Meet Rosemarie Kuptana (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-0787-0

32 pp.

Ages 6–9

November 2026

 

Rosemarie Esther Kudlak Kuptana, born in 1954, lived a traditional Inuit life with her family. She was born in an igloo on the Prince of Wales Strait as her family hunted seal. When they moved to Ikaahuk on Banks Island, they continued sharing traditional knowledge and speaking Inuinnaqtun. 

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

 But when Rosemarie was eight, she was taken to a residential school where she was forced to speak English and could not speak Inuinnaqtun when she went home for summers. It wasn't until she was 18 that she worked to relearn her language.  

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

As an adult, Rosemarie worked in the service of others, such as on the settlement council in Ikaahuk, as a nanny, and in putting on the Northern Games. But, hosting a radio show for the CBC Northern Service gave her an important chance to help bring news and opportunities, including hearing their own languages, to her community. That led to a move to television and establishment of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, known as APTN. 

 

Always determined to protect and promote Inuit ways of life, Rosemarie worked with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) and volunteered with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC). She and other Inuit leaders were determined to help the Inuit establish their own territory. In 1999, the territory of Nunavut was created.

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

But Rosemarie's activism for the Inuit and her community did not stop there. She's rallied against climate change, emphasizing the need for traditional Inuit knowledge to work with modern science. She helped residential school survivors get some compensation. Along with others, she helped get Inuit languages and their dialects taught in schools.

 

As a child, Rosemarie had decisions thrust upon her, separated from her family, losing her familial language, having her hair cut, and more. As an adult, she worked hard to bring decision-making back to the Inuit. She helped them get their own territory, their right to govern, their languages back, and to help fight climate change. Elizabeth MacLeod shows us an extraordinary woman who relentlessly managed to reinvigorate traditional practices of the Inuit and move them forward in establishing their rights to land, languages and traditions. Elizabeth MacLeod's words impress upon readers the outstanding accomplishments of Rosemarie Kuptana, always emphasizing the breadth of her work and her determination to work for the Inuit.

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrator Mike Deas takes the reader easily from northern territories of snow and ice, of northern lights and of traditional Inuit communities, to studios, conference halls, and activist organizations. Rosemarie Kuptana goes from a child of the land to an advocate of the Inuit people. And Mike Deas's illustrations blend the use of digital tools with gouache, watercolours, and ink to tell Rosemarie Kuptana's story completely. A  story of residential school and of struggles that the Inuit faced for self-determination could be heavy, but Mike Deas stresses the accomplishments and lifts the story to one of tribute, just as Elizabeth MacLeod's words do.

 

Meet Rosemarie Kuptana is the newest addition to the Scholastic Canada Biography series, and it's a stellar one for its historical and social significance. Thanks to Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas, I now know Rosemarie Kuptana's story, and I'll be looking deeper into her life, knowing that a woman such as her will always be looking to do good and honour the traditions of her people. 

 

 • • • • • • •

 

Scholastic Canada Biography

 

Meet Viola Desmond (2018)
Meet Chris Hadfield (2018)
Meet Tom Longboat (2019)
Meet Elsie MacGill (2019)
Meet Willie O'Ree (2020)
Meet Terry Fox (2020)
Meet Thérèse Casgrain (2021)
Meet David Suzuki (2021)
Meet Mary Ann Shadd (2022)
Meet J. Armand Bombardier (2022)
Meet Buffy Sainte-Marie (2023)
Meet Clara Hughes (2024)

Meet Jim Egan (2024) 
Meet Frederick Banting (2025) 

Meet Rosemarie Kuptana (2026) 

My Friend Fear

Written and illustrated by Elise Gravel

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-2049-7

40 pp.

Ages 3–8

October 2026 

 

Emotions can be tricky for young children—and for adults, too. Kids can become overwhelmed with good and not-so-good feelings, not understanding where these emotions have come from and how they can affect us. As in her earlier books, like It's My Body! (2022), It's My Brain! (2024), and Together: A Book About Community (2025), Elise Gravel takes a big issue like community or the brain, and redefines it in terms of how her monster characters react and feel. By making it their issue, Elise Gravel invites children to understand that fear can be everybody's concern.

Illustration by Elise Gravel from My Friend Fear, written by Elise Gravel

After acknowledging that everyone feels fear sometime and that there are many different fears—from getting lost to seeing spiders and to being alone—Elise Gravel helps kids see that there is value in fears—to protect. But fears can be debilitating and stop us from doing things, so Elise Gravel recommends being curious about our fears. By acknowledging them, and thanking them for protecting us, we can be open to opportunities that can help us grow.

