The Curiosity Cabinet

Written and illustrated by Ian Wallace

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-922-5

36 pp.

Ages 5+

September 2017

See Canada from inside Ian Wallace's The Curiosity Cabinet, a book and cupboard filled with mementoes of each province and territory.  From Ian Wallace's dedication,

Dear Canada,

Thanks for the

countless adventures

logged in my red

Converse All Stars.

                        I.W.

to the rich endpapers detailing mugs of pens and T-shirts, a NWT license plate and a child's painting of a duck, The Curiosity Cabinet represents the accumulation of gifts, purchases and experiences Ian Wallace has received, made or had visiting communities across Canada.  They may be his curiosities but they are of our country and tell a story far greater than the totality of their numbers.

One day I realized that this vast land was a nation of families and diverse neighborhoods, and that I had left a piece of myself in each one – and they in me.

From The Curiosity Cabinet by Ian Wallace

Except for an introduction and four pages of illustrator's notes, which identify all the curiosities and the province or territory depicted, there is no text on the double-page spreads representing each region.  From his home province of Ontario represented by tamarack geese gifted from Attawapiskat and Moose Factory, and the sparrow carving for the launch of The Sparrow's Song (Groundwood, 1976) to the snow globe illuminating a reading at the Owen Sound Public Library circa 1978, Ian Wallace reveals his travels, his books and his memories of visits. 

From The Curiosity Cabinet by Ian Wallace

The illustration for Alberta honours the native land of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Nova Scotia's salutes the people of the sea and his book Boys of the Deeps (Groundwood, 1999) and Yukon's illustration celebrates the aurora borealis, the work of Robert Service and Ted Harrison, and Jan Andrew's story Very Last First Time (Groundwood, 1985) which Ian Wallace illustrated. Sadly this memory page is all the more poignant for the losses of Ted Harrison in 2015 and Jan Andrews just over a week ago.

Ian Wallace has chosen to illustrate exclusively in the subtle graphite that produces both an eeriness and an emotional distance.  It is like seeing a museum display, highly appropriate for a book titled The Curiosity Cabinet.  Still there is an intimacy because of the content of the cabinet, as each memento has a very personal attachment to the author/illustrator.  With each item and illustration, Ian Wallace remembers and celebrates the people and places of our Canada, as they have touched him. While reminding us of the plethora of books he has written and illustrated, The Curiosity Cabinet is a relevant and gratifying way to celebrate Canada 150.

From The Curiosity Cabinet by Ian Wallace

Stolen Words

Written by Melanie Florence

Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-037-7

24 pp.

Ages 6-9

September 2017

A young girl's simple request of her grandfather to learn how to say a word in Cree reveals much about the system that stole his language from him and so many Aboriginal children but more about the affection and courage of those who have the grit to ensure those words do not remain silent or withheld forever.

From Stolen Words 

by Melanie Florence 

illus. by Gabrielle Grimard

It's evident from the words and actions of the seven-year-old girl and her grandfather that their relationship is a cherished one.  She is exuberant from her day at school, pleased with what she's made and learned, and comforted with his attention as he escorts her home, holding her hand and carrying her backpack.  But when she asks, "How do you say grandfather in Cree?" his response is a lesson in history and one muted with hurt and needless shame.  As his granddaughter continues to ask "Where did they take them?", "Who took you away, Grandpa?" and "Where did they take you, Grandpa?", her grandfather tells the history, heartbreaking in the capture of the Aboriginal children's words like a raven in the cage of Gabrielle Grimard's grim illustrations of the residential school.

From Stolen Words

 by Melanie Florence

 illus. by Gabrielle Grimard

But his hurt and lack of words does not deter the child's curiosity or compassion, and she brings home a worn book titled "Introduction to Cree" so that together they might speak the language of home and release the formerly imprisoned language.

Nôsisim, he whispered.
Granddaughter.

The word felt familiar in his mouth.

It felt like his home. His mother.

As the grandfather reconnects with his past and makes a new connection with his young granddaughter, I wept for his loss, his family, his struggle and his courage to take steps forward. It's an emotionally charged series of interactions and memories that are pure Melanie Florence.  They will astound readers and sadden them, while encouraging healing and learning without shame or anger.  Her words, thankfully not stolen, make for leaps forward for those whose language was pilfered from them as vulnerable children. Gabrielle Grimard's illustrations are similarly strong and soft, taking the reader into the intimate relationship between a grandfather harbouring hurts and a child wanting to help.

