bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Can You Do with Only One Shoe: Reuse, Recycle, Reinvent by S. & S. Shapiro
Authors: Quirk Linda
Published: April 2016

Shapiro, Simon and Sheryl Shapiro. What Can You Do with Only One Shoe: Reuse, Recycle, Reinvent. Illus. Francis Black. Toronto: Annick Press, 2014. Print.The publisher is promoting this charmingly-illustrated book as one intended to inspire a practical and constructive response to the environmental concerns with which we all must grapple. It is a theme which is oddly underrepresented in children’s books, perhaps because it is difficult to craft an approach which is empowering.This book considers popular contemporary ideas about recycling/repurposing everyday objects which have outlived their initial purpose, but it is not the do-it-yourself handbook that it appears to be. Instead, it is a collection of juvenile short poems with a humorously entertaining tone, but no clear message. Clearly, we should not judge this book by its title or by its covers. One poem makes fun of a toilet-turned-into-a-planter and offered as a gift, while another offers a range of silly suggested uses for a single shoe, including flattening pancakes. There is a poem which describes a tractor pulling a “broom propeller” for street sweeping which doesn’t work very well (“pebbles flying left and right”) and another in which a dog made of bicycle parts is less than satisfying (“he can’t lick my nose”). There are some poems with a less mocking tone, but which offer suggestions that are even more absurd, such as children making musical instruments from rusty cans retrieved from a landfill site or children building their own playground, complete with a swing and a slide, from an old ambulance. Intended for children aged 5-8 years old, I wonder what young readers would make of these poems.The illustrations by Francis Blake are by far the best feature of this book. Going well beyond what is found in the poems, the illustrator has created a marvelous cast of characters that are expressive in a way that is both quirky and charming. While the illustrations deserve four stars out of four, the text certainly does not.Not recommended: 1 star out of 4 Reviewer: Linda QuirkLinda taught courses in Multicultural Canadian Literature, Women's Writing, and Children's Literature at Queen's University (Kingston) and at Seneca College (Toronto) before moving to Edmonton to become the Assistant Special Collections Librarian at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at the University of Alberta.  Her favourite children's book to teach is Hana's Suitcase, not only because Hana's story is so compelling, but because the format of this non-fiction book teaches students of all ages about historical investigation and reveals that it is possible to recover the stories of those who have been forgotten by history.
The Lynching of Louie Sam by E. Stewart
Authors: Prentice Nancy
Published: April 2016

Stewart, Elizabeth. (2012). The Lynching of Louie Sam. Toronto: Annick Press. Print. In 1884, Louis Sam, a 14-year-old from the Stó:lō nation, was lynched on Canadian soil by American vigilantes. The teen was taken from police custody, where he was being held on suspicion of murder of a Washington Territory settler named James Bell. In this fictionalized account, Elizabeth Stewart tells the story of the lynching of Louie Sam through the eyes of 15-year-old George Gillies, a witness to the event. At first, George fervently believes that Louie Sam is guilty of the crime. But after he and his best friend Pete Harkness follow the vigilantes north into Canada and witness the hanging of Louie Sam, George’s certainty waivers. Louie Sam is so young, and doesn’t seem like a killer. Could the lynch-mob have killed an innocent boy? Was this murder rather than an act of justice? As George begins to piece together the puzzle of James Bell's death, his uncertainty grows. Stewart’s prose is clear and concise, the characters believable, and the plot well-paced. The mystery of James Bell's death develops in such a way that observant readers will pick up the clues. The novel's sense of time and place also rings true. Some of the novel’s racist dialogue is upsetting, but as Stewart notes in her foreword, it is reflective of the attitudes of the time, and integral to the plot and theme. The lynching of Louie Sam occurs within the first 90 pages of the novel, and we never hear Louie Sam speak. This is an interesting choice, and a fitting one. In the novel, as in life, Louie Sam is silenced. Instead, the tragedy of his short life and violent death is reflected in George’s coming of age; George matures emotionally and morally with his growing awareness of the prejudice and injustice within his community. Elizabeth Stewart has crafted a compelling young adult novel centred on important themes of racism, justice and personal responsibility. These important themes are deftly developed; the tone never becomes preachy or pedantic. Strong curricular ties to both English and social studies programmes will appeal to teachers. The Lynching of Louie Sam is perfect for the senior high school library. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Nancy Prentice Nancy Prentice is a teacher-librarian, and the learning leader of the Learning Commons at Forest Lawn High School in Calgary.
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by H. Larson
Authors: Jobagy Shelly
Published: April 2016

