Deborah Ellis

I have just returned from taking Deborah Ellis to her hotel after her last presentation during the Victoria leg of her western tour. I have spent the last several days listening to Deb address the effects of war, aids, poverty, and the drug trade on the lives of children with audiences that ranged from grade four students to senior citizens. The importance of the themes that Deb’s stories bring to the forefront are especially evident in the questions the young people in her audience ask; questions like how can kids live in prisons, why can’t kids who are sick get the medicine they need, and why can’t girls go to school in Afghanistan? Many will have read The Breadwinner, Pavanah's Journey and Mud City, but Deborah Ellis has written many other books. She is no one trick pony, despite this label she so often gives to herself. She is about shaking us out of our complacency and about empowering young people to demand more of our world and it's inhabitants. She is about social justice.

Not surprisingly, I was excited to hear that Deb has turned her compassionate yet critical storyteller’s eye on North American. Jakeman will be the title of her next novel. It's about kid whose mother goes to prison. It's about poverty and the feeling of being powerless, but it's also about alter-egos and about kids taking back their power. I can hardly wait to read it.

The Power of Lucky & Three Wishes

So what do The Higher Power of Lucky and Three Wishes have in common? Read on...

It’s unbelievable. The controversy around this year’s Newbery Award-winner, The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron is growing in leaps and bounds. The ugly head of censorship has been rearing it’s head in the New York Times, on Publisher Weekly’s Website, and in blog after blog. It seems that a lot of librarians have trouble with the word “scrotum”, and that’s enough to keep the book away from sensitive young readers! I must admit that I agree totally with Ms. Patron who explained that scrotum is a “delicious” word. Unbelievable, and of course one of the many ironies (I’m not even going to go into sex-driven advertising or music videos here) is that as the ‘ban the book frenzy’ reaches it’s peak, we are just about to celebrate Freedom to Read Week. Don’t they get it? Banned books are wildly appealing to the young and curious, as I first learned back in the 1960’s when J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was banned from my high school. Even the kids who had an aversion to reading devoured that book (or at least key passages of it). So, congratulations Ms. Patron. You can expect to sell more books and you are in very good company!

It was only a year ago that a huge controversy developed when one school district in Ontario chose to drop Deborah Ellis’ Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak from a provincially sanctioned readers’ choice award, again just as we were heading into Freedom to Read Week!

For anyone in the Victoria, BC area, the Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable will be hosting Deb Ellis as part of our celebration of Freedom to Read Week at Spectrum Community High School @ 957 Burnside Rd in the school library @ 7:30.

Or you can go to http://www.freedomtoread.ca/ to find out how you can celebrate this important week in your own area. Defy the censors. Read a banned book!

Sheryl

What Athletes are Made of by Hanoch Piven

I came across the coolest picture book the other day and I do mean coolest. It's an information book about athletes by Hanoch Piven called What Athletes Are Made Of. Americans may know him for his earlier What Presidents Are Made Of. I confess, that as a Canadian, I didn't look twice at his earlier book. The subject just wasn't of interest. This book, though, is pure gold. Covering athletes like Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, David Beckham, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Joe DiMaggio, kids will get a glimpse into the lives of some of sport's greatest.

In addition to quotes and quirky bits of information about his favourite athletes, Piven added sports tidbits that kids and adults will be delighted to know at the bottom of each page. For instance, have you ever wondered what the significance of the special yellow jersey in The Tour de France? Or, do you have any idea just how fast David Beckkham's kick has been clocked at? Do you have any idea where the term "saved by the bell" comes from.

The best part of the book though, is Pavil's illustrations, especially the athletes' portraits, which are alone worth the price of the book. He uses everyday items like coke bottles, pencil sharpeners, rulers, golf balls, marbles and elastic bands in a way that those of us without an artistic outlook can only marvel at. Short biographies can also be found at the end of this most wonderful of books. Any sports lover of any age will love this fabulous picture book published by Antheum.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but computer woes have kept me both from reading and writing. Three hard drive crashes in two weeks has convinced or shall I say forced, me to take drastic action in the form of not only a new computer but a new operating system. Yes, I’ve gone Mac...My daughter, who is a big fan tells me I will love it, but the various quirks (such as no right click) find me spending far more time reading on-line explanations of how to do what I used to on this new system. As well, I continue to try to retrieve my email and not yet backed up files from a now dead computer, and transferring backed up files into a new operating system. For instance, I spent all of last evening reentering my contacts into my new address book while many of you probably watched the Grammy’s or read a good book. All very onerous!

