CanLit for LittleCanadians

June 05, 2020

Summer Reading Lists of the Forest Kid and Teen Committees

On May 22 and 29, 2020, selected young readers who'd applied to participate on the fourth annual Forest Kid Committee (for ages 9-13) and the third Forest Teen Committee (for ages 14+) came together online to talk books. From their discussions, which were interspersed with visits from award-winning Canadian authors (Kenneth Oppel, Zetta Elliott, Kelley Armstrong, Natasha Deen, Wesley King, S. K. Ali, Heather T. Smith and Alex Light), these young people produced three extraordinary lists of recommended titles to keep everyone reading Canadian over the summer. These are their recommendations for their peers in the Silver Birch, Red Maple and White Pine reading programs of the Forest of Reading.

Happy summertime reading!

•••

Silver Birch Readers
(Ages 8-12, Grades 3-6)

The Case of the Missing Auntie (A Mighty Muskrats Mystery)
Written by Michael Hutchinson
Second Story Press
168 pp.
Ages 9-12
2020

The Dragon Thief
Written by Zetta Elliott
Random House Books for Young Readers
176 pp.
Ages 8-12
2019

Jinxed
Written by Amy McCulloch
Sourcebooks Young Readers
336 pp.
Ages 8-12
2020

The Journey of Little Charlie
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Canada
234 pp.
Ages 8-13
2018

The Magpie's Library
Written by Kate Blair
DCB
240 pp.
Ages 9-12
2019

Me and Banksy
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Puffin Canada
272 pp.
Ages 10+
2020

Megabat and Fancy Cat
Written by Anna Humphrey
Tundra
176 pp.
Ages 7-10
2019

Music for Tigers
Written by Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press
192 pp.
Ages 8-12
2020

Notorious
Written by Gordon Korman
Scholastic Canada
312 pp.
Ages 9-12
2020

Phantom of Fire (A Dylan Maples Adventure, Book 5)
Written by Shane Peacock
Nimbus
264 pp.
Ages 9-13
2019

The Secret of White Stone Gate (Order of Black Hollow Lane, Book 2)
Written by Julia Nobel
Sourcebooks Young Readers
304 pp.
Ages 8-12
2020

The Sound of Freedom
Written by Kathy Kacer
Annick
256 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018

Stand on the Sky
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada
320 pp.
Ages 9-12
2019

The Taste of Rain
Written by Monique Polak
Orca
224 pp.
Ages 10-15
2019

Wings of Olympus: The Colt of the Clouds
Written by Kallie George
HarperCollins
256 pp.
Ages 8-11
2020

Red Maple Readers
(Ages 12-14, Grades 7-8)

Bloom
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins
312 pp.
Ages 10-14
2020

Broken Strings
Written by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
Puffin
288 pp.
Ages 10-14
2019

Don’t Call the Wolf
Written by Aleksandra Ross
HarperTeen
512 pp.
Ages 13+
2020

Just Lucky
Written by Melanie Florence
Second Story Press
248 pp.
Ages 13-18
2019

The Justice Project
Written by Michael Betcherman
Orca
256 pp.
Ages 12+
2019

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens
Written by Tanya Boteju
Simon & Schuster
384 pp.
Ages 12+
2019

Messenger 93
Written by Barbara Radecki
DCB
240 pp.
Ages 14+
2020

No One Here is Lonely
Written by Sarah Everett
Alfred A. Knopf
352 pp.
Ages 12+
2020

Once Upon An Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
Edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed
Amulet Books
272 pp.
All ages
2020

Safe Harbour
Written by Christina Kilbourne
Dundurn
264 pp.
Ages 12-15
2019

Sara and the Search for Normal
Written by Wesley King
Simon & Schuster
272 pp.
Ages 8-12
2020

Shadow Frost (Shadow Frost #1)
Written by Coco Ma
Blackstone Publishing
400 pp.
Ages 12-17
2019

The Silence of Bones
Written by June Hur
Feiwel & Friends
336 pp.
Ages 13+
2020

The Sound of Drowning
Written by Katherine Fleet
Page Street Publishing
384 pp.
Ages 14-18
2019

Thicker than Water
Written by Natasha Deen
Orca
144 pp.
Ages 12+
2019

White Pine Readers
(Ages 14-18, Grades 9-12)

Aftermath
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Penguin Teen
384 pp.
Ages 12-18
2018

Ayesha at Last
Written by Uzma Jalaluddin
Harper Avenue
352 pp.
Ages 13+
2018

Be My Love
Written by Kit Pearson
HarperCollins Canada
224 pp.
Ages 10-14
2019

Break in Case of Emergency
Written by Brian Francis
HarperCollins Canada
368 pp.
Ages 14+
2019

The Center of the Universe
Written by Ria Voros
KCP Loft
512 pp.
Ages 14-18
2019

Fight Like a Girl
Written by Sheena Kamal
Penguin Teen
272 pp.
Ages 14+
2020

My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders
Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
224 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

