bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Promise by N. Davies
Authors: Wilson McCune Michele 
Published: April 2016

Davies, Nicola. The Promise. Illus. Laura Carlin. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2014. Print.This is a picture book that may be read again and again. Its meaning and message has several layers and needs to be peeled like an onion. Davies and Carlin work together seamlessly to create and build tone and mood throughout the book while the reader is taken on a journey.The Promise is the story of a young girl living and growing up in a “mean and hard and ugly” city who has a chance encounter with an old lady. A promise is made that will change everything.Davies, a zoologist, is an award winning author and has written several other children’s books about nature and animals. In The Promise she develops a story that emphasizes the importance of our relationship with nature, particularly in the urban setting. The illustrations by Laura Carlin, are beautifully crafted from mixed media. For a children’s book, they are at first shockingly gloomy and depressing. This however, perfectly matches Davies descriptive and figurative language of an ugly city where, the “streets were dry as dust… never blessed with rain” and “a gritty yellow wind blew constantly, scratching around the buildings like a hungry dog.” The pages are initially dark, moody and mysterious, playing with various shades of gray and sepia. As the story line becomes more uplifting and lively, so do the pictures with pops of colour. Bright reds, greens, oranges and yellows, show bright displays of life and activity as “Green spread through the city like a song”. Carlin’s illustrations not only enhance the messages portrayed in the words of the book, but also build mood and evoke emotion.The Promise is a story of hope and how one person can be the change in this world. This book is appropriate for all ages, but the depth of the messages and multiple layers make it well suited for upper elementary. Teachers and librarians will want this book in their library.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Michele Wilson McCuneAs an elementary school teacher for Edmonton Catholic School Division and a mother of four, Michele loves reading and sharing literature with the important children in her life. She is currently working on completing her master’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Language and Literacy.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by M. Medina
Authors: Wild Rachel 
Published: April 2016

Medina, Meg. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2014. Print.Piddy Sanchez has only been at Daniel Jones High School for five weeks when a classmate tells her “Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass”. Unknowingly and inexplicably, Piddy becomes the target of the fierce Yaqui Delgado and her gang.A winner of the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award, Meg Medina creates an unflinching portrayal of Piddy as she struggles to maintain her identity and dignity in the face of extreme bullying. Medina’s depiction of Piddy is honest and readers will readily identify with the everyday adolescent problems she deals with; self-image, school, family and relationships. Medina addresses the topic of bullying in a manner that is realistic and does not provide easy solutions for Piddy or the reader.A 2014 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, this book is a well-paced read, divided into short chapters making it highly accessible to a variety of readers. The book is rich in dialogue and Medina does an excellent job of creating fully-developed characters who struggle with all-too-human flaws and foibles.Some students may struggle with specific references to Latino culture, but the themes and topics in the novel are universal issues that the majority of adolescents will connect with. Because it addresses difficult topics such as bullying and adolescent sexuality this book may not appeal to all readers and should be considered a mature read.This book should be considered an excellent addition to any high school library or classroom, particularly for students or educators who are searching for a book that depicts the issue of bullying in a manner that is honest and realistic.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Rachel WildRachel Wild is an English teacher at Parkland Composite High School in Edson, Alberta. She is currently enrolled the Teacher Librarianship Masters degree program through distance education. Reading and reviewing a plethora of young adult novels has renewed her interest in and passion for this genre.
Mine! by S. Crum
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Crum, Shutta. Mine! Illus. Patrice Barton. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print. The dust jacket notes for Mine! tells us that it is about “two very young children and an adorable dog navigating the trials and triumphs of sharing.” In keeping with this theme, apart from a single “Woof?” barked by the dog, the only text is the word “mine” repeated ten times. However, when the pictures are left to tell the story, the text is really superfluous. Artist Patrice Barton has captured the chaos that happens when you put a baby, a toddler, a pile of toys, a dog, and a dog dish full of water all together in the same space without parental interference. The result is soaked children, water and wet toys thrown everywhere, and of course, a dripping dog. Children will love trying to find where all the different toys have gone from picture to picture. While the images are done in soft pastels, rather than the bright and bold colours we might expect to find in books for very young children, they are nonetheless engaging. Throughout, Barton manages to communicate movement in the images. Swoosh lines follow flying feet, jiggle lines show us the baby’s unsteady movement, and dashed lines show us where the balls or toys have flown or bounced. Over the course of the chaos, there is a delightful four page sequence where the baby stands up, totters across two pages and, overleaf, takes a flying leap, flattening the toddler, and sending the wet toys flying everywhere. That, of course, is the point where the adults reappear and begin picking up wet children and clothing. Because of all the wet and wild action in the book, the theme of sharing, or rather, not sharing, gets lost. So as a book with a message, Mine! does not work particularly well. However, both children and parents will enjoy the entertaining picture story. Recommendation: 3 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.
Big Nate Makes the Grade by L. Peirce
Authors: Boyd Kelly 
Published: April 2016