Larson, Hope. A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel. New York: Margaret Ferguson Books, 2012. Print. This adaptation of the science fiction classic stays true to Madeline L’Engles’ original novel, first published in 1962 and still timeless 50 years later. Hope Larson (Eisner award-winning artist for Mercury, 2010) tackles both the written adaptation of the text and the illustrations, providing readers with much to explore. This graphic novel is a hefty addition to your collection, clocking in at 392 pages. The story begins with Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin meeting three unusual ladies - Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who. They travel together on a magical journey via a tesseract (a wrinkle in space and time) to find their father, Mr. Murry, who has gone missing while working on a top secret government project. When they arrive on the planet Camazotz where Mr. Murry is being held captive, they discover that something dark and sinister is controlling life on the planet. The children must summon all their strength and courage to resist this dark force and find their father. Larson’s strength is her ability to remain faithful to the original text while adding depth with her detailed illustrations. Readers of the original text will recognize key quotes and phrases, from the opening line “It was a dark and stormy night”, and will find much to love in Larson’s detailed illustrations. Meg’s storyline in particular was enhanced by Larson’s visual style, and I could see the messy complex emotions that Meg experienced throughout the story. Her illustrations also help to make clear some of the complex scientific ideas of the story, such as the nature of the fourth dimension and the tesseract – ideas I could not make sense of when I first read the book as a child. A disappointment with Larson’s adaptation was the selection of a single colour palette for the entire book. The choice of black, white and blue lent itself well to establishing the sense of despair that Meg and Charles Wallace felt about finding their missing father. It also made sense in a story where characters travel through space and time. However, I felt that new readers would miss out on details such as the menace of the man with the red eyes, and furthermore, the sense of hope and victory at the end of the story felt deadened. ​ In the end, this graphic novel adaptation is beautifully done and will not only introduce a new generation of readers to this classic tale, but also satisfy purists and fans of the original. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Shelly Jobagy Shelly Jobagy is a teacher-librarian and administrator at a K-9 school in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Qalupalik by E. Kilabuk
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Kilabuk, Elisha.  The Qalupalik. Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media Inc., 2011. Print. This volume is the first in the Unikkaakuluit Series from Inhabit Media.  It is currently available in English and South Baffin Inuktitut editions, with other Inuktitut dialects in the works.   Contemporary Inuit storyteller, Elisha Kilabuk, leads off this series with a story that he learned from his mother, who learned it from her father. It is not unusual to find a myth appearing in different cultures or subcultures in different forms.  This cautionary story is about the qalupalik has many variants.  The qalupalik is a scary monster that lives under the sea ice, and captures small children who wander too close to the water.  The monster is outwitted by a small orphan child, who convinces the creature that his toes, which are poking out of his shoes, will eat her. Inhabit Media has recently published similar stories in Stories of the Amautalik: Fantastic Beings from Inuit Myths and Legends.    In that version, the creature comes from underground, but is still outwitted by a child who tells the creature that his toes eat Amautaliks. The Qalupalik is a single story in a picture book.   There are a few sentences on each text page and a full colour image on the facing page.  Joy Ang’s artwork is evocative and effective.  Her qalupalik is green and slimy with a huge nose, white eyes, webbed feet and long claws.  It is scary enough to keep any child from roaming too close to the water’s edge.  The images of this disgusting creature will also cause this book to be in high demand among those 6 to 8 year olds who love “gross” pictures.  In contrast to the qalupalik, Ang’s images of the children are more cartoon-like and light-hearted.  They are a nice balance to the scary monster.  While the text will be too difficult for early readers, the images tell the story and the book will work well as a “read aloud”. Overall The Qalupalik is an excellent presentation of the myth and is recommended for public and elementary school libraries. Highly Recommended:  4 stars out of 4 Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Out of the woods: a true story of an unforgettable event bu R. Bond
Authors: Pearce Hanne
Published: April 2016