Illustration by Elise Gravel from My Friend Fear, written by Elise Gravel

There are lots of good messages about facing our fears in My Friend Fear. I especially like that Elise Gravel appreciates the brain's neuroplasticity and our ability to change the way that we see fears. And when you've got her innocuous monsters sharing their fears and approaches to dealing with this oft uncomfortable feeling, it makes for a captivating approach for helping our very young children with overwhelming dread.

Illustration by Elise Gravel from My Friend Fear, written by Elise Gravel

People will always have things that they fear. But, if we can approach those fears with curiosity and gratitude for the protection they offer, and share that approach with very young children, then we may help find resolution for those fears and open up opportunities for personal progress.

Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales

Written by Joel A. Sutherland

Illustrated by Sara Harding, Maya McKibbin, Jackie Reynolds, & Josh Rosen

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-1126-6 

144 pp.

Ages 9–12

September 2026 

 

There's always a good time for reading all the Haunted Canada series, graphic novel or not, but what better way to herald the Halloween season than with a new Haunted Canada Graphic Novel from Joel A. Sutherland and a quartet of talented illustrators.

 

In this third volume titled Four Chilling Tales, Joel A. Sutherland tells us four haunting stories from the past that move into the present day. The first story is "Rebecca's Concrete Grave" in which a young woman in 1876 Moncton is declared a witch after she helps save her family's farm when drought and fire ravages the rest of the community. After she is hanged and placed in a grave filled with concrete, the area is said to be cursed. When contemporary teens play a prank on a student, Rebecca appears to challenge the betrayal. Illustrator Sara Harding takes us easily from post-Confederation Canada to a contemporary setting, giving us a frightening Rebecca that will be the thing of nightmares.

Illustration by Sara Harding from Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland

The story of "Nighttime in the Asylum" comes from Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Quebec (1959) when a building was being used as a boys' home. When three boys sneak to the basement to open a stolen Christmas gift, they hear a voice telling one to use a lighter to burn it all down. Almost sixty years later, after the boys' home had been turned into an asylum and now bought by a couple who see profits in opening it to ghost hunters, the yellow-green ghosts still want those whom they encounter to burn everything down. Illustrator Maya McKibbin gives us wacky ghost hunters, electrifying specters, and shockingly mesmerizing eyes on those stricken by the ghosts.

Illustration by Maya McKibbin from Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland

"The Swamp Hag" is the third story and is illustrated by Jackie Reynolds. This story from Bell Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, has a miner dealing with the disappearance of his daughter in 1943. The miners believe that mines are haunted, so some aren't surprised when Clancy believes he sees his daughter there. But, the real surprise occurs when two miners, Nate and Walt, go to work their fields, and Walt admits to seeing something that he has been ashamed to reveal. 

Illustration by Jackie Reynolds from Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland

Joel A. Sutherland's final story, "The Haunted Camp," is inclusive of all the earlier tales as a scout leader at Camp Gilwell, Lebret, Saskatchewan regales his young charges with scary stories. Some don't believe the stories, but when he tells them the one about the creepy old place nearby, they may start to think differently. It's a story of a doctor who opened his home to tuberculosis patients. When his wife becomes ill, she begs him to take care of her beloved dogs Archie and Bailey. After he remarries and then dies, his first wife haunts the home looking for her dogs. Josh Rosen's illustrations are both playful and surprising. The boys are curious, bold, and anxious, and their scout leader is a little goofy, though he does go to check out the haunted house. As for the ghosts of Helena, the doctor's wife, and her dogs, Josh Rosen gives them just the right touch of menacing. They are enough to make a good story without keeping young readers up at night.

Illustration by Josh Rosen from Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland

Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 3: Four Chilling Tales will be a colourful diversion until the costumes and trick-or-treating are upon us. Better yet, Joel A. Sutherland makes us believe these stories might all be true, if you trust in his preface.

The following stories are inspired by true events. That's right, true. You can choose to believe...or not. The ghosts don't mind either way. 

 Huh?

