bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Rule of Three by E. Walters
Authors: Dickson Marylou 
Published: April 2016

Walters, Eric. The Rule of Three. Toronto: Penguin Canada Books Inc., 2014. PrintWith all the dystopian novels written over the last ten, years Eric Walters has composed a refreshing and believable look at how a community survives after the world has been changed by a computer virus which has immobilized any vehicle, utility, or device that requires computer technology. The villains the community members have to face are not zombies or other fantasy creatures but humans. How long will this disaster last? They don’t know.The “rule of three” is an idea that we can live for three seconds without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Keeping this in mind, the protagonist, sixteen-year-old Adam Daley, his mom, the police chief, and neighbour Herb, an ex-spy, must come up with ways to keep their community of Eden Mills safe and self-reliant. Three days after the outage, people begin to panic because the basics of life – water and food – become either inaccessible or depleted. The protection of one’s own family becomes the priority and mob mentality and the survival of the fittest become paramount obstacles that Eden Mills residents must endure. There is a fight for power both figuratively and literally. They must get energy to survive and also have the physical, mental, and social power to live.In some ways, The Rule of Three takes an idealistic view of how a community could band together to survive after a disastrous event. I would hope that if this happened in any community that citizens would have the same attitude and skills. Following Eric Walter’s style, the characters are realistic, relatable, and believable. Like We All Fall Down and many of Walters’ other books, reluctant readers would find the book both readable and interesting. Readers looking for high vocabulary and intricate plot may find this read disappointing. The Rule of Three has suspense, drama, likable characters, and even a little romance; ages 13 and up would enjoy this novel. I am looking forward to the sequel The Rule of Three: The Fight for Power.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Marylou DicksonTeaching Division III English Language Arts and impacting students’ abilities to improve their literacy practices are passions of Marylou Dickson. She is a teacher in the Edmonton Public School Board and is also a doctoral student at the University of Alberta researching adolescent literacy. When not teaching or studying, you can find Marylou and her husband Al watching movies, enjoying friends, and/or working on their homestead.
News and Announcements
Authors: Sulz David 
Published: April 2016

Welcome to spring for many of our readers - except those of us in northern Alberta where winter, beautiful winter, just won’t let go this year. You can be sure that we will appreciate spring all the more when it finally takes hold.On a sad note, Andrea Deakin (for whom this publication is named), informed us that Jan Ormerod recently passed away. The Guardian’s obituary of Sunday, February 3, 2013 reminds us that Jan Ormerod “brought a fresh vision to children's picturebooks with her luminous images, storytelling genius and understanding of how children behave” and that she was “admired for her ability to cut away all that was unnecessary in her stories.” (www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/03/jan-ormerod).Although too late for interested groups to participate in the voting this year, the Rocky Mountain Book Award winners will be announced on April 23, 2013. This is a readers’ choice award in its 13th year where groups of students in grades 4-7 read, then vote for, their favourite book from a shortlist of “exemplary Canadian literature” chosen by a committee of teachers, librarians, parents, and students. The award is sponsored in part by the Lethbridge (Alberta) school district and the University of Lethbridge. All the information about participating and pervious winners is at http://rmba.lethsd.ab.ca/index.htm (although the website design is a little challenging to use).As indicated in our last issue, the various 2013 awards from the Association for Library Service to Children division of the American Library Association have been announced. The 2013 Newbery Medal (contribution to American literature for children) winner was The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The 2013 Caldecott Medal (picture book artist) winner wasThis Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. For other medal winners as well as “honor book” recognition, see www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia.By the way, if keeping track of book awards is a favourite past-time, have a look at the Canadian Children’s Award Index posted by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre at www.bookcentre.ca/awards/canadian_awards_index. I hope you have lots of free time if you want to keep track of them all.On that note, have a wonderful spring and start setting aside piles of books for your summer reading pleasure.David Sulz, Communications EditorDavid is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta and liaison librarian to Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics; he formerly taught in schools and museums. His interests include physical activity, music, home improvements, and above all, things Japanese.
Cicadas’ Singing by Jiani
Authors: Desmarais Robert 
Published: April 2016

