2024 Lane Anderson Award: Winner announced

The Lane Anderson Award for excellence in Canadian science writing was awarded this week. The award created and sponsored by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation, is given in two categories, one for adults and the other for young readers with each winner receiving a generous $10,000.

 

 

  • • • • • • •

Congratulations to this year's winner

in the Young Reader category

 

 

 

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth
Written by L. E. Carmichael
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Kids Can Press
48 pp.
Ages 7-11
2023

• • • • • • •

 

Look for my interview with L. E. Carmichael and Byron Eggenschwiler soon for some insights into writing non-fiction and their award-winning book.

The Pony and the Starling

 

Written by Jennifer McGrath

Illustrated by Kristina Jones

Groundwood Books

978-1-773069791

36 pp.

Ages 3-6

February 2025

 

Once you start reading The Pony and the Starling, you'll realize that this story is very personal for author Jennifer McGrath. While her earlier books–I've reviewed The Snow Knows, Pugs Cause Traffic Jams, and highly recommend her middle grade novels Chocolate River Rescue and White Cave Escape–have all suggested personal connections to places and characters, this one seems to have been written from the heart where I suspect the pony and a little starling still live.

From The Pony and the Starling, written by Jennifer McGrath, illustrated by Kristina Jones

A beautiful gray pony lives in a green pasture. A little girl cares for it, providing food and water, shelter and love, as well as visiting with the dog. 

From The Pony and the Starling, written by Jennifer McGrath, illustrated by Kristina Jones

When the fall comes, mother and child admire a murmuration of starlings as they create clouds of shapes that twist and turn. The starlings who enjoyed the fall bounty of peaches, grapes and tomatoes stay only for a few days before they take off. That is, all but one. One starling hangs around. Day after day it accompanies the pony as it snoozes and drinks water and enjoys the last of the autumnal warmth.

From The Pony and the Starling, written by Jennifer McGrath, illustrated by Kristina Jones

When a snowstorm hits and the pony is safely ushered into its small red barn, the child who had always encouraged the starling to seek out its "crowd" tries to get it to go inside with the pony. But the starling will not come down from the big old maple. When winter is finally fully upon them, blanketing the pasture and land with snow and frost, the pony is alone. 

 

When a new murmuration of starlings appears in the spring, they do not just grace the skies above. They sweep over the fields and engage the pony in their murmuration and leave a new friend–or is it an old friend?–behind.

 

Jennifer McGrath's own pony was the basis for this lovely picture book and you can tell the affection with which the story is told. But beyond her personal connection, Jennifer McGrath makes sure the story is infused with a sweet friendship, albeit an unusual one, and one that reminds us to see beyond the obvious. The child's mother is busy, with household chores, chopping wood, etc. and notices the little starling hanging out far later than the girl who observes the animals' connection and tries to help when the weather turns and puts the starling in danger. Her connection with her pony who is befriended by a starling encompasses both of them, extending her compassion and establishing a closeness beyond species.

I think you can tell from the illustrations and even the title that there is a tenderness to this picture book. BC's Kristina Jones's artwork, hand drawn and painted digitally, lends a warmth and sensitivity that verges on sadness. Her landscapes of expansive green pastures and stark winter scenes give us a sense of place through the seasons. But it's her characters that have the life. There's spirited movement and quiet togetherness, and that's just the pony and the starling. But Kristina Jones's illustrations of murmurations are fervent and evocative of the grandeur of nature.

The title of The Pony and the Starling suggests an innocent story but it's more than that. Jennifer McGrath and Kristina Jones have made us look at how animals can connect with each other and amaze us with their alliances and even bonds. I don't know how the true story of Jennifer McGrath's story resolved but I'm hopeful, as this fictionalized is, that there was a happy ending.

The Kids Book of Black History in Canada

Written by Rosemary Sadlier

Illustrated by Arden Taylor

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0737-9

64 pp.

Ages 8-12

June 2024

 

I know that The Kids Book of Black History in Canada came out last year but with February being Black History Month, it seems appropriate to review this stellar book on the cusp of next month.

 

While a book on Black history in Canada could never be complete, The Kids Book of Black History in Canada does a commendable job of focusing on the history of Black Canadians across the country and from the time of slavery in New France to key events like the arrival of Black Loyalists and the Underground Railway. The book also talks about the civil rights movement and representation.

From The Kids Book of Black History in Canada, written by Rosemary Sadlier, illustrated by Arden Taylor

The book starts with an explanation of what Black Canadian history is, including who are Black Canadians, terminology used, their diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and more. The section on African beginnings is comprehensive, including discussions about trade routes and the slave trade, leading to the arrival of the Loyalists, the formation of the Colored Corps and more. While many are familiar with the Underground Railroad, Africville and contemporary events like the Black Lives Matter movement, there are many, many parts of history with which readers may be unfamiliar. There are the Jamaican Maroons, the Black Californians, and the Exodusters. There are waves of migration to Canada and from Canada. And they're all part of this history.

From The Kids Book of Black History in Canada, written by Rosemary Sadlier, illustrated by Arden Taylor

Throughout, the profiles of important Black Canadians are highlighted from those who are well-known like Viola Desmond and Mary Ann Shadd to Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott, the first Black graduate of Toronto's Medical College, and Stanley G. Grizzle, the first Black judge in Ontario's Citizenship Court. And because there isn't enough room to recognize all the accomplishments of Black Canadians, Dr. Rosemary Sadlier appends her book with pages of profiles of athletes, broadcasters, musicians, writers, dancers, scientists, and more who've made extraordinary contributions to Canadian society.

From The Kids Book of Black History in Canada, written by Rosemary Sadlier, illustrated by Arden Taylor

While the book is organized along a timeline, reaching from the beginning through the American Civil War, World War I and II, and the civil rights movements to the celebration of Black heritage with Lincoln Alexander Day (January 21) and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, it is never cemented in only timely events. Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, who instrumental in establishing Black History Month and Emancipation Day in Canada, ensures there is a rich discussion about everything from segregation to the "roots of racism" and the dangers of stereotyping. The Kids Book of Black History in Canada covers everything that young people would need to know for a broad introduction to Black history while giving them opportunities to learn more and think about what it means to be a Black Canadian. 

 

Illustrated by Toronto artist Arden Taylor, The Kids Book of Black History in Canada is presented in a colourful and organized manner. Whether providing historical background images or profiles of important Black Canadians, Arden Taylor's digital artwork is well defined and personal.

 

This book will be useful for teaching and learning throughout the year, but with February, Black History Month in Canada, just around the corner, I recommend picking up this updated edition of Rosemary Sadlier's 2003 book, The Kids Book of Black Canadian History, to ensure an inclusive and timely address of a significant history.

Life in the Wild: The Collected Adventures of the Bear, the Moose and the Beaver

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1292-2

200 pp.

Ages 4-8

September 2024

Nicholas Oldland's Bear, Moose and Beaver have returned and they're in an amazing collection of six previously published books so young readers won't just be introduced to these characters but really get to know them.