Melanie Florence took on the gut-wrenching issue of missing Indigenous women in her award-winning picture book Missing Nimâmâ which was divinely illustrated by François Thisdale (Clockwise Press, 2015) and similarly addresses the emotional trauma of the residential schools in stifling language.  While the generations after the residential schools are still affected by their inconceivable legacy, the healing will come through them.  The grandfather's words may have been stolen but his loving granddaughter is the means by which they will be restored.

From Stolen Words 

by Melanie Florence 

illus. by Gabrielle Grimard

A Bedtime Yarn: Book launch (Hamilton, ON)

Picture book author

Nicola Winstanley

Cinnamon Baby illus. by Janice Nadeau (Kids Can Press, 2011)

The Pirate's Bed illus. by Matt James (Tundra, 2015)

launches her new book

A Bedtime Yarn

Written by Nicola Winstanley

Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller

Tundra Books

978-1-10191808-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

Release September 2017

on

 Saturday September 30, 2017

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

at

Epic Books

226 Locke Street South

Hamilton, ON

This darling tale is described as:

Frankie is a little bear who has a hard time falling asleep. The dark is scary, and he hates to be alone. So his mother gives him a ball of yarn to hold when he goes to bed, and she keeps the other end in the next room, working it into a surprise for Frankie. 

Every few nights the yarn color changes, and Frankie dreams in all the colors that he and his mother pick out. One night he's swimming in turquoise water, another night he's in a cool gray fog. He plays with a marmalade kitten and eats delicious chocolate cake. Eventually Frankie and his mother create something special--and Frankie learns that he's always connected to those he loves, even when he's alone in the dark.

A beautiful story of love and crafting, A Bedtime Yarn will appeal to knitters, sleepy little bears and any parents dealing with their child's fear of the dark.

Retrieved from Penguin Random House site at http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/534052/bedtime-yarn#9781101918081

on September 12, 2017.

This book launch has all the hallmarks of a great event:

•  treats

•  crafts

•  story reading

•  book signing by the author

Do attend!

Saving Grad

Written by Karen Spafford-Fitz

James Lorimer & Co., Ltd.

978-1-4594-1252-1

160 pp.

Ages 13+

RL 5.0

August 2017

Mandy is right about one thing.  I have no idea how to be fun.  I had it beat out of me a long time ago. (pg. 97)

It's been beat out of her by her alcoholic, cocaine-abusing step-dad, Duncan, who has made her life and that of her mother Sophie a misery for two years.  Her mother is reluctant to leave, accustomed to the fine home and life style of wealth, but Vienna sees beyond the facade of a good life, apprehensive what could eventually happen if they stay.  When Duncan has a fall that lands him in hospital, Vienna is determined to pack themselves up and flee.  They head to Edmonton where, with the help of an outreach worker, they get a basement apartment and begin to make a new life, slowly.

Though initially happy to drown her sorrows, Sophie gets a job at a Starbucks and insists that Vienna get registered for her final year of high school.  To make it more difficult for Duncan to find them, Vienna decides to go by Vienna Fleury, using the last name of her Métis grandmother, Mémère.  Sophie and her mother may not have spoken for years–since they'd argued about her marriage to Duncan–but Vienna misses Mémère and calls her occasionally to keep her from worrying, though she never reveals where they are.

At her new high school, Vienna tries to stay under the radar but a friendly classmate named Mandy draws her into the school's social scene, enlisting Vienna's help on the grad party committee. Although Vienna begins to enjoy school and her mother is establishing a support system and relishing her independence, regardless of how financially strapped they are, you know things have to go awry.  Saving grad may be the least of Vienna's worries.

As part of Lorimer's SideStreets series of hi-lo (high interest-low vocabulary) books, Saving Grad is a fast read in plotting and word count.  But don't mistake a hi-lo read for a lesser story.  Author Karen Spafford-Fitz capably creates an intense plot of relationships between family and friends which can be positive and negative, supportive or destructive, and she makes sure to take us along on that bus ride.  Like Vienna and Sophie ending up in Edmonton in the middle of winter, the destination may not be an easy one at first but it is a fulfilling one in the end.  Saving Grad is bigger than the indisputable distress of physical abuse.  It's a story of resilience and strength and making something good out of something bad.  Karen Spafford-Fitz makes Saving Grad into saving Vienna and Sophie and others too.

