bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Steampunk! ed. by K. Link and G. J. Grant
Authors: Roche Matilda 
Published: April 2016

Link, Kelly, and Gavin J. Grant, eds. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2011. Print. It's interesting to consider the steampunk trend in contrast with the steampunk genre. If one defines steampunk strictly as a trend then it would be easy to assume that it has reached and surpassed its pinnacle as a popular trend (and certainly a hipster one) after having reached a plateau of modest public awareness. All the gears, brass and buckles associated with its afficionados have been lightly mocked and the world has moved on. It might be easy to forget that, as a literary genre, steampunk has a genuine durability. Steampunk been around sparking writers’ and artists’ creative imaginations for some time and it seems probable that it will continue to do so as the more clichéd charms of the trend’s most recent manifestations fade. The diversity and quality of the stories included in Steampunk! are an indication of the rich and entertaining possibilities inherent in the genre. The stories range in subject from post-feminist-western-train-heist-with-time-travel (Last Ride of the Glory Girls, by Libba Bray) to Edwardian-romance-with-robots (Everything Amiable and Obliging, by Holly Black) and mechanical-Dickensian-doppelgangers (Clockwork Fagin, by Cory Doctorow). All these stories are mischievous and riveting action-packed fun. Co-editor, Kelly Link (The Summer People) and M.T. Anderson's (The Oracle Engine) contributions - utterly different from the previously mentioned stories and from each other - adeptly employ calculated pacing and succeed in being subtly sinister and thought-provoking. There are even two compelling, and again, completely different, graphic novels thrown into the mix (Seven Days Beset by Demons, by Shawn Cheng and Finishing School, by Kathleen Jennings). Steampunk is a genre infatuated with the novelty of conflating ideas and aesthetics from different periods of history, curiosity about technology and a precocious desire to upend conventional narrative and characterization. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories benefits from the astute and mindful curation by its editors, avoids seeming over-thought and stilted, and succeeds in illustrating how steampunk as a genre is very amendable to imaginative and (mildly) transgressive literature for young adults. I'm at great pains to avoid the word "mash-up" but that is a bit of what steampunk is; a unconstrained, tart and pulpy mash of genres. Steampunk! is an exuberant and convincing sampling and a reminder not to dismiss the genre along with the fashion aviator’s goggles. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Matilda RocheMatilda spends her days lavishing attention on the University of Alberta’s metadata but children’s illustrated books, literature for young adults and graphic novels also make her heart sing. Her reviews benefit from the critical influence of a four year old daughter and a one year old son – both geniuses. Matilda’s super power is the ability to read comic books aloud.
Branded by the Pink Triangle by K. Setterington
Authors: Anderson Sandra 
Published: April 2016

Setterington, Ken. Branded by the Pink Triangle. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, 2013. Print. One of the problems that gay youth face is that they do not grow up connected to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community history as there are no elders in their families that can tell them what it was like to be gay in days past. This well written and engaging book tells the story of an important time in LGBT history as it documents the Nazi persecution of gay men in WWII and documents the first use of the pink triangle (today reclaimed as a symbol of gay pride) as a Nazi symbol of gay persecution. Branded by the Pink Triangle seamlessly blends factual history with compelling narrative to engage teen readers. The book begins with a description of Berlin in the 1920s that was quite tolerant of lesbians and gay men and had many businesses that catered to the gay community. The rise of the Nazi Party to political power brought a radical shift to German attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Tolerance ended and a law that had been rarely enforced before was suddenly used to round up and imprison gay men. As the Nazis gained more power, they changed the law to send gay men to concentration camps where they were literally worked to death. Setterington tells of the actual experiences of gay survivors of the concentration camps with compassion and includes many personal pictures that add depth to the stories. He also provides a follow up chapter that shares what happened after the war to those gay men who survived the camps. One minor criticism of this text is that the treatment of these men by the Allies at the end of the war in handled a bit too briefly. When the Allies liberated the concentration camps, they did not release gay prisoners. These men were transferred to prisons and made to complete their sentences for just being homosexual. Branded by the Pink Triangle is highly recommended for school and public libraries as well as for junior and senior high social studies classrooms.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandra Anderson Sandra Anderson is the Librarian at the Alberta Teachers’ Association Library. Sandra loves connecting people to the information they need – whether it is in books or online. She is an expert web searcher who has taught wb searching skills to a range of audiences. She cares deeply about social justice, technology, and the environment.
Belle & Boo and the Yummy Scrummy Day by M. Sutcliffe
Authors: Jaca Joycelyn 
Published: April 2016