The six stories included in this collection are Big Bear Hug, Making the Moose Out of Life, The Busy Beaver, Up the Creek, Walk on the Wild Side, and Hockey in the Wild. Playing up some fun puns, Nicholas Oldland truly takes us into the wild lives of his trio of friends.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Big Bear Hug is a story of how a bear loves to give hugs to everyone and everything but most especially trees. But when a man with an axe arrives to chop down one of the most beautiful trees, the bear has other ideas.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Making the Moose Out of Life has a moose who starts to wonder if he's missing out on life and decides "to take life by the antlers." (pg. 49) Instead, a sailing misadventure leads to new experiences, a new friend, and the catalyst for courage to try new things.

 

A very busy but careless beaver learns the error of his ways when hospitalized after a tree-felling mishap in The Busy Beaver. However, his rehabilitation for his injuries gives him the opportunity to make right his mistakes.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Up the Creek's tale focuses on the three friends learning to cooperate on a canoeing trip filled with disasters and bickering. It is only through teamwork that the bear, moose and beaver can survive.

 

The theme of cooperation is revisited in Walk on the Wild Side when a mountain hike becomes a competition that becomes dangerous.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Finally, in Hockey in the Wild (reviewed here in 2020), the trio anticipate the start to their hockey season on the ice but patience is necessary to keep themselves safe to enjoy their winter pastime.

 

In all these stories, Nicolas Oldland infuses his characters with honest friendships while they learn lessons in patience, cooperation, teamwork, compassion and more. And he does so by example, not by preaching. Nicholas Oldland ensures that each animal is unique, quirky in their own ways, and yet willing to change when needed to help others and help themselves grow as individuals.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Teachers and parents may love the stories for the important lessons Nicholas Oldland imparts but kids will adore them for the silliness of these very realistic stories–who hasn't had a competition with a peer or sibling that ended in disaster?–and Nicholas Oldland's digital art. The simplicity of the shape and lines of his characters and settings make everything easily recognizable but it's the details in the expressiveness of his characters' faces and gestures that will be more relatable and still very cute. Whether chagrined at a capsized canoe or standing in a bathing suit on an ice-covered lake, the bear, moose and beaver emote according to all life's circumstances and tell children that they know how they feel.

 

Nicholas Oldland offers readers a great opportunity to take a comprehensive walk on the wild side with the bear, the moose and the beaver in Life in the Wild because whether it's winter or summer, spring or fall, there's always something happening, including ways to live in the not-so-wild.

Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka ushitat assinu

Retold by Annie Picard

Illustrated by Elizabeth Jancewicz

Translated into Innu-aimun (Mushuau dialect) by Penash Rich

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides, Inc.

Mamu Tishishkutamashutau Innu Education

978-1-998802210

48 pp.

Ages 4-8

October 2024

 

This Innu creation story is one that the author, Annie Picard, heard from her grandmother. Isn't this how these traditional stories were lovingly passed along through the generations? And isn't it wonderful that a new generation of children, Innu and others, will hear this story again, now with illustrations by Elizabeth Jancewicz.

From Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka ushitat assinu, retold by Annie Picard, trans. by Penash Rich, illus. by Elizabeth Jancewicz

This story begins when the whole world was covered in water due to a great flood. Some animals survived the flood in a big canoe. Kuekuatsheu (Wolverine in Innu-aimun) suggests that he could create land for them if given some earth, so the different animals offer to dive deep into the water to grab some. First, Amishkᵘ (Beaver) attempts to fetch some from the bottom but it is too deep. Nitshikᵘ (Otter) and Muakᵘ (Loon) also try but are unsuccessful. Finally, the littlest animal, Utshashkᵘ (Muskrat), offers and, after diving deep into the water, is gone a long time. When they discover his body nearby, he still clutches a piece of earth.

From Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka ushitat assinu, retold by Annie Picard, trans. by Penash Rich, illus. by Elizabeth Jancewicz

Kuekuatsheu blows on the earth, watching it grow, until it is so big that Missinakᵘ (Turtle) carries it away on its back. Kuekuatsheu creates a land so big that all life could live there.

This is a story of how we came to be but it is also a reminder that we must respect all animals, including the smallest, for it was Utshashkᵘ who was able to help create the land though he did not survive his ordeal. 

From Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka ushitat assinu, retold by Annie Picard, trans. by Penash Rich, illus. by Elizabeth Jancewicz

This creation story has the elements that are often featured in Indigenous origin stories: animals working together, a turtle who carries the land on its back (hence Turtle Island), and a planet covered in water.  But Annie Picard makes the story more personal, relating how she heard these stories from her grandparents when she lived with them in Sheshatshiu Innu Nation in Labrador. The first image of a child at the knees of her grandmother shows the tender bond from which the story arose. And with each scene described by Annie Picard, as she heard it, there is the nuance of connection, compassion, and collaboration. The story is gently captured in the watercolour and ink artwork of Elizabeth Jancewicz who provides both realism and the fantastic. The animals are recognizable and realistic in their forms and sizes but Elizabeth Jancewicz also creates illustrations such as where Kuekuatsheu blows the clod of earth into a land mass that seem both natural and extraordinary. And that is just what it should be in a creation story that tells a traditional tale of what might have happened long ago but maybe not exactly that way. 

I'm so pleased to review Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka ushitat assinu, an Innu origin story, particularly one that is available in English and Innu-aimun, both in Mushuau dialect, translated by Penash Rich for the review copy I read, and Sheshatshiu dialect, another edition but translated by Anne Nuna (Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka tutak assinu). By providing multi-language editions, the author and publishers have opened up opportunities to a broader audience, both non-Indigenous who may not know the story and the Indigenous communities from which the stories originated, and that can only cultivate deeper inclusion. 

• • • • • •

 

This is the Sheshatshiu dialect edition:

 

Kuekuatsheu Creates the World / Kuekuatsheu ka tutak assinu

Retold by Annie Picard

Illustrated by Elizabeth Jancewicz

Translated into Innu-aimun (Sheshatshiu dialect) by Anna Nuna

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides, Inc.

Mamu Tishishkutamashutau Innu Education

978-1-998802203

48 pp.

Ages 4-8

October 2024

 

Recommended Reading

Written by Paul Coccia

Zando Young Readers

978-1-63893-149-2

320 pp.

Ages 12-17

January 20225

 

Seventeen-year-old Bobby Ashton has got a plan for the perfect summer before college. He's got plans for a perfect job, the perfect boyfriend, and more. The problems with planning everything down to the last second is that "it only takes one second to throw it all off." (vii)

 

All goes amiss when Bobby's big-gesture proclamation of love for his crush Truman becomes a streamed fiasco of broken glass and more, landing Bobby and his mother Cass in the office of Little Elm College's Dean Perez. Bobby loses his job at Campus Books, is removed from his freshman liaison gig for the Big Summer Reading Festival, and he could lose his scholarship and even his admission. His grand gesture was an epic fail, but Bobby is nothing except determined and resilient. His mother, a renowned but retired artist, makes a deal with the Dean to create a sculpture for the college out of the broken glass, and Bobby promises to stay out of trouble.