The First Page: Student writing challenge from CBC Books

CBC Books has created a writing challenge 

for students in Grades 7 to 12 

and 

the two winning entries 

 (one for Gr. 7-9 and one for Gr. 10-12) 

will be selected by

 award-winning YA author
Erin Bow

The Challenge:  
• Write the first page of a novel (any literary genre) set in 2167 with the protagonist dealing with an issue currently relevant  (climate change, diversity, gender, refugees, leadership, etc.) and show how it has played out 150 years from now.
• Write 300-400 words.  Be sure to give your "book" a title.

Eligible Participants:
• All Canadian residents who are full time students enrolled in Gr. 7 to 12 may enter.

Timeline:
• Submit between November 9, 2017 9 a.m. ET and November 30, 2017 6 p.m. ET

Selection:
• Author Erin Bow will judge the entries based on the following criteria:

• use of language;
• originality of subject;
• expression of a current affairs theme;
• writing style; and
• adherence to the contest's requirements.

• Shortlists of 10 entries per grade category will be selected from which the winner will be chosen.

Prizes:
• One year subscription to OwlCrate, a monthly delivery of a box of books (winner may select middle grade or young adult)
• The school library of each winner will also receive 50 YA books chosen by CBC.

Full details of this writing challenge are provided at CBC Books 

with rules and regulations available here.  

Clutch: Book launch (Toronto, ON)

Join

debut author

Heather Camlot

for the release of her middle-grade book

Clutch

Written by Heather Camlot

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-548-6

208 pp.

Ages 8-12

September 2017

on

Thursday, September 14, 2017

at

6:30 p.m.

at

Mabel's Fables

662 Mount Pleasant Road

Toronto, ON

From publisher Red Deer Press's website:

It's 1946. A poor Jewish neighbourhood in Montreal where a few dollars equal a fortune, and no matter where you go, you'll find the best home cooking anywhere on earth. It's also a million miles away from the posh mansions on the other side of town. But a 12—year—old boy can hope. 

Just across town something incredible is happening. Jackie Robinson is playing for the Montreal Royals. And he's going to change the world. If Jackie can do it, then so too can a poor Jewish kid from The Plateau. 

Retrieved from https://www.reddeerpress.com/Detail/0889955484 on September 8, 2017.

The Winnowing blog tour: Q & A with author Vikki VanSickle

Let's celebrate the release of Vikki VanSickle's newest novel!

The Winnowing

Written by Vikki VanSickle

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-4886-3

312 pp.

Ages 12+

September 2017

Reviewed yesterday here

As part of the blog tour for The Winnowing, Vikki VanSickle kindly answered some questions about her new book.  Her answers are revealing and provide background to the book's premise and her writing of it, and I am delighted to share this interview with readers of CanLit for LittleCanadians.

HK:  Using the word “winnowing”–an agricultural term for cleaning the chaff from the grain–is a brilliant term for the process to which adolescents are subjected in The Winnowing.  How did you ever come up with this term?

VVS:  I actually came up with the title long before the plot or characters, which is something that has never happened to me before. I stumbled across the word in another book and even though it's an agricultural term, it felt eerie to me. I walked around for days thinking 'the winnowing, the winnowing' and eventually ideas started to come together. The first image I had was of the kids gathering at the abandoned pool in the middle of the night for a secret meeting. I didn't even know why they were there, I just liked the image. Things started to snowball from there.



HK:  The process of winnowing comes about to help alleviate the detrimental effects of puberty, like going ACES (Adolescent Chronosomniatic Episodes) and imps (Adolescent Physical Impairments).  The coming of age that is puberty is never an easy transition for young people and this has been a common theme in your earlier novels.  Why make puberty a focus of the government’s control? 

VVS:  I'm obsessed with puberty! I have very vivid memories of that period (pun intended) and how out of control I felt. Everything was so intense. I wanted SO much to be an adult, but I also felt a deep sense of loss, as if childhood was something physical I had left behind and could never get back. It didn't help that the transition was rockier than I expected. I found a lot of solace in books, which is one of the reasons I write for this age group. It's really for my 11-year-old self. Years later as a camp counselor I worked with kids in the midst of puberty and found I was STILL fascinated by it. There's still a lot of shame, confusion, and a lack of conversation around puberty. I like to think I'm adding to the conversation in small ways.

I'm highly aware of the ways in which governments control our bodies already, mostly through health care and legislation. I'm thinking specifically of women's bodies, but this extends to children's bodies and our health and autonomy over our bodies as a human race. I don't think it's that farfetched to imagine a situation in which a government intervenes as drastically as it does in The Winnowing.



