Circe by Madeline Miller is a marvellous read. When I saw this book about Circe from the Odyssey, I couldn’t resist. I was one of those kids that grew up reading mythology. Greek mythology was a particular favourite, in part because my name appears in one of those myths and in part because I just […]
By Matthew Desmond Although Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond introduces us to a number of families living on the edge of poverty in Milwaukee, the stories he tells us can be true of any city. Whether we are reading about Arleen, the single mother, Scott, the caring nurse with […]
Wildwood Wildwood, by Colin Meloy Prue McKeel is a 12 year old girl from, Portland, a small town across the ravine from Wildwood, known to her townspeople as the Impassable Wilderness, due to its inhabitability, dangerous creatures and overall wildness. One Saturday morning Prue is playing with her baby brother, Mac, at the playground, when he […]
The Wild Robot EscapesBy Peter Brown Our beloved robot, Roz, returns in Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot Escapes. This time, Roz finds herself at Hilltop Farm where her job is to manage the animals, grow the crops, fix the farm machines and make sure everything runs smoothly. The farm is owned by Mr. Shareef. He […]
Hello, UniverseBy Erin Entrada Kelly Virgil Salinas is a shy boy who finds himself the target of bullying by Chet “the Bull” Bullens. Virgil desperately wants to stand up for himself, but he just doesn’t have the confidence to do it. Even his parents call him “Turtle” because he is so quiet. The nickname makes […]
The Lost Girls of Camp ForevermoreBy Kim Fu Located on the wild coast of British Columbia, Camp Forevermore is a place that girls dream of going. A week away from parents while hiking, swimming, doing archery and kayaking is a thrilling experience for most. No one imagines what can go wrong. Nita, Andee, Dina, Siobhan […]
Roller GirlBy Victoria Jamieson Twelve-year-old Astrid has been best friends with Nicole since grade 2. Nicole loves ballet and is starting to like boys, and Astrid just isn’t interested. But when Astrid’s mom takes them to see roller derby, Astrid knows exactly what she wants to do. Immediately, she signs up for roller derby camp. […]
The Geography of Bliss:One grump’s search for the happiest place on earth. The title says it all really. Using data from the Happiness Research Institute, Eric Weiner travels the globe to explore the world’s happiest and least happy places. His mission? To find out conclusively what makes people happy! He explores a variety of different […]
See You In The CosmosBy Jack Cheng Alex is only eleven years old but already he’s very independent. He has to be. He lives with his mom, but she can hardly get out of bed most of the time. Alex makes all the meals, gets himself to school, and takes on much more responsibility than […]
SliderBy Pete Hautman David is fourteen years old and pretty average. His older sister, Bridgette, is a model student and succeeds at everything. His younger brother, Mal, is autistic. The only thing that sets David apart is his ability to eat. He can eat a sixteen-inch pepperoni pizza in four minutes and thirty-six seconds. But […]