Spin
Written by Colleen Nelson
Dundurn
296 pp.
Ages 12-15
2019

The Starlight Claim
Written by Tim Wynne-Jones
Candlewick Press
240 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

This Pace: 150 Years Retold
Written by Katherena Vermette, Sonny Assu, Jen Storm, David A. Robertson, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Richard Van Camp, Brandon Mitchell, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Chelsea Vowel
Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, Kyle Charles, Natasha Donovan, GMB Chomichuk, Ryan Howe, Jen Storm, Tara Audibert, Andrew Lodwick
HighWater Press
274 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

Until Niagara Falls
Written by Jennifer Maruno
Dundurn
168 pp.
Ages 9-12
2020

The Upside of Falling
Written by Alex Light
Wattpad
288 pp.
Ages 14+
2020

The Woo Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family
Written by Lindsay Wong
Arsenal Pulp Press
316 pp.
Ages 15+
2018

You Owe Me a Murder
Written by Eileen Cook
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
359 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

The book lists are posted on the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading website:
For Silver Birch readers: http://accessola.org/WEB/Documents/OLA/Forest/Resources/2020/Kid-Committee-List-2020-Silver-Birch.pdf
For Red Maple readers: http://accessola.org/WEB/Documents/OLA/Forest/Resources/2020/Kid-Committee-List-2020-Red-Maple.pdf
For White Pine readers: http://accessola.org/WEB/Documents/OLA/Forest/Resources/2020/Teen-Committee-List-2020.pdf

June 03, 2020

Don't Stand So Close to Me: Q & A with author Eric Walters

Don't Stand So Close to Me

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-2788-2 (pdf)
978-1-4598-2789-9 (epub)

116 pp.

Ages 9-14

June 2020

Yesterday author Eric Walter and publisher Orca Book Publishers launched an extraordinary middle grade novel and I was pleased to review Don't Stand So Close to Me here on CanLit for LittleCanadians. Today I'm pleased to share with you some background into this unprecedented publication and launch via this Q & A with author Eric Walters. Enjoy!

Eric Walters

HK: If there was one thing that compelled you to write a story based on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, what was it?

EW: Almost immediately I started receiving emails and twitter comments from students, teachers and teacher/librarians asking me if I was going to write a story about the pandemic. At first, I simply told them it wasn’t something I was contemplating. As those contacts reached over a hundred, I began to realize that there was both a desire and a need. Young people needed to see something that reflected their present lives, to understand their situations, and teachers needed something to get their students engaged.

HK: Though literature can be solely for entertainment and not harbour hidden messages to illuminate or educate, Don’t Stand So Close to Me cannot help but facilitate young readers’ understanding of the circumstances. If there was one message for them to take away from reading the book, what would you like it to be?

EW: There were some very important pieces of information I wanted incorporated into the narrative including ‘flattening the curve’ and ‘exponential growth’. I wanted these to be explained in a way that they could understand. The overall message, however, is about changes, adapting, understanding what’s lost, acknowledging the anxiety of uncertainty, and perhaps more important, remembering what is still with us – family, friendship, human connection and hope.

HK: Don’t Stand So Close to Me is more than “just” a book. It is an undertaking to involve young people in tackling the pandemic at their own level. It doesn’t require action but it certainly empowers them to look beyond the inconvenience and see the big picture of how they might help reduce the impact of this dangerous virus. If you could choose 3 actions that you would encourage them to take, what would they be?

EW: It all stems from a basic understanding that, while we’re certainly not in the same boat, we are in the same ocean. We have a deep connection, and need for that connection, with those around us. Be kind. Have faith. Have hope.
a)    What can you do to show kindness to those in your family?
b)    How can you connect with others in your community to make their lives better?
c)    Change always starts with one person. Be the person that helps to change your part of the world.

HK: I applaud your characters who seem to follow the saying that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But, we know that there are many for whom this pandemic is a struggle. As a former social worker and teacher, do you have any guidance for young people who might be struggling emotionally?

EW: This pandemic has helped to expose the fault lines in our society. We are not all blessed with the same support systems – either internally or externally. Share a gentle word, encourage, make a phone call, a donation. Be kind to each other – and be kind to yourself. Being kind to yourself may be the hardest. Don’t judge – support.
    If you’re having problems, reach out to your parents, teachers and friends. It’s a sign of strength to know when you need help. Be strong enough to reach out.

HK: The book’s dedication is to your grandchildren whose names are coincidentally that of the three main young characters. But your grandchildren are far younger than Quinn, Isaac and Reese in Don’t Stand So Close to Me. Do the characters share any characters with your grandchildren or are they modelled after other young people you know or have known?

EW: I love being a grandfather. My grandchildren are all 2 or under. Someday they’ll look at this story, see their names, and this will be part of my gift to them, to help bind them together. You always invest bits of yourself or people you know in your stories. I REALLY like these characters. They are caring, capable, funny and thoughtful.

