Something Wiki

by Suzanne Sutherland

Dundurn

978-1-45972-821-9

160 pp.

Ages 9-12

For release January 3, 2015

While the title Something Wiki may suggest that there's something wicked, there really isn't, unless, of course, you count going through puberty and all that it entails: skin breaking out, body image issues, first crushes, changing friendships, parent issues, etc.  Okay, so puberty is pretty wicked.  But the "wiki" in the title refers to twelve-year-old (almost 13!) Jo Waller's use of Wikipedia as a diary, allowing her to share her feelings by amending entries that relate to her situation.  She adds her personal touch to entries about acne, ambush, hairdresser, and friendship, among the many that kick off each new chapter in Something Wiki, always knowing that her edits will satisfyingly disappear almost as soon as she finishes them.

Too bad the problems of growing up can't disappear as easily as revised wiki entries because there's a lot going on for Jo, and much of it she cannot control.  Because Jo sees herself as a short, chunky, geeky girl with glasses and zits, she tends to compare herself to others, specifically her friends:  pretty, best friend Stacey, musical Trisha and the smart, ginger-haired Chloe.  But she's starting to feel out of sync with them, especially when she learns Stacey has lied to her in order to hang out with Chloe alone.  Those she used to rely on for support seem to be turning on her.  Add to that the domestic chaos brought about by the return home of her 24-year-old brother Zim with his girlfriend Jenevieve who is pregnant, and Jo's parents refusal to include their youngest in their home situation.  And then there's cutie Declan Walsh who intensifies the pandemonium.

Suzanne Sutherland has made Something Wiki into Jo's coming-of-age story, demonstrating that everything in the life of a pubescent girl may seem twisted and knotted but, with time and some effort at disentanglement, a new order can arise.  The wickedness of losing friends, unfair accusations, bad haircuts, bad skin, and feeling discounted can be endured when their absurdity in the big picture is realized.  Suzanne Sutherland gives Jo the ability to see the ridiculousness in her life.

These days I just want to sleep. I'd be happy if I could sleep all day....
It won't work, though. I drool in my sleep. 

As if I needed to look any uglier. (pg. 127)

Yep, the regular fries of teen angst–bad enough for the skin–becomes poutine courtesy of Suzanne Sutherland: far richer and flavourful. 

New Members of the Order of Canada

On December 26, 2014, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announced 95 new appointments to the Order of Canada.  The Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest civilian honours, was established in 1967, during Canada’s centennial year, to recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. 

This year, two well-known contributors to youngCanLit  were honoured with appointments to the Order of Canada as Members of the Order of Canada, recognized as making outstanding contributions at the local or regional level or in a special field of activity. I have the pleasure of recognizing these newest Members of the Order of Canada, as designated by the post-nominal C.M., here with the accompanying citations :

Brenda Clark, C.M.

Port Hope, Ontario

For her contributions as an illustrator, notably as the artist behind Franklin the Turtle, and for her support of literacy.

Eric Robert Walters, C.M.

Mississauga, Ontario

For his contributions as an author of literature for children and young adults whose stories help young readers grapple with complex social issues.

Congratulations to Brenda Clark and Eric Walters on this outstanding recognition.

Butterflies Don't Lie

Written by B. R. Myers

Nimbus Publishing

978-1-77108-162-7

288 pp.

Ages 12+

September 2014

A review of Butterflies Don't Lie may have been better posted in September when the book was first released and when summer was hardly the distant memory it is now in January. But perhaps this is a great time to think about summer jobs, sun and sand and summer-time romances, when we need to enjoy the lightness that comes with being sixteen and working at a restaurant on the water and crushing on a guy.  Think back, whether it's years or months, and enjoy the warmth, be it the sun on your skin or the butterflies in your belly, that comes with B. R. Myers' first novel, Butterflies Don't Lie.

Sixteen-year-old Kelsey has her whole summer at home in Mariner's Cove ahead of her, and she's got one goal:  to grab the attention and hopefully a kiss from Blaine Mulder, a gorgeous classmate on whom Kelsey has been crushing. Her best friend, Francine, who is going to be away all summer, has helped Kelsey devise a plan (spreadsheet and all) that includes bumping into Blaine as he teaches sailing at the yacht club near the restaurant, the Queen's Galley, where Kelsey will be bussing tables.  But the best laid plans...well, you know the way they can go awry.

