Young Adult Fiction / 14 and up (Doubleday Canada, 2017) It’s been a while since I gushed about a book but Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten is one of the best things I’ve read all summer. It gripped me with a double set of finely manicured nails and not once did it let me…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Annick Press, 2014) Rafa Was My Robot, written by Alexandra Dellevoet, is a kind and honest book about love and loss. Jacob has a robot he adores and Ken Turner’s illustrations show how much Rafa loves Jacob back. The robot’s one-of-a-kind battery is a large red heart the boy holds in…… Continue Reading
Grades 1-4 (Kids Can Press, 2012) That One Spooky Night is a collection of tales about a Halloween evening filled with haunted happenings and creepy characters. These linked stories are vibrant in their comic book style of illustration and scary in the way that thrills and delights young readers. Dan Bar-el is known for playing…… Continue Reading
Kindergarten to Grade 2 (Owlkids Books, 2012) Martin spends a lot of time in his own little world – a world where he attempts to catch butterfly giggles with his camera and where his mother’s smile is a big, wide river. But not today. Today is the first day of school and he will listen…… Continue Reading
Kindergarten – Grade 3 (Annick Press, 2012) The fascination of young children for stones has long been a governing aspect of life around our house. My husband and I have grown to respect this even if we don’t always understand it the way Sarah Tsiang and Qin Leng obviously do. Their respect for the way…… Continue Reading
Grades 5-10 (Thistledown, 2009) A true mystery of my favourite sort, this story kept me guessing until the very last minute. Is Charlie Castle in fact dead and, if so, who killed him? To answer these questions, Jessica has to revisit the events of the summer her family moved from Victoria, the summer she played…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Kids Can Press, 2012) Larf enjoys his quiet life in the woods, alone but for his pet bunny, Eric. He jogs, observes nature and, on Wednesdays, he does laundry. If he were ever discovered, people would never leave him alone, for Larf is a sasquatch, you see. While he enjoys his…… Continue Reading
Preschool – Kindergarten (Annick Press, 2012) Charmingly appropriate is the idea that a board book, or in this case two, would be created around one of the first words that toddlers learn – up. Up Dog follows Dog through a straight-forward, yet eventful, kind of day. Hazel Hutchins uses 40 words to describe how Dog…… Continue Reading
Grades 1-3 (Tundra Books, 2011) In the Bag: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up is the newest release in Tundra’s Great Idea Series. It is the biography of Margaret (Mattie) Knight who in 1873 became the first woman awarded a patent in the US. As in All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine and It’s a Snap!…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Kids Can Press, 2011) Elizabeth loves her name. She loves that it’s nine letters long. She loves the neat things her mouth does when she says it. She loves that there is a queen named after her. But, most of all, she loves that it’s her name to use however she…… Continue Reading
Grades 4-8 (Orca, 2002) Pitched perfectly at boys aged 10-14, Cairo Kelly and the Mann tells the story of two kids who love and respect their favourite umpire almost as much as they love baseball. When “the Mann” is removed from the Umpires’ Association after his refusal to write a test proving the skills he…… Continue Reading
Ages 18+; Young Adult (Penguin, 2009) At the same time hysterically funny and deadpan serious, Me and the Blondes is an engaging read for girls aged 13-16. From Auntie Eva’s unforgettable life philosophies – “You got to inspire za boobies. A beautiful too-big brassiere vill … encourage zem to fill up za cups” – to…… Continue Reading
Grades 4-8 (Dancing Cat Books, 2011) There is a reason why The Tiffin has been listed as one of Quill & Quire’s 15 “Books of the Year” for 2011. There is a reason why this book is receiving critical acclaim. And there is a reason why I absolutely loved it. Actually there are many reasons.…… Continue Reading
Grades 5-9 (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2010) I knew I would love Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings. I had read the great reviews. I enjoy the author’s quirky, somewhat “out-there” sense of humour. And I always love a book that draws me into an alternate world and allows me to stay there, happy for the duration,…… Continue Reading
Grades 2-6 (Pajama Press, 2011) What I love about Marsha Skrypuch’s writing is how she explores stories often considered too complex, too controversial or too emotionally-charged for a book. Then she addresses these stories to children – delivering them openly with respect and candor and with their deepest humanity intact so that each reader, child…… Continue Reading
Ages 12+ (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011) Nailed it! Inside Helaine Becker, there must reside the soul of a 15-year-old boy. I know this because I just spent the afternoon pulled into into the world of Cam Stewart, the mountain-biking, adventurous and somewhat rebellious main character of Trouble in the Hills. Grounded by his father, Cam…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Simply Read Books, 2011) Dan Bar-el’s creative extension of the Mother Goose rhyme is a lyrical journey perfectly accompanied by Rae Maté’s dreamy paintings. As the illustrations show, a young girl is asking Pussycat to recount tales of his travels which the pair re-enact by puppet show under the light of…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 1 (Owl Kids Books, 2011) When you’ve created a series as well-loved and successful as the Mole Sisters, it makes sense to keep doing what you’re doing. The Vole Brothers is related to Roslyn Schwartz’s earlier series in many ways but it also has much to offer that is fresh and unique.…… Continue Reading
Grades 2-6 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011) The Harmony Point Terriers are having a rough season. They’ve lost their first 3 games, their old coach and – thanks to vandals changing the town sign to read Arm Pit – they’ve even lost their name. It’s understandable that, when they suspect the Harmony Point post office is…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Tundra Books, 2011) Red-headed Daphne is a real wild child, while poor Mr. Dash is a proper posh pup. He lives with Madame Croissant, assists in her Gift Shop and tactfully finds ways to avoid Daphne’s weekly visits. Alas, however, the day arrives that he does not gather his newspaper and…… Continue Reading
Grades 2-4 (Orca Book Publishers, 2010) When his mom flies to England to care for Granny, Evan is left to spend Christmas break with “ex-con Aunt Mag.” Worse than that, Aunt Mag lives in the middle of the nowhere – probably to hide from the eyes of the law. It takes a while before Evan…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Kids Can Press, 2011) Who has never marvelled at the affinity between a goddess and a feline friend? My Cat Isis takes a loving look at the similarities and differences between an ancient Egyptian divinity and a boy’s cat. The story is a back and forth dialogue between mythology and the…… Continue Reading
Preschool to Grade 2 (Kids Can Press, 2011) In this modern fable, Miriam is a baker who combines ingredients and song to create wonderfully delectable varieties of bread. Her aromatic cinnamon bread draws Sebastian into her bakery and a year later they are married. A beautiful cinnamon baby with dusky skin is born and the…… Continue Reading