As a former chair and member of the CLA's Book of the Year for Children Award selection committee, the coming of March is always exciting, as the shortlists for all three of the CLA's book awards are announced. This morning, the Canadian Library Association press releases published the shortlists for each of its annual book awards. (I've added images of the book covers here to help readers recognize the titles when book-browsing. I always find it's nice to know what you're looking for in case it's been misshelved.)
This award recognizes an illustrator of a noteworthy Canadian book, published in 2011, that appeals to children up to the age of 12 years.
Along a Long Road
illustrated by Frank Viva
HarperCollins
Cinnamon Baby
illustrated by Janice Nadeau
Kids Can Press
A Few Blocks
illustrated by Cybèle Young
Groundwood Books
The Legend of the Fog
illustrated by Danny Christopher
Inhabit Media
Migrant
illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood Books
My Name is Elizabeth!
illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Kids Can Press
Picture a Tree
illustrated by Barbara Reid
North Winds Press, Scholastic Canada
Qalupalik
illustrated by Joy Ang
Inhabit Media
Slimon the Slug
illustrated by Bonnie Bews
Yellow Toadstool Press
Small Saul
illustrated by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
This notable award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2011, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.
When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew
by Jan Andrews
Groundwood Books
No Ordinary Day
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
That Boy Red
by Rachna Gilmore
HarperCollins Canada
Howl
by Karen Hood‐Caddy
Dundurn Press
Dragon Seer’s Gift
by Janet McNaughton
HarperCollins Canada
From Then to Now: A Short History of the World
by Christopher Moore
Tundra Books
The Tiffin
by Mahtab Narsimhan
Dancing Cat Books
Dragon Turn
by Shane Peacock
Tundra Books
The Whole Truth
by Kit Pearson
HarperCollins Canada
Empire of Ruins
by Arthur Slade
HarperCollins Canada
This award recognizes an author of an outstanding English-language Canadian work of fiction (novel, collection of short stories or graphic novel), published in 2011,
that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18.
The Gathering
by Kelley Armstrong
Random House
All Good Children
by Catherine Austen
Orca Books
Fanatics
by William Bell
Random House
The Woefield Poultry Collective
by Susan Juby
HarperCollins
Once Every Never
by Lesley Livingston
Penguin Canada
My Beating Teenage Heart
by C. K. Kelly Martin
Random House
The Town that Drowned
by Riel Nason
Goose Lane
This Dark Endeavour
by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins
Karma
by Cathy Ostlere
Penguin Canada
Held
by Edeet Ravel
Annick Press
Congratulations to all nominated authors, illustrators and publishers.
Lesley Livingston, author of Once Every Never (Puffin Canada, 2011) which I reviewed here on December 12, 2011, is heralding a new fantasy YA series with this debut book, Starling, published by HarperCollins. According to Lesley Livingston's blog, the author is "thrilled to death and beyond" (Sunday, February 26, 2012) with this newly-revealed cover for Starling.
According to the blurb on the author's blog, the story starts with a young woman, Mason Starling, who rescues an unconscious young man named Fennrys Wolf. Except for his name, Fennrys has no memory, even of his role in opening the barrier between our mortal world and the Beyond Realms. But this breach allows access to a center of dark energy, located in New York City's East River. The consequent power struggle between underworld cartels of Norse, Greek and Egyptian gods and other entities places Mason Starling in danger and wondering who she can trust and who wants her dead.
If she is true to her skills, Lesley Livingston will have
written another great tome in which mythology is interwoven with
fantasy, romance and hopefully her signature humour.
With the recent Academy Awards ceremonies, I'd like to recognize the numerous contributions of the National Film Board of Canada(NFB) to promoting Canadian literature. As the NFB has been nominated for more Oscars than any production company or organization outside of Hollywood and has provided work experience for every Foreign Language film director nominated this year, its reputation for exceptional documentaries, animations and such is well established.
But did you know that there are numerous short and full-length films available for viewing
on the National Film Board of Canadawebsite? As a blogger of Canadian literature for young people (as well as a teacher-librarian), I love the short films of popular Canadian children's books that offer a different perspective on the stories. (If you're a teacher, using text and film versions of a story is a great way to teach a variety of writing and reading skills. Just look for resources about teaching with movies.)
Explore for yourself the variety of films available for viewing at the National Film Board of Canada website, including these particular favourites of mine:
Though the term "ghost" suggests frightening disembodied souls, it can also refer to a faint trace, a remote possibility, a false image, or even be a synonym for our spirit. As such, the title of Philip Roy's newest book in The Submarine Outlaw Series, Ghosts of the Pacific, could evoke horror or things left behind or future possibilities. Fortunately, Philip Roy has not chosen to emphasize one over another, but instead embraces a more comprehensive definition, resulting in another fabulously rich tale of adventure.