Bond, Rebecca. Out of the woods: a true story of an unforgettable event. New York: Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux, 2015. Print.The year is 1914 and Antonio lives in Ontario on the edge of lake Gowganda in a hotel run by his mother. The hotel is a curious place to live, with workers who make food, clean and keep things working. There are also all kinds of guests who pass through the hotel that Antonio finds fascinating. Some visitors are sportsmen out to hunt and fish, others are workers who stay longer and have interesting stories to tell. While there are not many children to play with, Antonio’s time is divided by exploring the woods around the hotel and engaging with the hotel workers and guests. When Antonio is only five, a serious forest fire causes all the hotel guests to take refuge in the waters of the lake. Some unlikely visitors join them: the woodland animals from all around them. As they wait for the fire to end, the humans and animals wait in the water. All are held hostage by this catastrophic event.Rebecca Bond has captured this striking story from her grandfather’s life and retold it in a way that reaches out to young readers. The story itself is quite striking as it causes the reader to think about the broad sweeping effects a natural disaster can have. It also makes one reconsider our connection to animals and how we are all vulnerable when it comes to nature. The sketched illustrations in this book have a sense of warmth mixed with dark detail so that children and adults will both enjoy reading the images as much as the text. The images of Antonio’s life come alive in great detail, especially when the forest fire is depicted, with its ominous browns and oranges, which really sets the appropriate mood. This book is likely best for children in early grade school, as younger children may not fully grasp the story.Out of the Woods captures a small piece of Canadian history and presents it alongside a pivotal moment in a young boy’s life. This would be an excellent book for parents and children to read together, so they can discuss it afterwards.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Hanne PearceHanne Pearce has worked at the University of Alberta Libraries in various support staff positions since 2004 and is currently a Public Service Librarian at the HT Coutts Education and Physical Education Library. Aside from being an avid reader she has continuing interests in writing, photography, graphic design and knitting.
Grandmother Ptarmigan by Q. Mikkigak & J. Schwartz
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Mikkigak, Qaunaq and Joanne Schwartz.  Grandmother Ptarmigan. Illus. Qin Leng.  Iqualuit:  Inhabit Media, 2013.  Print.Inhabit Media Inc. has as one of its goals: the collection and publication of Inuit traditional stories.  This picture book is another of their unique products. Many Inuit stories have recurring themes, including kind and caring treatment of children and origin stories, which tell us why things are they way they are.  This collaboration between Inuit elder, Qaunaq Mikkigak and writer, Joanne Schwartz, includes both. In this story a baby ptarmigan wants his grandmother to tell him a bedtime story.  She insists, instead, that he go to sleep.  When she finally relents and tells him a story, he is frightened by it and flies away.  The book ends with his grandmother searching for him, uttering the familiar call, “nauk, nauk”.  In the story, ptarmigan play the roles of people.  They live in igloos, sleep under furs and have "armpits".  Illustrator Qin Leng shows the birds with human-like expressions and emotions. Leng's illustrations match the story in their simplicity.  Most of the pictures are drawings of the ptarmigan on white or blue-green backgrounds, with no ornamentation.There are several lessons about adult-child relationships that often appear in traditional Inuit stories.  The two that appear in this story are that young people should respect their elders, listen to them and do as they are told and that adults should be kind and caring towards children. In this story, we expect the baby ptarmigan to get into trouble for not going to sleep, but because the grandmother frightens him with the story, it is the grandmother who is left is a worried state, searching for him.Grandmother Ptarmigan would be a good addition to school and public libraries and those libraries with Canadian Indigenous folktale collections.Highly Recommended:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Maxed Out by D. Greer
Authors: Williams Lori
Published: April 2016

Greer, Daphne Maxed Out. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2012. Print. In this cleverly-titled high interest low level novel, Max wants nothing more than to have the freedom to play a game of ice hockey with his friends. The trouble is that his mother is still in mourning after his father’s death and Max is left in charge of his special needs brother, Duncan. Max can’t take his eyes off Duncan without some kind of trouble starting. Readers will sympathize with Max and his good intentions. Despite his best efforts, everything he does seems to go wrong and he consistently disappoints his mom. Max is torn between the responsibilities placed upon him much too young and playing the game he loves that brings him closer to his father. The surmounting pressures of responsibility are made worse when he simultaneously has to deal with a bully on top of everything else. The character of Duncan, who believes he is Spiderman or Batman depending on the day, is entertaining. Other likeable characters in the story include Max’s caring friend Ian and the friendly neighbour Mr. Cooper. Kids with feelings of neglect or overwhelming pressure in their lives will relate to Max. The author’s notes emphasizing that “asking for help is a sign of true strength” may provide that bridge for children to seek help through the Kids Help Phone. The cover will attract young hockey fans. The escalating conflicts and intriguing family dynamics will sustain readers to seek out the story’s resolution. This quick read with a simplistic storyline and sentence structure will appeal to boys who are reluctant readers. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars. Reviewer: Lori Williams Lori Williams has been teaching at Forest Grove School in British Columbia for the past 6 years and feels lucky to be part of a wonderful team of colleagues and students. This year she is teaching grade 5 at Forest Grove and is also a graduate student in the University of Alberta’s teacher-librarianship distance learning program.
A Children’s Guide to Arctic Birds by M. Pelletier
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Pelletier, Mia.  A Children’s Guide to Arctic Birds.  Iqaluit, NV:  Inhabit Media Inc., 2014. PrintMia Pelletier is an ecologist who, since 2010, has worked with seabird populations in Nunavut.  In this children’s field guide, she introduces fourteen species of Arctic birds.  Each bird is introduced in two pages. One full page displays Danny Christopher’s illustrations of the birds and the facing page provides the natural history of the species.  Each description includes both English and Inuktitut names, though notably, not the standard Latin name.  The text is broken into easy to read paragraphs for:  physical description, where to look for the birds, what they eat, the sounds they make, nests, eggs, chicks and where the birds winter.  In addition to the species descriptions, Pelletier has supplied helpful sections including a coloured chart of the birds’ eggs, a size comparison chart, and comparative descriptions of the birds’ feathers, bills and feet.   In addition to her own knowledge, Pelletier has based her work on research, including visiting a museum in Iceland to view species and eggs that she had not seen in the wild.Danny Christopher’s watercolours are excellent representations of the birds.  Every species could easily be identified from the paintings.  Each image page also contains a “Feathered Fact” that tells the reader something special about the bird.  For example:  “Long-tailed ducks like to sneak their eggs into the nests of other long-tailed ducks”.Overall, this is an excellent introduction to common Arctic birds, which could be used to learn about the birds or as a guide for field identification.  This work is highly recommended for public libraries and elementary school libraries.Highly Recommended:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Wildlings Book 1: Under My Skin by C. de Lint
Authors: King Alanna
Published: April 2016