HK: Getting a book written and to press is usually a lengthy process. How were you able to complete this process so quickly, especially under the circumstances of everyone working remotely?

EW: From the very beginning this was an act of trust and partnership. With just a rough outline my publisher trusted me to craft and complete a novel on a tight schedule. While I was writing they were simultaneously editing, marketing, working on digital strategies, designing a cover and doing all the things necessary to publish a book. We not only published in record time but created a marketing and promotion path that was more comprehensive than any plan previously attempted with any of my books – or any of their previous books!

HK: Fingers crossed that this pandemic will be over, some time. Would you consider a sequel to reveal how Quinn, Isaac and Reese and their peers and families managed and look back at how this event has shaped them? Or would you perhaps write another book that addresses life in the aftermath of the pandemic? Or are you just as happy to let Don’t Stand So Close to Me be the end of this story?

EW: Until you asked this question, I hadn’t thought about it at all! Maybe I better call Orca before I answer.
          This story ends with hope. It’s the best possible place for any of us right now. I’ve always believed in the power of hope. At the same time, I strongly believe that you prepare for the worst and pray for the best.
           I enjoyed those characters so much I would like to revisit them in another story. I think what the story might be well be dictated by what’s going to transpire in the world. I choose to believe it will be better.
          You have to have hope.

•••••••••••••••

Many thanks to author Eric Walters for inviting me to be part of the process of getting Don't Stand So Close to Me to young readers during this challenging time.

Thank you also to Leslie Bootle at Orca Book Publishers for allowing me to share in this amazing journey to launch.

June 02, 2020

Don't Stand So Close to Me

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-2788-2 (pdf)
978-1-4598-2789-9 (epub)

116 pp.

Ages 9-16

June 2, 2020

978-1-4598-2787-5 (pb)
Available September 22, 2020

In a novel for right now, Eric Walters has found a way to reassure, inform, educate and entertain about life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all within the safety of a new digital book for middle grade readers.

Thirteen-year-old Quinn along with her neighbour and best friend Isaac and their classmates in Grade 8 are anticipating their spring break and planning their spring dance when the COVID-19 pandemic hits North America. The young teens show a variety of responses to the news that spring break will start a little early and last for three weeks: ambivalence, concern, joy and anxiety. Not unlike most young people, their responses are varied and often contingent about what they hear from family and on the news. Because Quinn’s dad is a doctor and Isaac’s mom is a police chief, these two friends get a very different perspective on staying out of school.

As the kids begin to accept their new reality which includes online schooling and social distancing, all the COVID-19 related issues are touched upon in a meaningful and authentic way in Eric Walters's story. We read about Dad’s need for PPE and consequent skin reactions, his long working hours and the need to isolate from Mom and Quinn. The very social Isaac must deal with the loneliness of staying at home by himself and find safe ways to connect with others. Their friend Reese is unable to visit with her grandmother in a long-term care facility but the kids find a way to reach out after learning how to make masks. The young people learn of the positives of social distancing and strategies for keeping spirits up and bodies healthy. They are exposed to misinformation and those who disregard protocols and protesters who want to reopen businesses.

When the rest of the school year is cancelled except online, the kids decide to stage a spring dance on their street that abides by the rules of social distancing (chalk drawn boxes on road, with kids bringing their own phones, ear buds, water and snacks), and made possible with a little help from parent chaperones, police, and a neighbourhood that gets on board with making it special. With a highly appropriate playlist including the titular "Don't Stand So Close to Me," Isaac DJ’s the night away, saving one final dance with Quinn.

I loved this story. It covers everything middle graders might be experiencing right now, especially the confusion with different perspectives about the COVID-19 pandemic, from parents, peers, news, social media, etc. and their anxiety for their new routines. Their concerns are very real though they are so different from those of the adults in their lives. Still the kids find a way to do the right thing time and time again and I applaud these fictional characters for their responsibility and humanity. I wondered how the story would end, knowing that we don’t really know how this pandemic will ultimately play out. But Eric Walters's ending was more sweet than bitter and I even cried when Quinn’s dad tells her:

...Don’t underestimate what you did. It was much more than a dance. Tonight, wasn’t normal, but somehow you made it work, and for a few hours, you gave hundreds of people some happiness. You gave them joy. You helped them to forget for a little while. And, not just your classmates, but hundreds and hundreds of people on our street. You gave them hope. You gave me hope. (pg. 114)

Don't Stand So Close to Me is a positive story about a very negative event. It will take middle grade readers into the pandemic of their experiences, offering them reassurance and hope while educating them about helping everyone survive this pandemic. (The discussion about what flattening the curve means is especially brilliant.) I suggest parents and teachers help bring this novel to the young readers in their lives to offer them the hope and wisdom we all need to get through this.

😊•😊•😊•😊•😊•😊•😊

Look for my interview with author Eric Walters next here on CanLit for LittleCanadians and learn more about Don't Stand So Close to Me and getting this relevant book written and to press with remarkable efficiency.