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HACKMATACK CHILDREN'S CHOICE BOOK AWARD(ATLANTIC CANADIAN BOOK AWARD)FOR THE FAVOURITE CANADIAN AND ATLANTIC CANADIAN BOOKS CHOSEN BY CHILDREN FICTION AWARD
The Secret of Gabi's Dresser is a poignant story based on true events that occurred in Czechoslovakia during World War II. Gabi's mother stored all her special dishes and silver in the dresser. Gabi was a young Jewish girl who carefully set the table every Sabbath with the special dishes. Her life was full with school, helping her parents on their farm, observing her Jewish faith, and playing with her best friend, Nina. Nina was Catholic, so each girl was learning about the other's religion. The girls attended a mixed Christian-Jewish school. Gradually over a few years, Gabi's world changed. Word arrived from German relatives about restrictions placed on the Jews there, some classmates taunted Gabi and beat up a Jewish boy, and worst of all - Nina began to act strangely. When they were alone nothing was different, but Nina's parents were worried that they would have trouble, because Nina was friends with a Jew. Gabi's father and mother explained why all these events were occurring, but they could not explain away Gabi's hurt at Nina's behaviour. The war, and restrictions on Jews in particular, affected more and more of their lives, until only thoughts of survival remained. And the dresser was to play a very important part of their existence. This chapter book is written in simple, understandable text, though the topics covered are complex. Descriptive words that convey Gabi's confusion, hurt and disbelief create the poignancy of this tale. A short, concise history of the war in Czechoslovakia, and photos taken during that era, give background. HACKMATACK CHILDREN'S CHOICE BOOK AWARD(ATLANTIC CANADIAN BOOK AWARD)FOR THE FAVOURITE CANADIAN AND ATLANTIC CANADIAN BOOKS CHOSEN BY CHILDRENNON-FICTION AWARD
This book is a fascinating account of travel in the Far North with a long-distance trucker named Bill Rutherford. He is also a modern day merchant adventurer, like Marco Polo. We are introduced to the geography, history, culture and challenges of the North. Bill loads his rig in Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley with fruit, vegetables and groceries, and travels north via highways and perilous Arctic ice-roads, to sell his goods in Inuvik and Tuktoyuktuk. The round trip covers over 8000 kilometres! Many aspects of a long-distance trucker's day are explored, from the specialized cab of a large rig, to truck stops, to trucker support programs such as Trucker Buddy International, which links truckers to children around the world as pen pals. By Truck to the North reveals many Arctic facts through Bill's trip, and numerous informative sidebars and maps which chart his progress. The northern lights, ice roads and wolves are among the diverse topics covered. Colourful photographs, historical anecdotes, and black-and-white pictures give the reader a tantalizing glimpse of life in the Far North, past and present. INFORMATION BOOK AWARD(THE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ROUNDTABLES OF CANADA)FOR BEST NON-FICTION BOOK
In WOW Canada! the reader embarks on a cross-Canada car trip, as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy named Guy, who is travelling with his parents and younger sister, Rachel. In his journal, Guy recounts facts and stories about Canada, ranging from places and history to wildlife and geology, in a humorous, kid-friendly tone. The layout presents a great number of interesting facts using sidebars with titles such as "According to Dad" and "Exceedingly Weird" to inform and entertain readers without overwhelming them. Illustrations take the form of colourful photographs, slides, stamps and souvenirs, as well as postcards that document correspondence from Guy and Rachel to their friends back home. WOW Canada! covers all of Canada's provinces and territories, including Nunavut, with a separate chapter devoted to each one. The chapters include information on tourist attractions, historical sites, and even "Food I Was Introduced to for My Own Good." There is an excellent index, as well as a three-page synopsis of facts, covering flags, symbols, population, and government Web page addresses for each province and territory. With its bounty of timely information, this book may be useful for school projects, as well as being a very entertaining guide to take on a trip across Canada. MANITOBA YOUNG READER'S CHOICE AWARD(MANITOBA SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)FOR THE FAVOURITE CANADIAN BOOK OF MANITOBA'S YOUNG READERS
