Canadian Book Awards just announced...

Fall is the time of the year when awards are as numerous as falling trees (at least out here on the west coast with our wild wind storms). Here are a few Canadian awards just announced. I find that when I'm pressed for time, reading the award books as well as the books short-listed is a good way to keep abreast of what's going on in kid's books. So, the list of award books below should keep you busy for a while...

A WINNING NIGHT FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The Canadian Children's Book Centre Announces Winners of

Four Awards at Celebration at Toronto’s Design Exchange

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto: October 20, 2006) – Last night, the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) announced the winners of four book awards at the Canadian Children’s Literature Awards Celebration at Toronto’s Design Exchange. The TD Bank Financial Group, Dr. James Fleck, Marilyn and A. Charles Baillie and staff and board members of the Canadian Children's Book Centre announced the winners and celebrated an evening of outstanding books for children and teens by Canadian authors and illustrators.

And the winners are…

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

The Crazy Man
written by Pamela Porter
Groundwood Books

The Bilson jury called The Crazy Man…“A poignant and touching novel written with a unique voice…this spare and intense writing really evokes life on the Prairies and the resiliency of a young girl…it recreates the experiences and maturation of Emaline in a compelling and highly readable way…The Crazy Man is wonderful, powerful and so different.”

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction

Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made
written by Bill Slavin and Jim Slavin, illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press

The Fleck jury called Transformed … “A window into complicated subjects…Slavin presents difficult information in a humorous and appealing way … Each process is described in such a way that you understand everything … The illustrations and text are one … Transformed satisfies a young reader’s hunger for answers.”

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

Caramba
written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books

The Baillie jury called Caramba… “An engaging, exquisitely written story that captivates you from the very first page … Gay uses humour and warmth to introduce young readers to this wonderfully original new feline friend…This is Marie-Louise Gay at her best.”

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (English-language)

The Crazy Man
written by Pamela Porter
Groundwood Books

The TD jury called The Crazy Man… “Beautiful and powerful… This book depicts the possibility of a world filled with humanity and healing... so carefully and lovingly crafted… has a strength and power that is different than most books… an amazing, rich storyline... The Crazy Man is exquisite.”

. . .

Pamela Porter was the big winner of the night taking home both the $1,000 Geoffrey Bilson Award prize and the $20,000 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award prize for her novel The Crazy Man.

Bill Slavin and his brother Jim Slavin accepted the $10,000 Norma Fleck Award prize for their collaboration Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made.

Marie-Louise Gay won the inaugural $10,000 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award prize for her latest book, Caramba.

. . .

The following are the honour books for each award:

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
Honour Books

The Death of My Country: The Plains of Abraham Diary of Geneviève Aubuchon
written by Maxine Trottier
Scholastic Canada

Forget-Me-Not
written by Barbara Haworth-Attard
HarperTrophyCanada

Four Steps to Death
written by John Wilson
Kids Can Press

Turned Away: The World War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein
written by Carol Matas
Scholastic Canada


Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction
Honour Books

Coming to Canada: Building a Life in a New Land
written by Susan Hughes
Maple Tree Press

Hiding Edith: A True Story
written by Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press

My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary
written by Nadja Halilbegovich
Kids Can Press

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS
written by Deborah Ellis
Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award Honour Books

Bearcub and Mama
written by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press

Eddie Longpants
written and illustrated by Mireille Levert
Groundwood Books

Lullaby Berceuse: A Warm Prairie Night
story and songs by Connie Kaldor and Carmen Campagne, illustrated by Brian Deines
La Montagne Secrète

Shi-shi-etko
written by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave
Groundwood Books

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (English-language)
Honour Books

Earth to Audrey
written by Susan Hughes, illustrated by Stéphane Poulin
Kids Can Press

Mella and the N’anga: An African Tale
written by Gail Nyoka
Sumach Press

Shi-shi-etko
written by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave
Groundwood Books

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is a national, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1976 to promote the reading, writing, and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. The CCBC provides programs, publications, and resources for teachers, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, booksellers and parents. For more information about the CCBC and the Bilson Award, please visit the CCBC website at www.bookcentre.ca.

