The Sun Never Hurries

Written by Roxane Turcotte

Illustrated by Lucie Crovatto

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-307-0

40 pp.

Ages 3-7

June 2024 

 

Just like each grain of sand, every moment of your day is precious. 

Little Charlie may be of a generation that wants to eat at restaurants or drive everywhere but a day with her grandfather, Papa Jo, teaches her the value of taking the time to savour every moment and experience, making for a far richer adventure.

From The Sun Never Hurries, written by Roxane Turcotte, illus. by Lucie Crovatto

Charlie's day with Papa Jo begins with him showing her an hourglass, explaining that it helps him remember that a day is an almost infinite number of moments to enjoy and cherish. At lunchtime, instead of heading to a restaurant, Papa Jo enlists Charlie's help to peel vegetables for a delicious soup. Afterwards, instead of getting in the car and heading to the village, they stroll together through wildflowers. An excursion to an island becomes a series of small adventures: in the rowboat, on the beach, watching birds and dragonflies, and more. When the day ends and time has drained from the hourglass, there is still one more encounter with that unhurried sun to cap their day together.

From The Sun Never Hurries, written by Roxane Turcotte, illus. by Lucie Crovatto

We should all be taking the time to appreciate every moment, from cooking a meal to reaching a destination, to being fully present. Too many adults rush here and there and multitask and worry about not getting everything done. Too many children are rushing from one activity to another, expecting instant satisfaction from people, food, and experiences. There is great value in being mindful of the moment, whether with another or doing mundane tasks or feeling feelings. Roxane Turcotte gives us the encouragement to stop and enjoy the moments with Papa Jo and Charlie, and step back from anticipating what to do next, or how quickly can we do it, or how much we've accomplished. Through Papa Jo's words and examples, Charlie and young readers will relax and pause a little more, and appreciate everything the sun, the outdoors, the world has to offer.

 

Quebec's Lucie Crovatto gives us the warmth and luxury of the sun in all her illustrations. Imbued with cheerful yellows and oranges, whether in the carrots and potatoes, Charlie and Papa Jo's outfits, or the sunshine and the sunset, Lucie Crovatto makes us feel safe and content. However, her palette is not restricted to these colours because she takes readers outdoors with her characters: to walk in colourful meadows, to row over pale green waters, or to sway on an elaborate branch swing in a lush forest. No matter the setting, the art embraces and soothes, reminding us to feel and see and listen and truly experience each moment.

From The Sun Never Hurries, written by Roxane Turcotte, illus. by Lucie Crovatto

As Charlie learns throughout her day with Papa Jo and especially when it comes to sunset, the sun never hurries, and neither should we.

 

• • • • • • •

The story is also available in its original French language edition, Le sablier de Papijo (Dominique et compagnie, 2022).

Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism

Written by Robin Stevenson

Illustrated by Vivian Rosas

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0835-2

64 pp.

Ages 10-14

May 2024

 

What a perfect month to review this extremely comprehensive book of non-fiction that celebrates the key players and events in the history of LGBTQ+ activism! I was riveted by what I learned.

From Queer History A to Z, written by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Vivian Rosas

Author Robin Stevenson has long championed LGBTQ+ stories in both fiction (e.g., When You Get the Chance) and non-fiction (e.g., Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community), but in Queer History A to Z she takes the opportunity to inform on the history of those for whom LGBTQ+ issues have always been paramount. Basing her information according to the letters of the alphabet, Robin Stevenson educates readers on everything from terminology like drag and Indigiqueer and significant historical events like the protests at the Stonewall Inn and the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights to bios of important activists like Bayard Rustin and Marsha P. Johnson who fought and inspired movements.

From Queer History A to Z, written by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Vivian Rosas

I did not exaggerate when I used the word "comprehensive." Queer History A to Z may be  based on 26 key ideas but it goes beyond just those 26 people, terms or events. It gives us so much more, including an additional 35 short bios of queer activists, a thorough timeline of a hundred years of key events, a glossary, and references of LGBTQ+ resources for young readers as well as references for books, websites and films which might be useful. If you want an introductory book about LGBQT+ history that is also inclusive and extensive, Queer History A to Z fits the bill.

From Queer History A to Z, written by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Vivian Rosas

Robin Stevenson's thorough and informative text is accompanied by Vivian Rosas's bright and bold digital art that includes everyone in the LGBTQ+ communities. Not only does she depict historical figures accurately–I know this because every story so intrigued that I was constantly checking for more info online–Vivian Rosas gives the events authenticity and the pride that is conveyed from within.

