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RED CEDAR BOOK AWARD(YOUNG READERS' CHOICE AWARDS SOCIETY OF B.C.)FOR THE FAVOURITE BOOK OF BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOL CHILDRENFICTION CATEGORY
Fourteen-year-old Claire is full of questions when she and her mother Jane return to the little town of Smallwood, B.C., the place where her mother grew up yet hasn't revisited in years. What was her mother like as a girl? What caused such a rift between her mother and Claire's recently deceased grandfather? Whatever became of Claire's father, a man whom her mother barely acknowledges the existence of and whom she refuses to talk about? What begins as a summer vacation in the country away from the pressures of big-city life becomes a soul-searching journey for both mother and daughter. Secrets kept for too long are finally revealed and emotions run high. Claire begins to assert her independence and claim the family she's always dreamed of, while Jane realizes that hiding from the past is impossible, though learning from it is imperative. This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel. Complex issues are presented, but not without an ample dose of humour, resulting in a well-written and intelligent story. RED CEDAR BOOK AWARD(YOUNG READERS' CHOICE AWARDS SOCIETY OF B.C.)FOR THE FAVOURITE BOOK OF BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOL CHILDRENNON-FICTION CATEGORY
Funny you should ask what's so compelling about this book. It's chock-full of silly questions for which you just have to find the answers, such as, "What did we use before toilet paper?", "Why do people close their eyes when they kiss?" and "If dogs are colour-blind, how do guide dogs know when to stop or go at a traffic light?" There are 115 and a half wacky questions in this book, divided into 16 categories such as clothes, animals, sports, superstitions and the opposite sex. A fun, light read that's great for parties and get-togethers, to be enjoyed by readers of a wide age range. So, "Why is tennis scoring so weird?" RED MAPLE AWARD(ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)FOR THE BEST CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK OF FICTION, AS CHOSEN BY ONTARIO STUDENTS, GRADES 7, 8 AND 9
After a year of troublemaking, Sean is determined to behave himself, even if it means avoiding his friend and fellow troublemaker Scott. Despite his good intentions, he gets in a fight with David, a new student who was recently paralysed in a car accident. As punishment for the fight, Sean is required to show David around the school. To their surprise, the boys begin to like each other, and they discover a shared love of basketball. Together Sean and David navigate the challenges of eighth grade, and David helps Sean prepare for the basketball team tryouts. Sean admires David's toughness, but he suspects that David's reckless and confrontational behaviour is masking the fact that he has not come to terms with his injury. With Sean's help, David realizes that it is okay to hope that he might someday walk again, but that he must also make the most of his life in the here and now. The author, Eric Walters, is an elementary school teacher and therefore has unique insight into the lives and behaviour of eighth-grade students. Both boys and girls alike would enjoy this book. RUTH SCHWARTZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD(ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL AND CANADIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION)PICTURE BOOK CATEGORY
Take a farmyard, one sickly feline, one kind-hearted fowl, add a twist of magic realism, and the result is The Chicken Cat. The kitten in question is Merlin, who is discovered abandoned and shivering in the barn. Guinevere is the feather-brained but motherly chicken who takes Merlin under her wing. Poor Merlin needs more than dry feed to get well in the cold barn, and so when a mother and daughter visit the farm looking for a kitten to adopt, Guinevere ensures that Merlin gets taken home with them. An unexpected development leads to a happy reunion of the unlikely pair and the fulfillment of Guinevere's dreams. The real strength of this book is the wonderfully heart-breaking illustrations by Sean Cassidy, who uses watercolour, gouache, and coloured pencil to great effect, producing perhaps the most expressive poultry eyes you will ever see. RUTH SCHWARTZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD(ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL AND CANADIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION)FOR BEST TEXTYOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER CATEGORY
Blay Raytee is a lyrical name, rhythmic and fanciful. But for Blay Raytee, there's little song or imagination in her real life. Blay lives in the year 2368. She slaves in a government work camp, scrounging in a landfill site for items like Styrofoam, plastic bottles and bundles of paper. She may be 13, 12 or 14 years old; she's not even sure that her name is Blay Raytee. It's a name she adopted so she wouldn't be just another nameless, faceless child like so many of the others in the camp. Blay's love of reading leads to a new life. She is chosen from the work camp kids to serve as a tutor to Marrella, the new bio-indicator who has special sensitivities to the environment. In the end, it's Blay, not Marrella, who learns about the environment. Blay goes on to discover who she really is; she finds out about her enigmatic past and the secret that's buried under her skin. The Secret under My Skin, written by Governor General Award winner Janet McNaughton, is a captivating science-fiction tale full of dreams, suspense and revelations. THE SHEILA A. EGOFF CHILDREN'S PRIZE(THE WEST COAST BOOK PRIZE SOCIETY)FOR THE BEST BOOK BY A BRITISH COLUMBIA AUTHOR
