bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
And Nothing But the Truth by K. Pearson
Authors: Feisst Debbie 
Published: April 2016

Pearson, Kit. And Nothing But the Truth. Toronto: Harper Collins, 2012. Print. Victoria, B.C.-based and Governor General Award-winning author Kit Pearson delights yet again with her sequel to 2011’s The Whole Truth, which won the 2012 Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award and was previously reviewed in Deakin. Progressing three years since the first book in the ‘duology’, the year is now 1935, and our beloved heroine, Polly, almost thirteen years of age, is being made to move to Victoria to attend the same boarding school that her sister Maud excelled at and enjoyed so much. Polly would much rather spend the days with her doting grandmother, Noni, and exploring the wilds of Kingfisher Island with her sweet dog, Tarka, than attend St. Winifred’s School for Girls. Polly has her mind firmly set on not being a full time boarder and spending every weekend at home, to the detriment of her experience at St. Winifred’s as well as her ability to make friends at the school. Noni, however, understands the need for a strong education and encourages Polly to stay full time even though they will miss each other dearly. The draw of attending Special Art classes every Saturday is finally enough to convince a budding talent like Polly, in addition to the gentle encouragement from her trusted art teacher. A magical scene in which Polly meets and interacts with the famous Canadian painter Emily Carr is especially poignant. Polly’s older sister Maud, now a university student in Vancouver, continues to play a large role in the story as well as in Polly’s life. Polly struggles amidst the headmistress’s constant reminders of what an intelligent and faithful student her older sister was. Now a young woman, Maud is changing and no longer readily accepting the ideals that St. Winifred’s instilled in her. As Maud suddenly begins to distance herself from the family, Polly yet again finds herself in a dilemma that threatens to tear their family apart. The ending, including the wonderful afterword that is often lacking from young adult fiction yet so satisfying, is bittersweet as we say goodbye to characters we have grown to love. This book and its prequel would make a lovely gift set for a tween girl. Highly recommended: 4 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.
Dream Away by J. Durango and K. Belle Trupiano
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Durango, Julia, and Katie Belle Trupiano. Dream Away. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011. Print. This is a delightful picture book with a gentle rhyme designed to lull children to sleep. Reminiscent of “Moonbeam on a Cat’s Ear”, the father and child dream of sailing through the cosmos in an “old paper boat”. They have a magical crew of a knight, a winged horse, two winged cats (pixies) and a dog. As they wander through the heavens they are chased by the animals of the constellations. Eventually, even the clouds and the moon fall asleep. The rhymes are predictable - moon/balloon, seas/breeze, float/boat – the iambic pentameter rhythm is strong and regular, so pre-readers will quickly memorize the story and want to “read” along. While the colours in the illustrations are strong, all of the figures are soft-edged and rounded, giving everything a cuddly appearance. The images often add content to the story. For example, when the text reads, “We played with a bear, an archer, a hare. A dragon gave chase, but the crew won the race”, the images show us a constellation bear throwing a ball of light and the boy on the edge of the boat, ready to swing at it with his baseball bat. As they “glide down a glimmering slide”, we see the boy holding on to the winged horse’s tail, while the horse tows the boat down the Milky Way. The moon is a balloon tied to the back of the boat. In the final pages of the book, we see that most of the things in the story, the planets, cats, dog, winged horse and baseball bat are all objects in the boy’s room and he is wearing a paper hat shaped like the boat. This is a lovely, peaceful lullaby that is highly recommended for public libraries and small children’s rooms everywhere. 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.
The Metro Dogs of Moscow by R. Delaney
Authors: Aitken Leslie 
Published: April 2016