From Queer History A to Z, written by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Vivian Rosas

For all readers, young and old, Queer  History A to Z may be a primer on LGBTQ+ activism for the past 100 years but it is also an acknowledgement of communities that have endured the full gamut of discrimination for that same time. The book is in itself an act of activism to empower those who have been and may still be denied the rights to be themselves everywhere and anywhere. 

"We need in every community a group of angelic troublemakers." ~ Bayard Rustin (1912-1987)

THE FACTORY: Cover reveal

Time to get excited about an upcoming book.

 

Let's get that buzz started! 

 

📘📘📘📘📘

Catherine Egan is the author of middle grade & young adult novels including Sneaks, The Witch's Child series (Julia Vanishes, Julia Defiant and Julia Unbound) and The Last Days of Tian Di series (Shade and Sorceress, The Unmaking, and Bone, Fog, Ash and Star).

 

Soon, Catherine Egan will have a new middle grade novel which will be coming out in January 2025. I'd like to help get everyone talking about this new book of speculative fiction for middle grade readers with this cover reveal.

Voila!

THE FACTORY

Written by Catherine Egan

Scholastic

978-1339034218

336 pp.

Ages 8-12

January 7 2025 

 

• • • • • • •

 

Here is a blurb about The Factory from Catherine Egan herself:

 

You make a bargain—this for that.
You think you know what you're giving up, what the risks are, and you believe the payoff will be worth it.
Some bargains are riskier than others.
Some payoffs are hard to resist.
But what if there’s a lie at the heart of the bargain? What if you’re wrong about the thing you’re giving up?

Welcome to The Factory.

Meet Asher Doyle: He made this bargain to save his mother. A dreamer with problems of his own at school, he thinks the Factory might be the answer. But he was specially recruited, and the question of who wants him here and why becomes more and more pressing.  

 
Meet Faith Ford: She made this bargain to save her family. Smart and determined, Faith thinks she can tough it out, power through, like she always does. She's wrong this time.

 
Meet Troy Sanchez: He made this bargain to save his brother. A gentle soul, Troy is nonetheless a survivor, but the price he pays will be greater than any of them, and the Factory might be one thing he can't survive.

 
Meet Violet Shu: She made this bargain to save herself. Vi is a force to be reckoned with. She doesn't wait for the fight to come to her—she brings it. Also, if anyone messes with Troy, she will end them.

Every day the kids at the Factory are shut in Extraction Containers as part of a highly classified experiment in harvesting electromagnetic energy from the human body. A risk, a bargain. The process is terrifying, but the payoff is huge. They all signed up for this. They all have their reasons. They are desperate, and this might be their only chance to change their circumstances. But the machines aren't really extracting electromagnetic energy. So what is being extracted?

Asher. Faith. Troy. Vi.
They team up to figure out the real cost of the bargain they've made.
But they're running out of time.

My new middle-grade novel THE FACTORY will be out January 2025 and I am so excited to share this creepy, evocative cover with you all - I GASPED when I first saw it! The artwork is by the brilliant Angelo Rinaldi (https://www.artistpartners.com/portfolios/angelo-rinaldi/). Much more to come, but keep your eyes out for THE FACTORY next winter! 

~ Catherine Egan

• • • • • • •

From the cover and Catherine Egan's blurb, there is much promise in The Factory for an epic read of speculative fiction for middle grade readers. Only 7+ months until its release! So put it on your TBR list and/or pre-order it to ensure you have your copy to visit The Factory in January 2025.

• • • • • • •

Wild Trails to the Sea

 

Written by Penelope Jackson

 Illustrated by Elena Skoreyko Wagner

Nimbus Publishing

978-1-77471-273-3

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2024

 

Wild Trails to the Sea is a reflection of parents who are hopeful for children to enjoy play in the natural worlds of shorelines, oceans, and forests but it reads like a love song to their children, to nature and all its elements, and to curiosity and exploration. 

From Wild Trails to the Sea, words by Penelope Jackson, art by Elena Skoreyko Wagner

The day begins with a mother carrying her young daughter and looking out the window at the dawn and hoping "the peepers always wake you a little too early." And then there are a multitude of days of outdoor play, with parents watching and interacting and showing and learning as their little ones explore wild areas. It's taking off your shoes to feel the sand and rocks beneath your feet. Or tasting spruce tips. Or leaping into freezing waves. It's going from spring when the first mayflower opens to the summer of bathing suits and hot sands, and then to fall when they "climb the tallest hill to watch whirls of colour tumbling toward the ocean" and winter to fling pebbles onto an icy pond. It's a full year and life in the outdoors for this family and these children, and one that will become a tradition for generations.

