Eco Warrior

Posted on: January 24, 2017 at 4:27 pm, in

Eco Warrior Eco Warriorby Philip RoyEco Warrior is a wonderful tale about a sixteen year old boy named Alfred that pulls you in right away and keeps you reading from page one to the end. Alfred is traveling to Australia in a homemade submarine with his pet seagull and dog to learn how to be an […]

All That Matters

Posted on: January 23, 2017 at 12:47 pm, in

Although All That Matters is the sequel to Wayson Choy’s first novel, The Jade Peony, it is actually a parallel story. Told this time from the point of view of the eldest son of the Chen family, rather than his younger siblings, the Chens have arrived in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the 1930’s, during the Great […]

All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation

Posted on: January 18, 2017 at 2:58 pm, in

All the Single Ladies By Rebecca Trainster From the title, you might mistakenly assume Rebecca Traister’s “All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation” is a self-help tome or maybe a biography of Beyoncé, but it’s actually a well-written and engaging history of the women’s liberation movement in the United […]

Dangerous Girls

Posted on: January 16, 2017 at 9:00 am, in

By: Abigail HaasI had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up Dangerous Girls, but needless to say I was blown away. If you’re looking for a thriller that will mess with your head, make you feel all the feels and leave you in a traumatized state wondering what just happened – […]

We Are Growing!

Posted on: January 12, 2017 at 9:15 pm, in

We Are Growing!By Laurie Keller One of the new Elephant & Piggie Like Reading books, We Are Growing by Laurie Keller entices emerging readers to keep practicing their skills once they’ve finished all the books in their beloved Mo Willems series. With high-impact, brightly coloured and cartoonish illustrations, simple text and larger than life sounds […]

Ragged Company

Posted on: January 2, 2017 at 12:44 pm, in

  Four homeless people, each with a different story to tell, are brought to life by Richard Wagamese in Ragged Company. These people were drawn into my heart and remained there long after I put this book away. Amelia, Digger, Dick and Timber live on the streets of Toronto, and look out for each other, […]

A Taste for Monsters

Posted on: January 2, 2017 at 9:00 am, in

A Taste for MonstersBy Matthew J. Kirby”I woke up next to a dead woman. A black fly rested on her open left eye, straddling her lashes …” With an opening like that how could I resist? I am a fan of history, strong female leads and horror; A Taste for Monsters has it all. Set […]

Book of the Month: January — Saving Red

Posted on: January 2, 2017 at 12:30 am, in

by Sonya SonesFourteen-year-old Molly has to finish her volunteer community service hours.  Now.  Really.  The assignment is due tomorrow morning.  Which is how she finds herself in the company of Feather and Eden, doing Santa Monica’s annual count of homeless people.  When Molly finds a teenage girl in the grip of a nightmare sleeping on […]

Book Scavenger

Posted on: December 22, 2016 at 6:37 pm, in

Book ScavengerBy Jennifer Chambliss Bertman Imagine a scavenger hunt that involves deciphering secret codes and following clues that could take you all over the city – any city.  Now imagine that the prizes you are seeking are all books.  You can even hide your own books and leave clues for other players.  This is the […]

Barkskins

Posted on: December 22, 2016 at 2:47 pm, in

BarkskinsBy Annie Proulx At one time, forests, seemingly endless and eternal, covered much of North America.  These forests were occupied by aboriginal people who understood the symbiotic relationship between humans and the forest ecosystem.   As the Europeans arrived, wood became more than a source of shelter and heat: it became a commodity.  Annie Proulx’ Barkskins […]