Exit Point by Laura Langston

Provocative definitely describes Exit Point, Laura Langston’s new YA novel in the Orca Soundings series. Gripping is another way to describe it. In fact, I couldn’t put it down. The premise is that there are various points that we can exit or die at, and we in fact have a choice about those points of exit.

Sixteen year old Logan is the story’s narrator. Logan is not like most other sixteen year olds and it doesn’t take the reader long to discover why. Logan is dead. Or is he? Maybe he’s just having a bad dream. After all, he can’t remember much and who ever heard of a round room where you are fed colours except maybe in your dreams? Then there is Wade, the snake-tattooed, six foot-four man who insists that he is Logan’s Guide. But Logan is skeptical. After all, there was no tunnel of light, and he hasn’t seen any pearly gates either.

When Logan meets up with his dead grandmother, the cigarette-smoking, straight-talking, gambling-addicted Arlene, doubt begins to creep in. Maybe he isn't dreaming? Maybe he really is dead? The real clincher comes when Wade takes Logan to his own funeral. Logan is now mere ashes in an urn next to his high school picture while the "ghost" of his former self looks on from the back pew. Logan is finally forced to believe that he died in a fiery car crash that left his best friend in a wheelchair, his father wracked by guilt, his mother devastated, his girlfriend broken-hearted, and his little sister hollow-eyed. Wade whisks him away, explaining that he has exited at the wrong time.

But, Logan discovers that his death isn’t the only thing troubling his little sister. By exiting too soon, he will no longer be around to help and protect her and she is terrified. He has to go back. He has to help her now that he knows. But how? And will he be strong enough to stand up to pure evil?

All I can say is read this compact YA novel which has flashes of brilliant insight. It may not answer any questions, but it certainly will push you to pose some of your own—about life, about death, and most especially about what may or may not come after. Who could ask a novel to do more?

Omar's Halloween by Maryann Kovalski

Teachers and parents are always on the look out for great seasonal kid’s book titles, so I thought I’d pass this one along. Omar’s Halloween is hot off the press. This time, Maryann Kovalski’s never perfect, but always loveable bear, is having a Halloween party after trick-or-treating with his friends. Omar is beyond excitement. He plans to have the scariest costume ever. But Omar finds out that scary isn’t easy to do. At first he thinks he might be a spider. All those scary legs make him shiver, but his friend explains how helpful spiders are in controlling the bug population, putting a kybosh on Omar’s scare. He even tries painting himself green, but finds that he still looks like himself only green! In the end, he ends up dressed as a ghost. No no one is the least bit frightened of him.. What’s worse, is when it starts to rain, Omar finds himself tripping and getting tangles in the sheet that his mother has made into a costume for him. Soon all of Omar’s friends have outrun him leaving poor Omar to trudge home alone wet and dirty and discouraged. He doesn’t’ realize that he is nothing like the cute ghost who left the house. By the time he gets home, everyone is already at his party! When he opens the door, Ormar is greeted by shrieks and near-feinting. Rain and mud and twigs sticking to him have transformed. He is SCAREY. And, despite the rain and mud, and arriving late at his own party, this is his happiest Halloween ever.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The End by Lemony Snicket

For Lemony Snicket fans out there, today, Friday 13th, is the release of the final in A Series of Unfortunate Events, appropriately entitled #13:The End. My kids and I have loved these books that followed the misadventures of the unfortunate Baudelaire orphas and Count Olof from the time the first one was released seven years ago. None of us loved the movie as much as the books. I read that the new book has a whopping 2.5 million book print run.

I think I have mention before that my all time favourite was The Unathorized Autobiography, but I admit that my girls didn't like that one quite as much as I did. I probably won't read this one immediately, but I'll definately get around to it despite thinking that the series has gone on a little too long for my taste. Still, misadventure has never been so much fun, and I so want to find out what is in store for this most unlucky of families!

The Blue Jean Book: The Story Behind the Seams by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Just finished The Blue Jean Book: The Story Behind the Seams by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. I can't believe it took me so long to read it! I've had it in my bedside pile (an ever growing pile I might add―yikes!) since it won the BC Book prize for Illustrated Children's Book back in April of this year.