From Wild Trails to the Sea, words by Penelope Jackson, art by Elena Skoreyko Wagner

Halifax's Penelope Jackson has a story to tell, whether of her own childhood or that of other children. She tells it with an almost perceptible sigh of contentment and respect and awe. The natural world is one of wonder, one of extraordinary treasures to be appreciated. Penelope Jackson's text is written in free verse but it is still rhythmic without rhyming. Her words are cadenced, almost like a song, and it is a song of hopes for children to experience their natural worlds and for nature to be recognized and valued. And it is the promise that that wonder will extend beyond themselves.

I hope that when you are grown

and making pathways of your own

you still follow every salty wind...

and walk the wild trails to the sea.

That sensibility of Penelope Jackson's words is matched with Elena Skoreyko Wagner's collage art. With an eye to both colour and shape, Elena Skoreyko Wagner, originally from Nova Scotia and now of the UK, creates vignettes that are so textured that they seem almost tangible. Whether it's a child's hair being tossed by the wind, or the layers of spruce and pine tree branches in a forest, or smoke curling from a bonfire, Elena Skoreyko Wagner has found a way to bring a new dimensionality to the people and landscapes of Wild Trails to the Sea.

From Wild Trails to the Sea, words by Penelope Jackson, art by Elena Skoreyko Wagner

We may not all have access to a maritime location, but we all have opportunities to get out and play and discover. While Wild Trails to the Sea speaks to one family and the joy and experiential learning of outdoor play, it reminds us that there is much promise if we just open our eyes and take in our surroundings for more than just a backdrop to our structured and scheduled lives.

The Not-So-Simple Question (A Holly-Mei Book, #3)

Written by Christina Matula

Inkyard Press

978-1-335-00999-9

272 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2024 

 

Isn't it lovely that we get to visit with Holly-Mei and her friends and family once again? The twelve-year-old who Christina Matula introduced us to in The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei and allowed us to join in her new life in Hong Kong is a little older, well-situated at Tai Tam Prep, and becoming familiar with her new home. But with all those important changes, Holly-Mei is now becoming a teen, and The Not-So-Simple Question is her coming-of-age story.

 

Holly-Mei and her family have now been in Hong Kong for nine months and she is in the last few months of her Grade 7 year. There are lots of important events still to come like Experience Week during which Upper Grade students travel to other Asian locations for a week of learning. It's a great opportunity for Holly-Mei to discover more about her Taiwanese heritage–her mother and Ah-ma, grandmother, are Taiwanese while her father is British–by visiting Taiwan. She's also hoping that it will help her clarify who she is, feeling less than others because of her mixed heritage. And then there's the problem with boys. Her friend Gemma is determined to have an end-of-year prom to which the girls must bring dates. Holly-Mei is obviously well liked by her friends, including Dev and Theo, but, unlike her younger sister Millie who is all about popularity and acting grown-up, Holly-Mei isn't ready for dating, and she doesn't know how to reconcile her feelings with the demands of her friends.

Holly-Mei has a lot on her plate but that is what it often feels like when you are entering your teen years. It's a balance of moving from childhood to adulthood and navigating when and how much you're wanting to change. But coupled with that is Holly-Mei's confusion about her heritage and feeling that others judge her by how she speaks Chinese, who her parents are, and if half of anything is enough for her to be her true self. It's no wonder the girl is feeling on edge and confused. And with Holly-Mei, that uncertainty often leads her to misunderstanding or saying the wrong thing. Thankfully, Holly-Mei's story is in Christina Matula's capable hands, and she ends it with understanding, acceptance, and accord. (And we get to take a wonderful trip to Taiwan to see the sights, the culture, and the food. Always the food!)

The first Holly-Mei book was just recommended by young readers of the Red Maple Forest Kid Committee for their summer reading list and it's nice to know that there are two more books in the series to reach for after you've enjoyed The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei. With The Not-So-Simple Question, we get to see how Holly-Mei has ended her Grade 7 year, after a full year of learning to deal with new friends, with sports competition, with sibling interactions, with misunderstandings, and more. With that learning has come an appreciation for who she is and the kind of person she wants to be. She's still learning to be the best version of herself but she's on the right path, and Christina Matula lets us tag along on Holly-Mei's journey of self-realization and growing up, while enjoying the sights and cultures of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

From The Not-So-Simple Question, written by Christina Matula

• • • • • • •

Holly-Mei Books

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei (2022)

The Not-So-Perfect Plan (2023)

The Not-So-Simple Question (2024)

• • • • • • •

2024 Forest Kid Committees: Summer Reading Lists

In early May, selected young readers who'd applied to participate on the eighth annual Forest Kid Committees (for ages 9-13) came together online to talk books.  From their discussions, which were interspersed with visits from award-winning Canadian authors Natalie Hyde and Erin Bow, these young people produced two extraordinary lists of recommended titles to keep everyone reading Canadian over the summer.  There are graphic novels, fantasy, historical fiction, picture books, short stories, non-fiction, humour, and more. These are their recommendations for their peers in the Silver Birch and Red Maple reading programs of the Forest of Reading®.