But enough! After finishing getting my contacts in order, I allowed myself to start a new book, Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. This fantastic first novel by Australian newcomer is downright magical and it will delight avid readers, most especially female teens. Set high in the Transylvanian woods, in a castle known as Piscul Draculi, it follows five sisters and their monthly forays into a magical realm of fairies and full moon dancing. When one of the sisters falls in love with one of the creatures of the Other Kingdom, it is left to Jenna, the practical sister, to ensure that her lovesick sister doesn’t risk all for the impossible. Meanwhile, left under the care of relatives while their father goes south for his health, their cousin Cezar moves in ostensibly to help the girls through a brutal winter. Tormented by the loss of his brother ten years earlier, Cezar has much darker motives. Can Cezar be stopped? And will Jena’s sister be lost to them forever? I

It so happens that I could tell you, but I'm sure you'd much rather enjoy the journey yourself. All I can say is if you’re anything like me, don’t start this book at bedtime! I believe it was about 4am when I finally turned the last page and turned out the light. Needless to say, this morning was no so good. Later...

Lily and the Mixed-Up Letters by Deborah Hodge

Deborah Hodge, widely known to non–fiction readers, has come out with a new picture book with Tundra Publishers. Lily and the Mixed –Up Letters will win the hearts of both kids and adults alike. Lily used to love going to school, but now that she is in grade two, her beautiful bright pictures aren’t enough to win her praise. Instead, she is left feeling anxious and inadequate by her inability to read. Neither the words nor the letters make sense to Lily who is afraid to confide this even to her best friend Grace. Not surprisingly, Lily tries to hide her inability by feigning illness. Lily always feels better the moment she hits the playground; a telltale sign if ever there was one.

A crisis isn’t far off though. Soon everyone in Lily’s class will be expected to each read a page from their books at the upcoming Parent Day. Lily is unable to hide her distress any longer. When Lily’s mother asks her what’s wrong that night, Lily breaks down sobbing. To Lily's surprise, her mother confides that she had similar troubles reading when she was Lily's age. The knowledge that she is not alone and that her mother has successfully learned to read are healing balms for Lily. As well, her mother contacts Lily’s teacher who immediately assigns Lily a reading buddy. In the end, disclosure and support at home and at school leads to her success and to Lily “Feeling as light as a kite on the wind”.

While not all children will succeed in overcoming a reading problem as quickly and easily as Lily has, parents and educators will well know that success is much more likely with support than without it. Read this book to a class and you might help a child understand that they are not as alone as they thought they were. And...you might just help them to start “Feeling as light as a kite on the wind” just like Lily.

Quad by C.B. Watson

Here I am at American Library Association Conference in Seattle signing books. I am with two fantastic Fitzhenry & Whiteside Sales Reps. Stephanie Stewart (left), and Penny Taylor (right).

While I was there, I picked up a few titles that looked interesting. One that I just finished was Quad which will be out in May 07 by Razorbill; part of the Penguin group. The author is C.B. Watson, a high school teacher and newbie. The author’s familiarity with the age group has served the author well. While the dialogue in this disturbing YA title sounds like it came directly from the halls of your local high school and the cluster of teens gather with Slurpees and skateboards outside your local 7-Eleven, the author’s approach is subtle and insightful. The narrative starts with the central issue of a high school shooter. What I liked so much about this book was the way in which the author doesn’t centre on the shooting, but on what led up to it. This is done through short chapters told from various points of view: “FREAKS, JOCKS, PREPS, DRAMA QUEENS, CHOIR BOYS, and TECHIES”. Each chapter offers a slice of the cruelties of high school life and insight into the reason why some kids snap. By letting us see that each group has kids who are vulnerable, Watson not only keeps the suspense high, but pushes us to examine what might be going on under the surface of our own schools and with our children. This is a disturbing and powerful novel, but one that teens, educators and parents will benefit from reading. C. G. Watson is definitely an author to watch out for. I'll post a cover as soon as it's available on the publisher's sight.

