Sam

Written by Eric Walters

DCB

978-1-770867949

228 pp.

Ages 9-14

May 2025 

 

She was strong. She didn't give up. She didn't take crap from anybody. I liked that. And all she really wanted was a place to call home. I understood that better than I even would have wanted. (p. 133)

 

The "she" of whom fourteen-year-old Sam Reid speaks is Anne of Green Gables, and, along with support from a select group of new acquaintances, the boy with red hair and a matching temper has a lot to learn and especially from L. M. Montgomery's 1908 fictional character.

 

Sam may be a smart kid, but it doesn't stop him from letting his temper get the better of him. When confronted with a shopkeeper trying to rip $10 off of him and having to stand up against the high school's quarterback, who ends up with a broken nose, Sam knows he should have kept his cool. But things get worse when Sam is accosted in a school bathroom and fights back, leaving Cody, the quarterback, with a concussion.

...there's no question that I have a temper, but that's only because people are always doing things to provoke me. (p. 9) 

With no family–his parents were killed in a car crash by a drunk driver four years earlier–and foster parents who don't want him back, he is sent to the Johnson Juvenile Center, a detention facility for those younger than 18 who were awaiting trial or those already convicted and serving sentences less than 18 months. Sam would be at the Johnson Juvenile Center, a.k.a. the Gables, for at least 5 weeks while he is assessed before heading to court. While his social worker Jenna Williams is keen to help, his court-appointed lawyer Mr. Turner is challenged, especially when additional charges of fraud and theft are brought by the shopkeeper, and everyone seems disappointed that the local football hero would be out of commission. 

At the Gables, Sam must deal with a nasty guard Mr. Roberts who insists on calling Sam "Red" and is just waiting for the chance to write him up for poor behaviour, bad attitude, and more. There's also a convicted "long-timer" Bruce who seems to have it out for Sam after an innocent mistake of sitting at the wrong dining table ends with Sam shooting off his mouth again.

Why did people keep coming at me and why wasn't I smart enough to shut up and move on when they did? (p. 64)

Thankfully Sam has some good people on his side trying to help him be the best version of himself. There's his roomie Nigel, a smaller guy who is in for throwing a chair at someone; Mrs. Martinez, their English teacher; Kate, a kind-hearted guard; and his psychologist, Dr. McEnny. Now if Sam could only stop seeing everything and everyone as a threat or a challenge and use his smarts–and he is very intelligent–to help himself. 

Sometimes smart can't overcome circumstances, situations, and tragedy. (p. 128)

Things start to change for Sam when Mrs. Martinez assigns Nigel and Sam each a book on which they will prepare a report, and Sam gets Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, hoping he'll find some interesting parallels with his own life. If he can just get past his outrage and humiliation, especially when he sees that Anne is a redhead like he is, Sam may be able to use his potential and discover his strength to find hope.

 

For lovers of L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, the parallels between Anne's life and that of Sam will be evident, even though their differences in time and circumstances are significant. (In fact, an assignment Sam completes for Mrs. Martinez focuses on these very parallels.) Eric Walters is very subtle in his homage to Montgomery and her red-haired character, though his "Author's Note" suggests an extraordinary depth of admiration for the author and her book. This is abundantly evident in his appreciation for her words–quotes from Anne of Green Gables are cited often and always fitting–and the themes of persevering life's challenges and finding hope against tragedy and adversity. Eric Walters makes us believe in Sam. The young teen may not be completely likeable at the beginning of Sam but he's a kid who has had a lot of hard knocks. His temper, which may or may not be as a result of his circumstances, and I don't mean the colour of his hair, is an entity with which he has a relationship, good or bad. It's in his learning about that anger and his recognition that he has been able to keep it in check that almost releases him from it and allows Sam to grow. While he initially thinks Anne is almost delusionally optimistic, he too starts to acknowledge the positives of things that once appeared to only be difficult. 

Sam has had a tough life, bouncing from foster homes and receiving homes, never being offered a true home since the death of his parents. But, as horrific as going to a juvenile center must be, the Gables becomes a place of salvation for Sam, as Green Gables was for Anne, helping him acquire a support system as tough as any loving family and teaching him the strength he has always had to overcome that which seems formidable. With kind souls and kindred spirits, Sam's life goes beyond "a perfect graveyard of buried hopes" as Anne declares at the beginning of Anne of Green Gables, to one of possibilities.

The Imposter

Written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Clarion Books (An imprint of HarperCollins)

978-0-358697060

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

November  2023

 

In her newest picture book, author-illustrator Kelly Collier addresses the efforts we go to in order to belong, whether to a family or a peer group.  And it doesn't matter if you're human, dog, or skunk, belonging brings comfort, protection, and even resilience. It's no wonder that Skunk doesn't like being alone.

