$4.95 WINTER 2019 VOL. 42 NO. 4 RECOMMENDED BOOKS + OPINIONS + PROFILES + NEWS + REVIEWS LGBTQ2+ Literature for Canadian Kids ROBIN STEVENSON Writing her Way to a Better World BOOKMARK! A Gift Giving Guide REVIEWS OF 40 BOOKS BY SYDNEY SMITH, DAN BAR-EL, KARI RUST, TOM RYAN AND MORE PRINTING OF THIS ISSUE DONATED BY FRIESENS Ad 4.pdf 1 2019-03-22 9:55 AM Books Matter. FRIESENS.COM | 1.866.324.6401 CONTENTS THIS ISSUE booknews Winter 2019 Volume 42 No.4 Heather Smith, who won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award Editor Sandra O’Brien for her book, Ebb & Flow, published by Kids Can Press, with Naki Osutei, Copy Editor and Proofreader Shannon Howe Barnes Associate Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. Design Perna Siegrist Design Advertising Michael Wile This informative magazine published quarterly by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre is available by yearly subscription. Single subscription – $24.95 plus sales tax (includes 2 issues of Best Books for Kids & Teens) Contact the CCBC for bulk subscriptions and for US or overseas subscription rates. Winter 2019 (December 2019) Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement 40010217 Published by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre ISSN 1705 – 7809 For change of address, subscriptions, or return of undeliverable copies, contact: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre 40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 217 Toronto, ON M4R 1B9 Tel 416.975.0010 Fax 416.975.8970 Email [email protected] Website www.bookcentre.ca Review copies, catalogues and press releases should be sent to the Editor at: [email protected] or to Sandra O’Brien c/o the above address. For advertising information, contact: Michael Wile at [email protected] or 647.677.7948 4 14 Profile: Robin Stevenson Feature: Rise in Canadian Children’s Focusing on inclusion, diversity, LGBTQ2+ issues LGBTQ2+ Literature Offers More Reflection and women’s rights, Robin Stevenson tackles and Understanding some of the tougher subjects in her writing. Marylynn Miller Oke has an enlightening In this chat with CCBC intern Kirsti Granholm, conversation with six experts in the field of Robin explains how her past has shaped her LGBTQ2+ literature to see how things have into the writer she is, who she’s been inspired changed over the last few years. Literature that by and what the future holds. includes more diverse characters is on the rise but we still have a way to go, say the experts. COVER: Illustration from Small in the City 7 written and illustrated by Sydney Smith. ©2019 News Roundup 20 Sydney Smith. Reproduced with permission from In Memoriam: A special tribute to former CCBC Bookmark! Canadian Bookseller Groundwood Books. For more information visit Resources Coordinator, Judy Tye Recommendations www.groundwoodbooks.com. A holiday gift giving guide for kids and teens. 8 MEDIUM: Ink, watercolour and gouache. Keep Your Eye On… Abdi Nazemian 22 ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR: Sydney Smith was We Recommend born in rural Nova Scotia and has been drawing 10 Reviews of the latest Canadian books for kids. since an early age. Since graduating from Nova Feature: We Can Be Heroes: Titles given Red Leaf Literature status are indicated Scotia College of Art and Design University he The Importance of LGBTQ2+ Stories for in red and with a red maple leaf. These books are has illustrated multiple children’s books and LGBTQ2+ Kids thought to be of the highest quality and signify has received many awards for his illustrations In this honest and heartfelt piece, Emma titles of exceptional caliber. including the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Hunter tells us about growing up with a lack Award for Children’s Literature (Illustration) for of LGBTQ2+ titles in her life. She then goes on 40 Small in the City, the Lillian Shepherd Memorial to tell us how LGBTQ2+ kids today will find it Index of Reviews Award for Excellence in Illustration and the 2015 much easier to find themselves represented in Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature (Illustration) for Sidewalk Flowers, a Canadian literature and recommends some of wordless picture book which he illustrated with her favourite titles. author JonArno Lawson. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his wife and two sons. For more information, visit sydneydraws.ca. WINTER 2019 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 1 Introducing The Gumboot Kids Adapted from the award-winning TV show The Gumboot Kids comes this outstanding new series of nature mystery books. Created by BC authors Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford, there are four new books and there will be more, based on the 120 episodes now on CBC. Each 32 colour pages. 