de Lint, Charles. Wildlings Book 1: Under My Skin. Toronto: Razorbill Canada, 2012. Print. This Young Adult fantasy begins in present day Santa Feliz, California.  The story unfolds through two voices, Josh and Marina, who are best friends.  This school year, each character has become a Wildling, someone who shape shifts from human to animal form. As more and more local teens are becoming Wildlings overnight, government and corporate organizations move in to lock down the situation.  Josh’s quest is to make sure any external interest has good intentions, and Marina’s journey is more about acceptance and making sure that Wildlings are treated with respect. Both Josh and Marina are caught up in the movement as different factions of Wildlings compete for their attention.  Some come across as eco-warriors, while others explore the spiritual blessing nature of shape shifting and other natural gifts. Every single adult and teen group involved in the Wilding phenomenon has a different agenda, and neither Josh nor Marina can identify where they belong.  Instead, Josh is singled out as a natural leader, as his animal self, the mountain lion, is one of the oldest animal clans known.  Marina’s intentions of aiding the Wildling cause confuse her as she has to choose between the cause and her own dreams. The alternating voices in each chapter allow the reader to understand the perspectives more deeply. This novel is a familiar story of teens being misunderstood as they go through their quest for identity.  The shape shifter motif allows the author a way to explore questions of identity in sexuality, race and belief. As the shape shifter story is now a popular culture meme, this puts Under My Skin clearly in a fantasy category for beginners.  The book ends as Josh and Marina escape their first test of Wildling experimentation leaving room for the proposed sequel to take place. The story hints briefly at stirrings of sexuality and the violence is dramatic but not overdone. This novel’s realistic and modern setting will appeal to most any reader who is ready to dabble in the fantastic. Readers who are more experienced with the genre may find de Lint’s explanations of fantastical elements to be juvenile.   Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Alanna King Alanna King is a Masters student in the Teacher-Librarianship through Distance Learning Program at the University of Alberta.
The Girl Who was Supposed to Die by A. Henry
Authors: Abbott Penney Samantha
Published: April 2016

Henry, April. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2013. Print.Imagine waking up in an unfamiliar place, with no memory of who you are or how you got there. What you do know: you have been kidnapped, someone is trying to kill you and your fingernails have been torn off. That is exactly the predicament Cady Scott finds herself in at the start of this story. As readers we follow her through her struggle to stay alive, uncover her true identity and solve the mystery of who wants her dead and why.A YALSA Teens Top 10 Finalist choice as well as a 2014 International Reading Association’s Young Adult Choice book, The Girl Who was Supposed to Die, is a riveting thriller involving murder and identity theft, as well as a subplot about biological warfare. April Henry crafts a page turner that has a cinematic feel to it as the plot is full of twists and turns and there is non-stop action.Similar to Henry’s, Girl, Stolen and The Night She Disappeared, the writing of The Girl Who was Supposed to Die is short and fast-paced yet intense. Henry’s stylistic short chapters and short sentences help to create an edgy and tension filled atmosphere that increases the sense of urgency so that we are never given a moment to let our attention span waiver. The very linear plot also helps to quicken the pace and your heartbeat. We are not bogged down with frivolous details, love triangles or character subplots. The bewildered first-person narrative voice gives the reader a sense of being there right along with the protagonist. One stalling point could be with the antagonists as the ‘bad guys’ aren’t very layered characters and their ‘evil’ plot is revealed a little too quickly. However, it somehow fits the novel’s pace and is hardly a reason not to give this one a read. Despite its fast pace, Harvey does a good job slowly unravelling the clues to the story in order for the reader and Cady to properly flush out the mystery. The pieces of the puzzle don't start coming together until near the very end and after such an adrenaline-inducing read, the reader is ready for the puzzle to be completed.Readers who enjoy a fast paced, suspenseful story will definitely be drawn to this book and the combination of the writing, short chapters, and fast pace will likely make this an excellent choice for reluctant readers.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Samantha PenneySamantha Penney (Abbott) is a secondary school teacher at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She has worked in the Canadian Arctic for the past 7 years and loves the unique yet diverse culture of the North. She is currently in the final stages of her M.Ed degree in Teacher Librarianship and is most happy when sharing her love of reading with others.
Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! And Other Poems More or Less About Manners by R. Kinerk
Authors: Polkinghorne Sarah
Published: April 2016