 

From The Imposter, written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Skunk sees all the love and attention dogs get at the park and he is envious of them and their relationships with their people and other dogs. When he sees a notice for a lost dog, he's flummoxed that a dog, Max, would run away from the very life for which Skunk yearns. Although he is chastised by a squirrel, a raccoon, and a cat for even wanting to be a dog, they agree to help him pretend to be the missing dog.

From The Imposter, written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

First they paint away his stripe, and dress him up with fake ears, a collar and more. Then they teach him how to act like Max. But just as he's on the threshold of presenting himself to Max's family, his conscience takes over and he thinks about Max being lost. Not only does he blow his chance for a family in a very skunky way, but he also decides that he must find Max and return him to his people. Together the quartet of new friends find a happy ending for Max and Skunk and his new friends.

From The Imposter, written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Why do we always think that being something else or attaining something will make us happier? Why do we believe the grass is always greener on the other side? Skunk truly believes that dogs have better lives, being loved and cared for. It's no surprise he wishes for that same comfort and affection. But Skunk has a conscience that prevents him from usurping Max's role. He has empathy and compassion. He realizes what he is doing is wrong and, instead of taking advantage of Max's disappearance, Skunk tries to make things right by finding the missing pooch. As such, Kelly Collier has given us a skunk with heart.

 

From The Imposter, written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Even though Skunk was looking for a better life, not unlike the lead character in Kelly Collier's first book, A Horse Named Steve, Skunk lacks Steve's hubris. Skunk can see beyond himself and thus recognize the need to give rather than just take. He could've stepped into Max's comfortable doggie boots–though we know it would never have worked–but instead gave up his chance in a big and smelly way when he realizes he wasn't being honest or true to himself. And though it looks like he's given up on his dream, Kelly Collier makes us feel for Skunk through her illustrations. She makes us see him sagging in posture and spirit until he finds a purpose and friends with whom he can work for that purpose. She's gives us the greens of hope and the softness of line and colour in her artwork as she takes Skunk on his journey from desperation to contentment.

Self-acceptance is a tough concept for young people when they see others living what may appear to be better lives. Skunk just needed to be accepted by others to see his own self-worth, though his new friends already knew that he was a creature who mattered. He is no imposter and never was. He was always the real thing.

What If I'm Not a Cat?

Written by Kari-Lynn Winters

Illustrated by Kelly Collier

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0553-5

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

June 2023

Donkey was a cat. He knew he was a cat because all the clues were there. Farmer came into the barn and called out to her kitty cats so that had to include Donkey. Donkey strutted like a cat, he licked his fur, and enjoyed cuddling. And the little things he couldn't do like enjoy cat food, climb trees or catch mice were just some of the things he needed to learn still.

From What If I'm Not a Cat?, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illus. by Kelly Collier

But then Donkey climbs up on Farmer's lap and hears, "Donkey, you're acting like a cat!" Donkey starts to rethink his attributes relative to the cats and asks himself, "What if I'm NOT a cat?"

From What If I'm Not a Cat?, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illus. by Kelly Collier

The cats try to help. Some are convinced that Donkey is a cat and, while others begin to question their own identities, there are those who offer suggestions about what Donkey might truly be. Devastated with his identity crisis, he ventures out alone, into the loneliness beyond the farm. When he discovers a kitten in danger from a fox, Donkey helps save the little feline while uncovering some wonderful new things about himself.

From What If I'm Not a Cat?, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illus. by Kelly Collier

For anyone who has ever questioned their identity and place, from family member to gender, What If I'm Not a Cat? recognizes that fitting in is less about being exactly the same and more about being part of something that feels right. Writer Kari-Lynn Winters has tackled the topic of fitting in and labelling of identities before (see French Toast and Good Pirate, both from 2016) but the farcical nature of a donkey who accepts himself as a cat makes What If I'm Not a Cat? both zany and effective in its messaging. Donkey only begins to question himself when others start to do the same. It's only when he feels accepted completely for both his similarities and differences that Donkey becomes Don-kitty and everything feels right again.

 

Kelly Collier, author-illustrator of A Horse Named Steve and Team Steve, gives her digitally-rendered illustrations a cheekiness of character. Kari-Lynn Winters gives us the story, but Kelly Collier most definitely gives us the characters, from Donkey who always seems to have a spring in his step–except when depressed–to the cats who are playful, diverse and saucy. There's a perfect balance of content and context that comes from a brilliant collaboration between Kari-Lynn Winters and Kelly Collier.

If What If I'm Not a Cat? teaches readers anything, it's that fitting in is not dependent on being the same as everyone else. Fitting in comes with self-acceptance. So, even if you're not a cat–which is pretty cool–you still belong.