 

First thing Bobby does is get his Uncle Andy, a friend of Cass's, to let him work at his bookstore Corner Books, a  run-down bookstore that mostly carries used books. And with that new endeavour, the plan for The Summer of Bobby (AKA Bobby Ashton's Plan for the Perfect Summer Before College) begins to transform. Everything Bobby thought he needed for the perfect summer, from the job and the boyfriend to his fashion and achievements, start to change. His tasks may start off as seemingly manageable, like playing nice with crotchety Gladys at the bookstore to overhauling Corner Books to bring in more customers, but Bobby is nothing but persistent. And his new reputation as the Book Whisperer, the young man who knows just the right book for each person, helps make things happen.

 

One of the bookstore visitors Bobby meets is Luke, a college student, with whom he becomes friends. But Bobby knows that after his romantic fiasco, Dean Perez had warned him off of boys, telling him that, "Adolescent crushes will still be there after you graduate." (pg. 10) That doesn't stop Bobby from doing a little matchmaking with others, like Luke's roommate Jerome and Mya, the coffee shop girl, his mom and Andy, and even best friend Wanda and a gamer called chickn-backflip. Will it be enough romance for Bobby, affectionately called Casanova by Luke a.k.a. the love Grinch, or will Bobby find himself falling for the least romantic guy around?

 

If you're a book lover, you'll adore Recommended Reading for its literary references and bookshop character. If you're a romantic, you'll fall in love with the dreamy Bobby and his efforts to help others connect, and find his own true love, albeit circuitously. If you appreciate reading about characters that are real, dealing with issues of missteps that need to be corrected and of body image and self-acceptance, while being fanciful and hopeful, then Paul Coccia's Recommended Reading is recommended for you. Paul Coccia, whose earlier books include I Got You Babe, Leon Levels Up, On the Line (co-written with Eric Walters) and The Player, gives us teens who are authentic in their feelings, whether it be their fears or loves, relationships or insecurities. These teens haven't got it all figured out, yet, but they are looking for ways to understand themselves and how they fit in with others. There are no easy fixes–are there any in life for anyone?–but they're trying. Bobby is looking for love and to have a positive impact on his community. He makes mistakes but he connects with people, whether through his book recommendations or through his sensitivity. And he does so with personality–and lots of book and movie references–and an awesome fashion sense.

 

Bobby may be the Book Whisperer but he's also the guy you want to have in your corner to cheer you on, help you find love, and to appreciate yourself. And with Recommended Reading, Paul Coccia gives readers the opportunity to fall in love with Bobby.

Playdate Surprise

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Laura Watson

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9981-0

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2024

 

Remember the two friends Kayla and Piper from I Can, Too!? Karen Autio and Laura Watson have brought the two little girls, one with mobility issues, together again in a story of friendship and accommodation.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

Being a friend and having a friend are great opportunities for growing as a person with the fun and understanding that comes from being together. No wonder Kayla is so excited when Piper is able to come over to her house for a playdate. Although there are lots of accommodations that have been made for Kayla to get around outside and in her house, these are not the focus as the two girls play with Kayla's dog Roscoe, who is very well trained, and just having fun.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

But when it's time for Piper to leave and she wants to invite Kayla to their house the next day, Piper's mom realizes that their front step would be an obstacle to Kayla. So, the girls must wait until the weekend when Kayla's dad can help her get into Piper's house.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

Their next playdate is just as much fun. No wonder that the girls want to continue having playdates and Piper's family finds a way to help that happen with an unexpected surprise of accessibility.

 

Karen Autio's first story of Kayla focused on the different modes of mobility available to a child in a wheelchair, allowing her to do many of the same activities as her wheel-less peers. In Playdate Surprise, that same message of positivity is pervasive, with Kayla and Piper smiling with joy for their friendship and time to be spent together. And even though a concrete step is a real impediment to Kayla's visiting Piper's house, both families find a way or two to accommodate her wheelchair and support the girls' friendship. 

 

Laura Watson, who also illustrated I Can, Too!, uses her digital art to keep the story light and yet meaningful. Her bold colours and joyous characters make a story a positive one of camaraderie and reassurance, demonstrating that at its heart, Playdate Surprise is a story of two friends, one of whom just happens to be in a wheelchair.

 

Karen Autio's dedication suggests that there was such a family that modified their home to allow her daughter accessibility, for which she was very thankful, so she speaks from experience in Playdate Surprise. That alone makes this picture book special. But it's also a reminder to everyone that accessibility doesn't just happen. We have to make it happen, whether through policy or protest, training or grassroots actions at home. Because when everyone is included, there's a lot more smiling that happens for everyone.

Izzy Wong's Nose for News

Written by Marty Chan

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3937-3

208 pp.

Ages 8-12

September 2024

 

Twelve-year-old Izzy Wong may have a nose for news, but she has to make sure she's not putting her nose where it doesn't belong or sniffing out a story that isn't there. She may aspire to be the next Sarah Koenig and make her journalist/news-anchor mom proud of her, but Izzy Wong still has a lot of learning to do. After all, she is only in Grade 6.

 

Izzy may not be popular, but she loves reporting news from the school and interviewing her classmates about tests and other school happenings for her podcast. They might not like being questioned but Izzy doesn't let that deter her. But when she learns that the third-floor girls' bathroom flooded over the weekend and has caused much damage to classrooms and the library, Izzy thinks she's got a fabulous podcast story in solving the mystery of how it happened. 

But Izzy is still a novice at interviewing and pursuing a story. She gets useful advice from her mom how to keep herself from starting rumours and making herself part of the story, but she doesn't always follow the advice or heed the warnings of her teachers or principal. Instead, she begins speculating that Doyle McTaggert, a sixth-grade prankster, may have been behind stuffing paper towels in the toilets. With that leading her, Izzy begins seeing things that make Doyle look guilty and, without intending to do so, she starts gossip about her classmates. How is she going to get to the bottom of this mystery without making everyone hate her or clouding her investigation with rumours?

While a flooding in a school bathroom may not be the mystery of the century, it is a big deal in an elementary school where bathrooms are places of chatter and refuge. And when classrooms and staff are impacted–from the massive clean-up and ruined school equipment and furniture–it is a very big deal and mystery that the authorities want solved, although perhaps not how Izzy goes about it. But author Marty Chan makes Izzy a believable character who is determined to do something, although her passion is not always embedded in common sense or the sound judgement of her elders. She's eager but impetuous and she takes missteps that she sometimes should walk back but doesn't. In other words, she's a kid who is learning from her mistakes and by doing her best, even if it isn't always right. Fortunately, Marty Chan lets Izzy grow into her journalistic skills and herself, learning some sensitivity from her missteps and some wisdom from her peers and elders about the consequences of her actions. At least she learns. And she solves a mystery that wouldn't have been uncovered without her diligence in pursuing a story. Izzy may have been distracted by the whiff of stories of romance and revenge but, in the end, she got to the heart of the matter and matured as an investigative reporter.

The Moon's Journey

Written by Beryl Young

Illustrated by Sean Huang

Red Deer Press

978-0-889957473

32 pp.