Kinerk, Robert. Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! And Other Poems More or Less About Manners. Illus. Drazen Kozjan. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print. “You be nice to me; I’ll be nice to you. / That agreement might work. It may get us quite far. / (And it could be what manners, in truth, really are.)” (1). Books filled with poems about manners must be relatively rare. If so, then a book filled with twenty rollicking, frank, vivaciously-illustrated poems about manners must be nearly unheard of. However, this is what Robert Kinerk and Drazen Kozjan have given us in Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! Readers of all ages will enjoy Kinerk’s direct, extravagant rhymes. His approach is comprehensive: he provides poems on entry-level etiquette such as cleaning one’s room, saying “please” and “thank you,” and keeping one’s clothes on in public, while also exploring more complex courtesies, such as shaking hands with adults, being on time, and keeping quiet at the movies. Kozjan’s illustrations are rich in both colour and detail. His style has been widely described as “retro,” likely because his work shares a particular rosy-cheeked exuberance with the work of iconic predecessors such as Mary Blair. Kozjan’s is a style in which an entire story is contained within a few strands of hair or a precisely-arched eyebrow. Despite its rolling rhythms and cheeky illustrations, what is most winning about Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! is its sophisticated approach to its topic. It even contains a poem about the fact that it’s bad manners to lecture others about their manners. “Manners aren’t lists of things you should do. / Manners help folks become easy with you,” Kinerk writes (12). It’s this deft touch that makes this book memorable and admirable. Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! will be appreciated by primary-school readers (and their adults). The poems are best read out loud, but the illustrations should not be neglected. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sarah Polkinghorne Sarah is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta. She enjoys all sorts of books.
Is sustained reading really “becoming obsolete, like Latin”?
Authors: Desmarais Robert
Published: April 2016

­Dear Readers, I know many of you have attempted to engage reluctant young readers with good books, particularly young male readers. The Globe and Mail published an article on this dilemma entitled “Hey kids, reading novels will make you rich (and other lies worth telling)” on October 3, 2011, written by Russell Smith in response to a provocative article in the Toronto Star that claimed: “The sustained reading of many pages of text is quickly becoming obsolete, like Latin.” Indeed, according to Michael Reist, a high-school English teacher with 30 years of experience, the study of Latin died a slow death because it could no longer be used for anything, and he concludes that, “the reading of literature in school is dying the same slow death”. I encourage you to read these thought-provoking articles because they raise important questions about reading as a life skill and whether it is being diminished as students spend more time in the “three-minute world” of instant online gratification. There is little doubt that today’s students are raised in a world where they have innumerable entertainment opportunities in cyberspace, but does this really mean that “big books” are dead? Certainly, authors of children’s and young adult books are acutely aware that they need to develop highly engaging stories to hold the attention of readers, particularly young male readers, but they also know that what attracts young people to video games and other forms of online entertainment is the art of storytelling. In this issue there are plenty of recommended books with great stories to engage young readers (especially boys!), including delightful board books (e.g., My Dad is the Best Playground), fast-paced mysteries (e.g., The Money Pit Mystery), and fun character-driven stories (e.g., Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything), to name but a few. I can think of numerous reasons to keep literature alive in schools but young people will never get hooked on reading if books are not made available to them from an early age. We need to get excellent books in the hands of young readers on a regular basis. I have already identified half a dozen books from this issue that I will be adding to my holiday gift list for the young people in my life. Happy reading!Robert DesmaraisManaging Editor
Mastiff: Beka Cooper Book 3 by T. Pierce
Authors: Moruzi Kristine
Published: April 2016