First, she becomes more responsible for her little brother, Chet, whom she adores but requires special attention.  Mom and Dad are not acting like themselves, and Mom is decidedly cool towards Kelsey's need to be a regular teen.  And, most unexpected of all, one of the Stunders (summer residents at Mariner's Cove) is working at the Queen's Galley and always seems to catch Kelsey at her worst: almost getting Chet injured, ruining the flower beds, losing Chet, mixing up sugar and salt, and getting drunk.  And while she doesn't stray from her Blaine spreadsheet, Kelsey is certainly taken with Luke (sadly known as How-Hole through most of the book) and his beautiful blue eyes and the butterflies that swoop inside when he looks at her.

It's pretty obvious that Kelsey and Luke are somehow going to get together, but neither is working that angle.  In fact, the multitude of magazine quizzes that Kelsey does regularly hint at nothing more than the outcome she wants for herself i.e., Blaine is the boyfriend for her.  Luke may be fairly private, and rumours of his sanity questioned, but he can see through Kelsey and the quizzes she cheats at, more insightful into her personality than she herself is.  What the reader will be waiting to learn is how the two will ever get together when Kelsey continues to be smitten with Blaine and things at home are so messed up.

While Butterflies Don't Lie may not be an emotionally shattering love story, it's as a first love, a summer love should be: light-hearted, playful, absurd, tenuous, and promising.  And B. R. Myers gets it all right.  Teens will enjoy second-guessing Kelsey's motivations, cheering her on, shouting at her to "Forget Blaine!" and encouraging her to be nice to Luke, while still wondering whether things can work out.  Again, even though B. R. Myers dangles several secrets as potential obstacles to Kelsey and Luke's romance,  the greatest complications are the teens' inability to be honest with themselves and second guessing the other's intentions.  Luckily, their mistakes aren't life- or relationship-threatening, only fodder for more humour.

Based on Butterflies Don't Lie, I think we can look forward to another youngCanLit author to follow here on CanLit for LittleCanadians; fortunately, B. R. Myers is set to release another young adult novel in 2015.

***********************

After posting this review of Butterflies Don't Lie, B.R. Myers shared that a sequel to the book would be coming out in the fall of 2015.  Just Jesse will be published by Nimbus Publishing and will focus on the best friend of Chloe, the popular girl at the Queen's Galley who befriends Kelsey.  Chloe shares with Kelsey that her friend, Jesse, is also away and she misses her, just as Kelsey misses Francine.  There is a suggestion that Jesse has had a hard time dealing with the passing of her father, but we never meet Jesse, only her mom–the caterer hired after Kelsey drives away the cake decorator–and grandmother. Check out B. R. Myers' blog at http://bethanymyers.blogspot.ca/p/busgirl-blues.html to learn about Just Jesse and her other books, already published and forthcoming.

The Old Ways

by Susan Margaret Chapman

Illustrated by John Mantha

Fifth House

978-1-92708-316-1

32 pp.

Ages 5+

October, 2014

The clash of cultures between generations is seemingly inescapable but it must be especially overpowering for those of Aboriginal heritage.  For older members, the history and perhaps memories of the old ways being driven from them by heavy-handedness might compel them to relinquish those traditions or to hold on even tighter.  Although young Simon in The Old Ways may be oblivious to the history of his culture, his grandparents, Ananaksaq and Ataatga, undoubtedly are not, but their kindness and wisdom help them educate Simon in the most subtle of ways.

You see, Simon is a child drawn to the amenities of contemporary culture: computers, TV, video games and even pizza. But, living with his Ananaksaq and Ataatga, his life includes caribou stew, story-telling and offers to build igloos.  Simon may think, "Ataatga and the old ways again" but when a snowmobile trip to Igloolik to visit family takes a dangerous direction, the young boy realizes the value of the old ways in ensuring more than just their survival.