Delaney, Rachelle. The Metro Dogs of Moscow. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2013. Print.When Edmonton and I were much younger—and regulation much more discretionary –our neighbour’s cocker spaniel, “Connie McCormack,” took the bus to the Safeway, helped herself to a package of meat, and rode back home with her prize.So do I believe that Delaney’s protagonist, JR, a little Jack Russell terrier, could ride the metro lines of Moscow, embark and disembark at the Ploshchad Revolutsii station, find his way to 460 Petrovsky in the warehouse district, and rescue a pack of stray dogs? Absolutely. With all my heart. As will children of elementary school age. If they don’t, they will surely suspend disbelief; the plot line is compelling, the anthropomorphism a mere literary necessity. The book’s vocabulary and sentence structure are well suited to those who have mastered the basic reading skills of the primary school curriculum. The copy reviewed was in paperback format; even so, the large font, wide spacing, and qualities of ink and paper were easy on the eyes.As a bonus feature, The Metro Dogs of Moscow stimulates interest in a nation that has played a powerful role in world affairs for centuries and that is often in the media spotlight today. Without getting into the serious issues involving Chechnya, the Crimea, and the Ukraine (to say nothing of the Canadian Arctic) a parent or elementary teacher might at least get out the globe and say, “Let’s find Moscow. What country is it in? Does this country have hockey teams? Figure skaters? Ballet dancers?” Because JR’s owner is an embassy staffer, one might also introduce the idea that embassies, diplomats and diplomacy keep nations talking with, and not warring with each other. If the world is to achieve harmony, we must be able to imagine that other people queue up for “Kroshka Kartoshka” in the same way that we queue up for “double-doubles” and doughnuts. In the telling of this tale, Delaney encourages us to do so.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leslie AitkenLeslie 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.
Return to Titanic: Time Voyage by S. Brezenoff
Authors: Blackwood Melissa 
Published: April 2016

Brezenoff, Steve. Return to Titanic: Time Voyage. Illus. Scott Murphy. North Mankato, MN: Stone Arch Books, 2012. Print. The legendary Titanic resurfaces for this children’s novel which cleverly combines history with science fiction. The subject of the Titanic voyage is timely, since it is recently the 100th anniversary of its maiden voyage. Tucker and Maya spend their spring break helping out at a museum and as they sort through a box labeled “special collection” for the Titanic exhibit, they find an original ticket to the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Their curiosity provokes them to open its protective case. Once they touch the ticket, they are sent back in time to Queenstown, Ireland in 1912, the day the Titanic was to set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Tucker’s mother, the museum’s curator, always said there was “magic in the junk at the museum”. Tucker and Maya must decide what to do next. Should they stop the Titanic from sailing? Is it possible to change history? They begin to wonder how will they ever return back to 2012? Detailed pencil-sketch drawings by Scott Murphy decorate every few pages. These illustrations enhance the description and imagery in the novel while supporting reluctant readers. The shaded teal-coloured sketches assist with setting the tone of history, mystery, and adventure. Inclusion of a map, at the beginning of each chapter, indicates the location of the characters at that moment in the novel, whether they were in Queenstown, Ireland or in New York. To assist with these transitions, the change of time occurs at the start of a new chapter, as well as clear setting descriptions are included throughout, integral in showing the time and place. These time transitions are smooth and easy to follow. Themes of friendship, curiosity, history, time-travel, adventure, and courage are intertwined. Educators can integrate this novel into lessons about the Titanic's history. Time Voyage is an exciting adventure story to accompany non-fiction titles. It is interesting to note the correct historical references of location, dates, and the company that sailed the Titanic incorporated in this work of fiction. Time Voyage is the first novel in the Return to Titanic four book series, written by Steve Brezenoff. With easy vocabulary, great plot description, imagery, and consistent use of strong adjectives, this novel will captivate readers aged 9 to 13 years old, appealing to grade 2 to 3 reading levels. The cliff-hanger at the end of the book will surely entice readers to continue reading this four book series. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Melissa Blackwood Melissa Blackwood is a Primary/Elementary teacher, presently completing a Master of Education in Teacher-Librarianship with the University of Alberta.
Resolution to Raise a Reader
Authors: Desmarais Robert 
Published: April 2016