Ages 6-8

November 2024 

 

When Faith and her family are set to leave Wales and join her father in Canada, Faith is devastated with all she must leave behind, from their home and their cat Blackie to her best friend and even the caterpillars she was nurturing. And what about the moon?

 

I especially can't leave the moon.

 

From The Moon's Journey by Beryl Young, illustrated by Sean Huang

   

But her brother Gareth has a way to reassure her.

 

After boarding the ship, finding their berths, and exploring the ship, Faith looks for the towline tethering the moon to the ship's funnel. And though she cannot see it and worries that the rope has come loose, Gareth always reassures her, as he does day after day and night after night of their journey.

From The Moon's Journey by Beryl Young, illustrated by Sean Huang

When they finally arrive in Canada and are picked up by the children's father, Faith's concerns continue.

Would the captain remember to untie the rope so the moon could stay in Canada?

And though their dad does everything to ensure that their new home feels like home, including a new kitten, it's not until the moon reappears, seemingly bigger and closer than in Wales, that Faith that knows she's home.

 

While Faith's family's experience aboard the ship may be far more upscale than those of most immigrants, with gleaming silverware and white serviettes, Beryl Young still encompasses the tenuous nature of migration from the familiar to the unknown. By tethering Faith's disquiet about the move with the moon, a familiar and ever-present entity, even when it's not always visible, Beryl Young gives a common feature to which all immigrants can relate. The sun and moon are forever present, no matter where we are. It's a shared experience and one that we can all rely on, at least most of the time. And by reconnecting with the moon in her new country, Faith gets the reassurance she needs that things would be okay.

In addition to coping with migration, Beryl Young includes a sweet brother-sister relationship that helps Faith persevere and look for the familiar. How lovely for Gareth to create a scenario in which the moon is dragged along by the ship to their new country just to comfort the young girl.

From The Moon's Journey by Beryl Young, illustrated by Sean Huang

For historical fiction, Saskatchewan artist Sean Huang's illustrations are an excellent fit. Previously he illustrated I Am Not a Ghost: The Canadian Pacific Railway, another picture book of historical relevance, and his realistic art here in The Moon's Journey just as capably transports us to the 1950s and post WW2 immigration by ship.  Even though his artwork is digitally rendered, it leans towards the realism of classic oil paintings from the 19th c., focusing on landscapes of the sea and the ship along with portraits of the children at play or contemplation. For the historical events of post-war immigration, Sean Huang's art is befitting.

 

The Moon's Journey is a simple tale of how a natural connection between places can make all the difference in easing the hardship of something like immigration. In this case, it was most fortuitous that the moon was able to join Faith and her family on their journey and in their new country.

My Grammie's House

Written by Lana Button

Illustrated by Skye Ali

Tundra Books

978-1-774880784

40 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2024

 

Over the holidays, many children will have visited the home of their Grammie or Grandpa, Baba or Opa. Hopefully, with those visits came many great memories. But what if Grammie is no longer there? What happens to those memories? For this child, those memories are still intact and significantly linked to their Grammie's house.

As a couple drive up to a house for sale, they are met by a child who has lots to tell them. 

You're going to love my Grammie's house.

You'll love every single thing about it.  

From My Grammie's House by Lana Button, illustrated by Skye Ali

So begins the most personal house tour ever. The child takes them through the house and yard, showing them everything that they did with their Grammie and how Grammie lived there. (Skye Ali's illustrations brilliantly depict what had been in place, now gone, with light pink sketches of plants and picture frames, lamps and furniture.) The house hunters learn how the kitchen floor is great for skating, where Grammie used to sit to do her sitting exercises, and where the cranberry juice and cereal were kept, and where Jethro, the cat, likes to hide.

From My Grammie's House by Lana Button, illustrated by Skye Ali

They find Grammie's old sweater, and they play in Grammie's yard on the old swings and in the climbing tree. There is nothing this child doesn't about this house.

 

Even with all the attributes of Grammie's house laid out to them–the child calls it, "The best house ever. You are so lucky!"–there is still one thing they'll need and the child is happy to fill it.

From My Grammie's House by Lana Button, illustrated by Skye Ali

For many children, visiting a grandparent at their home will be as much about the place as it is the person. Their memories are what they saw and did there are as crucial as the feelings evoked by the grandparent. For this child, Grammie's house is a bundle of memories of food and smells, activities and sounds. Grammie may no longer live there, whether by a move or a death, but that house is still filled with her and continues to evoke wonderful memories for this child. Better yet, Lana Button does not convey any sadness or anger from the child at other people moving into Grammie's house. She tells it as the grandest of all welcomes, a sharing of memories and an invitation of appreciation. Lana Button makes this child the best real estate agent on the planet. (No surprise how the story ends.)

From My Grammie's House by Lana Button, illustrated by Skye Ali

Skye Ali, an American illustrator who works in gouache and coloured pencils, keeps the house tour by the child bright and inviting, using bold colours and lines that evoke movement and expectation. As they walk (or run) room to room and outside, Skye Ali brings us with them to experience a shag rug, cold water out of the hose outdoors, and flying to the clouds on a swing singing, "Weebly Womp. Weebly Womp."

Though Grammie no longer lives in this house, she still lives in this child through their memories of the time spent in Grammie's house. The connection of child and grandmother with place is almost tangible, palpable in the cookies that were eaten, the texture of the flooring, the warmth of the sun through a window, and the comfort of a climbing tree. This was and always will be Grammie's house, with or without Grammie.

BTW we need the recipe for those scotch cake cookies. The child promised to share.

Upcoming releases for Winter and Spring 2025

 

2024 was a fabulous year for youngCanLit with a plethora of picture books, non-fiction, early readers, historical fiction, YA, graphic novels, mysteries, thrillers, and more. And now we're on the brink of 2025 and there's loads more books ready to be released in the next 6 months.

 

What am I anticipating and hoping 🤞🤞🤞to receive review copies for? There are far too many to list (and I don't want to be greedy because most publishers are very generous with sharing) but here are just a few titles:

• The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan because her stories, both in the text and the art, are quirky and meaningful at the same time;
  
• Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel, since it's always too long in between his books;
  
• The Classified Catnapping because Colleen Nelson is a brilliant writer and I never got to read the first book in the series;
  
• Everybelly by Thao Lam who can blend fabulous illustrations with personal stories;
  
• The Factory by Catherine Egan because she can create atmospheric stories loaded with suspense;
  
• Finding Harmony by Eric Walters because The King of Jam Sandwiches started a great story about which we wanted to read more;
  
• Miss Match by Susan Hughes since a hi-lo book about a middle-grade matchmaking service sounds like a hoot (What could go wrong?!);
  
• Old School because it's from Gordon Korman and we always need more humour in our lives;
  
• Rock because the collaboration between Laurel Croza and Matt James is always a winner; and
  
• Under Attack, the latest novel by Marsha Skrypuch who approaches historical tragedies and challenges of Ukrainians, then and now, with much sensitivity and accuracy.

Whatever your reading preferences, there's something sure to fill your TBR pile/shelf/bookcase.

Here's to a

Happy New Year 

of reading exceptional youngCanLit! 