Since fourteen, Alfred has been exploring the world using a twenty-foot, diesel-electric submarine built by junkyard genius and friend, Ziegfried. Accompanied by his crew of Hollie, his dog, and Seaweed, a seagull,
Alfred has travelled from his home in Newfoundland around the Maritimes (Submarine Outlaw, Ronsdale Press, 2008),
across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean (Journey to Atlantis, Ronsdale Press, 2009), and down the St.
Lawrence River (River Odyssey, Ronsdale Press, 2010). Now 16, Alfred is ready for his postponed trip to the Pacific Ocean, choosing to travel northward through the Arctic and head for Saipan, part of the Mariana Islands.
Travel to Baffin Island seems easy enough, until a hunk of ice with dark pebbles turns out to be a polar bear that chases a kayaking Alfred back to the sub. This first "ghost" hails the onslaught of dangerous "growlers" (calved ice that has broken off icebergs and floats just below the surface) that are virtually imperceptible until they hit the sub, repeatedly. Inattention in this unforgiving landscape puts Alfred and his crew into deathly peril several times (even if he does get some great photo ops). However, it also provides him with the chance to meet Nanuq, an elder in Igloolik, who sadly talks of the sea dying and its inevitable destruction of all.
Death begins to haunt the story even more. Travelling blindly beneath impassable ice, searching for occasional small breaks to allow for a battery recharge, and getting stuck for days in shifting ice brings out Alfred's fear but also his resilience and resolve. His extraordinary character continues to help him endure the anguish of typhoons, the violent death of animals, the blight of garbage and the suffering of others. Still, he enjoys the company of new friends, including a young girl named Cinnamon, learning more about the world, and consciously making a difference whenever he can.
Alfred has undertaken this journey to explore unbelievable places and their tragedies, from Franklin's expedition in search of the Northwest Passage ("...the Arctic was guarding them in an icy grave"; pg. 64), to Amelia Earhart's 1937 disappearance, to the graveyard of warships in the Bikini Atoll, and ultimately to the island of Saipan where Japanese civilians and officers chose suicide rather than surrender to the Allied forces in 1944. But along his journey, his interest in the past brings him face-to-face with the tragedies of the present: fishing trawlers whose illegal practices kill countless dolphins, sharks and turtles; acres of plastic garbage, twenty to thirty feet deep, trapping and killing all life, while slowly decomposing and killing even more; and the irradiated land and waters of the Bikini Atoll, testing grounds for atomic and hydrogen bombs during World War II. Luckily, Philip Roy capably brings Alfred to see choices in his future that will allow him to continue exploration while addressing his new preoccupations.
Like a great adventure, Ghosts of the Pacific does not allow the reader the opportunity to be distracted or bored. Even seemingly mundane tasks such as exercising or finding shelter become significant experiences which the reader must follow until settled. The plot is relentless, always enriched with unexpected subplots, steeped in a multifaceted landscape of cold and warmth, hardness and softness. Though Cinnamon who is still a vague character may take on a more important role, those of Ziegfried, Sheba, Hollie and Seaweed provide the depth to carry Alfred on further journeys. Fortunately, I hear Philip Roy is already working on a fifth book in the series.
The video below captures Philip Roy talking about his Submarine Outlaw Series, including the submarine.
On February 28, 2012, young readers in Saskatchewan will be voting for their favourite books as part of the 2011 Willow Awardsreading program.
Established in 2001, the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice (SYRCA) awards, the Willow Awards, encourage reading by nominating a variety of Canadian titles in three categories. Young readers can participate in the reading programs through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite from one list. The Willow Awards are truly conferred according the choices of Saskatchewan's young readers.
This year's lists of nominated titles were announced last year. Since then, young readers have enjoyed reading exceptional Canadian books, anticipating their voting day next week.
The three Willow Awards i.e., Shining Willow, Diamond Willow and Snow Willow are detailed below, along with the 2011 nominated titles.
The Shining Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for youngest readers, those in Kindergarten to Grade 3.
The 2011 Shining Willow nominees are:
• Clever Rachel
by Debby Waldman, illustrated by Cindy Revell
Orca Books
2009
• Fred and Pete at the Beach
by Cynthia Nugent
Orca Books
2009
• Giraffe and Bird
by Rebecca Bender
Dancing Cat Books
2010
• The Imaginary Garden
by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Kids Can Press
2009
• In Front of My House
by Marianne Dubuc
Kids Can Press
2010
• The King’s Taster
by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
HarperCollins
2009
• The Little Hummingbird
by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Greystone Books/D & M Publishers
2010
• Timmerman Was Here
by Colleen Sydor, illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Tundra Books
2009
• Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged
by Jody Nyasha Warner, illustrated by Richard Rudnicki
Groundwood Books
2010
• Willow’s Whispers
by Lana Button, illustrated by Tania Howells
Kids Can Press
2010
The Diamond Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers of Grades 4 to 6.