I have long been fascinated with New Year’s resolutions—making them, struggling to achieve them, and ultimately honouring or abandoning them—but recently I had wondered if many parents make resolutions to raise a reader. I discovered numerous articles on the Internet with the phrase “how to raise a reader”, so there is certainly no shortage of advice on the topic, and while much of the advice seemed obvious—“read aloud with your children” or “switch off the television”—other points were not as readily apparent. The advice that struck a chord with me was simply to “have books ready”, but it would be fascinating to know if most parents carry children’s books on outings, when travelling, or at restaurants. I always make a point of packing a book, or at least a newspaper section or magazine article, because I like to take advantage of opportunities to read whenever possible. Inspiring a child to be a reader for life is no easy task, it requires time and commitment, but having books on hand is essential. I was at a bookstore lecture a few months ago where the presenter made the point that we could all read 1000 books in a lifetime with a small investment of only 15 minutes a day. “Carry a book with you,” he said, “you’ll be surprised how many times in a day you’ll be waiting for a bus or an appointment.” I would like to offer some unsolicited advice. That is, make books available to children. The books in this issue are readily available at bookstores and libraries. They are lightweight and portable. They fit into backpacks, totes, lunch boxes, and all variety of bags. Bring them with you and put them in the hands of children whenever possible. In doing so, you will be creating a culture of reading, which will do wonders to promote their lifelong interest in books. Reading opportunities abound, so please seize them and make reading fun for young people everywhere. As always, please get in touch with me if you have any comments or questions.Robert Desmarais, Managing Editor
Stories of the Amautalik: Fantastic Beings from Inuit Myths and Legends by N. Christopher
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Christopher, Neil. Stories of the Amautalik: Fantastic Beings from Inuit Myths and Legends. Trans. Louise Flaherty. Illus. Larry MacDougall. Iqaluit, Nunavut: Inhabit Media, 2009. Print. The End Notes for this book tell us that in “the isolated hills, under the ice of the sea, and in the darkness of the deep ocean, strange beings wait for lone travelers or careless children to make a mistake”. An amautalik is one such strange creature. These are the giant, disgusting ogresses of Inuit mythology who capture and eat children. This volume contains two stories, each of a different kind of amautalik. The first has a basket of slimy driftwood on her back, lined with maggoty, rancid seaweed. The second has a huge amauti (a coat with a pouch for carrying children). The two stories are similar. Both are cautionary tales, teaching children of the dangers of straying too far away from supervising adults. In both stories, one of the children does not have parents present to protect them and has been bullied in the community. In each case, the inattentive children are captured and taken away by the amautalik. In “The Hungry Amautalik and the Restless Children”, the child who has been bullied uses the old knowledge of her shaman grandfather to gain freedom. In “The Orphan and the Amautalik”, the orphan outwits the amautalik, by pretending that his toe, poking out of his worn out boot is a monster that will eat her. The first story is much longer than the second and there are many more images of the first amautalik. Larry MacDougall’s somber paintings portray the ogress’s glee while tying the children to a stake and her rage when she discovers that they are gone. The second amautalik is more cadaverous-looking and frightening. This book is an English translation of the 2007 Inuktitut volume Amautaliup miksaanut unikkaat and is also available as an English/Inuktitut tumble book. Originally these stories were told by elders to children, so the language would have been at a child’s level. However, this translation, although it is intended as children’s literature, has a reading level of about Grade 10. In spite of that, the book is still a valuable addition for school and public library collections. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: 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.
Hansel and Gretel and the Green Witch by L. North
Authors: Borle Sean 
Published: April 2016

North, Laura. Hansel and Gretel and the Green Witch. Illus. Chris Jevons. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree Publishing, 2015. Print.This book is a “health message” twist on the Hansel and Gretel story. The children in this story watch television and eat junk food. They follow a trail of doughnuts into the forest, where they are captured by a witch. Instead of fattening them up, she forces them to do exercise and eat healthy foods, because she only eats healthy kids. By the time the witch, who sometimes wears sweat pants and carries a megaphone, thinks Hansel and Gretel are ready to eat, they are fit enough to run away. Children will like the brightly coloured pictures, which the illustrator, Chris Jevons, obviously had fun creating. They will also be drawn in by Laura North’s completely original take on the story that they already know. The story is simply told, with easy words for beginning readers. The two puzzles at the end of the book are not essential to the story, but would be a fun way to review the story with children. This book is recommended for school and public libraries.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sean BorleSean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety.
Fortunately, The Milk by N. Gaiman
Authors: Pearce Hanne 
Published: April 2016