Pierce, Tamora. Mastiff: Beka Cooper Book 3. New York: Random House, 2011. Print. The final book in the Beka Cooper trilogy begins three years after the close of the previous book, Bloodhound, at the funeral of Beka’s fiancé. Instead of grief, Beka is relieved to be free of this unhappy relationship; enthusiastically, she begins a new hunt for the King’s abducted son, along with her supernatural cat, Pounce; her scenthound, Achoo;  and her partner, Tunstall. Soon joined by the deceptively capable mage, Farmer, and the lady knight, Sabine, the group follows the heir’s trail through noble houses, discovering corruption in all levels of the government. Pierce is known for her strong female protagonists, and Beka is no different. Fiercely loyal and honest, Beka is an upstanding member of the Tortall police force who believes in protecting the poor. When she discovers that the prince is being held by slave traders, she becomes even more determined to rescue him. Her relationships with her friends are tested by a shocking betrayal that causes innocents to die. The story is fast-paced and includes a growing relationship between Beka and Farmer that provides a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Although it could be read as a standalone novel, some elements of the narrative are explained in the previous books. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kristine MoruziKristine Moruzi is a Grant Notley Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, where she is examining representations of girlhood in Canadian children's literature between 1840 and 1940.
Urban Tribes: Native Americans in the City by L. Charleyboy & M.B. Leatherdale (Eds.)
Authors: Cardinal Trudy , Caudron Fran
Published: April 2016

Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale (Eds.).  Urban Tribes: Native Americans in the City.  Toronto, ON: Annickpress Ltd., 2015, Print.Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale, editors of the highly acclaimed Dreaming in Indian (2014) have created another anthology, this time with a focus on Urban Indigenous youth and young adults (aged 13–35).  From poets to financiers to Hollywood actors, the anthology provides a glimpse into over 30 lives of successful Indigenous young people.Pushing boundaries and troubling stereotypes, the editors offer a deeper understanding of the multiplicities of lives as they share stories of Indigenous youth and young adults negotiating who they are and are becoming in an urban landscape.  The mixed media portrayal with an exquisite use of photographs and graphic art weaves together stories, each told in unique ways, inviting the reader into the lives of the youth and young adults in meaningful ways.  This book is an honest and realistic portrayal of both the adversities and advantages experienced by Indigenous youth, some of whom have left tight-knit communities on reserves to follow their dreams in large cities and some of whom have lived in urban centers all of their lives.  Calling our attention to notions of renaissance, shattering stereotypes, racism and identity the book does not shy away from the more difficult stories or the larger context that shape the lives of Indigenous Peoples.  With the focus on individuals and their lives we are able to see the beauty in the myriad of ways that the youth respond as they create lives that are not bound by any one notion of success, inspiration or Indigenous culture. In the midst of the stories there are statistics, historical contexts and geographical understandings of the sometimes invisible lives of Urban Indigenous Peoples across North America making this anthology a great resource for all Canadian Classrooms ranging from junior high to post-secondary. From this anthology Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous alike are able to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the diversity and complexity of lives of Urban Indigenous Peoples.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewers: Trudy Cardinal & Fran CaudronDr. Trudy Cardinal is a Cree/Métis scholar from the University of Alberta whose research interests center on the experiences of Indigenous children and families on and off school landscapes.  Her passion for stories and storytelling includes a love of children’s literature, especially literature written by and portraying the multiplicities in the lives of Indigenous youth and families.Fran Caudron (MRE) is a teacher in northern Alberta who teaches in a school that serves a large and diverse Indigenous student population.  She graduated with her MRE from Newman Theological College in 2011, and is interested in using literature to promote and instill a love of reading and writing in her students.
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated by K. DiCamillo
Authors: Deakin Andrea
Published: April 2016