2007Newbery and Caldecott Medals

The Newbery and Caldecott Medals were awarded earlier this week, to Susan Patron for The Higher Power of Lucky (Atheneum/Jackson) and to David Wiesner for Flotsam (Clarion). It was Patron's first win, and Wiesner's third—he's only the second artist ever to win the Caldecott three times. I must admit that I haven't read The Higher Power, but Flotsam is fabulous.

Odd Man Out by Sarah Ellis

Long plane rides are good for something. On a very long plane ride to visit my daughter in Down Under country recently, I brought along the new Sarah Ellis book, Odd Man Out. I was not disappointed. If you’ve read my blog before you’ll already know that I’m a big Ellis fan so no surprise there. As usual, Ellis tackles tough subjects with a quirky sensibility that has come to define her highly individual approach to children’s books.

Kip, the main character in Odd Man Out is the odd man in multiple ways. Visiting his Gran along with five female cousins, Kip is the only boy, the only one who isn’t a regular, and the only one who doesn’t know how he will survive a summer where the rules have been turned upside down. Since Gran’s rambling old house will soon be torn down, anything goes (except tearing down load-bearing walls). Gran’s rules are written on the walls, and the most important one seems to be no whining. To make matters worse, Kip is equally uncertain about fitting in back home when his mother and her new husband do finally return from their vacation (carefully not referred to as a honeymoon) in Hawaii. The discovery of a dusty notebook belonging to his dead father uncovers a secret and exciting world acts like a healing balm. Kip builds a sanctuary in the attic where he can read his father’s words and share in his fictional creations. Just when things are looking up, a family talent fiasco brings Kip’s new found sense of belonging crashing down.

As usual, Ellis has peopled her popular fiction with quirky characters that jump off the page. Gran’s “anything goes” approach to her impending move, hobo dinners, and trips to the free store are balanced by a vulnerability that makes you as nervous as her grandchildren when she is rushed off the Island suffering from a possible heart attack. And, the “girlatorium” as Kip refers to his cousins are as engaging as they are unique―insists that she is a dog who speaks human. What is different about Odd Man Out though is the increasingly complex and subtle way that Ellis introduces sensitive issues such as mental illness. She is a writer at the top of her game. I can only marvel at her skill and look forward to her next book.

Skinnybones and The Wrinkle Queen by Glen Huser

So, I'm finally back from a wonderful trip to Australia where my three lovely daughters and I enjoyed surf and sun, great wines, and fantastic museums and art galleries for almost a month. Arrived home to power outages and a foot of snow. Yikes! That was followed by wind storms, downed phone lines, and then computer problems. I fit in a trip to Seattle for the American Library Association Conference and book signings with author friends Debbie Hodge and Linda Bailey which was also lots of fun. So, you see I have plenty of excuses for not updating this blog for a while. No more slacking off though…

While I was away, I confess to straying from my passion for kids books into an occasional thriller, a couple of Philippa Gregory’s historical fiction titles, and a few chick lit titles, but on to kids’ books. One that I totally adored was Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen by Glen Huser published by Groundwood Books. Tamara is the ‘Skinnybones’ foster care reject of the title while the ‘Wrinkle Queen’ is the ninety year old former high school teacher and senior care home resident, Miss Barclay. They meet when one of Tamara’s teachers matches students up with seniors at a nearby facility. They pair up on a Thelma and Louise style dash for the coast to indulge their respective passions—the Wrinkle Queen wants to go to the Ring Cycle Wagner operas staged in Seattle one last time while Tamara is desperate to take a modeling course in Vancouver. It takes months to lay the groundwork of subterfuge necessary, but the two finally set off with 15 year old Tamara at the wheel with her newly acquired learners’ permit. The deal is, if Tamara gets Miss Barclay to Seattle and takes her to the four day operatic extravaganza, the Wrinkle Queen will pay for her modeling course. That is if the two don’t throttle each other along the way.