Blue jeans have been around for more than a century. While they began as tough-wearing work pants, over the years, they became synonymous with groups as diverse as cowboys, rebellious teens, and high fashion designers. The impact of blue jeans on economic, social and cultural history can be felt around the globe. Who knew that so much was woven into blue denim threads? I love the way Kyi teases out each of these threads in such a easy to read style. Old ads and plenty of old and new photographs, sit easily alongside “pockets” of facts and asides. The Blue Jean Book is packed with information that is both interesting and provocative, but what I liked most about the book was that the author doesn’t shy away from difficult issues. She tackles toxic chemicals, sweatshops and advertising and explains the way in which we as consumers can impact the industry. And book’s design fits like a snug pair of jeans. What more you want from this superb team of author, editor, designer and publisher...just another superb title.

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

Just finished Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes. It’s one of those books that I’ve been meaning to read for ages; or at least since it came out in 2003. It was a Nerwbery Honor Book, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults for a very good reason. It’s really really really good.

To start, I loved the cover which is simultaneously soothing and provocative; so like the story. Twelve year old Martha opens the door the day before she and her family are to leave for summer vacation to find a stranger, with a disturbing message from the grave. She is Olive’s mother and she is there to thank Martha for befriending Olive, and to deliver a page from Olive’s diary. But Martha barely knew Olive, a classmate who was recently killed when she was hit by a car while riding her bike. But, with a page from Olive’s life before her, Martha realizes that they might easily have been friends. Thus Olive becomes a messenger from the grave; a catalyst to changes in the way Martha looks at herself, and her world, including her aging grandmother.

A stolen kiss, a near drowning, baby food jars of coloured water that refract the ligh, a stolen video tape, and sea water in a jar. These are the materials that Henkes weaves into a most poignant of novels.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Read a very cool item from Children's Bookshelf. On September 28th, middle school students in Florida broke the Guiness world record for "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations".Three hundred thousand kids read Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson breaking the previous record set in 2004 by students in the UK. Who even knew there was such a record to be broken! Now that you do though, wouldn't it be a fabulous thing to give a go at. I wonder if someone in Canada might be interested in taking up the challenge...

Children's Laureate

So today's hot topic for the Canadian children's author's listserve was "Should we have a Children's Book Laureate?" England has one, and has had for years. Jacqueline Wilson is the current Laureate whose two year term is just about up. Jack Prelutsky was recently named the Children's Poet Laureate in the US. I mean, we all seem to agree that kids and reading go together like peanut butter and jam (or jelly in the case of the US), oops, having a kid with a peanut allergy, I of all people, should use a nut-free example! So, try this one, kids and reading go together like a duck and water. In any case, raising the profile of the importance of books for children could use a little profile, and I don't mean the self-serving 'Madonna's new kid's book' kind of profile.

So, what do you non-writers think?

Know and Yes

Know is a relatively new science and technology magazine for the 6-9 year old crowd, and it really is a treasure. Kids will love the cool experiments and activities such as how to make an edible magnifying lens. They'll also love having their burning questions like "How are crayons made?" answered; although I predict that the parents and teachers of inquisitive kids will be even happier with this regular feature. The magazine has something for everyone ―from accessible age-appropriate science articles, to a "Di-know" section. Puzzles, games and contests round out the content. Of course the web presence adds to magazine's appeal, and it even features a blog. And best of all, when kids outgrow Know they can move straight onto Yes, the award-winning sister magazine for 9-14 year olds. Check them both out today.

2006 Information Book Award Shortlist

What a busy time of the year. I'm trying to get through several information books before October 16th, the date that the Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable votes for the National Information Book Award. So many good titles: So little reading time!

Are You Psychic? The Official Guide For Kids

by Helaine Becker. Maple Tree Press

Backyard Birds: An Introduction

by Robert Bateman. Scholastic Canada

The Blue Jean Book: The Story Behind the Seams

by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. Annick Press

Media Madness: An Insider’s Guide to Media

by Dominic Ali. Kids Can Press

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS

by Deborah Ellis. Fitzhenry and Whiteside

Terry Fox: A Story of Hope

by Maxine Trottier. Scholastic Canada

Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made

by Bill Slavin. Kids Can Press

I am in the middle of Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About Aids by Deborah Ellis. Very compelling and often times heart wrenching reading so far, with kids as young as 8 and 9 telling their stories. I'll report back when I'm finished.