Jiani. Cicadas’ Singing. Edmonton: Gold Mum Publishing, 2011. Print. Cicadas’ Singing was published last year by newly established Gold Mum Publishing, which specializes in bilingual books for children. I had been taking Mandarin lessons from a private tutor recently, so this seemed like an ideal opportunity to review a book with English, Chinese characters, and pinyin (the system to transliterate Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet). The story is about a girl named Huahua who lives in 1960s China with her divorced mother. We learn that this is a difficult time to be divorced because divorced women were thought to be “dirty”, but no reason or context is provided to help readers understand this form of discrimination. Following the word “dirty” is a clumsy transition to a description of Grandma Du, who is introduced as a garbage collector; she apparently is also considered dirty, “but not in the same way”. Huahua develops a friendship with Grandma Du and they begin spending time playing with homemade toys and singing songs. Knowing that Huahua desperately wants to go to kindergarten, Grandma Du offers her some advice: “Huahua is a pretty girl and will marry a wealthy man.” Once again, the story introduces to us a cultural curiosity that begs further description, nuance, or context, but instead the story makes another rough transition, this time to the day when Huahua is old enough to attend kindergarten. Huahua goes off to school and starts to avoid her older friend because “others thought Grandma Du was dirty”. Huahua pretends not to know Grandma Du, so they no longer see each other and soon thereafter we learn that Grandma Du has died. Huahua attends the funeral with her mother where they notice an unusually large number of singing cicadas, hence the title. The first problem with this book is the story, which will likely be difficult and unsatisfying for young readers. The English text has a number of problems with punctuation, diction, and grammar, and the brief cultural notes in the appendix are woefully inadequate to explain many of the cultural references. The illustrations have a certain appeal, but they are too often overwhelmed by dense layers of text. Here’s hoping that this series improves with time. Not recommended: 1 out of 4 starsReviewer: 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.
50 Underwear Questions: a Bare-All History by T. L. Kyi
Authors: Chatterley Trish 
Published: April 2016

Kyi, Tanya L. 50 Underwear Questions: a Bare-All History. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Have you ever wondered where long johns and jock straps got their names? Or where the phrase ‘going commando’ came from? Then this is the book for you! This book, framed as a series of 50 questions and responses, takes the reader through a social history of underwear from the ancient times of the Egyptian pharaohs through to the present day. While much of the focus is on Western Europe and North America, the reader also learns briefly about undergarments in India, Japan, and a few other regions. The book consists of seven chapters replete with fun-filled facts and humorous cartoon images. Throughout are so-called ‘private parts,’ which are quick trivia bits printed on underwear labels. There are also several recommended activities called ‘garment games’ for readers to pursue, such as how to tie your own subligaculum (i.e. gladiator underwear) or tie-dye a pair of boxer shorts (with parental supervision, of course). This well-researched book informs the reader not just about what was worn, but why. Fads and fashions of the various times were influenced by the need for protection from the elements, the wearer’s social class, the onset of war, or in more recent times, the apparel of models and actors in commercials and movies. This entertaining and educational read is intended for children ages nine and up, but is fun and fast for adults to read as well. There are two previous books in the 50 questions series which are about poisons and fire. If they are anything like the underwear book, they will be enjoyable books to read as well! Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.
The Sea Wolves by I. McAllister
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

McAllister, Ian, and Nicholas Read. The Sea Wolves: Living Wild in the Great Bear Rainforest. Vancouver: Orca, 2010. Print At first glance, The Sea Wolves is a small coffee table book. It is not, however, just a pretty photographic exploration of the wolves that inhabit The Great Bear Rainforest. It is a very long opinion piece written expressly to convince readers that wolves are not “the big bad wolf” of stories; rather, we should all love and respect them. Authors Ian McAllister, a founding director of both the Raincoast Conservation Society and Pacific Wild, and Nicholas Read, a journalist, pull no punches in their attempt to sway the reader. While the book does present facts about the wolves and their environment, many of them likely accurate, the authors make sweeping statements and claims which they require the reader to accept at face value. For example, though the authors state that there is “a great deal of evidence to suggest that over-fishing, fish farms and climate change have all played a role in [the wolves’] decline,” this statement does not direct the reader to any evidence. Part of the purpose of the book is to educate the reader about the wolves; however, it is also clearly designed to manipulate the readers’ emotions. The authors attempt to get the reader to identify with the wolves through anthropomorphizing the animals and by drawing extensive parallels between the lives of wolves and the lives of people. For example, they state that the reason that wolves save the “tastiest deer” for their young pups “could be because, just as in human families, wolf families like to spoil their babies.” Furthermore, throughout the book, the authors choose emotionally-laden words and images, stating, for example, that wolves “have been persecuted by humans, with a kind of madness,” or that they “romp on the beach in the ocean foam that burbles off the waves like bubble bath.” Each interpretation of the wolves’ behaviour seems designed to achieve the desired effect of garnering sympathy for the creatures. While there is nothing wrong with writing a polemic against the dangers to wolves and their environment, this book is presented by the publisher as juvenile non-fiction for ages 8 and up. Children in upper elementary or even junior high school grades may have difficulty distinguishing between facts and strongly-worded opinions presented in a book labelled as non-fiction. Recommended: Three stars out of fourReviewer: 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.
Introduction
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