Their adventures are hilarious, but what I liked most was the snappy dialogue between the two. Huser tells the story from both the Wrinkle Queen and Skinnybones point of view and manages to successfully skirt sentimentality. Neither Tamara nor Miss Barclay are initially sympathetic of the other. Despite occasionally nodding off mid-sentence, the Wrinkle Queen is as savvy when she’s awake as she would have been standing in front of a classroom of teenagers who’d rather be any where else than where they are. She easily sees through Tamara’s fake movie star smile. Meanwhile Tamara is as tough as they come. She’ll do anything to get out of the foster care cycle and into the glamorous world of modeling including: lying to her foster family and social worker, ditching school, stealing, and helping a ninety year old lady escape from a nursing home. It is when the trip begins to unravel and their respective tough veneers begin to show cracks that the story is at its strongest. Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen is one road trip you won’t want to miss.

Gone fishing !

Gone fishing; or at least figuratively. Actually, when I'm not learning to surf, snorkeling, touring Australian vineyards and nature reserves, checking out the night life in Sydney and Melbourne, I'll be reading. I have a pile of books that I'll be posting about once I'm back from Australia. Until then, happy reading. In the meantime, check out the sidebar to see if I've reviewed a book by one of your favourite authors. Sheryl

CBC Children's Book Panel

CBC Radio has a panel that recommends kids books a couple of times a year. Here are the December panels and their picks. Check them out, including my most recent review of Alphabetter by Dan Bar-el, one of Ken Setterinton's picks. Also check out my earlier review of The Thief and other Attolia books by Megan Whalen Turner which you can find by author's I have reviewed on the sidebar to your right.

Suggestions for Young Adults

Phyllis Simon's picks
* "Ziggy and the Plugfish", Jonathan Harlen, Allen & Unwin
* "Alone on a Wide Wide Sea", Michael Morpurgo, HarperCollins
* "The Talent Thief", Alex Williams, MacMillan
* "Gatty's Tale", Kevin Crossley-Holland, Orion
* "The Story of Salt", Mark Kurlansky, Putnam

Michele Landsberg's picks
* "The Book Thief", Markus Zusak, Knopf
* "The Thief", "The King of Attolia", "The Queen of Attolia", Megan
Whalen Turner, Greenwillow
* "Kids Cook 1-2-3", Rozanne Gold, Bloomsbury
* "Clementine"

, Sara Pennypacker, Hyperion

Ken Setterington's picks
* "A Very Fine Line", Julie Johnston, Tundra
* "Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen", Glen Huser, Groundwood
* "Hello, Groin", Beth Goobie, Orca
* "The Little Black Book for Girlz" by youth for youth, Annick Press
* "I Found a Deadbird: The Kids' Guide to the Cycle of Life and Death",
Jan Thornhill, Maple Tree Press

Pre-Teen Book Panel

Emmy Chahal's Picks:
1. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult (Atria Books)
2. Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Alborn (Random House)
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray (Random House)

Maddie Porter's Picks:
1. Who is Bugs Potter?, Gordon Korman (Scholastic)
2. Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls (Scholastic)
3. Turnabout, Margaret Peterson Haddix (Aladdin)

Patrick Jeffery's Picks:
1. A Series of Unfortunate Events, (series) Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel
Handler) (Harper Collins)
2. Angels and Demons, The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown (Random House)
3. Uglies, Scott Westerfield (Simon Pulse)
4. Falling Up, Shel Silverstein (Harper Collins)


CHILDREN'S BOOK PANEL - Children's Picture Books

Ken Setterington's Picks
1. "Alphabetter", Dan Bar-el/Graham Ross, Orca
2. "Jousting with Jesters", Martin Springett, Orca
3. "Snow", Joan Clark/Kady MacDonald Denton, Groundwood
4. "Jurassic Poop", Jacob Berkowitz/Steve Mack, Kids Can Press
5. "Listen Said the Donkey", Jean Little/Werner Zimmerman, North Winds Press
6. "Fox Walked Alone", Barbara Reid, North Winds Press
7. "Mommy?", Maurice Sendak, Scholastic

Michele Landsberg's Picks
1. "When Owen's Mom Breathed Fire", Pija Linderbaum, R&S Books
2. "So Sleepy Story", Uri Shulevitz, Farrar Straus Giroux
3. "Ancient Thunder", Leo Yerxa, Groundwood
4. "Flotsam", David Wiesner, Clarion Books
5. "Blue 2", David A. Carter, Little Simon
6. "Walter Was Worried", Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Roaring Brook Press

