Every Day is Malala Day

by Rosemary McCarney with Plan International

Second Story Press

978-1-927583-31-9

32 pp.

Ages 7-12

March, 2014

Malala Yousafzai's story is an inspirational one.  This 15-year-old girl was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out for the rights of all girls to receive an education.  Her drive for justice was not diminished by her injury but, instead, drew global attention and accolades, all modestly accepted by this young woman.  After the United Nations declared July 12, 2013 Malala Day, Plan International produced a film (Dear Malala) depicting girls writing to Malala and sharing their appreciation and support for her endeavours for all girls.  Photographs of girls from many countries (countries identified in each photo) are captioned with the girls' poignant words and messages to Malala.  These are the words we all need to hear and take to heart.

Dedicated to the "other 65 million girls in the world today who are neither in primary school nor secondary school" (pg. 32), Every Day is Malala Day stands up for girls everywhere, acknowledging their rights, their trials, their strengths and their hopes for a world in which education is for all. It is a stunningly beautiful book in its captivating photographs of hopeful girls and their simple words, appended with Malala Yousafzai's brilliant speech at the United Nations. 

The telling of Malala's story, through the news or videos, is a difficult one and most presentations of this story do not consider the needs of a youthful audience, the very audience for whom Malala struggles.  THIS is the story that every child, every parent, every teacher and every school administer should be reading. And reading again.  Every Day is Malala Day recognizes the tragedy of Malala's rise to the world stage but the far greater story is the impact it has had on children and others to join her in her crusade.  The young women whose words appear on the pages of this book pound with hope and admiration and the determination to carry her message forward.  The power of  Malala's story as told by Rosemary McCarney with Plan International has the candour and honour of its righteous message.

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Dear Malala, the Plan International video upon which Every Day is Malala Day is based, can be viewed on the Plan International channel on YouTube.  I've attached it here for readers perusal.  It is a powerful video.

Uploaded by Plan International on June 26, 2013 to YouTube.

YA Authors Events from Penguin Canada (Oshawa, Brampton)

Penguin Canada

proudly presents

Lesley Livingston, Morgan Rhodes and Eve Silver  

authors of the following young adult series

Never series

Falling Kingdom series

 

The Game series

  

who are joining forces 

to discuss their books, writing and all things YA

at two events

at Chapters Brampton

on Saturday February 15, 2014

 at 2 p.m.

and 

at Chapters Oshawa

on Saturday February 22, 2014  

at 2 p.m.

Take advantage of these wonderful opportunities to visit with these youngCanLit authors of fantasy!

Blues for Zoey: Blog Tour stop

by Robert Paul Weston

Razorbill
978-0-14-318328-0
272 pp.
Ages 13+
For release February 2014

Although the title of this book is Blues for Zoey, the reader would be hard-pressed not to sing the blues for sixteen-year-old Kaz whose life is filled with responsibilities and worries.  Though his family once lived comfortably in Rosemount, the death of Kaz's dad and his mother's illness has the family now living above the Sit N' Spin laundromat and dry cleaners where Kaz works for Mr. Rodolfo.  Mom suffers from somnitis, a disorder which causes her to fall asleep at anytime and for days, and she can no longer perform as an orchestral musician.  Between taking care of his eight-year-old sister Nomi, worrying about his mother, saving frantically so he can take her to an expensive treatment facility in New York City, working, and going to school, Kaz has little time for socializing.  But when Calen, his only Rosemount friend to stick by him, asks Kaz to join him and his girlfriend Alana at the big summer party of rich boy Topher Briggs, it's the beginning of something new.

Though Kaz's former girlfriend Becky is now going out with the pompous Topher, and Kaz is looking to grab the attention of the beautiful Christina Muniez, it's the girl with the blond dreadlocks who makes the biggest impression.  Kaz has spotted Zoey Zamani several times on the street near Dave Mizra's jewelry store, carrying a large cross-shaped structure which Kaz learns is a musical instrument she created and calls a rood.  When he hears her play it and sing the obscure music of Shain Cope (a curiously talented but tragic musician), Kaz is hooked.

But Kaz is soon burdened with more concerns. First, as he tries to get to know Zoey, he suspects a very dangerous situation with her father.  Then, Kaz starts watching and spying on his boss Mr. Rodolfo who Zoey suspects of being involved in illegal activities like gambling and laundering money.  Finally, amongst the various characters Kaz knows in the community of Evandale, two homeless veterans, A-Man and B-Man, draw Kaz's attention with regards to their enigmatic interactions with  Mr. Rodolfo, especially after B-Man disappears. 

A more welcome situation has Kaz scrambling to do the right thing after a producer shooting a TV pilot around Evandale spots Zoey's rood hidden at the Sit N' Spin and recognizes it as an instrument made by Shain Cope and stolen after his death.  His offer to buy it has Kaz contemplating the money he could make for his mother's treatment and his relationship with Zoey.

Though Robert Paul Weston's Blues for Zoey is a complete departure from his fantastic stories of Zorgamazoo (Razorbill, 2008), Dust City (Puffin, 2010), Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff (Puffin, 2013) and The Creature Department (Razorbill, 2013), his characteristically detailed plotting is still evident.  To young adult readers, the subplots and secondary characters may appear to be simple add-ons but they do so much more than just add flavour, never revealed until those "aha" moments closer to the story's conclusion.  Never overlook the inclusion of any story element in Robert Paul Weston's books.  He doesn't do filler.  Others might need more words to fully elaborate on criss-crossing story-lines but never Robert Paul Weston.  I was convinced I knew where the story was going, and appreciated where it was heading, until that one piece of information dropped into the text.  Then those story-lines sorted themselves out, again, and Blues for Zoey transformed from a story about a teen with worries and smitten with a girl to a teen with worries and still smitten with a girl. You'll see the difference when you read Blues for Zoey and recognize that Robert Paul Weston has found a new avenue for his writing, drawing older teens in now too.  Fortunate readers, I'd say.