This special issue of the Deakin Review of Children’s Literature is dedicated to health fiction. The concept for the special issue grew out of an interest in using fiction as a tool in health literacy and healing. Many of us have had the experience of escaping in to a book as a place of refuge when the real world seems too tough or being moved and inspired by a story about someone coping with illness, injury, or disability. We wondered whether or not fictional works that offer children similar benefits are readily available? The answer is ‘Yes’, to a large extent. But as we started to read our way through the books in local libraries, we realized that a number of the books may be of questionable benefit. Many had flaws, from obvious content errors to subtle issues that you might not recognize unless you read the book closely or someone brought them to your attention. We wanted to take the opportunity to use this issue of Deakin to showcase some of the high quality fiction that we would recommend to libraries and parents. The authors of the reviews are librarians or other information professionals, with strengths in children's literature, health librarianship, or both. Many have children. Most are experienced reviewers. Even though we had done some pre-screening, several of the reviewers started reviews and then discarded them when they found that upon close examination, they could not recommend the books. The accompanying article describes the larger study that we undertook to thoroughly review current children's health fiction. The end products of this research were: 1) a checklist for selection of children's health fiction; 2) a list of readily available works in the area; 3) this special theme issue of the Deakin, and; 4) a joint exhibit of the reviewed books, at the University of Alberta’s Education and Health Sciences libraries, to complement the publication of this issue. In addition to the outcomes mentioned above, it is our hope that an additional benefit of this project will be an increased community awareness of the value of children’s health fiction and the knowledge that sometimes a good story is good medicine. Sandy Campbell and Maria TanSandy 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. Maria C. Tan is a medical librarian at the Abdul Khaliq Library in Alberta Health Services’ Cross Cancer Institute and a former editorial team member of the Deakin Review. She firmly believes that children's literature is an essential component in the fountain of youth.
The Secret Life of Squirrels by N. Rose
Authors: Kung Janice 
Published: April 2016

Rose, Nancy. The Secret Life of Squirrels. Toronto: Puffin, 2014. Print.This picture book follows the story of Mr. Peanuts, a rather unusual squirrel who enjoys numerous activities that we do not typically associate with squirrels.He busies himself with cooking on the grill, playing the piano, and reading his favourite books. Despite all of the activities, he feels a sense of loneliness. He writes a letter to Cousin Squirrel to come for a visit. His cousin responds and gladly accepts his invitation. In preparation for his visitor, Mr. Peanuts completes various chores around the house such as vacuuming, laundry, and he even finds time to bake a hazelnut chocolate cake. When Cousin Squirrel arrives, they have a wonderful time together. This book is filled with beautiful photographs of wild squirrels in miniature photo shoots. Children and adults alike can appreciate the attention to detail in the miniature models, created by the author, and the squirrels who pose in them. At the end of the story, the book provides “Ten tips for photographing wildlife” and a “Q&A with Nancy Rose” that are interesting and informative. Overall, this book is easy to understand and offers a great message to children about sharing and playing well with others. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Janice KungJanice Kung is an Academic Library Intern at the University of Alberta’s John W. Scott Health Sciences Library. She obtained her undergraduate degree in commerce and completed her MLIS in 2013. She believes that the best thing to beat the winter blues is to cuddle up on a couch and lose oneself in a good book.
Work: An Occupational ABC by K. Hatanaka
Authors: Feisst Debbie 
Published: April 2016