HK:  There is much discussion about natural vs. normal when someone who is Natural i.e., conceived without aid of SuperGen hormone, is made to feel abnormal.  The idea of different being worrisome is especially poignant in today’s world.  What message did you hope readers would take from this in light of our current climate?

VVS:  I want readers to think carefully about labels and what they imply. Natural vs unnatural, villain vs hero, conqueror vs refugee, all of these labels depend on the perspective of the person doing the labeling. At the beginning of the book Marivic is a black or white kind of thinker, but as the book progresses she learns to live in the grey space between these opposites. This is also part of adolescence. We teach the concept of opposites very young (think of all those board books: cold/hot, wet/dry, up/down), but as we grow up we learn about ranges, spectrums, and all the possibilities that exist between those opposites. Most importantly, we learn that these differences are okay. Adolescence is an age where people should be expanding their horizons, not limiting them.



HK:  When I saw Dr. Roddenberry’s name, it brought to mind the creator of the original Star Trek TV series, Gene Roddenberry.  Then I noticed several other characters shared surnames with key writers of speculative fiction like J. J. Abrams, William Barton and Lois Lowry.   Is it just a coincidence or did you honour more than several characters with famous writers’ names? 

VVS:  This is definitely intentional! I am a science fiction fan and I wanted to pay homage to creators who made an impact on me. Some of them (like Roddenberry and Lowry) are more obvious than others. I also like the idea of leaving Easter eggs for readers to discover throughout the book. Because there is so much secrecy and conspiracy in the book I thought it would be fun to drop hints and references here and there for the reader in a way that doesn't affect the narrative.



HK:  On your blog at www.vikkivansickle.wordpress.com you write about being a fan of The X Files TV show, even winning a story pitch contest.  The  Winnowing has so many of the elements that made the series popular: conspiracy theories, aliens, the little guy fighting nefarious plots, secret government practices.  Is there any overlap between that story pitch and The Winnowing?

VVS:  That's a great question! The pitch was a response to a scenario the moderator gave us, which was "How does Mulder find out the truth about his sister?" (I'm paraphrasing a bit here). If you're not familiar with The X-Files, Mulder's sister Samantha was abducted (potentially by aliens) when they were kids. This mystery drives him to become an FBI agent and study the supernatural and unexplained. In my pitch, Mulder is called into an FBI tribunal and discovers his sister Samantha is not only in charge of covert FBI operations, but is a double agent for the aliens. So not exactly related, but this is essentially Abrams' biggest fear come to life. I never made that connection before! The mind works in mysterious ways.



HK:  There are probably quite a few YA readers who will be craving a romance between characters.  Is there a reason you chose not to include one?  

VVS:  First love and crushes are definitely a huge part of adolescence, but I think this need is very well serviced in YA and even middle grade fiction. It can be trickier for kids who are not into romance to find books that don't go down that route. I wanted The Winnowing to be another kind of love story, about the love between friends. Marivic isn't motivated by heroism or altruism- in fact she has very little interest in 'saving the world.' She wants to avenge/save her best friend, Saren. At no point during the writing process did it feel natural to give Marivic (or Abbot or Kamal) a crush–they were all far too busy!



HK:  Though you tie up all loose ends in The Winnowing, making it a perfect stand-alone novel, there are many stories within that could still be told.  Abbot’s, Kamal’s or Ren’s stories could all reveal so much more about their world.  Even a story from the perspective of the Kesla is viable.  Are there any plans for follow-up stories? If not, will you continue to write science fiction or speculative fiction?

VVS:  After doing all the world-building for The Winnowing I understand why fantasy and science fiction writers create series.  I have so much material that no one will ever see! It feels like an awful lot of work for one book. That being said, I don't have any plans for a direct sequel. At one point I conceived of a three book ARC for The Winnowing, but in the end I was more interested in telling a small, singular story (Marivic's tale) in the midst of a big, highly conceptual story (what if puberty was dangerous and controlled by the government?) I would like to explore science fiction again. I have been noodling a time travel story around in my head for ages, maybe I'll try that next!

⇲⇲⇲⇲⇲⇲

Thank you to Vikki VanSickle

for sharing her writing with us,

 in The Winnowing and in this Q & A,

 and for allowing us a glimpse into her world.

⇲⇲⇲⇲⇲⇲

You can learn more about Vikki VanSickle 

and her books and writing

at

her blog at https://vikkivansickle.wordpress.com

If you're in southern Ontario this weekend, you can purchase 

a copy of The Winnowing at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival this Sunday 

and even get Vikki VanSickle to autograph it.  Bonus!