978-0-2281-0190-1 paperback $6.99 978-0-2281-0194-9 paperback $6.99 978-0-2281-0196-3 paperback $6.99 978-0-2281-0189-5 hardcover $19.95 978-0-2281-0193-2 hardcover $19.95 978-0-2281-0195-6 hardcover $19.95 • TV series nalist for The Japan Prize (2018), nalist for the Prix Jeunesse International • Seen widely in Canada and Australia, and now on Amazon Prime (USA) “New titles that celebrate nature, curiosity, discovery, and mindfulness. Charming and informative.” —School Library Journal 978-0-2281-0192-5 paperback $6.99 Watch for The Gumboot Kids in your community, and nd Gumboot 978-0-2281-0191-8 hardcover $19.95 Kids books at bookstores now. @Fire yBooksLtd @Fire yBooks We acknowledge the support of Ontario Creates. Published by @ re y.books FROM THE EDITOR SANDRA O’BRIEN Board of Directors Zain Velji, President Sylvia Moretti, Vice President Robin Taylor, Treasurer Jane Kilburn Boyle Margaret Bryant Nancy Hartry Carol-Ann Hoyte Dr. Dave Jenkinson Heather Kuipers Michael Martin Carol McDougall Karen McMullin Staff Rose Vespa Executive Director Shannon Howe Barnes Program Coordinator Meghan Howe Library Coordinator Emma Hunter Marketing and Communications Coordinator Welcome to our final issue of 2019. It’s hard to believe another year has flown by, Patrons but here I sit on a cold and blustery fall day thinking that winter might just be around Marilyn Baillie the corner. I hope you’ve enjoyed our articles and reviews over the course of the year Dave Jenkinson Ian and Deb Wallace and hope you’ll find this issue, in which we’ve focused on LGBTQ2+ literature, Sponsors an interesting read too. Charles Baillie Kirsti Granholm, an intern at the CCBC this past summer, chats with Robin Stevenson Fleck Family Foundation Friesens about her career and the reason she writes books that focus on inclusion and diversity, Mary Macchiusi LGBTQ2+ and women’s rights. Having written and published over 25 books for children Perna Siegrist Design Rawlinson Moving & Storage of all ages, Robin’s work has been highly regarded, winning her many nominations and John Spray Sylvan Learning awards. Kirsti asks Robin why she tackles tough subjects in her work, who she’s been TD Bank Group inspired by and what the future holds. Funders Emma Hunter, the CCBC’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, tells us about Canada Council for the Arts growing up with a lack of LGBTQ2+ titles in her life and how that made it hard to find Canadian Heritage (Canada Book Fund) Manitoba Department of Culture, herself and others like her in the literature she was reading. Today she’s happy to report Heritage and Tourism Ontario Arts Council that there are many more titles available to kids and teens who are looking to find Ontario Arts Foundation representation of the LGBTQ2+ community in Canadian kids’ lit. Emma recommends Toronto Public Library some of her favourite LGBTQ2+ titles from picture books to YA literature in her article. Our Thanks From bookstore managers to librarians and professors, Marylynn Miller Oke had an We acknowledge the financial support of the enlightening conversation with six experts in the field of LGBTQ2+ literature to see how Government of Canada. things have changed over the last few years. Thankfully literature that includes more diverse characters is on the rise, but we still have a way to go say our experts. Be sure to have a read and see what they have to say. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council We’d also like to introduce you to Abdi Nazemian in our “Keep Your Eye On…” for the Arts. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada column; help you discover great books for gift giving in our “Bookmark!” list chosen de son soutien. by booksellers across Canada; and hope you’ll enjoy our reviews in our “We Recommend” section. Here’s to a more peaceful world in 2020! We acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario. Sandra O’Brien In 2018-19, the OAC invested $61.1 million in 228 communities across Ontario through 2,252 grants to individual artists and 1,424 grants to organizations. Thank you to Friesens for generously sponsoring the Your feedback is important! printing of this magazine. EMAIL comments TO [email protected] Like us! facebook.com/kidsbookcentre Follow us! @kidsbookcentre WWW.BOOKCENTRE.CA WINTER 2019 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS 3 FEATURE ROBIN STEVENSON Making Our World Better, Kinder, Fairer and More Equal! by KIRSTI GRANHOLM contracts — one for the children’s book, which became Impossible Things, and one for the YA novel, which became Out of Order. Those two came out in 2007 and 2008. I was in love with fiction and I didn’t want to leave my kid to return to social work full-time so I just kept on writing instead. You write LGBTQ2+ books, do school visits and have a resource page on your website for those who identify within the LGBTQ2+ community.