Grist by Heather Waldorf

Just finished Grist by Heather Waldorf on my daughter’s recommendation. I haven’t been reading as diligently lately what with work, helping my daughter move out of her apartment in preparation for a year in Australia, and some incredible weather. And did I mention that I have been carrying furniture and boxes up and down three flights of stairs! Meaning, that I fall into bed at night and re-read the same page of the same book over and over; although it must be said that this has everything to do with the above mentioned three flights of stairs and the large quantity of books my daughter owns and nothing to do with the quality of the writing, which in the case of Heather Waldorf, is very good. And, for any Canadian publishers reading this, the cover is so savy and cool and appealing..come on Canadian YA publishers it's possible to do cool covers!

Grist is one of those coming of age stories that ring true. Charlie, the sixteen year old narrator is a keep-your-head-down sort of girl who takes pains not to stand out, especially now that her best friend Sam has moved to Australia. The one place where she does let herself shine is in creative writing. Charlie is a wanna-be writer, and her eccentric English teacher has given her loads of encouragement; that is, up until now. On the last day of school, he calls her into his office to give her a chance to rewrite her last assignment. For Charlie, who has not been doing a very good job of handling her best friend’s absence, nor her father’s new girl-friend and her triplet sons, it is the last straw.

Of course, things only get worse. Her teacher has a sudden heart attack and her father announces that he’ll be working in Toronto for the summer and his new girl friend is joining him. Charlie is welcome to come along, or she can visit her grandmother who lives on a live in the middle of nowhere. A summer at the lake where her long deceased mother grew up sounds only slightly more appealing to Charlie who leans toward being a couch potato. She learns to paddle a canoe, and helps paint her grandmother’s house, they are nothing compared to the fireworks when she kisses Kerry, the hot boy her grandmother warns her about.

At first Charlie manages to keep those “snap, crackle, pop” kissing sessions a secret, but eventually, her grandmother catches them in the act, and that’s when the fireworks really start. Sound predictable? Well it isn’t, but I can’t reveal Waldorf’s twist. You’ll just have to read it to find out. But let me start you off with the novel’s opening passage.

“It was a sticky, last-day-of-school afternoon. The halls of Springdale High were ripe with sweaty bodies, old lunch wrappers and the anticipation of summer.”

Talk about creating a scene. You can smell the place, including a whole high school population’s desire to fly through those double doors to get out into summer. Now, you’ll just have to do the rest on your own.

The Baabaasheep Quartet by Leslie Elizabeth Watts

The Baabaasheep Quartet by Leslie Elizabeth Watts is nothing short of delightful, not to mention down right hilarious.

Imagine four friends moving to the city and leaving small town life behind. Decorating a new apartment, trips to the opera and fancy restaurants are all exciting at first, but, the four find they never quite fit in. Of course, it doesn’t help that they are sheep. So, they decide that getting jobs is just the ticket. Lloyd’s Lawn care seemed like a natural, but oops…they clipped more than the grass a little too short. Yumm...tulips! They try knitting sweaters for babies at the hospital, but the hospital isn’t expecting any babies with four legs! The discouraged friends get caught in a downpour, but one of them sees a poster that pique’s his interest. Bits of the poster are missing, but it appears that it is an advert for a Baabaasheep Quartet. Not only will they be able to meet other sheep in the city, but the poster promises “Great big prizes!!!”

The four can hardly believe their luck and set to practice their singing immediately. They are determined to make a good impression. They are determined to fit in. They sing in the shower, on the balcony, and even on the phone to their friends back home. When the big day arrives, they dress in their fanciest clothes and head off to concert hall only to discover that the contest is for Barbershop Quartets, not Baabaasheep Quartets. What a terrible mistake…or is it?

In the end, Watts won’t leave you in any doubt. You’ll gobble up The Baabasheep Quartet as fast as a sheep can mow down a grassy lawn…or polish off a bed of tulips!