 

  • • • • • • •

JANUARY

Picture Books

Askəmawso by Lisa-Maude Aubin-Berube (Monster House Publishing)

Black Boy, Black Boy by Angela Bowden, illus. by Ibe Ananaba (Nimbus Publishing)

The Eidi Bag by Ahazia Afzal, illus. by Shiva Delsooz (Owlkids Books)

Patty Dreams by Nadia L. Hohn, illus. by Sahle Robinson (Owlkids Books)

Raven’s Ribbons by Tasha Spillett, illus. by Daniel Ramirez (Owlkids Books)

When the Banyan Sways: Folktales from India by Sharada Eswar, trans. by Dushy Gnanapragasam, illus. by Radha Raulgaonkar (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)

Early Readers and Middle Grade

Divya’s Supersecret Plan by Sita Jit, illus. by Abhilasha Khatri (Capstone Publishing) >>> Book 2 in Divya Dubey series

Dot the Ladybug: The Perfect Spot by Kallie George, illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (HarperCollins) >>> My First I Can Read! book

The Factory by Catherine Egan (Scholastic) 

Fantastic Lou: Little Comics from Real Life by Qin Leng (Tundra) >>> comics

No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam (HarperCollins) 

Prince and the Pawper by Stephanie Cooke, illus. by Whitney Gardner (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) >>> The Racc Pack #2

Under Attack by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (Scholastic) >>> Kidnapped From Ukraine #1

The War of the Witches by Zetta Elliott, illus. by Cherise Harris (Yearling) >>> Dragons in the Bag #5

The Vanished Ones by Chad Lucas (Amulet Books) 

 

Young Adult

The Afterdark by E. Latimer (Tundra)

Happenstance by Debra Loughead (BWL Publishing)

The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley (HarperCollins)

Non-Fiction 

Ramadan: The Holy Month of Fasting by Ausma Zehanat Khan (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Origins 5

 

FEBRUARY

Picture Books 

The Birdfeeder by Heather Hartt-Sussman, illus. by Jessica Bartram  (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) 

Cantaloupe and HoneyDo Bake a Cake by Mike Boldt (Dial Books)

The Mitzvah Fairy by Danielle Joseph, illus. by Christine Battuz (Kar-Ben)

Monarch by Stephen Hume, illus. by Jessica Bromley Bartram (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Nevin Knows by Mireille Messier, illus. by Elena Comte (Orca Book Publishers)

The Pony and the Starling by Jennifer McGrath , illus. by Kristina Jones (Groundwood Books)

Runaway Blanket by Nancy Deas, illus. by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers)

The Seaweed Blanket by Nancy Deas, illus. by Mike Deas (Red Deer Press)

Sundays are for Feasts by Leila Boukarim, illus. by Ruaida Mannaa (Groundwood Books) 

The Warmest Blanket in the World by Tamara Levine, illus. by Ellie Arscott (Second Story Press)

What Makes a Bird? by Megan Pomper, illus. by Maia Hoekstra (Owlkids Books)

Early Readers and Middle Grade

The Big Splash by Angela Ahn, illus. by Julie Kim (Tundra) >>> Julie on the Go! #2

Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day by Lana Button, illus. by Suharu Ogawa (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Echoes

The Cranky-Verse by Katherine Battersby (Margaret K. McElderry) >>> A Cranky Chicken Book 4

Digger: Dig or Die! by Deborah Cholette, illus. by Davide Ortu (One Elm Books)

Every Little Bit Olive Tran by Phuong Truong (Second Story Press) >>> Olive Tran #1

Feathered Fiends by Jocelyn Boisvert, trans. by David Warriner (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Shivers 4

Finding Harmony by Eric Walters (Orca Book Publishers) >>> prequel to The King of Jam Sandwiches

The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay by Mary Averling (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers)

Meg and Greg: Train Day! by Elspeth Rae and Rowena Rae (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Meg and Greg Book 6

Old School by Gordon Korman (Scholastic) 

Project Wild One by Louise Sidley (Red Deer Press)

The Rehearsal Club by Kate Fodor and Laurie Petrou (Groundwood Books)

Saving Obaachan by Marie Etchell (Red Deer Press)

What's in the Walls? by Julie Champagne, illus. by Geneviève Bigué (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Shivers 3

 

Young Adult

Cheat Code by M.J. McIsaac (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Anchor

The Forest King's Daughter by Elly Blake (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) 

Ghost Queen by Mahtab Narsimhan (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Anchor 

Hacking Heartbreak by Kevin heronJones (Lorimer)
Just Kickin' It by Julie Thompson (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Anchor 

Little Sanctuary by Randy Boyagoda (Orca Book Publishers)

Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia (Zando Young Readers) 

 

Non-Fiction 

Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur: How to Relax Muscle by Muscle by Brenda S. Miles and Colleen A. Patterson, illus. by John Joseph (Magination Press)

The Friendship Guide by Dr. Jillian Roberts, illus. by Andrea Armstrong (Orca Book Publishers)

Game Changers: Stories of Hijabi Athletes from around the World by Charlene Smith, illus. by Natalya Tariq (Orca Book Publishers)

Great Apes: Protecting Our Animal Cousins by Christopher Gudgeon (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Wild 15

Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep by Mark Leiren-Young (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Wild 16

Our Plastic Problem: A Call for Global Solutions by Megan Durnford (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Footprints 33

Salmon Forest by David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis, illus. by Sheena Lott (Greystone Kids)

The Sky's the Limit: Canadians Who Blazed a Trail in Aviation by Wanda Taylow (Nimbus Publishing0

 

 

MARCH

Picture Books

5 Absolutely Outrageous Munsch Stories by Robert Munsch, illus. by Michael Martchenko (Annick)

Chidori: A Story of One Thousand Birds by Jennifer Maruno, illus. by Miki Sato (Pajama Press)

The Fabulous Edweena by Edwin Dumont, illus. by Melissa Cho (Second Story Press)

The Game by Henry Charles, illus. by Shoshannah Greene (Greystone Kids)

Head Full of Clouds by Joanne Schwartz, illus. by Afsaneh Sanei (Tundra) 

Hello, Daisy! by Mélanie Grenier (Owlkids Books)

Hugs Are (Not) for Everybody by Ella Russell, illus. by Udayana Lugo (Owlkids Books)

I Am Métis by Karen Hourie Ellefson, illus. by Leah Dorion (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

If A Bumble Bee Lands on Your Toe by Cynthia Mackey, illus. by Vikki Zhang (Yeehoo Press)

Ins and Outs by Elizabeth Withey, illus. by Salini Perera (Orca Book Publishers)

Kenzie's Little Tree by Alison McGauley, illus. by Emilie Leduc (Orca Book Publishers)

Let's Monster Up! by Cyndi Marko (Paula Wiseman Books)

No Huddles for Heloise by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Udayana Lugo (Orca Book Publishers)

The One and Only Question by Norma Charles and Andrea Charles, illus. by Ken Daley (Groundwood Books) 

The One with the Scraggly Beard by Elizabeth Withey, illus. by Lynn Scurfield (Orca Book Publishers)

pêyak little duck by Sandra Lamouche, illus. by Mando Littlechild (Orca Book Publishers) >>> counting in Plains Cree