Phyllis Simon's Picks
1. "Pirate Bob" by Kathryn Lasky, Charlesbridge
2. "While You Are Sleeping", by Alexis Deacon, Hutchinson
3. "The Scallywags", by David Melling, Barron's
4. "The Fairy Doll", Rumer Godden, Macmillan (2006 edition)
5. "The Story of Holly & Ivy", Rumer Godden, Viking (2006 edition)
6. "Lucy Willow", by Sally Gardner, Orion

Alphabetter by Dan Bar-el

I have always loved both counting and alphabet books. A few years ago I wrote A Pod of Orcas: A Seaside Counting Book, but I never did manage a decent alphabet book. If you are a fan of these books, you will be as delighted to crack the cover of Alphabetter by Bar-el and Graham Ross as I was. Bar-el, puts twenty-six girls and boys in various predicaments with the solution to their dilemmas a mere letter away. Each of the characters is named after one of Bar-el’s students which adds a multicultural flavour to this quirky story.Vladamir, Umar, Mateo and Joo Pyo are a few of the kids who will be thrilled to see their names in print.

“Frieda had a football, but she didn’t have a goldfish. Gwendolyn had a goldfish, but she didn’t have a hammer.”

Bar-el’s words are brought to riotous life by Ross who has Frieda feeding her football fish food in a fish bowl while Gwendolyn has a goldfish hanging from her tool belt where a hammer ought to be. Of course the solutions are obvious―all except for one. The final letter of the alphabet has no one to give her what she really wants, or does she?

Ross’ illustrations are hilariously accumulative, but there is more. Each page has a hidden letter, making this alphabet a bit of a mystery. Some of the letters are tough to find, but the answers can be found at Orca Books if you have trouble.

In my estimation, it is most unfortunate that there are only twenty-six letters in the alphabet!

technologically challenged

To any of you who have posted comments, please accept my apologies. I thought I accidently made them disappear before I realized I had them. I'm not sure I quite have the hang of it, but feel free to post and I'll try and do better at keeping on top of things. Sigh...I wish my daughter were here although I know there would be groans and serious eye-rolling behaviour over my ineptitude, but she's so much better at this sort of thing than I. Thanks for bearing with me...Sheryl

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi by Filomena Gomes

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi is a delightfully delicious picture book put out this year by Second Story Press. It's simple familial message of parental love is paired with culinary dishes from around the globe made by a mother daugher team. Combining affection and food is hardly new, but Filomena Gomes' mix of a reperetitive refrain with and a kid who lines chutney up like trafic lights "green, yellow and red," to bake a perfect picture book. Gomes is aided by Ashley Spires quirky illustrations which include a menagerie of pets, precariously piled dishes, and best of all, lots of yummy food like sushi, louska, couscous, jambalaya, samosas and more. Eat it--oops, I mean, read it today.

Mr. Hiroshi's Garden by Maxine Trottier

The last while our Children's Literautre Roundtable has been collecting books for our local Single Parent Association. Sorting through boxes of books, I have come across several old favourites, one of which is Mr. Hiroshi's Garden by Maxine Trottier with illustrations by Paul Morin.

As a child, Mary comes to stay with her grandmother on the west coast. Mary discovers that Mr. Hiroshi, her grandmother's neighbour, has a most unusual garden; a garden of gravel paths and stepping stones, clipped evergreens, and blue irises surrounding a koi pond. "I began this garden before you were born...I started with one flower and a few perfect stones. Such things take time. But a garden must begin somewhere." Mr. Hiroshi explains to Mary. Then, one day Mr. Hiroshi who was born in this country and lived in the same house his whole life, was taken away to an internment camp. Mr. Hiroshi and his garden became casualties of a WWII even though they were far removed from the crack of gunfire or the explosion of cannons. Before the new neighbours move in though, Mary and her grandmother rescue the koi and dig up a few of the precious irises. Mary also pockets a single stone. Later when she goes back to her prairie home, she begins a new garden for Mr. Hiroshi. "It was a small thing. But then, a garden must begin somewhere."