Hatanaka, Kellen. Work: An Occupational ABC. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2014. Print.At first glance, you may look at this book and think it just like the myriad of other ABC books for young children and preschoolers, but you would be delightfully wrong! Yes, of course, each letter from A to Z is represented and indeed each letter is accompanied by an image that characterizes the letter. But that is where the similarities end. Toronto-based designer, illustrator and artist Kellen Hatanaka, who can now also call himself a first time author, has created a beautiful and unexpected piece of art for the youngest readers and it is as much a delight to read as it is to behold. With creamy paper and softly-coloured images, created digitally after first creating ‘hand-drawn patterns and images’, it is reminiscent of a small person’s version of a coffee table book, if said coffee table were in a nursery.It starts out simple enough, with A for Aviator and a full page spread with a boldly-coloured A as well as mountain tops that echo the A’s shape. The next page, however, alerts the reader to the fun in store – B is for Butcher, shown chasing after a group of raccoons who have absconded with a string of sausages. Yes, there are occupations like Grocer and Tailor but there are also the Ice Cream Vendor, K-9 Officer and the Wedding Singer! What’s wonderful to note are the many alternative occupations, some that you may have not have heard of, and that there is a nice mix of women, men, and cultures taking part. For the curious reader, there is a section of funny ‘Want Ads’ which provides a short description of the occupation.This would make a wonderful new baby gift and is an excellent addition to a home or public library.Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4 Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie 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.
Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War, and Peace by N. Walker
Authors: Aitken Leslie 
Published: April 2016

Walker, Niki. Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War, and Peace. Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2013. Print.In this work, Niki Walker explores the general nature of conflict. She relates basic aspects of international politics - the existence of power elites, the formation of alliances, the rise of disputes - to the politics of school life. Along the way, she defines such terms as “negotiation,” “mediation,” “arbitration” and “sanctions.” She mentions examples of 20th century warfare: the post WWII Cold War, the Suez Crisis, and outlines the history of the current crisis in Afghanistan. The role of the United Nations is discussed. Most impressive is her insertion of pertinent quotes; for example, the chapter entitled “Cooperation or Combat?” begins with the words of Indira Gandhi: “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.”Walker is an experienced writer of non-fiction for children and this work demonstrates her typical proficiency. The book is well organized with good transitions between successive chapters. The index is rather brief, but the terms therein are consistent with the text. There is an informative list of sources.In a departure from her usual literary style, Walker occasionally attempts to use trendy language. There is a risk here: the vernacular of today’s young reader may be rejected as dated by tomorrow’s. This quibble aside, the book is highly recommended for use with upper elementary students. In particular, it could be a useful resource for Remembrance Day activities. 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 the former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.
Polar Bear Morning by L. Thompson
Authors: Desmarais Robert 
Published: April 2016

Thompson, Lauren. Polar Bear Morning. Illus. Stephen Savage. New York: Scholastic Press, 2013. Print.Ten years ago, Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage collaborated on “Polar Bear Night”, which was a splendid picture book that swiftly became a New York Times best seller. “Polar Bear Morning” follows up on the simple story of a polar bear cub that ventures out onto the arctic tundra for an adventure, but this time our favourite cub meets a new friend. The story begins when the cub emerges from her dark den, peeks out at the clear blue sky, and follows the sound of seagulls. Soon after heading out into the snow and ice, she notices something tumbling down a snow hill. It’s a snow cub! The moment when the cubs first meet is beautifully portrayed in a two-page spread that shows two furry faces in profile looking at each other without words on the pages, which perfectly captures a child’s speechless, wide-eyed bliss upon meeting a new friend.The story continues with several charming scenes that show how the friendship develops: they climb the snow hill and tumble down together; they sprint beside the sea; they race past seals, walruses and whales; they pause at the ice’s edge; and finally, they jump into the sea together. It’s a delightful portrayal of a budding friendship, with simple, yet charming illustrations rendered in a gentle palette of soft blues, greys, pinks, and browns. This picture book is a joy to read and has all the makings of a beloved classic, including frolicsome illustrations, thoughtful design, and a captivating story. It’s a wholly satisfying picture book that will be a pleasure to read again and again.Recommendation: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: 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.