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
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
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
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 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
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
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