Sunwing continues the story started in the multi-award-winning novel Silverwing, in which Shade, a Silverwing bat, has many adventures while searching for his lost colony. In Sunwing, Shade has been reunited with his colony, but has yet to find his father. Shade, along with his friend Marina and other members of the colony, travel many wingbeats to the north and discover a strange building created by humans. The bats hope to find Shade's father as well as the meaning of the silver bands that humans have attached to some of their species. The building holds many surprises, more frightening than any of the bats ever imagined. Shade and Marina meet Goth, the evil vampire bat who has tried to kill them before. Which is the worse threat, humans or Goth? The bats escape, but they must find a way to stop Goth and his colony from destroying them. Shade enlists the aid of the rats and the owls -- enemies of the bats since the beginning of time. Goth and his colony live in the jungles in the south, and it is there that the bats and their group must make a stand. In the ancient pyramids of the jungle a terrifying battle ensues. At stake is the survival of the northern bats and their way of life. This story is gripping and is written in great detail. The readers are pulled into the life of the bats: their quest for family, their journeys, their fears and their struggle to survive. MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 7 AND UNDER
This story is set in the Acadian village of Chéticamp on Cape Breton Island. While her father is off at war and her mother is working in the fish packing plant, Claire, aged seven, is sent to spend the summer with her great-aunt, Tante Marie. Tante Marie and the ladies in Chéticamp hook rugs of soft wool, giving them as gifts on special occasions: when Claire was born, Tante Marie sent a rug. When Claire arrives with wild, yellow hair, she has no smile, no heart to play with the village children, and she cries herself to sleep every night. Usually homesickness passes quickly, but not in Claire's case. Tante Marie is so worried that she stops hooking rugs. One night, though, to soothe her heart, Tante Marie hooks on a rug. Claire creeps in and asks to try it. Tante Marie teaches her how to hook using the verse "With the hook catch the wool. Give it just a little pull. Give the wool a little tug with the hook to make the rug." Claire begins her own rug, and all summer she works on it. At the end of the summer, Claire returns home, accompanied by her unfinished rug. After the winter, a parcel arrives in Chéticamp for Tante Marie. It is Claire's rug, and tucked in it is a little piece of her heart, just as in all Chéticamp rugs. This is a gentle tale of a sad, lonely child, and how the kindness and understanding of an elderly relative opens her heart. The paintings by Kupesic mimic the soft pastel colours of the hooked rugs. The pictures are detailed, and warmth and caring emanate from the people in them. This story is suitable for children aged five to 10. MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 8 TO 11
Sunwing continues the story started in the multi-award-winning novel Silverwing, in which Shade, a Silverwing bat, has many adventures while searching for his lost colony. In Sunwing, Shade has been reunited with his colony, but has yet to find his father. Shade, along with his friend Marina and other members of the colony, travel many wingbeats to the north and discover a strange building created by humans. The bats hope to find Shades' father as well as the meaning of the silver bands that humans have attached to some of their species. The building holds many surprises, more frightening than any of the bats ever imagined. Shade and Marina meet Goth, the evil vampire bat who has tried to kill them before. Which is the worse threat, humans or Goth? The bats escape, but they must find a way to stop Goth and his colony from destroying them. Shade enlists the aid of the rats and the owls - enemies of the bats since the beginning of time. Goth and his colony live in the jungles in the south, and it is there that the bats and their group must make a stand. In the ancient pyramids of the jungle a terrifying battle ensues. At stake is the survival of the northern bats and their way of life. This story is gripping and is written in great detail. The readers are pulled into the life of the bats: their quest for family, their journeys, fears and struggle to survive. MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 12 AND OLDER
Laker Wyatt is at odds with the world. He can't help himself when he fights with his stepfather. Why did his mother have to marry him? Laker winds up kicked out of the house, and with the little money he has, he takes a bus to the nearest town. Life doesn't get much better for Laker as he runs out of money and is forced to beg. Just when it looks like it couldn't get any worse, Laker gets an offer to do yard work for an old man who is having his own difficulties. Henry, the old man, is a lonely widower with a bossy daughter who can't keep out of her father's life. Laker moves in with Henry, and the two form a bond that they both need in their lives. With Henry's help, Laker learns more about himself, finds work and goes back to school. While for Laker, this is a voyage of self-discovery, for Henry, it is a rediscovery of the feeling of being needed. MUNICIPAL CHAPTER OF TORONTO IODE BOOK AWARD(IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE EMPIRE)FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY A TORONTO-AREA AUTHOR AND/OR ILLUSTRATOR IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