The cover of The Old Ways states that the story was inspired by a true story and perhaps that is why it is all the more poignant.  Preaching to children of the way things used to be done is worthless when young ones have no connection to those ways.  It's irrelevant if mom and dad walked to school or didn't use computers; their children only know about getting driven to school and being digitally connected to everything. But author Susan Margaret Chapman allows Simon to witness the benefits of the old ways and come to the realization of their worth for himself, rather than demanding his acceptance. His grandparents make him aware of their ways, sharing with him as needed, but they wisely allow him to come to them when he's ready to really learn about these ways. And John Mantha's illustrations make almost tangible the simplicity of a northern lifestyle, whether in the house or on the cold, blue tundra while exposing the contrast between old and new.

While The Old Ways is a lovely and valuable resource for teachers to introduce the concept of comparing cultures, over time and place, it is also a story of connecting between generations, recognizing that sharing is a demonstration of respect and should be appreciated as such.

Upcoming Releases for Spring 2015

Instead of looking back on the past few weeks of virus-induced blog inactivity, let's look forward to a spring of new releases.  There's a plethora of titles coming out this spring, whether you're looking for a picture book, novel, YA or non-fiction.  I'm especially looking forward to:

• reconnecting with a favourite character (e.g., Neil Flambé and the Bard's Banquet by Kevin Sylvester; The Agency: Rivals in the City by Y. S. Lee brings back Victorian spy Mary Quinn);
• revisiting authors or illustrators whose work we've missed for a few years (e.g., Not Just Another Princess Story by Sheri Radford; The Farmerettes by Gisela Sherman; This is Sadie by Sara O'Leary);
• returning to cliffs upon which plots are hanging (e.g., Noir by Jacqueline Garlick; Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman; The Clouded Sky by Megan Crewe; Thor's Serpents by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr); 
• checking on established series that missed my initial perusal (e.g., Charmed by Michelle Krys; Second Kiss by Robert Priest);
• discovering new writing paths of favourite authors (e.g., The Nest by Kenneth Oppel; The Incredible Space Raiders from Space! by Wesley King);
• looking beyond mesmerizing covers (e.g., Curiosity by Gary Blackwood; The Dogs by Allan Stratton; Painted Skies by Carolyn Mallory);
• delving into the unknown (e.g., Prison Boy by Sharon E. McKay; Uncertain Soldier by Karen Bass; Delusion Road by Don Aker; Say You Will by Eric Walters); 
• delighting in joyful graphics (e.g., My Family Tree and Me by Dušan Petričić; The (Almost) Everything Book by Julie Morstad; The Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc; Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt; The Tweedles Go Online by Monica Kulling, illus. by Marie LaFrance); 
• sharing for classroom learning (e.g., Ready, Set, Kindergarten! by Paula Ayer; Hungry for Math by Kari-Lynn Winters; A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Dias and Melissa Owens)
• and...and...and....I'm looking forward to all of them!

Finally, let me know if I've missed any key titles and take a minute to share the titles of any youngCanLit you're especially eager to read.  It's always great to share our reading, especially if you only have to type in a title! (I always have the best of intentions with catching up on Goodreads and LibraryThing but, my goodness, I need a lot of time to update my reading records.)

Happy Reading Anticipation!

Fiction

• The Case of the Missing Moonstone (The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 1) by Jordan Stratford, illus. by Kelly Murphy (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
• Neil Flambé and the Bard’s Banquet by Kevin Sylvester (Simon & Schuster) >>> long-awaited Book 5 in the Neil Flambé series
• Unleashed by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Canada) >>> newest book in Swindle series

Young Adult

• Fight for Power by Eric Walters (Razorbill) >>> The Rule of Three sequel 
• How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel by Jess Keating (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) >>> sequel to How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes are Untied
• New Order by Max Turner (HarperTrophy)≫ sequel to Night Runner and End of Days
• Noir by Jacqueline E. Garlick (Amazemo Books) >>> Book 2 of The Illumination Paradox steampunk series
• Please Remain Calm by Courtney Summers (St. Martin's Griffin) >>> sequel to This is Not a Test
• Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne (Dundurn)
• Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock (Katherine Tegen) >>> Hemlock, Book 3

