Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel By Charise Mericle HarperThis post was originally published in Canadian Materials, Volume XXIII, Number 16, December 23, 2016. June is always open to making friends, and when Mae moves in across the street, it looks like a perfect opportunity. But potential friendship is almost thwarted by the disagreeable April, […]
By Kate ElliotAs a child of mixed-race, Jessamy is torn between her duty as a Patron and her longing for the freedom of the Commoners. In particular, Jessamy is determined to compete in The Court of Fives, a dangerous multilevel competition. Through the Fives, Jessamy achieves that sense of freedom and begins making friends such […]
by Meg Wiviott A birthday card. Something simple, a sign of affection and love that we take for granted. But for a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz in 1944, a birthday card is so much more – an act of defiance, a statement of hope, a crime punishable by death. Zlatka knew this as she stole […]
The Riverman By Aaron Starmer What a wild book this is! Twelve-year-old Alistair Cleary is befriended by one of the neighbourhood “weird kids” – Fiona Loomis. Fiona has a secret to tell Alistair and she trusts him not to tell – she is regularly transported to a fantasy world called Aquavania. In this magical place, […]
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 […]
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!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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]