I love Mr. Hiroshi's Garden. I love the rich but spare language. I love the illustrations which are equally rich in tone, content and perspective. I love it that a book about a garden can bridge cultural gaps. I love it that a book about a garden can bridge generational gaps. I love it that a quiet book about a garden can teach so much about tolerance and in so few words. If you've never read it, today would be a good time to pick up Mr. Hiroshi's Garden.

A Different Kind of Beauty by Sylvia McNicoll

Not many posts lately as I have spent so much time touring. Aside from judging a writing contest for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, hosting our speaker for the last Children’s Literature Roundtable meeting of the year, and, of course, writing, I am not busy. Can’t even garden since everything is covered in at least a foot of snow; yes this is the West Coast! So, I hope to catch up on my reading and book blogging..

I did manage to read Sylvia McNicoll’s A Different Kind of Beauty but haven’t had time to write about it until now. It is apparently a sequel to Bringing Up Beauty, which was published in 1999 and won both the Manitoba and Ontario’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

A Different Kind of Beauty has two narrators. The story begins with Liz who is fostering a lab for the Lions Foundation who trains dogs for the visually impaired. Beauty is the second dog that Liz’s has fostered and this time she is determined not to have her heart broken when it’s time to give the dog up. The turmoil of a pregnant older sister who has moved back home to get away from her abusive fiancé, and an ex-boyfriend who sends mixed messages melt her resolve to keep Beauty at arm’s length. When Beauty turns out to be terrified of sudden loud noises, Liz can’t hold back. She has to give Beauty her all even if it means breaking her heart again.

Kyle is the second narrator, and his story begins in Hawaii where surf, sand and are a teenager’s dream come true. The dream is a far cry from reality though as this visit is about Kyle’s grandmother teaching him how to better control his diabetes. Unfortunately, it is also the beginning of one of the devastating symptoms of diabetes; blindness. Kyle does not adjust well to his new situation made worse when his girlfriend back home dumps him. Terrified of dogs, he resents his dependency on his family who would rather he got a guide dog. Arrogance combined with using his blindness to ‘get girls’ and buy alcohol are balanced by a vulnerability that is heart-breaking as when Kyle is abandoned by high school acquaintances in the bathroom of the mall. He takes risks as most teenagers do; but for a blind teenager with diabetes those risks can and nearly are fatal.

Kyle and Liz cross paths on several occasions, but it takes loss and Beauty to bridge their differences. McNicoll skillfully weaves their tales together without being predictable. I liked the fact that there were no pat solutions, only real characters with real lives that involved real problems. Secondary characters were just as well developed and believable. I haven’t’ read McNicoll’s earlier book, but I’ll definitely put it on my list.

Toad Rage by Morris Gleitzman

Imagine that all you want is a nice crunchy meal of grasshoppers with maybe a few bull ants for desert. Now imagine having your friends and relatives flattened like placemats while trying to get it. This is the risk that Limpy and his cane toad family and friends face each time they go down to the road for a meal. The lights attract insects, and every cane toad knows that this is the best place for breakfast, lunch, dinner not to mention yummy midnight snacks. Limpy, our cane toad hero with a gimp leg and loveable warts asks why is it that humans go out of their way to flatten them. Can humans be made to understand that even cane toads are nice…well toads? Toad Rage by Morris Gleitzman is the story of one cane toad’s quest to understand why people hate cane toads and to try to change their mind. The adventures he takes are mythic (well at least mythic by toad standards) as well as hilarious. I loved the way that Gleitzman, a prolific down-under Aussie, throws in all sorts of toad science. 8-10 year old boys are sure to be impressed by some of the grosser factoids that Gleitzman builds into the story-line while the less feint of stomach will surely be swept up by the fast pace Odyssey like plot. And for real keeners, Toad Heaven is also available.

Secret of the Dance by Andrea Spalding and Judge Alfred Scow

Picture a man whose life’s work has been to uphold the law. Picture that same man with a childhood secret that could have sent his family to jail. Now picture Canada in 1935 when Aboriginal cultural practices like the Potlatch were forbidden. Award-winning children’s author Andrea Spalding and Judge Alfred Scow, a Kwakwa’ka’wakw Nations elder have teamed up to tell a story based on the judge’s childhood, Secret of the Dance. It is beautifully illustrated by Darlene Gait whose blend of high realism and native motifs enrich every page.