Happy summertime reading!

 

😎 📚 😎 📚 😎 📚

 

Silver Birch Readers

(Ages 8-12, Grades 3-6)

 

Bird Brain     

Written by Joanne Levy        

Orca Book Publishers 

192 pp.

Ages 9-12

2024

Blue to the Sky

Written by Sylvia McNicoll

DCB

232 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024

 

The Grace of Wild Things    

Written by Heather Fawcett

Balzer + Bray   

360 pp.

Ages 8-13

2023

 

The Grover School Pledge     

Written by Wanda Taylor        

HarperCollins   

176 pp.

Ages 8-12

2023

 

How to Be a Goldfish    

Written by Jane Baird Warren        

Scholastic Canada        

248 pp.

Ages 9-12

2022

 

More than Words: More Than Words: Navigating the Complex World of Communication

Written by Valerie Sherrard and Natalie Hyde

Illustrated by David Jardine

DCB

152 pp.

Ages 9-12

2023

 

Nish North and South    

Written by Isabelle Picard        

Scholastic Canada

304 pp.

Ages 10-14

2023 

Nutshimit    

Written by Melissa Mollen Dupuis    

Illustrated by Elise Gravel    

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

88 pp.

Ages 6-8

2023 

 

PAWS: Gabby Gets It Together 

Written by Nathan Fairbairn

Illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn

G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers 

176 pp.

Ages 8-12

2022

 

The Racc Pack (Book 1)    

Written by Stephanie Cooke    

Illustrated by Whitney Gardner    

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers    

185 pp.

Ages 7-10

2024

The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan    

Written by Salma Hussain        

Tundra Books      

296 pp.

Ages 10-14

2022

The Song That Called Them Home    

Written by David A. Robertson    

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin    

Tundra Books   

52 pp.

Ages 4-8

2023

Tegan and Sara: Junior High    

Written by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin    

Illustrated by Tillie Walden    

Farrar, Strauss and Giroux 

304 pp.

Ages 10-14

2023

Waking the Dead and other Fun Activities     

Written by Casey Lyall        

Greenwillow Books

288 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024

 

We the Sea Turtles: A Collection of Island Stories     

Written by Michelle Kadarusman

Pajama Press   

208 pp.

Ages 8-12

2023

Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems (Wednesday Wilson, Book 2)

Written by Bree Galbraith    

Illustrated by Morgan Goble    

Kids Can Press   

144 pp.

Ages 6-9

2022

 

 

 

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

 

The Celtic Deception (A Jump in Time, Book 2)    

Written by Andrew Varga        

Imbrifex   

302 pp.

Ages 12+

2023

 

Champions of the Fox (Thieves of Shadow, Book 3)

Written by Kevin Sands

Puffin Canada

464 pp.

Ages 8-12

2023

 

Daughters of the Dawn     

Written by Sarena and Sasha Nanua        

HarperTeen    

560 pp.

Ages 13-17

2022

 

Flight Plan    

Written by Eric Walters        

Orca Book Publishers   

320 pp.

Ages 12-17

2023

 

House of Ash and Bone   

Written by Joel A. Sutherland        

Tundra     

336 pp.

Ages 12-17

2023

 

Leon Levels Up (Orca Currents)    

Written by Paul Coccia        

Orca Book Publishers    

112 pp.

Ages 9-12

2024

 

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei (Holly-Mei, Book 1)    

Written by Christina Matula

Inkyard Press        

288 pp.

Ages 8-12

2022

 

Out of the Valley of Horses    

Written by Wendy Orr        

Pajama Press    

224 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024

 

Slugfest    

Written by Gordon Korman

Scholastic Canada 

296 pp.

Ages 9-12

2024

 

S'More Magic (Witches of Brooklyn, Book 3)    

Written and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse    

Random House Graphic    ‎ 

240 pp.

Ages 8-12

2022

 

Something More    

Written by Jackie Khalilieh

Tundra     

336 pp.

Ages 12-17

2023

 

The Song of Wrath (Bones of Ruin, Book 2)    

Written by Sarah Raughley

Margaret K. McElderry Books        

432 pp.

Ages 12+

2023

 

The Space Between Here and Now    

Written by Sarah Suk        

Quill Tree Books  

320 pp. 

Ages 13-17

2023

 

 

 

The book lists are posted on the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading website:

• For Silver Birch readers: https://forestofreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/01-Kid-Committee-List-Silver-Birch-2024-2.pdf
• For Red Maple readers: https://forestofreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/02-Kid-Committee-List-Red-Maple-2024-2.pdf