Picture Books

• The Duck Says by Troy Wilson, illus. by Mike Boldt (Scholastic Canada)
• Duet by Sleepless Kao (Simply Read Books)
• Not Just Another Princess Story by Sheri Radford, illus. by Qin Leng (Simply Read Books)
• Ready, Set, Kindergarten! by Paula Ayer, illus. by Danielle Arbour (Annick Press)
• Taffy Time by Jennifer Lloyd, illus. by Jacqui Lee (Simply Read Books)
• The Yoga Game by the Sea by Kathy Belliveau, illus. by Denise Holmes (Simply Read Books)

Fiction

• Defend or Die The Siege of Hong Kong, Jack Finnigan, Hong Kong, 1941 by Gillian Chan (Scholastic Canada) >>> newest I Am Canada
• The Dogs by Allan Stratton (Scholastic Canada)
• A Hanging Offence by Don Cummer (Scholastic Canada) >>> sequel to Brothers at War
• The Incredible Space Raiders from Space! by Wesley King (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman)
• Infinity Coil by Marty Chan (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) >>> Book 2 in steampunk series The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles
• The Lost Diary by Julie White (Sono Nis Press)
• Masterminds by Gordon Korman (HarperCollins) >>> new series
• Misty by Christine Dencer, illus. by Jessica Meserve (Simply Read Books)
• The Moment by Kristie Hammond (Sono Nis Press)
• Paint by Jennifer Dance (Dundurn)
• Piper’s First Show by Susan Hughes, illus. by Leanne Franson (Scholastic Canada) >>>The Puppy Collection #5
• Random Acts by Valerie Sherrard (Penguin)
• Reality Check in Detroit by Roy MacGregor (Tundra) >>> newest in Screech Owls hockey series

Young Adult

• Best Friends through Eternity by Sylvia McNicoll (Tundra)
• Life Cycle of a Lie by Sylvia Olsen (Sono Nis Press)
• Prison Boy by Sharon E. McKay (Annick Press)
• Remember by Eileen Cook (Simon & Schuster Canada)
• Shack Island Summer by Penny Chamberlain (Sono Nis Press)
• The World Without Us by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers)

Non-Fiction

• 10 Rivers that Shaped the World by Marilee Peters and Kim Rosen (Annick Press)
• Baseballogy: Supercool Facts You Never Knew by Kevin Sylvester (Annick Press)
• Crazy About Hockey! by Loris Lesynski and Gerry Rasmussen (Annick Press) >>> sports-themed poetry
• Foodprints: The Story of What We Eat by Paula Ayer (Annick Press)
• Galloping Through History: Amazing True Horse Stories by Elizabeth MacLeod (Annick Press)
• Head Lice by Elise Gravel (Tundra)
• Power Up!: A Visual Exploration of Energy by Shaker Paleja and Glenda Tse (Annick Press)
• The Spider by Elise Gravel (Tundra)
• Superbrain: The Insiders Guide to Getting Smart by Toronto Public Library, illus. by Dave Whamond (Annick Press)

Picture Books

• And What If I Won’t? by Maureen Fergus, illus. by Qin Leng (Owlkids)
• The Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc (Kids Can Press)
• The Cardinal and the Crow by Michael Moniz (Simply Read Books)
• Cub’s Journey Home by Georgia Graham (Red Deer Press)
• A Day in Canada by Per Henrik Gurth (Kids Can Press)
• Frankenstink by Ron Lightburn (Tundra)
• In a Cloud of Dust by Alma Fullerton, illus. by Brian Deines (Pajama Press)
• Look! Translated by Karen Li (Owlkids)
• More Blueberries by Susan Musgrave, illus. by Esperança Melo (Orca Book Publishers)
• A Morning to Polish and Keep by Julie Lawson, illus. by Sheena Lott (Red Deer Press) >>> new edition
• The Pirate’s Bed by Nicola Winstanley, illus. by Matt James (Tundra)
• Rosario’s Fig Tree by Charis Wahl, illus. by Luc Melanson (Groundwood)
• See You Next Year by Andrew Larsen, illus. by Todd Stewart (Owlkids)
• Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, illus. by Sydney Smith (Groundwood)
• Walk on the Wild Side by Nicholas Oldland (Kids Can Press)
• Work and More Work by Linda Little, illus. by Oscar Pérez (Groundwood)