Rock by Laurel Croza, illus. by Matt James (Groundwood Books) 

Shy Me by Sandra V. Feder, illus. by Ashley Barron (Groundwood Books)

Sunny Wants to Play by Katty Maurey (Tundra)

Wait Like a Seed by Erin Alladin, illus. by Tara Anderson (Pajama Press)

What if Marty Doesn’t Like My Party? by Katie Arthur (Owlkids Books)

Early Readers and Middle Grade

The Anxious Exile of Sara Salt by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca Book Publishers)

The City of Lost Cats by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Tundra)

Pluto Rocket: Full Blast by Paul Gilligan (Tundra) >>> Pluto Rocket #3, graphic novel

Sarah Ponakey, Storycatcher and Maskwa's Tipi Tales by Sita MacMillan, illus. by Azby Whitecalf (Annick) >>> Sarah Ponakey, Storycatcher #2

Something's Up with Arlo by Matteo L. Cerilli (HarperCollins)

Year of the Carrot by Madeleine Hart (Second Story Press)

Young Adult

Dogs Don't Break Hearts by Nathan Burgoine (Lorimer)

The Fragments that Remain by Mackenzie Angeconeb (DCB Young Readers) 

Like a Bird by Becky Citra (Second Story Press) 

Lonely in Happy Town by Kristopher Mielke (Lorimer)

My Green Style by Lea Beddia (Lorimer)

My True Colours by Mike Levitt (Lorimer)

The Nothing Club by Cathy Beveridge (Ronsdale)
Setter Up by Caelen Beard (Lorimer)

Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai (Penguin Teen)

To Steal from Thieves by M. K. Lobb (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)  

 

Non-Fiction 

Baby Smiles/ Weskewikwa'sit mijua'ji'j by The Tui'kn Partnership, illus. by Loretta Gould (Nimbus Publishing) >>> bilingual Mi'kmaw and English

Can We Talk?: How Humans Stay in Touch by Maria Birmingham, illus. by Xulin (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Timeline 8

Chomp-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Eat by Maria Birmingham, illus. by Kyle Reed (Owlkids Books)

Creatively Human: Why We Imagine, Make and Innovate by Lois Peterson, illus. by Madeline Yee (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Think 18

Dogs vs. Humans: A Showdown of the Senses by Stephanie Gibeault, illus. by Bambi Edlund (Owlkids Books)

Plant Attack!: The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself by Erin Silver, illus. by Julie McLaughlin (Orca Book Publishers) 

 

 

APRIL

Picture Books

Amoya Blackwood Is Brave by Chantaie Allick, illus. by Aaron Marin (Tundra)

The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan (HarperCollins)

The Beat of the Dragon Boat by Christina Matula, illus. by Nicole Wong (Sleeping Bear Press)

Bella and Bean by Sandra Bradley, illus. by Udayana Lugo (Pajama Press)

The Biggest Smallest Thing by Sara de Waal, illus. by Anna Stretcu (Annick)

Carlito's Butterfly / La mariposa de Carlito by Angèle Delaunois, illus. by Augusto Mora (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Bilingual edition in English and Spanish

Dreaming Alongside by Monique Gray Smith, illus. by Nicole Neidhardt (Orca Book Publishers)

Everybelly by Thao Lam (Groundwood Books)

The Fawn by Etua Snowball, illus. by Shuggie Crossland (Inhabit Media) >>> My Wild Arctic Friends 2

Goose Egg Island by Julia Richardson, illus. by Meneka Repka (Sleeping Bear Press)

The Great Dinosaur Sleepover by Linda Bailey, illus. by Joe Bluhm (Tundra)

Hannah and the Wrong Note by Shane Goth, illus. by Sara Gagnon-Dumont (Owlkids Books)

ɬagət̓hiyt t̓oxʷʊm /Herring to Huckleberries by Betty Wilson, illus. by Prashant Miranda (HighWater Press) >>> bilingual in Tla’amin and English

Huxley's Island Adventure by Haley Healey, illus. by Kimiko Fraser (Heritage House)

I Have a Short Tail. What Am I? by Arvaaq Press, illus. by Ben Shannon (Arvaaq Press)

I Have Spotted Wings. What Am I? by Arvaaq Press, illus. by Ben Shannon (Arvaaq Press)

I Have Thick Fur. What Am I? by Arvaaq Press, illus. by Ben Shannon (Arvaaq Press)

I Hear You, Forest by Kallie George, illus. by Carmen Mok (Greystone Kids)

I Lost A Day by Briana Corr Scott (Nimbus Publishing)

I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet, illus. by Cailin Doherty (Owlkids Books)

I Would Give You My Tail by Tanya Tagaq, illus. by Qavavau Manumie  (Tundra)

A Little Camper Love by Rayna Meakin (Heritage House)

Mrs. Nobody by Y. S. Lee, illus. by Marie Lafrance (Groundwood Books)

Our Ancestor's Kitchen by Willie Poll, illus. by Shaikara David (Annick)

Ready, Set, Mango! by Tamla T. Young, illus. by Raz Latif (Owlkids Books)

The Salt Princess by Anoosha Syed (HarperCollins)

Sand Cakes by Kallie George, illus. by Devon Holzwarth (Tundra)

Sometimes I Eat With My Hands by Kid Haile (Groundwood Books) 

This Plant Is Not Boring by Marie Hoy-Kenny, illus. by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers)

When the Air Sang by Laura Bontje, illus. by Sarah Whang (Annick) 

 

Early Readers and Middle Grade

Big City Buns by Anna Humphrey, illus. by Irma Knilvila (Tundra) >>> Fluffy Bunnies #2, graphic novel

Carousel Summer by Kathleen Gros (HarperCollins) >>> graphic novel

The Classified Catnapping by Colleen Nelson (Pajama Press) >>> Mystery at the Biltmore #2

In the Forests of the Night by Alison Hughes (DCB Young Readers)

Lark Wraps It Up by Natasha Deen, illus. by Marcus Cutler (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Echoes, 8th book in Lark series

Lucky Mermaid Sleepover by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel (Scholastic) >>> The Party Diaries #5 

Miss Match by Susan Hughes (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Currents

Otis & Peanut Find a Way by Naseem Hrab, illus. by Kelly Collier (Owlkids Books) >>> Otis & Peanut 3

Rhapsody Smith: Ice Angel by Lorna Schultz Nicholson (Yellow Dog) >>> first in Rhapsody Smith series

Saving Wolfgang by Gregor Craigie (Orca Book Publishers)

Spirit Service by Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Summer of Rocks by Jenna Greene (Heritage House) 

The War of the Maps by Jonathan Auxier (Puffin Canada) >>> The Vanished Kingdom #3

Young Adult

First Times: Short Stories about Sex, ed. by Karine Glorieux , trans. by Shelley Tanaka (Groundwood Books)

The Haunted Blizzard by Aviaq Johnston, illus. by Athena Gubbe (Inhabit Media) >>> graphic novel

Meet Me at Blue Hour by Sarah Suk (HarperCollins) 

Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju (HarperCollins)

One Kiss by Marthe Jocelyn (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Soundings

Shoot the Moon by Matt Beam (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Soundings

The Song by Sam Beck (Wonderbound) >>> The Verse 3, graphic novel series

Under Fire by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Anchor

 

Non-Fiction 

Barnacle Bay by Jana Curll (Greystone Kids) >>> Little Habitats series, graphic novel

Bison: Community Builders and Grassland Caretakers by Frances Backhouse (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Wild 17

A Hummingbird on My Balcony by Isabelle Groc (Orca Book Publishers)

My Book of Frogs and Toads by Geraldio Valério (Groundwood Books) >>> Big Books for Little Naturalists #3

Ocean Secrets: A Guidebook for Little Underwater Adventurers by Sarah Grindler (Nimbus Publishing) >>> Little Explorers #4

Ours To Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger (Annick)

A Time of Legends: The Story of Two Fearless Wolves—and One Rebel by Rick McIntyre and David A. Poulsen (Greystone Kids) >>> Chronicles of the Yellowstone Wolves 2

The Unlikely Hero: The Story of Wolf 8  by Rick McIntyre and David A. Poulsen (Greystone Kids) >>> Chronicles of the Yellowstone Wolves 1

 

 

MAY

Picture Books

Akemi's Song by Joanne Kwok, illus. by Yiting Hui (Plumleaf Press)

The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers And Other Mysterious Creatures by Jami Gigot (Kids Can Press)

Bright Lights and Summer Nights by Shauntay Grant, illus. by Zach Manbeck (Tundra)

Bye Bye, Butterfly by Ashley Spires, adapted by Naseem Hrab, illus. by Mike Shiell (Kids Can Press) >>> Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe 1

Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? by Tyna Legault Taylor, illus. by Michelle Dao (HighWater Press)

Freda the Fry by Patsy Dingwell, illus. by Marla Lesage (Nimbus Publishing)

Go, Sloth, Go! by Gabrielle Prendergast, illus. by Sophie Benmouyal (Orca Book Publishers)

A Hug on the Wind by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Kristina Jones (Orca Book Publishers)

If You Were Here by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Maya McKibbin (Greystone Kids)

It's Time to Lend a Hand by Ceporah Mearns and Jeremy Debicki, illus. by Nuria Muro Gio (Inhabit Media)

Jackie's Drawing by Andrew Katz, illus. by Tony Luzano (CrackBoom!)

Jane and the Blue Willow Princess by Catherine Little, illus. by Sae Kimura (Plumleaf Press)

The Most Magnificient Team by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press) >>> another book in the Most Magnificent series

No Mousie Left Behind by Ashley Spires, adapted by Naseem Hrab, illus. by Mike Shiell (Kids Can Press) >>> Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe 2 

Oops! by Julie Massy, illus. by Pascale Bonenfant (Orca Book Publishers)

Sea in my Cells by Laura Alary, illus. by Andrea Blinick (Pajama Press)

Six Little Sticks by Tiffany Stone, illus. by Ruth Hengeveld (Greystone Kids)

Sloth and Squirrel on Vacation by Cathy Ballou Mealey, illus. by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press) >>> Sloth and Squirrel 2

A Stronger Home by Katrina Chen and Elaine Su, illus. by Delphie Côté-Lacroix (Orca Book Publishers)

To My Irniq: To My Son by Nadia Sammurtok, illus. by Hsulynn Pang (Inhabit Media)

Early Readers and Middle Grade

Asha and Baz Meet Gladys West by Caroline Fernandez, illus. by Dharmali Patel (Common Deer Press)

Astronautical! by Brookin Stormie (Annick) >>> graphic novel

Dial If You Dare by Alexandre Côté-Fournier, illus. by Geneviève Bigué, trans. by David Warriner (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Shivers 5

Glow in the Graveyard by François Gravel, trans. by David Warriner (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Shivers 6

Hiss by Kirsten Marion (Common Deer Press)

Katie Crumble and the Case of the Missing Underwear by Oksanna Crawley, illus. by Lydia Ramsey (Plumleaf Press) >> Katie Crumble #1

My Summer Camp Has Mega Sloths by Rebecca Wood Barrett, illus. by Jaimie MacGibbon (Orca Book Publishers)

The Mystery of the Haunted Dancehall by Charis Cotter (Tundra)

Two Tricksters Find Friendship by Elder Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows, illus. by Alyssa Koski (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Echoes

Way Off Track by Carl Brundtland, illus. by Claudia Dávila (Kids Can Press) >>> A Nansi Graphic Novel 1

The World of Maxime by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Jacques Goldstyn, trans. by Helen Mixter (Greystone Kids)

You’re Out of Luck, Alina Butt by Ambreen Butt-Hussain (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Alina Butt 2

Zeke the Weather Gek: There's Mud in My Flood! by  Joan Axelrod-Contrada and Ann Malaspina, illus. by Paula Becker (Kids Can Press) >>> Zeke the Weather Geek 2

Young Adult

A Drop in the Ocean by Lea Taranto (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Halfsoul Part 1: Tale by Scarlet Wings Kaili (Cloudscape Comics)
Halfsoul Part 2: Nalia by Scarlet Wings Kaili (Cloudscape Comics)

Halfsoul Part 3: Zach by Scarlet Wings Kaili (Cloudscape Comics)

The Night Girl by James Bow (Shadowpaw Press)

Odyssey by M.L. Fergus (Tundra) >>> Fractured Kingdom #2

Titan of the Stars by E. K. Johnston (Tundra) >>> new series

You Started It by Jackie Khalileh (Tundra)

 

Non-Fiction 

Keep Our World Green: Why Humans Need Gardens, Parks and Public Green Spaces by Frieda Wishinsky, illus. by Sara Theuerkauf (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Timeline 10

Kersplash! A Cloud Bursts by Jessica Kulekjian, illus. by Zoe Si (Kids Can Press)

A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Great Lakes Region by Philippa Joly (Harbour Publishing)

Making a Splash: How Humans Consume, Control and Care for Water by Colleen Nelson, illus. by Sophie Dubé (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Timeline 9

Microbes to the Rescue: Using Bacteria, Algae and Fungi to Clean Up the Planet
by Yolanda Ridge (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Footprints 34

Morgan Moose Visits New Brunswick Provincial Parks! by Kimothy Stewart, illus. by Airen MacMaster (Monster House Publishing)

My Visit to Kimmirut by Monica Ittusardjuat, illus. by Emma Pedersen (Arvaaq Press) >>> Community Connection series, bilingual edition in English and Inuktitut

Liitia's One-Ski by Jeffrey Kehraj and Kahlan Miron, illus. by Emma Pedersen (Arvaaq Press) >>> Community Connection series, bilingual edition in English and Inuktitut

The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act by Catherine Clement (Plumleaf Press)

The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History by Ann Richards, illus. by Arden Taylor (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Biography 3

 

 

JUNE

Picture Books

Bob the Boo-Boo by Mélina Schoenborn, illus. by Sandra Dumais (Kids Can Press)
Can I Come, Too?: An Adventure with the Grumpy Faces by Nadia Sammurtok, illus. by Emma Pedersen (Inhabit Media)