Peirce, L. Big Nate Makes the Grade. Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2012. Print. Nate Wright is back in another dynamic graphic novel by author and illustrator Lincoln Peirce. For fans of the series, Big Nate Makes the Grade will not disappoint. Readers will find Nate to posses the same mischievous personality that has made him famous. He still holds the school record for detentions and continues to try and outdo his nemesis at every opportunity. In Big Nate Makes the Grade, readers are treated to Nate’s old tricks as he tries to navigate through an entire school year at P.S. 38. An ensemble of middle school characters like Mrs. Godfrey, Principal Nicholas, custodian Emmitt and Nate’s buddies are a comical supporting cast. Lincoln Peirce has been drawing the Big Nate comic strip for the past 20 years. A former high school teacher, Peirce knows all about classroom antics. This experience coupled with his passion for cartooning has led to a successful career as an author/cartoonist. Peirce has adopted the traditional comic book storytelling pattern, with sequences of pictures in a four panel format. He also uses a spattering of less uniformed pages dispersed throughout the book. These pages aid readers in following the storyline as there are no chapter breaks. The purposeful use of font by Peirce supports the humorous overtone of the text and conventional black and white sketches capture the full range of emotion. It would be remiss if I did not mention the misleading nature of the cover. Nate does not in fact receive an A+ on a test at any point throughout the book. Cautionary note: some of the humour belittles others (name calling etc.). This is a book that will appeal to young readers, especially boys or those reluctant to delve into longer texts. For anyone still needing their “Big Nate” fix, check out www.bignatebooks.com! Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Kelly Boyd Kelly Boyd is a teacher-librarian and Social Studies teacher at Summerside Intermediate School in Summerside, PEI. She loves to read and sharing this passion with her students is one of the highlights of her job. She is excited to make selections and recommend books that will hook reluctant readers and open the world of reading to them.
Lovely, Dark and Deep by A. McNamara
Authors: Feisst Debbie 
Published: April 2016

McNamara, Amy. Lovely, Dark and Deep. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. Print. Lovely, Dark and Deep is Brooklyn-based poet and photographer Amy McNamara’s debut novel. The title, well-chosen and from the last stanza of Robert Frost’s poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. captures the main character’s mindset perfectly as she distances herself, both physically and emotionally, from her friends and family after a tragic car accident. Wren Wells, whom her mom still calls by her original name, Mamie, has moved in with her sculptor father, to an isolated house by the sea in rural Maine. Dealing with immense guilt and grief after surviving the crash that claimed the life of her high school boyfriend Patrick, Wren spends her days yearning to be left alone. Her father, a famous artist out of touch with his daughter’s life, is at a loss for how to help, and her well-meaning and understandably worried mother asks frequently about when Wren will go to college. Wren’s friends from her seemingly previous life struggle to understand the changes she is going through and in the process feel alienated. To pass the never-ending days, Wren runs - a lot. She runs to get away and be alone with her thoughts. And during this time, Wren meets Cal, who is hiding away from his own troubles. The chemistry between them, and the glimpses of joy she feels while with Cal is unnerving to Wren, who believes that she should feel guilty forever about Patrick, who was not given a second chance. Wren needs to make a choice – move on and try again or be lost forever. The character of Wren is not endearing to the reader; she is self-absorbed and manic, and selfish to the point of frustration. Her actions and of those around her often seem unauthentic. The plot line is slow, yet McNamara’s beautiful prose makes it bearable. Wren is, however, a young, depressed girl coping with deep grief and the story may resonate with young women who have experienced similar situations. Recommended with reservations: 2 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.
How do you Hug a Porcupine? by L. Isop
Authors: Sulz David 
Published: April 2016