DiCamillo, Kate. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated. Illus. K. G. Campbell. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2013. Print.The Tickhams have acquired a new, vigorous vacuum cleaner. It is far beyond Mrs. Tickham’s Control. Next door, Flora is reading about The Amazing Incandesto while skilfully ignoring her mother who, in any case, is up to her eyes writing romance novels. A powerful noise outside attracts Flora’s attention: Mrs. Tickham’s new cleaner is making directly for an innocent little squirrel. Flora is just in time to see the squirrel vacuumed up before it can react.Running gallantly to the squirrel’s relief Flora succeeds in saving the poor thin creature (well, half of its fur has been vacuumed away). Without hesitation she administers CPR and revives a remarkable creature: part squirrel (he is always hungry) and part Super Squirrel. The potentially fatal accident has left a squirrel gifted with: strength, the ability to fly, and a gift for poetry (if not spelling). Flora now has a friend, a companion, and a little trouble ahead.Relying on her favourite books “Terrible Things Can Happen to You” and “The Criminal Element”, Flora becomes involved with Ulysses the squirrel in a series of adventures that heal hearts, mend wounds, and expose truths. There are possibilities for trust, for friendship and for love - prompted by the affection of a unique squirrel plus Flora’s intelligence, perception and good heart. Many things are healed by them both, reconciliations are achieved and misunderstandings cleared.The squirrel sums up some of it in his poem to Flora:Nothingwould beeasier withoutyou, because you areeverything,all of it-sprinkles, quarks, giantdonuts, eggs sunny-side up-youare the ever-expandinguniverseto meFlora and Ulysses is a funny, sensitive, perceptive and thoroughly enjoyable book housing two unique heroes. It is one of Kate DiCamillo’s finest.Flora and Ulyssesis this year’s winner of the Newbery Medal.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea DeakinAndrea has been involved with books since she was class librarian in Primary School, Student Librarian in Grammar School, student librarian for the Education Faculty when she was a student, and school librarian in schools both in England and in Canada, except for the first two years in Canada where she arrived in 1959. When she retired from teaching ( English and History) she was invited to review in February 1971, and continued to review for press, radio, and finally on the Internet (Deakin Newsletter from Okanagan College) until she retired in 2011. Forty years seemed sufficient- although she still cannot keep her nose out of good children's and YA fare.
Larf by A. Spires
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Spires, Ashley.  Larf.  Toronto:  Kids Can Press, 2012. Print. This book is a twist on the “lonely hearts” theme, with lots of humour.  Larf is a sasquatch who feels “like nobody knows [he] even exist[s].  Author Ashley Spires has given him a lifestyle that somewhat mirrors her own – jogging, gardening, and walking his pet bunny, Eric. Larf is excited to hear that another sasquatch is going to make an appearance in a town nearby, so he decides to go meet him.  When he gets there, he is disappointed to find out that it is a guy in a sasquatch suit who tells him that “Sasquatches aren’t real”.  But he does meet another sasquatch, who has also been enticed into town by the sasquatch performance, a girl sasquatch named Shurl.  She carries a handbag and wears a pink dress.  And so a friendship begins. This story is of the same genera as E.T., Shrek and Monsters, Inc. that make scary, imaginary creatures less scary by making them look cuddly or childlike and showing them leading day-to-day lives similar to our own.  Larf is both cuddly, looking a bit like a furry teddy bear and child-like in that his head is large for his body, like a baby’s.   Larf does ordinary things.  He eats at a table, rides a bus, does laundry on Wednesday and would like to have a friend to play teeter-totter with him.  It is hard to be afraid of a furry creature who is lonely and wants to have friends. The drawings are all cartoon-like and presented in a variety of attractive ways.  Some fill more than a page while others are overlapped like photographs.  Sometimes there are four small panels on a page, each with its own caption.  There are a few jokes in the book.  For example, we are told  that Larf “is a master of camouflage”, but  even small children will see that his beret, scarf and grey pants are not enough to disguise a giant-sized sasquatch. This book is fun to read and would be an excellent for public and school libraries, particularly those in “sasquatch country”, where children might have been spooked by scary stories about sasquatches. Highly Recommended:  4 stars out of 4 Reviewer:  Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?: The Buried Life
Authors: Lunny Jennifer
Published: April 2016

Nemtin, Ben, et al.  What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?: The Buried Life. New York: Artisan, 2012. Print. Nobody wants to think about dying. In fact, we often forget that our time is limited. The Buried Life, named after a Matthew Arnold poem, started in a garage in Victoria, BC when four disillusioned twenty-something university students got together to compile a list of 100 things they wanted to accomplish before they died. With a secondhand video camera and a used RV, these students set off for two weeks to tackle their bucket list.  Six years later, they are still travelling the world, crossing items off that list.  For every dream they accomplish, they help someone else fulfill a goal. “Write a bestselling book” was one dream on their list which they can now cross off. What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? is an illustrated compilation of stories about the background of the four members of The Buried Life, tales of how they crossed items off their list along with photographic evidence, and favourite quotations, as well as a list of items and narratives chosen from the tens of thousands of answers they have received in response to their question.  Dreams vary from the simple, “I want to have my first kiss”, to the daring, “I want to climb the seven summits before I turn seventeen”, to the heartbreaking, “I want to finally say good-bye to my four friends who were killed in a car accident”.  Somewhere in this book, every reader will find a dream that resonates. This is a book that will jump out at a YA audience, especially reluctant readers. Not only does the title and cover create immediacy, but the stories contained within it are edgy and thought-provoking. At eight pages, the introduction is the longest stretch of text, while the rest of the accounts are absorbing one page reflections that are scattered between bold and colourfully illustrated pages. This book will inspire readers to step outside of the ordinary. Highly recommended:  4 out of 4 stars Reviewer:  Jennifer Lunny Jennifer Lunny is a new teacher-librarian at Ballenas Secondary School on Vancouver Island.  A former English and Social Studies teacher, she is excited to promote literacy in her new position. Finding that special book to connect with a student is one of the highlights of her job. She has spent the fall semester building the collection at her school with many of the titles that were proposed in this project.
The Calling by K. Armstrong
Authors: Feisst Debbie
Published: April 2016

