Fall 2014 Vol
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$4.95 FALL 2014 VOL. 37 NO. 4 RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS Brainstorm, Halloween books for fall fun Divide and Combine: Qin Leng is a very Four pairs of authors busy illustrator on co-writing Reviews of over 35 books by Alice Kuipers, Michael Redhill, Helaine Becker, Charles de Lint and more 80% 1.5 BWR ND 7-25274-86123-1 04 04 7125274 86123 A stunning picture-book biography of Canada’s most of the Yukon Picture Book for All Ages 978-1-927485-63-7 $22.95 HC with dust jacket 40 Pages Publication Date: September 19, 2014 Illustrated with family photographs and 35 colour reproductions of Ted Harrison’s art Includes a preface written by the artist himself Educational materials available at www.pajamapress.ca/book/a_brush_full_of_colour Co-authored by award-winning children’s author Margriet Ruurs and Ted Harrison’s premier biographer, Katherine Gibson. [email protected] facebook.com/pajamapress @pajamapress1 pinterest.com/pajamapress Ad_Sept_2014_Sept3.indd 1 2014-09-05 10:31 AM CONTENTS THIS ISSUE booknews Fall 2014 Volume 37 No. 4 7 Seen at ... Editor Gillian O’Reilly Lesley Livingston (l) and Richard Scrimger (r) celebrate with Caitlin Copy Editor and Proofreader Mary Roycroft Ranni Sweet, whose book Door in the Mountain was one of the first two novels Design Perna Siegrist Design featured at the launch of ChiZine Publications new imprint for teens. Advertising Michael Wile This informative magazine published quarterly by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre is available by yearly subscription. Single subscription — $24.95 plus sales tax (includes 2 issues of Best Books for Kids & Teens) Christie Harkin Contact the CCBC for bulk subscriptions and for US or overseas subscription rates. Fall 2014 (October 2014) 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 North Shore News 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 Photo courtesy: Paul McGrath, 4 Opinion: Who will write our stories? 24 The Classroom Bookshelf Teacher and writer Nadia L. Hohn looks at Fun and engaging stories for early readers the Black Canadian experience and asks, “Who will write our stories?” 26 Book Bits: Words and Pictures Three novel/comic hybrids entice readers 6 News Roundup Book Week 2015 Tour Roster; Apply for 28 We Recommend a Reading; Inspire! Toronto International Reviews of the latest in fine Canadian books Book Fair; Second Story Press Celebrates for children and teens. 25th Anniversary 40 Index of Reviews Seen at ... COVER: Illustration from Any Questions?, 7 illustrated and written by Marie-Louise Gay, A photographic look at book events published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi © 2014. Used with permission. For more 8 Keep Your Eye On ... Jonathan Auxier information, visit www.houseofanansi.com. MEDIUM: Watercolour, pencil, pastel, ink, coloured 10 Profile: “My head is about pencil and collage. to explode!” ABOUT THE ILLUStrator: Marie-Louise Gay is Artist Qin Leng is a very busy illustrator a world-renowned author and illustrator of children’s books. She has won many prestigious awards, 12 Brainstorm, Divide and Combine: including two Governor General’s Literary Awards and the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. How four writing duos manage their Her books have been translated into more than partnerships 15 languages and are loved by children all over the world. She lives in Montreal. 22 Bookmark! Halloween Ghosts and Vampires and Werewolves, Oh My! FALL 2014 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 1 Rock stars and secret agents. What more do you need? 9781459805859 PB 9781459805873 EPUB 9781459806832 PB 9781459806856 EPUB Dunces Rock Kate Jaimet Dirk Daring: Secret Agent The hilarious characters from Helaine Becker are Dunces Anonymous The mind-blowing missions back and rocking out. of Darren Dirkowitz. CBN Ad 08-27-14.indd 1 8/22/14 11:01 AM FROM THE EDITOR GILLIAN O’REILLY Board of Directors Daryl Novak, President Naomi Levine, Vice-President Leigh Chalmers, Treasurer Pat Daley Lisa Doucet Sharon Jennings Todd Kyle Shar Levine Charles McCarragher Lynne Missen Felicia Quon Roland Stringer Staff Charlotte Teeple Executive Director Meghan Howe Library Coordinator Camilia Kahrizi Marketing and Website Coordinator Sandra O’Brien Interim Program Coordinator Dawn Todd General Manager In the 1970s, as children’s book publishing in Canada was just beginning to grow, there was a heady thrill in seeing the new books emerging in a range of topics and genres. These were our stories, our voices, our writers, creating a literature