The 2011 Diamond Willow nominees are:
• After All, You're Callie Boone
by Winnie Mack
Scholastic Canada
2010
• Animals That Changed The World
by Keltie Thomas
Annick Press
2010
• Fatty Legs
by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes
Annick Press
2010
• The Gargoyle In My Yard
by Philippa Dowding
Dundurn
2009
• The Midnight Curse
by L. M. Falcone
Kids Can Press
2010
• The Odds Get Even
by Natale Ghent
HarperCollins
2009
• Ortega
by Maureen Fergus
Kids Can Press
2010
• Stolen Child
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
2010
• Tumbleweed Skies
by Valerie Sherrard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
2009
• Walking Backward
by Catherine Austen
Orca Books
2010
The Snow Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers in Grades 7 to 9.
The 2011 Snow Willow nominees are:
• Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books
2010
• Free As A Bird
by Gina McMurchy-Barber
Dundurn
2010
• A Hare In The Elephant's Trunk
by Jan L. Coates
Red Deer Press
2010
• Haunted by Barbara Haworth-Attard
HarperCollins
2009
• Home Truths
by Jill MacLean
Dancing Cat Books
2010
• No Safe Place
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
2010
• Puppet
by Eva Wiseman
Tundra Books
2009
• Shapeshifter
by Holly Bennett
Orca Books
2010
• Thunder Over Kandahar
by Sharon E. McKay
Annick Press
2010
• The Worst Thing She Ever Did
by Alice Kuipers
HarperTrophy Canada
2010
The nominated titles for the 2012 Willow Awards have been posted here on the March 2, 2012.
When I read a book that touches me, really touches me, I always finish it, close the cover, lay my hand over it, and just sit. Sometimes I just re-immerse myself in the story, sometimes I weep, sometimes I wonder how the characters managed, sometimes I ponder the title and the cover. With 40 Things I Want To Tell You by Alice Kuipers, I did it all.
Amy, a.k.a. Bird to her family and best friends, is the queen of lists and the princess of planning. She knows that she and her good friend, now boyfriend, Griffin, will have sex for the first time on her seventeenth birthday. She knows what she needs to do and how hard to work to get to Oxford when she finishes school. Bird is so in control that she sets herself up as "Miss Take-Control-of-Your-Life" on a website offering advice to teens.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of stuff she needs to tell others but she doesn't. She doesn't tell her best friend, Cleo, about the website until it's been up for months. She doesn't tell Griffin that she is anxious about their first time, and then when she can't "do it" the night of her birthday, she doesn't tell him why. She doesn't tell anyone that she's attracted to a new boy at school, Pete Loewen, not even him when he approaches her. Cleo asks Pete out and he declines, and still Bird tells her nothing about her encounters with Pete which now include mind-blowing kisses.
Of course, Bird isn't the only one who needs to share things. Since the death of Griffin's dad several years ago, his mom's mental health has been rocky and getting worse. Offers of help are declined and her condition minimized when he speaks to Bird. Then, there's Bird's mom who denies anything is wrong, though her mood is off and her organizational expertise (passed down to Bird) is showing weakness. But, when Bird's dad, an entrepreneur currently focusing on solar bricks, goes to the bank, unbeknownst to this wife, to get a mortgage on the house, which Bird's grandmother left her mom, Bird just can't face the fighting. Bird just runs away from it, going to the park where she often sits. A chance meeting with Pete leads Amy (as he calls her) to pitch her self-control and have sex with him.
So, although she continues to offer free advice online, even listing "Top Tips" (e.g., Top Tip 18: When you make a decision, say it out loud;pg. 156), Bird has even more that she should be telling: to Griffin, to Cleo, to Pete, to her parents, and even to herself. Self-denial is a big issue for Bird. And, in her not-telling, all their interconnected lives are shattered and transformed. She would have been wise to heed her own advice, as her own Top Tips continue to reflect the circumstances of her own life.
I wish I could reveal the moving conclusion to Alice Kuipers' story of Bird, but I fear that I will spoil it for the reader. Suffice it to say that Bird's reactions and resignations and decisions are poignant, heartbreaking and honest, as well as justifiable to her, whether you agree with them or not. Alice Kuipers' skill at weaving an emotionally engaging story with remarkable characters, likeable or not, like those in our own lives, will disarm you effortlessly until you realize you have been invariably touched forever.
Here are 5 things I want to tell you:
1. If you're a teen, female or male, read 40 Things I Want To Tell You.
2. If you're a parent of a teen, read 40 Things I Want To Tell You.
3. If you are a teacher or counsellor, read 40 Things I Want To Tell You.
4. If you appreciate great literature, read 40 Things I Want To Tell You.
by Karen Hood‐Caddy 