 

The Scariest House on the Street

Written by Joel A. Sutherland

Illustrated by Terry Pearson

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-1917-0

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

July 2026 

Author Joel A. Sutherland is known for scary. He has written the Haunted Canada series, the Haunted Canada Graphic Novel series (e.g., Haunted Canada Graphic Novel: Four More Terrifying Tales, 2025), titles in the Haunted series like Field of Screams (2020), and his standalone stories like Summer's End (2024) and Screamers (2022). He delights middle-grade readers and teens with stories that frighten, twist, and terrorize. Joel A. Sutherland is our Canadian version of R. L. Stine. And now he's ready to amuse our youngest readers with a story of monsters that will entertain without frightening.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

Monsters Willow and her friends Violet, Harry, and Gill love playing at the abandoned house at the end of Shivers Street. But they are aghast when someone moves in and cleans up the place. There are no spiderweb anymore, or rats, or holes. And it smells lemony fresh. 

It was much scarier than Willow could have imagined. (pg. 9)

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

They imagine who might have moved in. Could it be gnomes, or zombies, or perhaps a sasquatch? When they're invited to a Halloween Party at 13 Shivers Street and compelled to go—parents can be so unrelenting—they dress up in their most terrifying costumes, and head out to meet Bronwen, a bubbly swamp creature, a tiny vampire named Fiona, and a werewolf named Charles. But it is Halloween. And our monsters and their new neighbours may be surprised to learn they are not what the other expected.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

In a story about the scariest house on the street, Joel A. Sutherland won't scare little ones as much as amuse them with a story about monsters who think dressing as a doctor, astronaut, business person, and fisherman is scary. What will be funny to those readers will be monsters frightened of humans and vice versa, sort of. Without telling kids to accept others who might be different, Joel A. Sutherland twists their perceptions about those who are different—reminds me a lot of Frederic Brown's 1954 short story, Sentry—and shows them finding interest in their differences. Differences give richness to a community, and the new neighbours on Shivers Street definitely give it life. (Pun intended.) 

This is Joel A. Sutherland's first picture book, and he sets the tone perfect for young children. Nothing scary, lots to charm, and a story with an understated message about acceptance of those who are different. That same aspect comes through Terry Pearson's digital illustrations which give us not-so-scary monsters, a Halloween party of epic games and food, and characters that are colourful, a little naive, and sweetly distinct. Kids will definitely want to try to emulate those costumes and that party this Halloween, and, with Terry Pearson's artwork, they'll have all the visuals needed to pull them off.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Halloween but, for many kids, the anticipation is part of the fun. Bring them some hilarity early with ideas for that holiday from The Scariest House on the Street and with a story that will remind them to see past differences and find the authentic, human or monster.

Kaboom!: Blast Off

Written by Jay Odjick

Illustrated by KC Oster

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9836-3 

142 pp.

Ages 8–12

February 2026 

 

Zack seems like a regular kid. He likes riding his bike and imagining himself as a superhero. He is lured by ads for the snack Choco Pops and the energy drink Splurge and is impressed with the fabulously rich like Konstantin Pierce. Compared to his boring parents who sell refrigerators, Pierce looks pretty exciting. But there seems to be another story that the imaginative Zack does not know. While he believes his parents are at a trade show and he's staying with his Auntie Jess, his mom and dad, calling each other Shadowbird and Greywolf, are working for F.U.S.I.O.N. as true superheroes, currently stopping those who steal ancient artifacts. As for Konstantin Pierce, he's more villain than entrepreneurial genius.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

Pierce is looking to extort world powers by controlling the weather and he's concerned that F.U.S.I.O.N. agents are going to get in the way. He arranges for them to be eliminated. Not surprising that Zack is shocked when flying robots and a masked man come and take his parents and aunt away. Thankfully his parents have a household security system to protect Zack and he, along with a cute robotic dog rejected by Pierce, are whisked to his parents' underground headquarters where he virtually meets Tana a.k.a. Teknik from New Zealand. Tana/Teknik explains that, like his parents and her Māori father, she is an agent of F.U.S.I.O.N., the First Universal Secret Indigenous Operatives Network, which is tasked with working against any threat to Indigenous Peoples, cultures, and ways of life.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

So, as Zack and his new robot sidekick Rusty poke around his superhero parents' secret den, Pierce is threatening the U.N. even though he realizes that a thumb drive with the activation codes is missing. But, after finding a special Lycra suit fit for a superhero, Zack, who becomes known as Kaboom, works to help get his parents back and thwart Konstantin Pierce and his villainous henchman and drones. 
 