"How big is big? A super-fat pig? A giant tomato? A skyscraper potato? No, bigness is something that's hard to harpoon, like how many oceans fit into the moon." Whimsical rhymes like the one above make it fun for young readers to learn about the potentially confusing world of weights and measures. Each poem is paired with a quick fact that effectively puts into context the concept introduced by the poem. To get an idea of how heavy "heavy" is, for example, we learn that "The largest dinosaur weighed between 110,000 and 175,000 pounds (50,000 and 80,000 kilograms) while the largest lion weighed in at only 690 lbs. (373 kg)." What brings the ideas to life are the fabulous colourful illustrations by a family of artists known as the Fernandes Four. Eugenie, Henry, Kim and Matthew Fernandes have each contributed some of their unique artwork to How Big is Big? Children will enjoy spotting the character that leads them from page to page -- a funky-looking cricket-like bug. NATIONAL CHAPTER OF CANADA IODE VIOLET DOWNEY BOOK AWARD(IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE EMPIRE)FOR BEST TEXT
Charlie Wilcox is a young boy from Newfoundland who dreams of following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather and becoming a sealer. Charlie's father, however, is hoping to offer his son a better future. A misunderstanding over a comment made by his father makes Charlie more determined than ever to go out on the ice and prove himself. He tries to hide on a sealing vessel but ends up a stowaway on a military ship heading to the trenches of World War I. Waiting to be sent back home, Charlie looks for the Newfoundland Regiment where he finds Mac, a nurse who had previously cared for him in St. John's Hospital. Surrounded by wounded young soldiers from home, he proves to be a courageous and dedicated young orderly. Charlie Wilcox is an historical novel set during World War I that weaves together adventure, attention to historical detail and believable characters with endearing qualities. NORMA FLECK AWARD(CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTRE)FOR CHILDREN'S NON-FICTION
This wonderful book opens our eyes to the world of one of the last Inuit to live a traditional nomadic life in the Arctic. In 1989, on a book tour of the Northwest Territories, Winnipeg author Sheldon Oberman was billeted with Inuit hunter/artist Simon Tookoome at his home in Baker Lake. Oberman's fascination with his host's life and art resulted in a decade-long collaboration during which many translators, as well as Tookoome's daughter, worked with the pair as they attempted to capture the essence of Tookoome's stories. Tookoome, the wise and gifted nephew of a shaman, speaks matter-of-factly about such topics as his memory of the day he was born, life in an igloo, hunting with respect for the animals, and encounters with spirits. We feel the sadness of loss as he describes his discomfort with the heat and noise of his Kabloonaq (non-Inuit) government-owned house and as he laments that the walls are separating parents and children, causing family talk to cease and old stories to be forgotten. Tookoome's drawings are internationally renowned (one has appeared on a Canadian stamp), and many of them appear in this book. They are captivating images that underline the interconnectedness of people and animals. R. ROSS ANNETT JUVENILE FICTION AWARD(WRITERS GUILD OF ALBERTA)FOR THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK BY AN ALBERTA AUTHOR
Seven-year-old Stacie, her brother, Chris, and her dad, Liam, are visiting the old family cabin. Stacie and Chris love the cabin; Liam hates it and is intent on fixing the place up to sell it. There is something from the past that haunts Liam, something associated with the cabin. Through Stacie's strange visions, the two children begin to unfold the mystery surrounding their father's past. Adding to the sense of danger and suspense is the knowledge that there is an escaped convict in the area. Topher is a spellbinding mystery, steeped in coincidences and accidents, convicts and turns of events. And
My Rows and Piles of Coins explores the dreams of a young Tanzanian boy whose efforts are rewarded. Saruni helps his mother at the market every Saturday. He has little money, but he saves his few coins in a money box, hoping to buy a bicycle so that he can carry heavy loads of vegetables to the market for his mother. In Tanzania, bicycles are not used for recreation purposes but as transportation; very few children have the opportunity to ride bicycles simply for pleasure. The storyteller introduces different rural traditions and customs, and the text is enriched by well-chosen language. A glossary of Swahili and Maasai words and expressions is included. The muted tones used in the watercolours are brightened with the colourful garments worn by the women in the pictures and by the vivid market scenes. Young readers are introduced to a different lifestyle -- that of another child living on another continent. |
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BY TRUCK TO THE NORTH: MY ARCTIC ADVENTURE