Isop, Laurie. Illustrated by Gwen Millward. How do you Hug a Porcupine? New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Your Readers, 2011. Print. A charming and hopefully harmless little book. The variety of animals is illustrated realistically enough to be recognizable on the page and probably even in real-life. The text is nicely lyrical with a rhythm and rhyme that makes you want to sing while reading. The message, however, is not all positive. On the good side, the portrayal of animals as worthy of human attention, respect, and appreciation (although not particularly original in children’s books) is always welcome. Also nice is the mix of familiar animals (e.g. cow, horse, pig, giraffe) with some that don’t get much attention (e.g. hedgehog, yak, ostrich) so young readers might learn something new. On the negative side, however, is the encouragement to hug any-and-all animals. Knowledge of the difference between tame (domestic) animals and wild animals should be instilled from a young age and, even if not taught explicitly, children’s authors should at least not introduce ideas that must be unlearned in real life. Pandas, yaks, porcupines, kangaroos, and dolphins should NOT, as a general rule, ever be hugged and people should NOT be convinced that everything needs a hug. For one thing, animals are unpredictable and potentially dangerous to the hugger. For another, hugging or touching a wild animal can be dangerous for the hugged - hugging a porcupine would dislodge many quills and reduce its defenses against predators. Sometimes I wonder if the national park tourists who slather honey on their child’s arm to get a picture of the cute bear licking it or approach a fully-grown elk to touch its antler velvet were maybe too exposed to this sort of book. In short, the answer to “how do you hug a porcupine?” should be, “you don’t!” Stick to hugging your own kitty-cat or puppy-dog instead that you know will probably appreciate it and not attack you. Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 stars (charming and lyrical but potentially dangerous in later life). Reviewer: David Sulz David is a librarian at the University of Alberta working mostly with scholars in Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. His university studies included: Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics. On the education front, he taught various grades and subjects for several years in schools as well as museums. His interest in Japan and things Japanese stands above his other diverse interests.
Warriors and Wailers by S. Tsiang
Authors: Sulz David 
Published: April 2016

Tsiang, Sarah. Warriors and Wailers: One Hundred Ancient Jobs You Might Have Relished or Reviled. Illus. M. Newbigging. Toronto: Annick Press, 2012. Print. I did not confirm that there really are 100 jobs in this colourful and well-illustrated little book but there certainly are many, and a wide variety. The index does list the title’s “wailer” but not “warrior.” In fact, there are several warrior-ish jobs such as watchtower guard, female warrior, military service-conscripted, Shaolin warrior monk, and even a few illegal warrior-like positions (e.g., assassin, pirate admiral, and rebel leader). This book is one in a series of “jobs in history” books by Annick Press but is not merely a formulaic adaptation. These really are ancient Chinese jobs and many probably did not exist elsewhere (e.g., pearl maker, jade worker, lacquer worker, acupuncturist, or bone diviner). It also seems the jobs are arranged in an appropriate order, reflecting decreasing rank and honour from the Emperor and imperial jobs, through scholars and servants, to peasant farmers, then artisans and craftspeople, and finally, merchants who did not grow or make anything (with some illegal jobs at the end). The short introductions to the Chinese dynastic method of counting years, education, rank and honour, religion and schools of thought are really helpful in providing context to a culture that is quite different for most readers. If I could suggest one addition, it would be a consideration of how we know today about jobs that existed between the Han and Tang dynasties (206 BCE to 907 CE) more than 1000 years ago. The answers (presumably a combination of the ancients’ meticulous record keeping and desire for meaningful artistic ornament, combined with conscientious preservation, and modern skills in the humanities and social sciences) would shed further light on interesting jobs, careers, and intellectual pursuits for today’s students. There may be a few, minor short-comings. One is a subtle, underlying theme suggesting more individual choice of careers than there actually was. Another is some job “descriptions” refer to something that maybe happened only once in history – not really an everyday job. Also, the examples of Chinese script, while illustrative, seem to be just a little off in terms of balance or correct stroke order. But these are minor. Overall, this book is a wonderful introduction to Ancient China that should stimulate further exploration into the fascinating study of History. Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: David SulzDavid 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.
A Little Book About Feelings by A. Schiller
Authors: Desmeules Robin 
Published: April 2016