Fiction

• Connecting Dots by Sharon Jennings (Second Story Press)
• Eco Warrior by Philip Roy (Ronsdale)
• Jasper John Dooley: NOT in Love by Caroline Adderson, illus. by Ben Clanton (Kids Can Press)
• Jasper John Dooley: You’re in Trouble by Caroline Adderson, illus. by Ben Clanton (Kids Can Press)
• The Missing Dog is Spotted by Jessica Scott Kerrin (Groundwood)
• Mystery in the Frozen Lands by Martyn Godfrey and Ken McGoogan (Lorimer)
• Princess Pistachio and the Pest by Marie-Louise Gay (Pajama Press) >>> sequel to first Princess Pistachio book
• Rock the Boat by Sigmund Brouwer (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Limelights collection
• Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler, illus. by Katie Wood (Capstone Press)
• Tank and Fizz: The Case of the Slime Stampede by Liam O’Donnell, illus. by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers)

Young Adult

• The Choice by Kathy Clark (Second Story Press)
• Dark Company by Natale Ghent (Doubleday Canada)
• The Farmerettes by Gisela Tobien Sherman (Second Story Press)
• Fight Back by Brent R. Sherrard (Lorimer) >>> hi-lo title in Sidestreets collection
• The Journal by Lois Donovan (Ronsdale)
• Mac on the Road to Marseille by Christopher Ward (Dundurn)
• Rivals in the City by Y. S. Lee (Random House)>>> Book 3 in the Victorian mystery series, The Agency
• The Secret of the Golden Flower by Caroline Stellings (Second Story Press)
• Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (Doubleday Canada) >>> a companion to Seraphina
• Thrice Burned by Angela Misri (Fierce Ink Press) >>> new A Portia Adams Adventure
• Tru Detective by Norah McClintock, illus. by Steven P. Hughes (Orca Book Publishers) ≫graphic novel
• The Truth Commission by Susan Juby (Penguin)
• War in my Town by E. Graziani (Second Story Press)
• When Kacey Left by Dawn Green (Red Deer Press)

Non-Fiction

• Bite into Bloodsuckers by Kari-Lynn Winters and Ishta Mercurio (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Hungry for Math:  Poems to Much On by Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming, illus. by Peggy Collins (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• The Queen’s Shadow: A Story About How Animals See by Cybèle Young (Kids Can Press)
• Real Justice: A Police Mr. Big Sting Goes Wrong: The Story of Kyle Unger by Richard Brignall (Lorimer)
• The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Bicycle by Jude Isabella, illus. by Simone Shin (Kids Can Press)
• Righting Canada’s Wrongs: Native Residential Schools by Melanie Florence (Lorimer)
• A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Dias and Melissa Owens, illus. by Kim Smith (Owlkids)
• What Sound Does a Sea Horse Make by Shar Levine, Leslie Johnstone and Aran Mooney (Ronsdale)

Picture Books

• A+ for Big Ben by Sarah Ellis, illus. by Kim LaFave (Pajama Press)
• Bad Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters, illus. by Dean Griffiths (Pajama Press)
• The Candy Conspiracy: A Tale of Sweet Victory by Carrie Snyder, illus. by Claudia Dávila (Owlkids)
• Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites by Kellen Hatanaka (Groundwood)
• Eat, Leo! Eat! by Caroline Adderson, illus. by Josée Bisaillon (Kids Can Press)
• Hurry Up, Ilua! by Nola Hicks  (Inhabit Media)
• The Little Knight who Battled the Rain by Gilles Tibo, illus. by Geneviève Després (Scholastic Canada)
• Me, Too! by Annika Dunklee, illus. by Lori Joy Smith (Kids Can Press)
• My Family Tree and Me by Dušan Petričić (Kids Can Press)
• Outstanding in the Rain by Frank Viva (Tundra)
• Slippers Keeper by Ian Wallace (Groundwood)
• Tilt Your Head, Rosie the Red by Rosemary McCarney, illus. by Yvonne Cathcart (Second Story Press)