Ben Overnight by Sarah Ellis

Whether movies or books, sequels are often just not as good as the first time around. Nothing could be farther from true with Sarah Ellis’ Ben books. Big Ben was perfect, and so is Ben Overnight. Ellis has a way of honing in on the things that are most important to kids, the things that are important to them like being a pirate or “lighter than air.” She seems to be able to crawl inside both the kid and parent psyche, and she cuts to the chase with such creative flair that you can’t help but love her books. “The one thing that Ben can’t be at Peter’s [Ben’s best friend] is a sleepover-nighter.” Who else could sum up the issue at the core of a book while being creative; and all in a single line? But Ellis’ books are filled with these well crafted gems. Jumping on a bed is referred to as “…defy[ing] gravity.”

Ben does give a sleep-over at his friend’s another chance. While lying in bed that night he thinks about all the fast ways he could get back home if he needed to. He could be “Marathon Ben…Racecar Ben…[or even] Bird Ben.” Instead, he yawns and falls asleep. He is “Snooze-Boy Ben dreaming himself home.”

Of course Kim Lafave’s illustrations are the perfect match for Ellis, and with dozens of awards and countless books (four of them mine) under his illustrative belt Lafave knows how to bring a character to life. One can only hope that the two will be paired for many many more Ben books to come.

Diane Swanson

Last night we had our first Children's Literature Roundtable meeting for the 06-07 season. Check out the link for info about Canadian Children's Literature Roundtables for any who don't know about them. Our speaker was Diane Swanson. She was so fabulous. Her talk was entitled Toenails and Tunnels That Get Kids Reading and I can't tell you how engaging she was.

Her volunteers were asked to act the part of flatworms all in the name of science and I can say that the teacher and the libarian who were quasi volunteers did a superb job! Later, Swanson had a writer from the audience take on the role of a sibling with a bone to pick and four boxes of chocolate and a few rubber insects, Swanson demonstrated how statistics can be manipulated. Swanson is in fact, a master at getting kids (and adults) to think critically about bogus science. But Swanson's real joy is in getting young people to share her sense of wonder in the world around us. For example, she a student helicopter her arms as pretend wings as fast as she could before Swanson explained that she wasn't coming close to keeping up with a hummingbird whose wings beat 40 times per second, so fast, that they could, in fact, even fly upside down for several seconds. It's no wonder they need to eat 60 times a day! Swanson explained how to hush a room full of people with a mere penny (not with magic, but with science) and how to create the atmosphere of a tunnel with nothing but chopsticks, kids, and a blindfold. And, she made toenail clippings seem like the most interesting thing on the planet.

With 66 books and over 400 magazine articles to her credit, it's no wonder Swanson is a sought after speaker. The real reason though has to lie in her passion for science. It shines through bright and clear, and both kids and adults can't help but be inspired. So, run, don't walk to a bookstore near you to buy one of her engaging books, some of which include: A Crash of Rinos,A Party of Jays, Nibbling on Einstein’s Brain, Burp! and The Wonder in Water. And for you teachers out there, consider having her do an author visit. You won't regret it, and neither will your kids. I guarantee it. Her newest title is pure fabulous. Buy it, you'll love.

Baby Grizzly by AubreyLang and Wayne Lynch

Baby Grizzly by Aubrey Lang and Wayne Lynch is one of more than a dozen in a primary animal information series put out by Fitzhenry & Whiteside. The simple informative text is paired with fabulous photos by Lynch, whose work has appeared in numerous magazines such as Canadian Geographic and Owl. My favorite is a close-up of razor sharp grizzly claws, although a shot of two grizzly cubs at play in the snow is a close second. The table of contents, “Did You Know?” facts and an excellent index contribute to the quality. Baby Grizzly, is a must for any school or public library.

Maude Barlow and Joseph Boyden

Back again. No I haven't been lazy, just away working. Taught a Writing for Kids workshop in Whistler, BC, and did school readings. I had the most wonderful time. I love going into schools to read/talk to kids about books; not just my books, but about books in general. The teacher in me misses all those shiny faces, although not some of the headaches that go along with today's classrooms.