“Many years ago, when the world and I were younger, my family defied the government.” begins Judge Scow’s story. The narrator, Watl’kina tells us that in 1935, an Indian Agent (government representative) warned his parents that the Potlatch and the dancing that were a part of a Potlatch ceremony were illegal. Watl’kina’s family knew that the Potlatch was an essential part of their cultural identity. They used a fishing trip to disguise a visit to family in a nearby village hosting a Potlatch. They were careful to keep the reason for their visit secret even from their children. Their attendance at a Potlatch ceremony could result in the adult members of the family being jailed and their children being taken away. As the oldest child, Watl’kina was charged with looking after his younger siblings while his parents attended the village long house. But, the drums from the long house called him and Watl’kina could not resist. He crept through the night to the long house where he witnessed not only the unforgettable ceremony, but a familiar figure dancing. It was his father.

The great joy in reading quality picture books lay in the many levels that they can be read at. Secret of the Dance definately resides in this quality picture book category. A young child could simply enjoy the adventure of a trip and sneaking out at night to witness something special but forbidden, while the more experienced reader will understand the historical and cutural importance of bearing witness and yet having to hide that knowlege. Furthermore, First Nations readers can take tremendous pride in being part of a cuture able to withstand repeated and often times brutal attemps to destroy it.

While Secret of the Dance is fictional, the danger of being caught at a Potlatch would have been all too real. It created a blanket of silence during Judge Scow’s childhood and a climate of secrecy. Secret of the Dance is another step in throwing off the blanket of silence over a shameful chapter in our history, and one that nearly destroyed the rich cultural heritage of Coastal First Nations. Healing can only happen when a wound is exposed and treated. Stories like Judge Scow’s are a long needed medicine for wounds too long covered up. It is a compelling story that brings recent history to life.

Pump by Sharon Jennings

Pump! by Sharon Jennings

RL grade 2.2, IL grades 3-10 ISBN 1-897039-19-0

High interest, low vocabulary books are hardly new, but publishers of high/low books have recently been attracting at lot more attention. While there has always been a need for high/low books, the demand seems to be increasing. Fortunately truly talented writers are beginning to turn their attention to this special class of books. Sharon Jennings best known for her wonderful picture books like Into My Mother's Arms is one such author. Pump is an example of a high-low title with enormous appeal for intermediate boys who may be reluctant to pick up a book.

Jennings grabs readers from the first sentence. “So how did I get into this life or death mess? I guess it started the day I skipped school.” Jennings’s protagonist isn’t a bad kid, but he is a real kid, and as everyone knows―including kids, real kids get into trouble. Pat is a skateboarder, and not very popular with some of his neighbours who would rather never hear the THUNK of a skateboard again. Building a ramp makes matters even worse. But, when the police are called in, Pat gets a surprise. That isn’t the only surprise that Jennings has in store for her readers though. Will Pat be able rally enough support to lobby city council for a skateboard park? Will he be able convince his mother to let him board again even if he does? Pump has the boarding moves, the lingo, and the perfect pacing to take readers on a skateboard ride with plenty of “air.” In fact, parents and teachers would do well to check out other titles from High Interest Publishing.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Back after yet another tour. I can just about count the number of days I've been home this fall on one hand...which has meant that I have been mostly too busy to read. Well, not entirely, but airplanes tend to bring out the worst in my reading choices. I've read more than a few murder mysteries and 'who done its'. One book that I did read which is a must for parents and educators despite it's grim content is We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It is probably one of the most disturbing books that I have read for quite some time as it's about the recent phenomena of school killings. Told from the point of view of the mother of a fictional high school sociopath, it is frighteningly real; almost documentary in style. Each entry is a letter written by Kevin's mother, Eva Khatchadourian to her husband. Eva's letters are a way for her to try to understand what went wrong with their son. The reader is privey to the most intimate of questions that she asks about herself and her relationships with her son, and her husband. She does not spare herself consequently, the reader is not spared either. The entire book sent shivers up my spine in part because Shriver does not shy away from the pain, anguish and inevitable guilt that must result from raising a child who turns out to be a killer. Eva's letters to her husband are stark, honest and gut wrenching. The twist at the end was heart wrenching. While it is not an easy read, I would highly recommend it.