Sutcliffe, Mandy. Belle & Boo and the Yummy Scrummy Day. Sydney: Orchard Books. 2013. Print.This beautifully illustrated book by Mandy Sutcliffe is about a little girl named Belle and her fussy-eater but funny friend bunny, Boo. Belle and Boo have many other fun-filled days of adventure and discovery, but in this one, the duo explores the orchard and the kitchen.Boo loves cakes and has all the excuses in the world to not eat nutritious food. Belle, on the other hand is a calm but “sneaky” cook who never forces her friend to eat healthy. Instead, she finds a way to lead Boo into trying yummy scrummy fruity things that are not cake!The story is simple, interesting and funny. It attempts to encourage kids to eat healthier but it does not lecture or preach so it is not at all boring. ``Trying things first before saying you don`t like it`` could be the take-away message that young readers will get from this book.The language is age-appropriate and the length of the story is just right. The illustration is vintage-inspired and the colors used made each page attractive and pleasing to the eyes.Belle and Boo and the Yummy Scrummy Day is a book that elementary school libraries and public libraries should have. Parents with young children could definitely add this title to their bedtime stories booklist.Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4 Reviewer: Joycelyn JacaJoycelyn Jaca is a medical librarian with Alberta Health Services. She is a mother of three girls and is a frequent visitor of public libraries and bookstores to find children’s books.
Bon Appétit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child by J. Hartland
Authors: Desmarais Robert 
Published: April 2016

Hartland, Jessie. Bon Appétit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012. Print.Master chef and author Julia Child (1912–2004) was adored by audiences from the moment she first starred in her own television cooking show in 1963. It was an immediate success because people were captivated by Child’s warm, high-spirited personality and her enthusiasm for good food and wine. Indeed, she regularly toasted viewers with a glass of wine and her trademark “Bon appétit!” in her distinctive voice. Young readers are introduced to Child in this delightful picture book biography that is a feast for the eyes. It offers a surprisingly thorough account of her life, and includes scenes from her early childhood in Pasadena, California, her brief career with an American spy agency, and her struggle to publish the now famous “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, to name but a few of the highlights. In one especially amusing spread, readers are shown how to make chicken galantine in 32 numbered panels, which make clear that Child encouraged her fans to try new foods and cooking techniques. Author-illustrator Jessie Hartland uses simple cartoons and a handwritten typeface to tell the story, and it is immediately apparent from the opening pages that the book is jam-packed with artwork and text, but the overall effect is one of considerable charm and animation. The endpapers are crammed with line drawings of kitchen tools, ingredients, and objects from Child’s life, which have English and French labels for readers who want to learn some essential vocabulary in both languages. For readers who want to learn more about Child, the book includes a useful bibliography, brief epilogue, and web links that show Child’s actual kitchen from her house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the restaurant where she had her first meal in France. This adorable publication will appeal to foodies of all ages. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Robert DesmaraisRobert Desmarais is Head of Special Collections at the University of Alberta and Managing Editor of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information Studies, with a Book History and Print Culture designation, he also has university degrees in English literature and publishing. He has been collecting and enjoying children’s books for as long as he can remember.
Every Day is Malala Day by R.A. McCarney & Plan International Canada
Authors: Aitken Leslie 
Published: April 2016