My course was in conjunction with the Whistler Writer's Festival. One of the things I loved about the Festival, and about writer's festivals in general, is the opportunity to hear and meet other writers. Maude Barlow read one of the evenings. What a powerhouse she is; so articulate, and so compelling. She is the National Chair of The Council of Canadians, Canada’s largest citizen’s advocacy organization, and has been a social activist for years. She is also the founder of The Blue Planet Project, which is dedicated to stop the commodification of the world's water. She was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, don't pass it up. But, if you don't get the opportunity, definately read one of her many books; especially Blue Gold: the Battle Against Corportate Theft of World's Water.

I also had the pleasure of hearing Joseph Boyden read from and speak about his new book, Three Day Road. I bought the book but have not yet finished it. For those who are feint of heart, please note that Three Day Road is not light reading. Told mainly through flashbacks, Boyden juxtaposes the experiences of two Cree World War I sharp shooters, Xavier and Elijah, with Niska's story of escape from the horrors of Residential School. The title refers to the three day paddle by canoe that Niska and Xavier undertake to get back home from where the train has dropped off the injured and near death veteran. Sadly, it is a journey that Elijah will never be able to make.

I think one of the things I have liked most about this story so far, and it's true that I'm not yet finished, is the implicit message of the healing power of story and of the land that are at the core of this most elequent of novels. And, as far as I can see, reading it is most definately a journey worth taking.

A kids' book review is coming next. I promise.

The Water Hole by Graeme Base

Last night I asked my daughter to bring me home a few books from the bookstore where she works to add to my collection. One of the books she brought me was The Water Hole by Graeme Base, who also happens to have written one of my all time favourites, Animalia. Although The Water Hole isn’t new (published in 2001 by Puffin), like all of his other books, it is pure genius.

The story is a simple one, about various animals which come to water hole to drink. As the book progresses, the hole, which is a cut out in the page and looks like a progressively smaller series of ripples in the water, gradually shrinks until it finally disappears. Of course the wasteland that is left is no place for animals, and they too disappear. But, Base knows the importance of leaving young readers with a positive message. A shadow that falls across the sun is caused by a cloud. From that cloud, a single drop of rain falls eventually replenishing the water hole and signaling the return of the animals.

There are many wonderful parts to this book. The illustrations are rich and lush, and evocative and filled with detail. The author/illustrator has chosen to use each illustration to depict a different ecosystem with the common thread being the water hole. Thus, young readers see the animals and plants dependent upon water holes in Africa, India, China, and Australia to name a few. By doing widening the breadth of his subject, he has created a world rather than regional focus, and drawn our attention to the importance of a balanced ecosystem.

The Water Hole not just a beautiful art book, or an ecology book for the young, although it is each of those. Base’s real talent lay in his ability to fuse the afore-mentioned elements with a counting book and puzzle book to create something uniquely wonderful. Children will return again and again to the lush illustrations to search for hidden animals, as well as to the sepia and black panels that line the top and bottom of each page.. Kids will never tire of it, nor will adults.

Each time I open one of Graeme Base’s books, I wonder why more authors and illustrators of children’s books aren’t following his creative lead.

We All Fall Down by Eric Walters

Before I tell you about Eric Walter's book, I have to comment on the most amazing exhibit. I came over to Vancouver yesterday to see the Vancouver Art Gallery's Haida art exhibit which will only be here for another week. It was a wonderful combination of historical and contemporary work culled from various exhibits and private collections around the world. Some of the pieces I had seen before but many were new to me. The focus was on Raven, an important and recurring theme in Haida art. There were masks, jewelry, large and small carvings, bent boxes, and smaller totem poles as well as a dugout canoe and seven paddles carved by young artists currently being mentored. I particularly enjoyed the last room which was contemporary. I loved Robert Davidson's more modern work that has tended toward abstract but with clear ties to Haida. There was also some wonderful clothing with bold Haida influence gracing thick folds of black draping wool fabric. Another contemporary piece I enjoyed was a large hanging series of prints that told a sort of picture story; except that each picture was a provacative blend of cartoon and Haida art. It was stunning, and had also been created in book form; rather like a comic book if that makes any sense. An added treat included watching Reg Davidson carve. He is a master carver, and although I have never met him, I have two of his early numbered prints.