Every Leaf on Every Tree by Lauren Soloy (Nimbus Publishing)

Fitch & Smith Treasury by Sheree Fitch, illus. by Sydney Smith (Nimbus Publishing) >>> collection with Mabel Murple, Toes in My Nose, and There Were Monkeys in My Kitchen

The First Peoples by Maika Harper, illus. by Kaja Kajfež (Inhabit Media)

The Friendship Centre by Theresa Meuse, illus. by Zeta Paul (Nimbus Publishing) >>> Indigenous Knowledge #4

Jack and the Beanstack by Michael Rosen, illus. by Talleen Hacikyan (Tradewind Books)

More or Less by Alison Hughes, illus. by Oge Mora (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper by Lori Doody (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides) >>> Mr. Beagle #4

My Nova Scotia by Lindsay Ruck, illus. by Martyna Czub (Nimbus Publishing)

Out on the Trail by Bonnie Morgan, illus. by Molly Margaret (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)

A Summer without Anna by Kate Jenks Landry, illus. by Risa Hugo (Kids Can Press)

Unnaturally Blue by Dorson Plourde, illus. by Byron Eggenschwiler (Kids Can Press)

The Witching Hour by Jennifer Harris, illus. by Adelina Lirius (Tundra)

Wôpanâak Seasons: Seeqan, Neepun, Keepun, Pup8n by Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, illus. by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Tradewind Books)

Early Readers and Middle Grade

Anne of Green Gables: Stories for Young Readers, adapted by Deirdre Kessler, illus. by Briana Corr Scott (Nimbus Publishing)

The Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett (Rocky Pond Books)

Joe and the Wreck of the Tribune by Jacqueline Halsey (Nimbus Publishing)

The League of Littles by Casey Lyall, illus. by Sara Faber (Greenwillow Books)

Steve, a Rare Egg by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press) >>> early graphic novel, Steve the Horse 2

Young Adult

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel (Tundra)

The Cariboo Trek of Callum McBay by Colin Campbell (Tradewind Books)

Emiko by Chieri Uegaki (Tundra)

Show by Shane Peacock (DCB Young Readers)

Soul Machine by Jordana Globerman (Annick) >>> graphic novel

Winging It by Jen Desmarais (Renaissance) >>> Lucky in Love 2

 

 

 

Non-Fiction 

All about Sanikiluaq by Jamesie Fournier, illus. by Amiel Sandland (Arvaaq Press) >>> Community Connection series, bilingual edition in English and Inuktitut

Haunted Canada: The Fourth Terrifying Collection by Joel A. Sutherland, illus. by Steven P. Hughes and Mark Savona (Scholastic Canada)

I Love to Live in Kinngait by Maika Harper, illus. by Lenny Lishchenko (Arvaaq Press) >>> Community Connection series, bilingual edition in English and Inuktitut

Meet Frederick Banting by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada) >>> newest Scholastic Canada Biography

Raven by Monica Ittusardjuat, illus. by Kagan McLeod (Inhabit Media) >>> Animals Illustrated series

Red Canoe Shows Up at Two! by Victoria Allenby (Pajama Press) >>> concept book

This Is How a Ball Rolls: The Science of Wobbling, Bouncing, Spinning Balls by Heather Tekavec, illus. by Suharu Ogawa (Kids Can Press)

 

 

STILL TO COME IN 2025

Picture Books

The Friendship Blanket by Leonarda Carranza, illus. by Erika Rodriguez Medina (North Winds Press)

Lights at Night by Tasha Hilderman, illus. by Maggie Zeng (Tundra) 

The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason, illus. by Byron Eggenschwiler (Tundra) >>> sequel to The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt

Little Hearts in the Snow by Andrew Katz and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel, illus. by Joseph Sherman (CrackBoom!) >>> third book in Julia and Bernard series that started with How to Carch a Bear

Little Shoes by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin (Tundra)

Mama's Special Wonton Soup by Wai Mei Wong, illus. by Xin Yue Zhu (Lantana)

Maple Syrup Mysteries by Cathy Rondina, illus. by Giri Tuhin (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Miya Wears Orange by Wanda John-Kehewin, illus. by Erika Rodriguez Medina (HighWater Press)

Munsch Mania! by Robert Munsch, illus. by Michael Martchenko and Jay Odjick (Scholastic Canada) >>> collection of six previously-published stories

T is for Terry: An ABC of Courage by Denise Dias, illus. by Noémie Gionet Landry (Scholastic Canada)

Vampire Jam Sandwich by Casey Lyall, illus. by Nici Gregory (Tundra) 

Early Readers and Middle Grade

Beyond the Grave by Trevor Henderson (Scholastic) >>> Scarewaves #2

Comic Shift by Ted Staunton (Scholastic Canada)

Death by Whoopee Cushion by Vicki Grant (Tundra)

The Elephant in the Room:  Mabel Makes (^Up) a Friend by Cyndi Marko (Penguin Workshop) >>> graphic novel

Ghost Circus by Adrienne Kress, illus. by Jade Zhang (Union Square Kids) 

Mirror Mirror by Sarah Mlynowski (Scholastic) >>> Whatever After #17
The Puzzle of Doom by Dom Pelletier (Scholastic Canada) >>>  The Lunch Club #8

A Skeleton in the Closet by Claire Hatcher-Smith (Tundra) >>> The Missy Mysteries #1

Snoop by Gordon Korman (Scholastic)

The World's End by David A. Robertson (Tundra) >>> The Misewa Saga #6

Young Adult

Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai (Penguin Teen)

Fireboy by Edward Willett (Shadowpaw Press)

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith,
written by Kate Hart, Eric Gansworth, Marcella Bell, Darcie Little Badger, Karina Iceberg, Kaua Mahoe Adams, Andrea L. Rogers, Cheryl Isaacs, Christine Hartman Derr, Brian Young, K. A. Cobell, Jen Ferguson, A. J. Eversole, Byron Graves, Angeline Boulley, and  David A. Robertson (Heartdrum)

The Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordyn Taylor (HarperCollins)

Sky on Fire by E. K. Johnston (Dutton Books for Young Readers)

The Spartan Sacrifice by Andrew Varga (Imbrifex Books) >>> A Jump In Time 4

The Whisperings by Joel A. Sutherland (Tundra) 

 

Non-Fiction 

Burst Your Bubble: Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You're Missing by Joyce Grant, illus. by Jan Dolby (Owlkids Books)

Toes, Teeth, and Tentacles: A Curious Counting Book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island by Deborah Hodge, illus. by Karen Reczuch (Groundwood Books)

What Do We Know About the Curse of King Tut's Tomb? by Ben Hubbard, illus. by
Manuel Gutierrez (Penguin Workshop) >>> What Do We Know About series

You Were Made for This World: Celebrated Indigenous Voices Speak to Young People
by Stephanie Sinclair and Sara Sinclair (Tundra)

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As always, any omissions or mistakes are my own. Please drop a comment below or tag me on my current social media (Bluesky, FB, X) and I'll make any additions or corrections necessary.