chris McMahen The Mighty Miss Malone (Ecosystems) Christopher Paul Curtis Karen Patkau Breakfast on a Dragon’s Tail and Other Book Bites The Mouse Who Saved Egypt The Research Virtuoso: Martin Springett Karim Alrawi, Bee Willey How to Find Anything You Need to Know Toronto Public Library, Victor Gad Darkest Light The Prisoner of Snowﬂ ake Falls Hiromi Goto John Lekich Dog Breath The Qalupalik 24 Carolyn Beck, Brooke Kerrigan Elisha Kilabuk, Joy Ang BOOK BITS Emily Included: A True Story Run Marco Run written by Kathleen McDonnell Norma Charles 40 Things I Want to Tell You Alice Kuipers Falling for Henry: A Novel Seal Song Beverley Brenna Andrea Spalding, Pascal Milelli Above Leah Bobet First Descent Space Tourism Pam Withers (Machines of the Future) Circle of Cranes Peter McMahon, Andy Mora Annette LeBox The Grave Robber’s Apprentice Allan Stratton Starfall Stolen Away Diana Kolpak, Kathleen Finlay Alyxandra Harvey The Green Man Michael Bedard Torn from Troy: Odyssey of a Slave Patrick Bowman Hyena in Petticoats: The Story of Suffragette Nellie McClung Trouble in the Hills Willow Dawson Helaine Becker Kishka for Koppel Unraveling Isobel Aubrey Davis, Sheldon Cohen Eileen Cook REVIEWS FROM Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue Virginia Wolf CANADIAN CHILDREN’S from War Kyo Maclear, Isabelle Arsenault Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch BOOK NEWS The Winter Pony The Last Song Iain Lawrence are indexed in the Children’s Literature Eva Wiseman Comprehensive Database, Gale Online The Yo-Yo Prophet The Legend of the Fog Karen Krossing Databases and The H.W. Wilson Company Qaunaq Mikkigak, Joanne Schwartz, Danny Online Databases. Christopher Visit www.bookcentre.ca

40 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS SPRING 2012 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA &DQDGLDQPDJD]LQHVDUH XQLTXHXQLTXH $QGVRDUH\RX7KDW¶VZK\ZHSXEOLVKKXQGUHGVRIWLWOHVVR\RXNQRZWKHUH¶VRQHMXVWIRU\RX$OO \RXKDYHWRGRLVKHDGWRWKHQHZVVWDQGVORRNIRUWKH*HQXLQH&DQDGLDQ0DJD]LQHLFRQPDUNLQJ WUXO\&DQDGLDQSXEOLFDWLRQVDQGVWDUWUHDGLQJ,W¶VWKDWHDV\ 9LV LWPDJD]LQHVFDQDGDFDQVDQGQHZVV WDQ GV WR ÀGÀQG\RXUQHZ IDYRXU LWHPDJD] LQH The Canadian Children’s Book Centre Suite 217, 40 Orchard View Blvd. Toronto, Ontario M4R 1B9