for our country. Patrons Those books represented only a fraction of the stories that needed to be told. Forty Kit Pearson Ian and Deb Wallace years later, there are still plenty of voices that need to be heard. But, as new books appear, representing more and more of Canada’s diverse experience, I feel just as much excitement Sponsors and pride as I felt those many years ago. That is why I was delighted when Nadia Hohn Amazon.ca sent me her thought-provoking essay and challenge to Black Canadian writers — Friesens “Who Will Tell Our Stories?” — which you will find on our Opinion page. HarperCollins Canada Rawlinson Moving & Storage Writing any book is a difficult task; can teamwork make it easier? The writing duo of Simon & Schuster Canada TD Bank Group Frieda Wishinsky and Elizabeth MacLeod interviewed other author teams to find out the pros and cons of teamwork in fiction and non-fiction creations. Funders In this issue, you will also find a profile of the extraordinarily busy illustrator, Qin Leng, Canada Council for the Arts Canadian Heritage (Canada Book Fund) a Halloween reading list and reviews of many new books for the fall season. Charles Baillie Fleck Family Foundation Happy reading. Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development PEI Department of Tourism and Culture Ontario Arts Council Ontario Arts Foundation Toronto Public Library Yukon Department of Education Our Thanks The work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre is made possible through the generous support of our members, volunteers, sponsors, funders and the continuing assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, Writing and Publishing Section, and the Public Readings Program. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Your feedback is important! Canadian Heritage’s Canada Book Fund program. EMAIL COMMENTS TO [email protected] Like us! facebook.com/kidsbookcentre Follow us! @kidsbookcentre WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA FALL 2014 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 3 OPINION NADIA L. HOHN Who will write our stories? Elizabeth Dungan “Who will write our stories?” On November 19, 2012, I lay Black people born in Canada” to “I can’t be your friend be- awake, tossing in my bed, staring at the Maple Leaf blue bed- cause you’re Black” to insults about having “liver lips” and room walls in my basement apartment with this persistent “burnt skin.” At the age of six, I mistakenly thought I could question in my head. I had just read Dr. Zetta Elliott’s blog grow up to have long blonde hair and green eyes, but I must post of April 5, 2010 (Black Canadian children’s literature ~ the have thought something was missing because in third grade stats), and this question haunted me. Dr. Elliott described the I asked my teacher if we could learn about different cultures trend in Canada for most of the children’s and young adult and people in different countries. In Grade 5, I began to scan books about Black people to be written by non-Black authors. my school library for books about Black people. First, I took Other unanswered questions emerged and kept me awake. out books about Black inventors and innovators — all Amer- “Who are Canada’s Black writers for young people? Who is ican. However, this changed for me in 1988, when I found writing our stories? Where are the Black writers?” I didn’t get Harriet’s Daughter by Marlene Nourbese Philip. This was the much sleep that night. first book where I read about a Black girl in Canada who was Born of Jamaican immigrants in a country that is known not fleeing from slavery. (I will qualify this statement, how- more for maple syrup and bacon than oxtail with rice and ever, to say that Barbara Smucker’s characters Julilly and Liza peas, I did not feel Canadian. My family had not travelled out- in Underground to Canada, published in 1977, still meant a side of Toronto other than to go to Niagara Falls or, once, to lot to me. And the title of Harriet’s Daughter is a reference to Wasaga Beach, almost two hours away, where I became more a game that her characters play involving Harriet Tubman aware of our otherness. I had never worn snowshoes, seen and the Underground Railroad.) The author describes the an ocean or gone camping, but I had had many early experi- relationship between best friends — Margaret, Ti-Cush and ences of ignorance and racism, ranging from “there are no Zulma. They had Caribbean backgrounds. Their parents had 4 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS FALL 2014 WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA accents. They heard Bob Marley’s music at home.