Winter's Coming: A Story of Seasonal Change

by Jan Thornhill

Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

Owlkids

978-1-77147-002-5

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

October, 2014

Sure, reviewing a book called Winter's Coming before winter would have been more logical–hence Owlkids' October release for the book–but isn't it just as great to read a book about the changes that come with winter while in the throes of that season's cold and snow?  (Apparently I thought so.)

Lily, a young snowshoe hare, is surprised by the changes she sees in her surroundings, which she'd always enjoyed as green.  Now there are colour changes in the trees and massive flocks of birds heading south because Winter's coming.  If they have to escape, she wonders whether she should be evading this danger as well.  Luckily the squirrel who is preparing a cache of food tells her she won't need to do the same, and Lily is relieved to know that, "Whatever Winter was, at least it wasn't interested in her food." (pg. 9) Also inquiring of the chickadee, mosquito, tree frog, caterpillar, snapping turtle and black bear, Lily still finds Winter a mysterious entity.  

Would it be as tall as the trees and have humongous, smelly feet?  Or would it be stretched out like a weasel, with a hundred pointed teeth?  Would it have a bald head like a turkey vulture?  Or would it have hair so long that it swished along the ground?  Would it make noise like thunder? Or would it fly on silent wings like an owl?  Lily had no idea, but she was convinced that Winter would be big and powerful. (pg. 20)

It's not until she watches Winter arrive and the black bear points out Lily's own change for winter that Lily understands what all the animals have being sharing with her.

Winter's Coming is as charming a book as it is educational, explaining animal adaptations to the coming of our coldest season as seen by a young snowshoe hare who doesn't know what to expect having never experienced winter.  Lily is inquisitive, but never precocious (thank you, Jan Thornhill!), always taking in what she sees and hears and tries to make connections with what she knows already.  She's on guard for potential threats, as a wise hare will be, but insightful and thinking beyond Winter as a predator.  Her thinking is probably similar to that of a child for whom a new concept, whether it be math or behavioural or whatever, is just out of reach of understanding.

Complemented by Josée Bisaillon's collage illustrations that emulate the bits and pieces of the natural world as it changes in response to the coming season, Jan Thornhill's newest nature book (she has an astounding repertoire of award-winning non-fiction) will be enjoyed just as easily as a story as much as an information book.  Winter's Coming will be an worthy addition to any library, personal, school or public.

The Gospel Truth

by Caroline Pignat

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-493-9

328 pp.

Ages 12+

October, 2014

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all

                             ~Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson would not have written this poem yet but her words would still ring true for an enslaved young woman named Phoebe on a Virginian tobacco plantation in 1858. Phoebe is attuned to listen to the birds for their messages of hope and freedom, while keeping her own song quiet, having stopped speaking since her mother Ruthie was sold by Master Arnold Duncan ten years earlier.  And though she doesn't speak, Phoebe is chosen to accompany Doctor Ross Bergman, a guest at the plantation, and Miss Tessa, the marriageable daughter of Master Duncan, when he visits the plantation from Canada to study the birds of Virginia.

Taken under the wing of Bea, the housekeeper, and given to Miss Tessa as her personal maid, Phoebe understands well enough what is expected of her but also what she needs to do for herself, including learning to read so that she may find her Momma.

Cause a slave can't have words.

Or hope. 

But I do. 

I got both,

buried deep in the hollow part of me. (pg. 36)

However, not everyone feels as Phoebe does, including Shad, the young slave who has feelings for her. Though the younger brother of a powerful slave who has runaway three times, Shad is still convinced the best recourse is obedience to Master Duncan, and it is this attitude that threatens everything for Phoebe.

Told in free verse and in six voices (Phoebe, Master, Miss Tessa, Doctor Bergman, Bea, and Shad), The Gospel Truth tells more than just of the life of slaves on a tobacco plantation in the mid-19th century.  It speaks of a change coming, of those who see it and those who don't, and those who risked so much to be part of that change–love, security, family, life–sometimes even without choice.  Every voice that speaks from Caroline Pignat's pen is clear and resounds with every word spoken or not.  

The power of Caroline Pignat's words would compel me to cite so much of her text. She has the gift for novel in verse, not simply writing prose in verse form.  Just as a good novelist doesn't tell everything, allowing the reader to interpret, surmise and read into the text, a great writer of novel in verse tells even more in fewer words.  Pamela Porter, Martine Leavitt and now Caroline Pignat.  As for the story, think The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill in free verse for younger readers and with more soul.  A perfect bundle of story, voice and form–that's The Gospel Truth by Caroline Pignat.

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!