Gaiman, Neil, Fortunately, The Milk. Illus. Skottie Young. New York: HarperCollins, 2013. Print.Mum has left to present a paper on lizards at a conference leaving a young boy and his sister at home with Dad for a few days. In addition to frozen meals she leaves Dad a long list of things to do and remember, including the fact that they were running low on milk. On the second day of Mum’s absence the children are dismayed to realize that the refrigerator is now void of milk. Dad heads out to the corner store to remedy this unfortunate disruption to their breakfast, only to be gone an exceptionally long time. When Dad finally returns, he recounts the most unbelievable adventure he had on his way home with the milk, including an encounter with space aliens, pirates and a time travelling stegosaurus named “Dr. Steg”.I am familiar with Neil Gaiman’s works for adult readers and this was the first book I have read by him intended for children. I was delighted to see that his imaginative style shines as bright, or dare I say even brighter, in this juvenile genre. The narrator tells the story in a very candid style and I particularly enjoyed the places where the children interrupt their father to dispute the details of his story.The black and white illustrations on nearly every page of the book have an edgy hand-drawn quality to them that complement the lighthearted nature of the story. Skottie Young has conveyed exceptional detail in his drawings, focusing not only on the zany cast of characters but also with the depth using background images. I enjoyed how his artistry weaved and wrapped itself around the text on the page.Fortunately, The Milk is an adventure tale born out of the commonplace that shows one can find adventure even in a simple jaunt down to the corner store. As an adventure story it has a narrative momentum that will appeal to those who enjoy movement and action. Readers like myself, who enjoy action alongside breaks of description and character development, may find these aspects a bit lacking. Overall, this is a fun story that when accompanied by the illustrations would make it easy to read together with the whole family, as even younger children would manage to follow along.Recommended: 3 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 Assistant at the Rutherford Humanities and Social Sciences Library. In 2010 she completed her MLIS at the University of Alberta. Aside from being an avid reader she has continuing interests in writing, photography, graphic design and knitting.
How To Be A Cat by N. McClure
Authors: Thorlakson Jessica 
Published: April 2016

McClure, Nikki. How To Be A Cat. New York, NY: Abrams Appleseed, 2013. Print.In line with Abrams high-quality art books, How To Be A Cat features self-taught artist Nikki McClure’s intricate cutout artwork and a glimpse into the daily activities of felines. Following a simple black-on-white color scheme with baby-blue highlights, readers are offered sixteen one-word lessons on how to be a cat, such as how to stretch, pounce, wait and dream.Using images and single text statements on each page, How To Be A Cat tells the story of a kitten learning about its environment. It awakens, cleans itself, and then, being playful, gets into trouble by attacking its adult cat companion, learning both how to pounce and how to be brave. It then receives a lesson in hunting—the art of simply listening—before exploring, getting lost, and inevitability being found again. The story therefore comes full circle, starting with the safety and security of life at home to the adventures and fears of the outside world and back home again where one can feast and sleep.McClure’s cutout felines bear a variety of adorable facial expressions, allowing readers the opportunity to connect and fall in love with this sweet little kitten. Further, the vignettes playfully convey feline behavior and profoundly depict the relationship of a child and its mentor, encompassing the associated trials and moments of tenderness.How To Be A Cat is recommended for elementary school libraries as well as public libraries, and would make a great book for story time. For, it is perfect for young readers, who, like the kitten in the story, are learning about themselves and the world around them.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Jessica ThorlaksonJessica Thorlakson is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education and Physical Education Library. She has a background in English Literature and enjoys little more than reading a good book and drinking some tea.
Native Americans: a visual exploration by S. N. Paleja
Authors: Odeen Alicia 
Published: April 2016

Paleja, S.N. Native Americans: a visual exploration. Toronto: Annick Press, 2013. Print. This book is a non-fiction text using graphics to cover topics as diverse as Aboriginal arrival, culture, language, food, housing, and the environment to present-day Aboriginal issues. It is chock-full of information using a variety of non-linguistic representations, such as graphs, pictographs, and a variety of graphic organizers in the form of timelines and other visuals. The colourful pictures help to draw children’s interest and they also help reluctant readers access the content. A major drawback of the text is that too much information is covered, which means that many of the facts have been overgeneralized and can result in children applying the content to all aboriginal groups. There are occasional problems with diction, such as using the word “tribes” instead of “First Nations”. Also, there should have been more focus on their culture, what issues they face, and how those issues are dealt with in their communities. The book is intended for children ages 9-12 but too often, the language used is difficult for readers at this age. In an attempt to include a vast amount of information the graphics become confusing and are difficult to interpret. This book is a good starting point for those interested in this topic and is certainly recommended reading for an elementary school. The timelines and information capture some of the most important points in the historical development of the Aboriginal Peoples. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Alicia OdeenAlicia worked for 5 years in a high school library before getting her dream job at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library. She now spends most of her time reading stories about dinosaurs, robots, and trains with her 3 year old son William.