McCarney, Rosemary A. and Plan International Canada. Every Day is Malala Day. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2014. Print.In 2013, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize: in 2014 she became the youngest person ever to win one. This book is a simple and eloquent tribute to her achievement. Malala’s name and story have much contemporary resonance. The Taliban’s attempted assassination of her in October of 2012 was instantly conveyed around the globe by the international media. This Pakistani school girl, who was outspoken on the issue of female education, had been shot while riding innocently home on a school bus. Flown to England, she was hospitalized, underwent surgery, fought for life and survived. With recovery came renewed defiance of her would be assassins. Malala continued to speak out in her cause — most notably at the United Nations Youth Assembly on July 12, 2013 where she riveted the attention not only of the 1000 delegates present, but also of the entire listening world. The Secretary General of the United Nations proclaimed that day to be “Malala Day.”The premise of McCarney’s book is that every day is “Malala Day” for some little girl, somewhere. Plan International has contributed sensitive photographs from around the world attesting to McCarney’s theme: Malala’s courage and determination are a beacon of hope, a source of inspiration.This book details a piece of history not to be forgotten. Buy it. Buy it for your libraries and classrooms. Buy it for the children you love — and their children. Buy it for that bright and future day when all children, regardless of gender, have the opportunity to be educated, and a complacent world asks, “Was it not always thus?”Reviewer: Leslie AitkenHighly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections. She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.
All Fall Down: The Landslide Diary of Abby Roberts by J. Little
Authors: Deakin Andrea 
Published: April 2016

Little, Jean. All Fall Down: The Landslide Diary of Abby Roberts. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2014. Print.The Dear Canada Series is a strong, well-written series of novels bringing different periods of Canadian history to life through the voices of girls living at the time. There is a constant high quality of writing throughout the series and the books cover both moments of high drama, like the Halifax explosion, and also descriptions of the continuing stress of displacement and immigration.Jean Little is a fine writer whose descriptions vividly bring a scene to life and whose compassion exposes character and allows the reader to become one with her heroine.All Fall Down is the story of the Frank Slide in Alberta in 1902, but it does not begin there. We meet Abby and her family in Montreal and are thrown headlong into her story with the first sentence: “This morning my father was killed.” There has been an industrial accident and the family is left in turmoil. Here we begin to see the stresses Abby’s mother faces- no money, a child with Down Syndrome, and three other children to care for. Help comes from her mother’s brother who has opened a hotel in Frank, Alberta. He offers to take them all in. A three day train journey from Montreal takes them to Frank where their uncle and aunt greet them with kindness and concern. Little builds the situation in Frank; the prejudice against the Down Syndrome little brother, the prejudice, also against a friend Abby makes - Bird, a First Nations girl, and the changes in Abby’s older brother and sister as they, too, have to find a new place in the tiny community.The plot lines are skilfully woven- Abby’s growing skills and abilities, the family finding a place in the community, disease ,and strained relations with the First Nations people to the extent of ignoring a continual warning from Bird’s grandfather that the mountain would walk.Then the mountain walks.The first part of the book enables the reader to become so familiar with the family and the Frank community that the tragedy is all the more telling.All Fall Down is a strong engaging story, all the more effective because of the compassion with which a skilful writer, like Jean Little, has brought her people to life.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: 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.
Red Queen by V. Aveyard
Authors: Manchakowsky Shawna 
Published: April 2016

Aveyard, Victoria. Red Queen. New York: Harper Teen, 2015. Print.In a world where having red blood means you are nothing but the lowest kind of human and where having silver blood means you are a part of the God-like humans who have unique, individual powers, life is grueling when you are born with red blood. Mare Barrow has chosen a life of crime to survive and knows she will soon be conscripted to fight in the war that no red returns from, just like her older brothers. Her life changes when she gets a job at the palace and accidentally discovers she has a power too. In order to hide this impossibility, the king betroths her to one of his sons. What happens next is a story of rebellion, lies, love, loyalty, friendship and deceit. In a place where it is red against silver and where loyalties can change, the side you choose will seal your fate.This teen book touched on many themes: friendship, class, siblings, unrequited love, family and war. With this broad diversity of themes, Red Queen should appeal to many readers. For me, however, it was not a book I would highly recommend. For example, I found Mare to be one-dimensional in her character development. She did not grow or change as much as I expected her to, especially when she came from such humble beginnings and travels to the grand palace. There was a lot more violence than I thought was necessary as well, and the graphic descriptions made Red Queen less enjoyable. It read more like an adult book than a teen book. I would recommend this book with reservations to high school students in grades ten to twelve.Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 starsReviewer: Shawna ManchakowskyShawna Manchakowsky recently completed her MLIS at the University of Alberta. When she is not working at Rutherford Library as a Public Service Assistant, she can be found with her husband parenting their two young girls; avoiding any kind of cooking; and reading for her two book clubs. In between book club titles, she tries to read as much teen fiction as she can get away with.
The Phantom Tollbooth by N. Juster
Authors: Paterson Amy 
Published: April 2016

Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. 50th Anniversary Edition. Illus. Jules Feiffer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print. The 50th Anniversary Edition of The Phantom Tollbooth is geared as much toward nostalgic adults as it is to a new generation of children. New introductions by the author himself, as well as fellow children’s author Maurice Sendak, accompany a slew of admiring essays by authors ranging from Suzanne Collins to Michael Chabon. The new hardcover edition retains all of the original maps and illustrations, as well as new and old photos of both Juster and Feiffer. As a child, I missed out on Norton Juster’s wonderful tale of Milo’s journey through the Kingdom of Wisdom; excited as I was to finally delve into a much-hyped classic, I was slightly nervous that my adult gaze would render its charms less pointed. Of course, I needn’t have worried. Juster’s prose highlights a keen ear for dialogue, and his rollicking imagination manifests itself in a mastery of wordplay. While children will delight in the many nonsensical games afoot, adults will marvel at the higher levels of logic that string the plot together. Of course, The Phantom Tollbooth’s madcap adventures may not have made such a lasting impact were it not grounded in the touching story of Milo’s growth from a bored, unsatisfied child to one who revels in the magic and mystery of the world around him. Juster’s story mimics the general experience of reading—where brief forays into magical kingdoms only serve to make our own world brighter and more marvelous. It would be difficult to leave this book without being somehow improved by it. While The Phantom Tollbooth will certainly appeal to young teens and pre-teens, younger children (ages 8-10) with high reading levels would perhaps appreciate a book that appeals to their complicated imaginations. However, if there were ever a book that was meant to be experienced by parents and children together, this is the one. The 50th Anniversary Edition is perfect for adults looking to share a childhood treasure with their own children and grandchildren. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Amy PatersonAmy Paterson is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She was previously the Editor of the Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management and is very happy to be involved in the Deakin Review and the delightful world of children’s literature.
Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs by J. Bryant
Authors: Sherbaniuk Patti 
Published: April 2016

Bryant, Jill. Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs. Second Story Press, Toronto, 2013. Print.Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs is part of the Women’s Hall of Fame Series by Second Story Press and focuses (as the name implies) on women entrepreneurs in the business world.The book begins with an introduction that explains the meaning of “entrepreneur” and emphasizes the importance of women entrepreneurs in a traditionally male-dominated business world. The author presents some disturbing statistics and points out that although the numbers of women in business are improving, there is still a gap that needs to be addressed.The book goes on to examine 10 successful female entrepreneurs through the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries; each woman has her own chapter devoted to her life history, education, influences, and business philosophy. These entrepreneurs are from a variety of countries (with a good representation of Canadian women) and ethnic backgrounds, and from a mixture of business fields: beauty products, retail, finance, technology, aviation, media, construction, and environmental causes. The first two chapters are about “historical” figures who were particularly remarkable in that their businesses flourished despite being women during times when it was virtually unheard of that women could be successful in business. What all the women in this book have in common is a drive and desire to make a difference, and to build thriving businesses based on trust and fairness. There are some good, solid “how-to” tips and suggestions of some helpful traits for success in the business world.There is a good comprehensive glossary of basic business terms at the end of the book.Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs is a very interesting look at the lives of female entrepreneurs, their motivations for pursuing their business passions, and the obstacles they encountered and ultimately overcame. The women examined in this book are groundbreaking, inspirational and have paved the way for other women in business.The language used is fairly advanced and for this reason I would recommend this book for older teens.Editor’s Note: Hear Jill Bryant talk about this book in an interview with the Deakin!Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Patti SherbaniukPatti is a Liaison Librarian at the Winspear School of Business at the University of Alberta. She holds a BA in English and an MLIS, both from the University of Alberta. She is passionate about food, travel, the arts and reading books of all shapes and sizes.