Looks like there's a new superhero in town as Blast Off! is just the first book in the new Kaboom! graphic novel series. Zack a.k.a Kaboom is a little impetuous, a lot funny, and kind of sweet, and he's a character whose adventures middle graders will want to follow. Jay Odjick, who'd previously illustrated Robert Munsch's Bear for Breakfast / Makwa kidji kijebà wìsiniyàn (2019), gives us a story in which a kid becomes a hero. But Jay Odjick also blends Zack's story with Indigenous superheroes from around the world—Māori, Inuit, Nahua, Khalka, and Algonquin appear in Blast Off—and the importance of doing good. Still Kaboom!: Blast Off is not a story that is told to preach or convey messages of how to live. It's about superhero fun with lots of humour, like when Zack starts pushing buttons he shouldn't or when he mishears Tana when she says kinetic and he hears Connecticut. With Zack just being Zack and Jay Odjick getting all the voices just right for all his characters, Kaboom!: Blast Off entertains completely.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

But, without the artwork of KC Oster, a new illustrator for me, Kaboom!: Blast Off just wouldn't be the hit it is. I like the style of this Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist, who previously did the art for Rabbit Chase (written Elizabeth LaPensée, 2022). Their graphics are not cluttered, focusing on Zack and the other characters, keeping the details for lively interactions like altercations with the bad guys and fight scenes. And by not limiting their palette of colours, KC Oster makes the art exciting and lavish.

 

An Indigenous superhero organization, a kid hero, a robotic dog, and operations to stop the bad guys sounds like the kind of graphic novel that middle-grade readers will latch onto. I think Kaboom! has just made a dynamite arrival.

10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-16179

 48 pp.

Ages 3–8

January 2026 

 

Mélanie Watt, the creator of Scaredy Squirrel and cheeky Chester, the cat with the red pen, returns with another fun book that blends facts with humour and playfulness. (FYI, there may be 10 facts explained in 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, but there's loads more that is included. Pizza is at the heart of those discussions.)

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In a series of double-page spreads, Mélanie Watt informs young readers about capybaras, starting with the basic info that they are the biggest rodents in the world. And, with each new spread, readers will learn something new. There are facts about their bodies, from their ever-growing teeth to their webbed feet. There are details about their behaviour, from what they eat to how they communicate and interact with others. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

But after the ten facts, the book takes an odd turn. Instead of revealing the unusual way in which capybaras get essential nutrients, Mélanie Watt's capybara interjects with pizza as his answer. The author has to try to get the information back on track with "Fact 11: Capybaras DO NOT eat pizza," though the capybara responds with "Fact 12: Capybaras order PIZZA every day!" And so begins a clever repartee between writer and capybara, and then also a monkey,

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt is an author-illustrator who not only entertains but also teaches, and she does it with humour and much quirkiness. Her capybara is adorable, as is her monkey, and young readers and a few old ones like me will learn more about these unusual rodents than expected from a picture book. Narrative non-fiction is a fabulous way to share information in an engaging story, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras works persuasively to do so. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Of course, with any Mélanie Watt book, the humour is in the art as well as the text. The capybara's cheekiness is reflected in his words but also in his robust and textured form, his big eyes, and his smile. The focus is always on the capybara, so Mélanie Watt uses few other elements—pizza, monkey, cell phone, legs of birds—to feature him. It's simple but it's fun and informative.

 

I often used Mélanie Watt's books for teaching because they're so entertaining, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras will work just as effectively to teach animal characteristics and to captivate. Add the activities at the Scholastic Canada website for the book, including connect-the-dots, an easy quiz, and a drawing activity, and you've got a nice little package of learning fun for young children.

The Story Hunter

Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-1033-7

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

February 2026 

 

 I am a story hunter. I carry stories. (pg. 33)

 

The Story Hunter is like nothing I've read from Barbara Reid. Her stories are treasures of brightness and joy, often of everyday life, whether it be gardening (Watch It Grow: Backyard Life Cycles, 2019), the weather (Picture the Sky, 2017), bedtime songs (Sing a Song of Bedtime, 2015), trees (Picture a Tree, 2013), or playing in the snow (Perfect Snow, 2009). But The Story Hunter, inspired by Barbara Reid's visit to see the cave art in the Vézère Valley, is a story from tens of thousands of years ago. It may be fiction, but it is rich in history of people and place and storytelling.

From The Story Hunter, written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

This child is part of a community of hunters and gatherers. They follow the animals across valleys in the shadows of mountains, camping when the animals stop. And when they stop, they work together to make shelter, to prepare food, to gather wood, and to care for children.

From The Story Hunter, written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

But when the hunters pack up to go, they are led by Grandmother because she knows where to look. They are not hunting animals for food; they are looking for the stories. Using lamps made of stone with depressions to carry fire, the hunting party enters into the blackness of caves in their search.