But, on to Eric Walter's book. As I mentioned in my last post, I have had We All Fall Down as an advance copy for some time, I think since last January. But, because of it's 9/11 subject, I have been reluctant to pick it up. With that time of the year rolling around again, I have found myself thinking about the whole question again, and about how it has truly changed the way we look at things; at least here in North America. Walter's wisely stays largely away from preaching, although he does sometimes border on it. What he does do is personalize a terrible and dark day in our collective history.

Will, the main character in Walter's story, is your average 14 year old kid, with girls, sports, and music on the brain. He is resentful that his father is always working, but other things occupy him; until a school-based job shadow forces him to drag his butt out of bed early one morning and accompany his father on the train to the Twin Towers in downtown Manhattan where his father works as a trader. Of course Will would rather go on a more exiting job shadow, like his friend who is going to a firehall where his dad is a firefighter, or that hot new girl whose brother works for MTV.

All that changes though, when Will catches a glimpse of a distant airplane. Moments later, a loud crash shakes the World Trade Center buildings and it's occupants. It changes everything, Will's relationship with his father, the face of Manhattan, and history. The timespan in this novel is short, a mere two days. There is no shortage of drama though. The way Walter's describes the bank of trader televisions switching from stock market news to a plane crashing into the World Trade Centre is chilling. The scene where Will witnesses two people falling or jumping to their deaths is equally chilling, and one I recall watching in horror on television along with millions of others around the world. It is a scene I would rather forget along with the scene of a second plane crashing through glass and steel. Walters gives the sense that Will, his father, and his father's co-workers are all watching too, only they are inside. He gives a sense of their horror, their confusion and helplessness, and finally of the bravery and resolve some of which we learned of later, some of which we will never know. Will and his father's climb down the stairs toward the floors where the plane crashed rather than away from it, is gripping. Their rescue of Ting, an injured woman who must be carried down 78 flights of stairs is not without drama either. Just when we think that all is well, the building collapses. This too is a mirror of what happened on that terrible day. While Will, his father, and Ting survive, there were so many who did not.

Whatever your politics, 9/11 is one of those days that won't easily be forgotten. Walter's We All Fall Down is a window into a shocking day a young generation of young readers will now have the opportunity to learn about. One can only hope that they never have to live through a similar event.

Password: Murder by Norah McClintock

Arg! Lost my post just as I was finishing writing it because my internet connection went down and I hadn't saved!

The gist was yet another apology for being too busy to read, much less review. It's all about work though, so no slacking off here in sunny Victoria. I did, however, finish Norah McClintock's Password: Murder, which is a great read and a must for wanna-be writers not to mention those of us already in the bus. Great dialogue, not just crisp but helps move the action forward. One of the things I like best about McClintock though is the internal dialogue isn't contrived the way it often is in mysteries. Oh and I love the way she breaks rules. Man I will definately be reading more of her.

With the anniversary of 9/11 in mind, I'm about to start Eric Walter's We All Fall Down. Walters has a way of grabbing you that has made me put this one off for a while. It's just one of those random terrible events that I'd rather not think aobut, but I'll give it a go. This guy is incredibly prolific. I wish I had his output but I think I'm too ADD to stick to one thing; I'm all about bouncing from the computer to the garden to the laundry back to the computer, off for a snack, and then I may get distracted by buying paint for my bedroom, which by the way is now a beautiful golden yellow and much improved from the lime green it was when it was my teenage daughter's room. Don't expect anything for a few days though. I'm busy with preparing for a writing workshop I'll be giving next week then have friends visiting from Ontario for a few days. Until next time...

Still reading but...

So, I have been reading adult books for a change. We Need to Talk About Kevin, which I am in the middle of just because I've heard so much about it and Sympathy by Dede Crane, which I have been meaning to read since I heard her speak a few months ago. Haven't finished either yet, although I am enjoying the Dede Crane book much more. So beautifully written. Have also been flipping through tons of garden design magazines as I try and pull something affordable together for my front yard--sadly J.K. Rowlings is the only children's author I've ever heard of who is really flush, but don't get started on writers' incomes.

I started a Nora McLintock mystery, Password: Murder last night in an effort to figure out how mystery writers do it. Of course I know what one should do, but can't seem to get to the mystery partgoing until half way through. Maybe I'll just have to give up my feeble mystery attempt, and enjoy that others like McClintock do it so well. Later.