Fiction

• Andreo’s Race by Pam Withers (Tundra)
• Attack of the Toga Gang by George Bowering (Dancing Cat Books)
• Avis Dolphin by Frieda Wishinsky, illus. by Willow Dawson (Groundwood)
• Between Shadows by Kathleen Cook Waldron (Coteau)
• Button Hill by Michael Bradford (Orca Book Publishers)
• Curiosity by Gary Blackwood (Puffin)
• The Frail Days by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Limelights collection
• The Ghost and Max Monroe, Case  #2: The Missing Zucchini by L.M. Falcone (Kids Can Press)
• Ghost Most Foul by Patti Grayson (Coteau)
• Jacob’s Landing by Daphne Greer (Nimbus)
• Lost in the Backyard by Alison Hughes (Orca Book Publishers)
• Peter Puck and the Stolen Stanley Cup by Brian McFarlane, illus. by Geri Storey (Fenn-Tundra)
• The River Carries Me by Cheryl Stewart (Dancing Cat Books)
• Rosie and Rolland in the Legendary Show-and-Tell by Jon Berg (Owlkids)
• Scare Scape II by Sam Fisher (Scholastic Canada)
• The Travelling Circus by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel (Groundwood) ≫newest edition in Family Travels series

Young Adult

• Blank by Trina St. John (Orca Book Publishers)
• Delusion Road by Don Aker (HarperTrophy)
• Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong (Doubleday) >>> sequel to Sea of Shadows
• Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael (Great Plains Teen Fiction)
• Punch like a Girl by Karen Crossing (Orca Book Publishers)
• Second Kiss by Robert Priest (Dundurn) >>> Book 2 in Spell Crossed series, sequel to The Paper Sword
• The Shadow’s Curse by Amy McCulloch (Doubleday Canada) >>> sequel to The Oathbreaker’s Shadow
• The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler (Sourcebooks Fire)
• Uncertain Soldier by Karen Bass (Pajama Press)

Non-Fiction

• Dark Matters: Life that needs Dark to Survive and Thrive by Joan Marie Galat  (Red Deer Press)
• Look Where We Live! A First Book of Community Building by Scott Ritchie (Kids Can Press)
• My Name Is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok by Germaine Arnaktauyok and Gyu Oh (Inhabit Media)
• Never Give Up: A story about self-esteem by Kathryn Cole, illus. by Qin Leng (Second Story Press)
• On the Shoulder of a Giant by Neil Christopher and James Nelson (Inhabit Media)
• Reptile Flu: A Story about Communication by Kathryn Cole, illus. by Qin Leng (Second Story Press)
• School Days Around the World by Margriet Ruurs, illus. by Alice Feagan (Kids Can Press)
• Stories of Survival & Revenge: From Inuit Folklore by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley (Inhabit Media)
• Trash Talk:  Moving Toward a Zero-Waste World by Michelle Mulder (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Footprints collection
• Wild Ideas:  Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking by Elin Kelsey, illus. by Soyeon Kim (Owlkids)

Picture Books

• Butterfly Park by Elly MacKay (Running Press Kids)
• Gerbil, Uncurled by Alison Hughes, illus. by Suzanne Del Rizzo (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Giraffe Meets Bird by Rebecca Bender (Pajama Press) >>> third book starring Giraffe and Bird
• Jayde the Jaybird by Brandee Bublé, illus. by Eliska Liska (Simply Read Books)
• Jessie’s Island by Sheryl McFarlane, illus. by Sheena Lott (Orca Book Publishers) >>> re-issue
• King of Keji by Jan Coates, illus. by Patsy MacKinnon (Nimbus Publishing)
• A Lesson for a Wolf by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, illus. by Alan Cook (Inhabit Media)
• Nut and Bolt by Nicole De Cock (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Sea Glass Summer by Heidi Jardine Stoddart (Nimbus) 
• Song for a Summer Night by Robert Heidbreder, illus. by Qin Leng (Groundwood)
• That Squeak by Carolyn Beck, illus. by Francois Thisdale (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Swimming, Swimming by Gary Clement (Groundwood)
• This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary, illus. by Julie Morstad (Tundra)
• The Tweedles Go Online by Monica Kulling, illus. by Marie LaFrance (Groundwood) >>> sequel to The Tweedles Go Electric  n.b. Rescheduled for April 
• Where are My Books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Simon & Schuster)