We are swallowed.

Our feet find smooth places, 

rough places, slippery places. 

Our lamps find marks that 

jump and hide. (pg. 14)

From The Story Hunter, written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

There are stalactites and stalagmites, dripping water and pools in openings, until they reach a cavern where the walls are covered in animals that play in their light. (pg. 19) The hunting party revels in the paintings they find, with the child especially enamoured with that of a mammoth, before adding their own story marks, with their preparation of red ochre. There is gratitude and revelry for the stories that were told and would be told.

 

I think that we forget that stories have been told for thousands of years and in a multitude of forms. And just because they are in form with which we are generally unfamiliar to interpret fully, they are stories that impart meaning just the same. Whether they are records of hunts or wishes for good ones, places of ceremony, or spiritual narratives, these pictographs tell much about the people who put them there. This child and his people are hunters, but more than just those of animals.

From The Story Hunter, written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

Barbara Reid's text is one of reverence and community. The togetherness of all members, from the child to his grandmother, is what makes the community work, whether hunting for stories or looking for food. Her text depicts that admiration for people, past and present, and what they have done and are still doing. That honour is portrayed in their words ("Our home holds all we need," says Grandmother. "If we look."; pg. 2) and in Barbara Reid's art. The world is far greater and more important than the individual people. The vastness of the sky, the land, and all who live there is evident. Even when they enter the confined space of the caves, the walls are the focus, lit with an orange glow from their lanterns or torches. Barbara Reid knows where we should look, and she directs us there.

 

While the artwork was "made with modelling clay that was shaped and pressed onto illustration board" with acrylic paint used for special effects, it has a very different feel from the majority of Barbara Reid's books. In fact, I was very surprised to read this art credit on the copyright page, convinced Barbara Reid had employed a different art technique. But, though appearing more two-dimensional that other picture book illustrations of Barbara Reid's that I have reviewed, it works for a story about pictographs which are painted onto rock surfaces, not carved. It's in keeping with the story, just as her use of colour emphasizes the natural tones of an outdoor world and the darkness of an indoor cave. Always perfect, Barbara Reid knows how to take us to a place, whether now or 15,000 years ago. The stories will be told and found and told again, no matter their form.

The Perfect Paper Airplane

Written by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Michael Martchenko

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-1518-9

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

October 2025 

 

When Kevin's father, a lobster fisherman in New Brunswick, makes a paper airplane at the breakfast table, they're all impressed. Then Kevin's mom takes up the challenge and makes a paper airplane that flies around the kitchen three times. Definitely more impressive. But when Kevin makes one, it doesn't go ZOOOM! or ZOOOOOM! Instead, it goes SCHLORB. (Notably without any exclamation.)

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

There was nothing to do but practise, so Kevin heads to his fort to make one paper airplane after another, but they all go GESCHLURP into the pond. But just before heading to catch his school bus, Kevin makes one last paper airplane with purple and orange flames, and it goes ZOOOOOOOOOM! In fact, it zooms off so well that Kevin can't see it anymore, and he says to himself, "Well, that's that." (pg. 10)

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

But it's not the end of that incredible paper airplane. Kevin soon sees it keeping pace with the school bus, and then it flies into the classroom through the window and creates chaos. When he goes to meet his father's boat at the dock, the crew are busy trying to nab that same paper airplane. Days later, it flies through the family car as his mother drives to school.

 

Everywhere that paper plane soars and glides, mayhem ensues. Would that perfect paper airplane continue to cause pandemonium, or could it actually do good? 

 

This latest Robert Munsch–Michael Martchenko collaboration has all the elements that have made their picture books such favourites. There's the familiarity of a common childhood experience (making paper airplanes), the wonderful silliness of an extreme scenario (a paper airplane that goes on for days), and sounds with oomph (like "geschlurp" and "schlorb"). Robert Munsch bases his stories in reality but takes them into the dimension of improbability and gives us laughs at the playfulness of kids being kids. It's sweet, and it's funny. Michael Martchenko, who has illustrated over twenty-five books written by Robert Munsch, matches the story's whimsy with his playful artwork. From the breakfast table with its colourful and messy cereal, to mom in her curlers and bunny slippers, to the dock scene with laughing gulls, escaping lobsters, and drying socks, Michael Martchenko makes us see the ridiculousness of the paper airplane fiasco. And still, it's just a story about a kid who has fun with his family, who goes to school and who wants to achieve something. As silly as it all is, it's still very real.