Armstrong, Kelley. The Calling. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2012. Print. Ontario writer, Kelley Armstrong, author of the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling Darkest Powers young adult urban fantasy trilogy, brings us the second offering of her Darkness Rising trilogy.  The first in the trilogy, 2011’s The Gathering, was previously reviewed in the inaugural issue of Deakin, Vol. 1 No 1. This book is not recommended as a standalone, as The Calling starts immediately where we left off with The Gathering and the author’s recap on events and characters is minimal, which for fans of series is refreshing. Sixteen-year-old Maya Delaney and her friends have been forced to flee from their community of Salmon Creek, a small town on Vancouver Island, during a forest fire that was surely deliberately set.  After their rescue helicopter makes an emergency landing in the remote wilderness, the group is on the run and forced to survive using nothing but their wits and their supernatural abilities that begin to unfold as they find themselves in danger.  Through this we learn more about Maya’s friends as well as the circumstances surrounding the death of her best friend, Serena, in a bizarre swimming accident the previous year. Maya also learns a lot about her own powers but perhaps the most mysterious event is the introduction of Calvin Antone, a man who is pursuing Maya, and who admits to being her biological father. Teen readers will certainly delight in the run-and-hide action as well as the intensifying romance, but I couldn’t help feeling a little let down by The Calling.  After the adrenaline-fuelled and plot-driven action of The Gathering, the lack of storyline and character development in this book was disappointing. With that said, however, we don’t have long to wait to see how things turn out for Maya - the final title in the trilogy, The Rising, is set for release in April 2013. As such, I am giving it three stars out of four on the promise of the final book. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie Feisst Debbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along by H. Binkow & A. Reverend
Authors: Williams Jane
Published: April 2016

Binkow, Howard and Ana Reverend.  Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2014. Print.This fictional picture book tells a ­­­­­­­heartwarming story of a young rabbit named Howard who has a conversation with his Grandma after his friends host a picnic but neglect to invite him. Howard’s Grandma helps him realize that he has a tendency to cause conflict between his friends in an attempt to “get his way” or “always be right,” and that this may be why he wasn’t invited. After considering ways to sneak into the party in a disguise, wise Grandma rabbit suggests he learn to get along with his friends so he can go as himself. Grandma teaches Howard some important lessons in considering the perspectives of his friends. She helps Howard see how his friends feel when he insists on always being right and reminds him that he will need plenty of practice. Grandma’s main lesson is that “everyone gets the chance to be right, have a say, and have a turn”. In the end, Howard apologizes to his friends, promises to practice making better choices, and gets to go to the picnic.Howard Binkow and Reverend Ana specifically guide the reader through 29 pages with 0 – 6 sentences per page containing rich language regarding positive friendship choices. The text provides the foundation for an effective teacher read-aloud appropriate for students in lower elementary. The artists David A. Cutting and Mike Ferrin use a colourful sponge technique to soften the borders and gently shape the characters on every page. The illustrations are self-explanatory and contain engaging expressions, showing a range of different emotions on the characters’ faces.The use of various animals allows the characters to be universally relatable to most students. The text and images explicitly teach lifelong lessons and establish the cause and effect impacts of a child’s behavior on other people. It relays the powerful message that change requires practice and that it can sometimes be hard work to get along with others. The ending provides a reasonable solution to the problem, leaving the reader with a positive outlook on the lesson and its outcome.Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along is part of a series of life lesson books using Howard as the main character. While he is far from perfect, students enjoy the realistic relationship struggles he learns to overcome. A unique feature of all of the books in the series is that the last two pages have a “Suggestions for Lessons and Reflections” based on lessons in the book.This lesson-explicit picture book meaningfully relates to the audience and is a promising start to any cooperation or emotions lesson.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Jane WilliamsJane Williams is a grade one teacher in Beaumont who is working on completing her Masters of Education in Language and Literacy. She believes that every GREAT lesson begins with a story.