Schiller, Abbie. A Little Book About Feelings. California: The Mother Company, 2013. Print.A Little Book About Feelings is a product of Ruby’s Studio, a video and print series designed to educate children and parents with respect to social and emotional learning. Adapted from the video “Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show,” the purpose of this book is to educate children on how to understand and communicate their feelings. The Ruby Studio is produced by The Mother Company, which is a mom-run American-based company dedicated to providing resources for parents who seek to offer their children educational entertainment.With simple text and beautiful stills of handcrafted caricatures from the program as illustrations, this book is most useful for younger children. It begins by explaining what feelings are, then describes how some feelings may feel, as well as how feelings change. The story also deals with the importance of expressing your feelings as well as listening to them.Overall, this book is a helpful resource for children and parents. With bright illustrations and simple text, this book serves as an informative and entertaining resource on feelings for children.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars.Reviewer: Robin DesmeulesRobin is an Academic Librarian Intern at the J.W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. Robin is an avid devourer of fiction of all kinds.
The Circle Cast: The Lost Years of Morgan Le Fay by A. Epstein
Authors: Chatterley Trish 
Published: April 2016

Epstein, Alex. The Circle Cast: The Lost Years of Morgan Le Fay. Vancouver: Tradewind Books, 2010. Print. This Young Adult historical fantasy novel begins in Britannia around 500AD. Anna’s father, a Roman chieftain, is slain by the British war leader Uter Pendragon. To protect her from Uter, her mother sends her to Ireland with a new identity as Morgan. Morgan is a strong female character who will appeal to female readers. She is a survivor who adapts well to new surroundings and situations. Her driving force is her mission to return one day to Britain to avenge her father’s death. The story follows her life in Ireland. She lives first with a great warrior clan that is related to her family by marriage. When a neighbouring clan defeats them, she is captured and lives as the slave of Buanann, the clan’s magical wise woman. She escapes and flees to a Christian settlement where she stays until she marries the landowner’s son Conall. As his wife, she teaches him and his men British war tactics which help him to become a great warrior with extensive land and large numbers of men. She eventually returns to Britain with a small group of Conall’s warriors to seek vengeance on Uter and in the end helps to protect her birthplace from invading Saxons. The novel is filled with elements of magic and connections to the earth as we learn of Morgan’s growing prowess with casting spells. This period of her life has previously not been mentioned in Irish mythology, and provides one interpretation of how and why she became known as ‘Le Fay’. The book is an aside to an otherwise familiar story. The Enchanter, whom we know as Merlin, plays a small role. In the epilogue, the character of Arthur is introduced and leaves the story open to a sequel. In mythical legend, Arthur and Morgan are half-siblings. The short prologue uses a style of writing that is quite poetic and unlike most of the rest of the text. This may not appeal to some readers and may discourage them from continuing with the rest of the book, which is presented in a more easily digestible style. The story includes scenes of sex and violence that may not appeal to all readers. Recommended: 3 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.
Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by D. Robertson
Authors: Dunn Heather 
Published: April 2016

Robertson, David. Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story. Illus. Scott Henderson. Winnipeg: Highwater Press, 2011. Print. Sugar Falls is not the first graphic novel written by Swampy Cree novelist, David Alexander Robertson. Together with illustrator Scott Henderson, Robertson created a four book graphic novel series called 7 Generations. Robertson has also written The Life of Helen Betty Osborne. Some earnings from the sales of Sugar Falls goes to the Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation bursary program. Sugar Falls was inspired by the true story of Cross Lake First Nation Elder, Betty Ross. Daniel has been assigned a school project where he must get a personal account from a residential school survivor. His friend, April, connects Daniel with her grandmother, Kokum (Betsy). Betsy confesses to April and Daniel that she has never shared this part of her life with anyone before. She tells them her horrific story, dressed in her traditional clothing, surrounded by cultural items that bring her comfort and strength. Betsy shared that she had been deserted by her mother at the age of five. She was very fortunate to be taken in by a family who showed her love and kindness. Unfortunately, at the age of eight, the government forced Betsy to attend a residential school away from her family. Betsy’s adoptive father had taught her many lessons in the short time she was with her new family. One of these lessons helped Betsy to survive her experiences at the residential school. Her father had taken her to Sugar Falls where he tells her that strength in relationships with people, traditions, and Mother Earth will keep her strong. Betsy encountered many horrendous experiences at the residential school from the moment she was torn away from her family. The lesson that her father taught her enabled Betsy to endure the constant emotional, sexual and physical abuse from the staff at the residential school. Betsy used her determination and strength to survive her time away from her family and to later become a leader in her First Nation community. Robertson deals with this time in Canadian history in a straightforward manner. Residential Schools is a very sensitive topic that needs to be shared with the younger Canadian generations. However, based on the content that Robertson included in his direct approach of telling the story makes it a book that would be best suited for high school students (ages 15 and up). Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Heather Dunn Heather Dunn is the K-9 Teacher-Librarian and Grade 8 Math Teacher at Athena Consolidated School in Summerside, PEI.