Fiction

• Bagels the Brave by Joan Betty Stuchner, illus. by Dave Whamond (Orca Book Publishers)
• Learning the Ropes by Monique Polak (Orca Book Publishers) >>> Orca Limelights collection
• The Mosquito Brothers by Griffin Ondaatje, illus. by Erica Salcedo (Groundwood)
• Saving Crazy by Karen Hood-Caddy (Dundurn)
• Thor's Serpents by K. L. Armstrong and M. A. Marr (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)≫ Book 3 in the Blackwell Pages which includes Loki's Wolves and Odin's Ravens

Young Adult

• Charmed by Michelle Krys (Doubleday) >>> sequel to Hexed
• The Clouded Sky by Megan Crewe (Razorbill) >>> Book 2 in Earth & Sky series
• In Search of Sam by Kristin Butcher (Dundurn)
• Lake in the Clouds by Edward Willett (Coteau) ≫ Book 3 in Shards of Excalibur series
• Merit Birds by Kelley Powell (Dundurn)
• Say You Will by Eric Walters (Doubleday)
• SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly) >>> graphic novel
• We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen (Tundra)

Non-Fiction

• Be a Beach Detective: Solving the Mysteries of Seas, Sands and Surf by Peggy Kochanoff (Nimbus)
• Do You Know Rhinoceros? by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quentin and Sampar, illus. by Sampar (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Do You Know Tigers? by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quentin and Sampar, illus. by Sampar (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) 
• Painted Skies by Carolyn Mallory, illus. by Amei Zhao (Inhabit Media)

Picture Books

• Down Here by Valerie Sherrard, illus. by Isabelle Malenfant (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Fiction

• Dead Man’s Boot by Eric Murphy (Dancing Cat Books)
• Sammy and the Headless Horseman by Rona Arato (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Young Adult

• A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes (Razorbill) >>> Book 1 of companion series to Falling Kingdoms series
• Crash by Eve Silver (Katherine Tegen) >>> The Game Book 3

And just as a teaser...

Picture Books

• All Year Round by Emilie Leduc, translated by Shelley Tanaka (Groundwood)
• The (Almost) Everything Book by Julie Morstad (Simply Read Books)
• Buddy and Earl by Maureen Fergus, illus. by Carey Sookocheff (Groundwood)
• Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt (Tundra)
• Grant and Tilley Go Walking by Monica Kulling, illus. by Sydney Smith (Groundwood) >>> about artist Grant Wood
• Kyle Goes Alone by Jan Thornhill, illus. by Ashley Barron (Owlkids)
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel (Groundwood)
• When Santa was a Baby by Linda Bailey, illus. by Geneviève Godbout (Tundra)
• The Yoga Game in the Garden by Kathy Belliveau, illus. by Denise Holmes (Simply Read Books)

Fiction

• The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, illus. by Jon Klassen (Simon & Schuster)
• A Pocket Full of Murder by R. J. Anderson (Atheneum) >>> Book 1 in new series Uncommon Magic

Young Adult

• 250 Hours by Colleen Nelson (Coteau)
• The Asp by B. R. Myers (Fierce Ink Press)
• Seven Secrets (Orca Book Publishers) by Marthe Jocelyn, Vicki Grant, Teresa Toten, Kelley Armstrong, Norah McClintock, Kathy Kacer and Eric Walters

I'll be back in June for a more complete list of summer and then fall books set for release. And if you find these posts of some value, consider subscribing to the blog.  It's free!