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

I won't be surprised if young readers are inspired to try their hands at making their own perfect paper airplane. (Fortunately, there are how-to instructions at the back of the book.) Their planes may not fly for days or become a nuisance to their teacher or to a boatload of lobster fishermen, but the kids will delight with the opportunity for competition and accomplishment, and perhaps a tall tale or two.

Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales

Written by Joel A. Sutherland

Illustrated by Hannah Barrett, Mike Feehan, Maya McKibbin, and Matt Salisbury

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9630-7

144 pp.

Ages 9–12

September 2025 

 

To follow up on Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 1): Four Terrifying Tales (2024), Joel A. Sutherland brings us another four Canadian ghost stories that will thrill, shock, scare, and even delight young readers, especially those who can't get enough horror reading.

 

The first story is "The Bog Wraith," which is illustrated by Maya McKibbon (she illustrated The Song That Called Them Home, 2023). At Pelly River Crossing, Yukon Territory, in 1897, a man leaves his wife and daughter to find gold in the riverbeds of Dawson. When Jerry and his dog Max come across three old-timers, he is warned about crossing the Pelly River because of the muskeg and the ghosts. But when Jerry is forced by a bear to cross, he finds both terror and assistance from spirits trapped there.

From "The Bog Wraith" in Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Maya McKibbin

St. John's artist Mike Feehan illustrates the second story which is titled, "The Etobicoke Poltergeist." Set in 1968 Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, a family of parents, two young daughters and a baby son is plagued by the ghost of an old woman. The menacing ghost warns the oldest daughter of hardship, sickness, and death. When Dad goes on a strike and the baby is hospitalized, the family brings in a minister to perform and exorcism.

From "The Etobicoke Poltergeist" in Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Mike Feehan

The third story is called, "The Bloody Neck Man" and apparently took place in 1802 in the village of Myrnam, Alberta. Matt Salisbury illustrates the story of two fathers who cannot get along and refuse to let their two children, the daughter of one and the son of the other, associate. The two kids, however, like to help each other, sharing fish they've caught and more. When their two fathers and other men go off to trade furs, the two young people realize they've both had a dream about a man with a bloody neck. Pierre believes it is a fetch i.e., a supernatural double of someone and a bad omen. Soon, Lizzie realizes that dream, and the pool of blood she discovers on the floor, has more to do with their fathers than might be expected.

From "The Bloody Neck Man" in Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Matt Salisbury

"The Doll That Wouldn't Die" is the final story and the most recent, taking place in 1980s Gatineau Hills, Quebec. In this story, illustrated by Hannah Barrett, a family of three moves into their new house, and the very young son Timothy finds a doll. The pregnant mom thinks it's creepy and intends to get rid of it but Timothy, who has been talking to the doll, demands it back. Whether they can destroy the doll or separate the child from it may not be under their control.

From "The Doll That Wouldn't Die" in Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Hannah Barrett

Author Joel A. Sutherland knows how to tell a scary story or five. Just check out his numerous Haunted Canada short story collections (e.g., Haunted Canada: The Second Terrifying Collection) or his middle-grade horror (e.g., The House Next Door). I especially appreciate his highlighting of Canadian ghost stories. In this collection, we travel from Alberta to Ontario, from the Yukon to Quebec. And the stories take us from the time of the fur traders to those seeking their fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as more contemporary stories. Each has their own supernatural element, though all have frightening natures that need to be braved. And the way Joel A. Sutherland tells these stories makes us believe these things could happen to anyone. Shudder.

 

Because each story is different, each illustrator delivers us to a different time and place. Maya McKibbin gives us remote landscape of bogs and forests, while Matt Feehan takes us to the swinging '60s of sideburns, fabric chokers and peasant dresses. Matt Salisbury gives us the remoteness of Alberta when people fished and trapped, and the men travelled far to trade. Finally, Hannah Barrett delivers us to our most contemporary setting and gives us a creepy doll that is an unlucky, cherished moppet and more the kind of nightmares.

 

It doesn't matter that Halloween is just days away. Maybe Halloween will be a great time for sharing these ghost stories, but young readers who appreciate horror will find Haunted Canada (Graphic Novel, Volume 2): Four More Terrifying Tales a fabulous read anytime. I just might recommend not saving them for a bedtime reading, especially with illustrations that might pervade your sleep and emerge in your nocturnal visions. 

 

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Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 1: Four Terrifying Tales (2024)

Haunted Canada Graphic Novel, Volume 2: Four More Terrifying Tales (2025)