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Check out my interview with Robert Paul Weston soon in which he shares some details about Blues for Zoey and this new writing venture.

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Albertan YoungCanLit Author Trio: Author Event (Edmonton)

Mark February 8th on your calendar

if you live in the Edmonton area 

because

you're fortunate to have

not one,

not two,

but

three youngCanLit authors

 

Karen Bass, Marty Chan, and Karen Spafford-Fitz

visiting

Chapters at West Edmonton Mall

from 12 p. m. to 4 p. m.

Check out some of their books below, including their latest (always far left book cover).

 
Karen Bass

• Graffiti Knight (Pajama Press)
• Drummer Girl (Coteau)
  
• Summer of Fire (Coteau)

Marty Chan

• The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Barnabas Bigfoot: Bone Eater (Thistledown Press)
• The Mystery of the Cyber Bully (Thistledown Press)
  

Karen Spafford-Fitz

 

• Vanish (Orca Book Publishers)
• Dog Walker (Orca Book Publishers)

Further details about the event can be found here.

When Mama Goes to Work

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Illustrated by Jessica Phillips

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

978-1-55455-34-3

32 pp.

Ages 1-5

October 2013

We know that, in these days of economic instability, many children are part of households in which parents are out of the house at work each day.  It doesn't matter whether it is a single-parent household, one with both father and mother, or even one with two mothers–bills must be paid, careers to be realized and passions to be developed, and contributions to be made outside of the home.  As adults, we understand why we go to work, but do children always understand this? 

In When Mama Goes to Work, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch ensures that they do understand, specifically that the days of working mothers and children are not that dissimilar.  Their days start the same, in preparation for the day: dressing appropriately, making lunches, tidying themselves, and packing their bags.  At work and school, the similarities continue, as they do when Mama and child are reunited.  Regardless of their day's activities, Mama and child know that they are each in the other's thoughts and hearts, and that when the "work" day is over, they will again be together.

This positive and reassuring message, which also communicates the variety of roles mothers may play within the community e.g., construction worker, medical professional, business person and care giver, is enhanced by illustrator Jessica Phillips' cheerful round-faced children and mothers.  All children will see themselves in her characters who range in their skin and hair colours, in gender, nationality, and activities.  When Mama Goes to Work is an inclusive story of everyday routines that may be unfamiliar and may seem mysterious but are reassuringly comparable and interconnected.

Grandmother Ptarmigan

by Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Inhabit Media

978-1-927095-52-2

24 pp.

Ages 0-4

2013

While a grandmother ptarmigan seeks to get a little one to sleep, Grandmother Ptarmigan is actually a traditional Inuit origin tale that explains why ptarmigans cry, "Nauk, Nauk" and why baby ptarmigans fly so young.

Just as many human parents try a variety of strategies to help their young ones go to sleep, a little ptarmigan's grandma sings to him, tells him to close his eyes, and tucks him in, but he continues to demand a story.  Well, she tells him a story, obviously a little more feather-raising than she intended, though it does end with affectionate tickles. Unfortunately, the little ptarmigan is so frightened that his reaction is to fly away, much to the distress of his grandmother.

Qaunaq Mikkigak, an elder from Cape Dorset, Nunavut, shares a traditional Inuit origin tale in Grandmother Ptarmigan, written in collaboration with children's author Joanne Schwartz.   I applaud the successful efforts of these authors in divulging an origin tale from the Aboriginal Peoples of our own continent.  In addition to reaffirming the Inuit culture for young people, Grandmother Ptarmigan reminds us that origin tales do not all stem from Africa or lands with which youngCanLit readers are unfamiliar.  Along with Qin Leng's deceptively simple but effective illustrations, Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz bring the origin tale to roost appropriately amidst the rich stories told by the Aboriginal Peoples of North America, here courtesy of Inhabit Media. Thank you.

2014 CBC Bookies are on!

Time's running out for the CBC Bookie Awards of 2014. These are the readers' choice awards organized by CBC Books in eleven categories:

• Best Canadian Fiction
• Best Canadian Non-Fiction
• Best Canadian Book Cover
• Best Canadian Poetry
• Best Canadian Thriller, Mystery or Crime
• Best Canadian Science Fiction, Fantasy or Speculative Fiction
• Best Canadian Young Adult
• Best Canadian Graphic Novel or Comic Book
• Best Canadian Short Story Collection
• Best International Fiction
• Best International Non-Fiction

The nominated titles for the Best Canadian Young Adult book are:

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

by Teresa Toten

Doubleday Canada/Random House of Canada

Sorrow's Knot 

by Erin Bow

Scholastic Canada

Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl

by Emily Pohl-Weary

Razorbill

Homeland 

by Cory Doctorow

Tor Books

September 17: A Novel

by Amanda West Lewis 

Red Deer Press

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

Go to CBC Bookies 2014 web page  and support great Canadian YACanLit by voting before Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 11:59 p.m.

Winners will be announced Thursday, February 6, 2014.