Into the Wasteland

by Lesley Choyce
Red Deer Press
978-0-88995-522-6
174 pp.
Ages 14-17
October, 2014

I'm done. Through. Finished. I'm on the edge of something and I don't know what it is. I just know that everything and everybody is holding me back. (pg. 7)

Dixon Carter is angry and he’s taking himself off his prescription meds.  And though the name of Dixon’s illness is never identified (I don't like those labels, but once they are sewn into your shirt, it's hard to get rid of them; pg. 48), Dixon is far too complex for a simple mental illness label.  He is insightful, expressive, and appreciative of his parents, his brilliant girlfriend Sylvia, his best friend Zeke and Fairweather Dave, a former surf champion and surfing magnate who gave it all up.  Dixon delves into poetry, including a tome of T.S.Eliot's that includes the poem The Waste Land.  He thinks about illusions, rules, paradoxes and Einstein.  

But, by stopping his meds, Dixon is preparing for a trip down that dark path into the wasteland, and he’s sharing it with readers via his manifesto a.k.a. a journal.  Using his thoughts and his interactions for guidance, Dixon tries to sort out who he is, what he wants and how to go about it.

I'm trying to sort out my ideas, my thoughts, my so-called illness, and my condition.  I am, alas, a product of my culture, of my time, of my ancestry, and I'd prefer to step outside of all that. (pg. 31)

Then the unforeseen happens.  Tragedy.  Everything, everything changes.  (Oh how I wish I could share the details but that would truly be a spoiler.) How Dixon deals is just as unforeseen.

Into the Wasteland is so real.  It’s about being labelled with a mental illness and enduring the multitude of treatments in the hopes of achieving a normal life.  It’s about wanting to be a regular teen, to hang out with friends and your girlfriend, and think about a future that doesn’t include regular transgressions into a dangerous darkness.  And then the impending dark path seems like a walk in the park.  An overlay of grief essentially immobilizes Dixon: no way forward or back.  

I can’t imagine how Lesley Choyce is able to convey the twisted negative thinking of a young person with depression or the glorious euphoria of his manic episodes without an intimate knowledge of the complexities of his thought processes.   Think about this as you read Into the Wasteland and attempt to make your way through Dixon’s tortuous reasonings, which he presents as his philosophy.  He is convinced his thinking is clear but, though it is thoughtful and insightful, it is distorted and confusing, as are his writings in the manifesto.  Lesley Choyce persuasively depicts Dixon Carter as a sympathetic character though his argumentative nature and irritability could have precluded that.  Instead, what Into the Wasteland shares is that a person with a mental illness is never just well or unwell but as complex as any being trying to survive in a less than hospitable environment, whether it be internal or external.  

Fishermen Through & Through

by Colleen Sydor

Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-517-2

32 pp.

Ages 4+

November 2014

There once lived three fishermen: Peter, Santiago, and Ahab. They were tough. They were as salty as the bottom of a pretzel bag. They were as weathered as a twisted stick of driftwood. (pg. 3)

These three men are the titular fisherman, a companionable trio whose lives on the sea do not preclude their ability to dream. Peter dreams of camel travel across a desert of sand,  Santiago imagines balloon travel on the wide expanse of sky, and Ahab is enamoured with the vision of endless fields of coloured tulips. But, as Fishermen Through & Through, they continue to fish, until one day, blow me down, a beautiful, white lobster becomes entangled in their nets.

Not wishing to be selfish, the three take their catch to the Fisherman's Net, a local restaurant, to be honoured by placement in a grand seawater tank, for all to enjoy.  News of the albino lobster spreads and everyone, from reporters to biologists and photographers, come to visit and witness the splendour of the lobster.  But, when the fishermen are offered a great deal of money for the lobster, they find themselves considering their dreams, the lobster and life on the sea to help them make the right decision.

Whether Colleen Sydor's three fishermen represent Saint Peter, Hemingway's old fisherman from The Old Man and the Sea, and Moby Dick's captain Ahab is irrelevant–though fitting–they are a credit to their vocation, fishermen through and through.  And their respect for the ocean, and what it gives and takes, is uncompromising.  With Brooke Kerrigan creating the graphics, the pencil illustrations are beautifully awash in soft watercolours, bringing the gentle waters and straightforward characters to complement the positive text.  Illustrator of Wellington's Rainy Day (Beck, 2011) and award-winning Kiss Me! (I'm a Prince) (McLeod, 2011) Brooke Kerrigan doesn't just add the pictures; she creates the spirit of Colleen Sydor's story through line and colour. Fishermen Through & Through is a complete story, through and through.