The Grave is a superb story set in Liverpool in 1974 and Ireland in 1847. The protagonist, Tom Mullen, was found abandoned, as an infant, in a department store and has grown up in foster homes under less-than-ideal circumstances. A mass grave of Irish famine fever victims is discovered near his school, and a strange compulsion draws Tom to the pit. After falling in the grave, Tom awakens in Ireland during the time of the potato famine. There, he discovers a boy who is his identical twin and a family who takes him in as their own. Tom is transported back and forth through time and must alternate aiding his new family as they struggle through great hardship with covering for his strange extended absences in his own time. At the heart of the story is the mystery of Tom's identity and the unknown link that pulls him into the past. The Grave is a tough, intelligent tale that does not coddle the reader. Part adventure, part mystery and part historical drama, this story's greatest successes are the thoroughly developed character of the hero, and the vivid description of Ireland's Old Swan district circa 1847, which the author makes come alive. SILVER BIRCH AWARD(ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)FOR THE BEST CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK, AS CHOSEN BY ONTARIO STUDENTS, GRADES 4 TO 6.FICTION AWARD
The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin (a real town in Germany) dates from the Middle Ages. It is said that one child was left behind when the mysterious piper lured all the children away from their homes. After Hamelin tells the story of Penelope, a harpist's daughter who possesses the gift of deep dreaming. On the morning of her 11th birthday, Penelope wakes up to discover that she is now deaf. That same day, the strange piper plays the magical tune that calls the children away. Penelope is immune to the piper's spell, and so too is Alloway, her father's blind apprentice, who is unable to see to follow the other children. The young girl embarks on a long and perilous journey into the realm of dreams to bring back the children of Hamelin, including her sister, Sophy. Along the way, a wise magician, a dragon and other creatures from the deep-dream world help Penelope. The story is told by Penelope as a 101-year-old person; the events of her past are intertwined with the story of another young girl also called Penelope, who will soon turn 11. A beautiful tale of perseverance and magic that explores the power of dreams. SILVER BIRCH AWARD(ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)FOR THE BEST CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK, AS CHOSEN BY ONTARIO STUDENTS, GRADES 4 TO 6.NON-FICTION AWARD
Knights in shining armour… princesses… Isn't that what the Middle Ages are all about? At least that is what Josh and Emma Binkerton think until they find themselves in a field being worked by peasants in the middle of the 12th century. Josh is somewhat surprised to find out that he is not a knight, but a lowly peasant. To make matters worse, Libby, their little sister, has somehow travelled back through time with Josh and Emma. Josh and Emma become servants in the nearby castle -- hardly the life that they had imagined. The work is hard; there are no toilets; there is neither running water nor electricity. Then, to their surprise, the castle is attacked. Flaming arrows and dead cows are hurled over the walls at them. Josh and Emma save the day and return home safe and sound. Linda Bailey has woven an interesting tale, mixing fact and fiction, for the young reader. Learn what kinds of food the peasants, kings and lords ate, what their homes were like and what kind of clothing they wore. The illustrations are detailed, vibrant and full of colour. There are various activities depicted in the illustrations, and if you look closely, each time you will find different things. In addition to the story, there is a page at the end devoted to more facts about the Middle Ages. TINY TORGI AWARD WINNER (2000)(CANADIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND)FOR THE BEST PRINT/BRAILLE BOOK PUBLISHED IN CANADATHE CLAY LADIES It seems every neighbourhood has a house shrouded in mystery - a house where eccentrics of some description live. It is in this type of house that the Clay Ladies live. Based on the lives of two real-life clay sculptors who lived in Toronto from the 1920s to the 1960s, Frances Loring and Florence Wylie, The Clay Ladies presents the fictional story of a young girl who meets the women at their unconventional house. The house is known to the neighbours as The Church, which is what it used to be, though it is no longer. The girl has secretly watched the house, and has seen children taking sick and injured pets there. When she rescues a fledgling robin, she knows that this is the place where she should take it. She walks past the woodpile, knocks on the door and is greeted by Miss Loring. Past the open door she sees clutter strewn everywhere: stacks of boxes, piles of papers and books, and half-finished sculptures hung with damp sheets. Here, she is introduced to the magic of clay, and in her visits to watch her rescued bird develop its wings, she learns how to appreciate the world of artists and art, and how to work the clay into a little bird of her own. The brilliant paintings by Toronto artist Les Tait fill the book with colour, and present some of the works of Frances Loring and Florence Wylie. They also portray the wildness of The Church and its yard, and the creativity found within. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto. TINY TORGI AUDIO BOOKTHE SECRET OF DEVIL LAKE VICKY METCALF AWARD(CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION)FOR AN AUTHOR'S BODY OF WORK (WITH APPEAL TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS, 7 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE)
As a high-school student in Melrose, Massachusetts, Linda Granfield worked on school and community newspapers, interviewing people and writing articles -- activities she thoroughly enjoyed. Two university degrees later, she came to Canada to study for her doctorate at the University of Toronto. Although she had not planned to stay, she met and married her husband, a Canadian citizen, and has been here ever since. An interest in Canadian children's literature, coupled with a love of writing, led her to work writing book reviews and articles on Canadian authors and illustrators. She has also done research for educational children's books, compiled bibliographies for teacher-resource books, and written and co-authored a number of non-fiction books for children. When researching a topic for one of her children's books, she likes to conduct interviews with elderly people and to look at unusual sources, such as postcards. There is such a wealth of information available to researchers that she finds it a challenge to stop doing the research and start writing the book. Once the research is completed, she prepares an outline and a first draft, followed by several more drafts until the book is ready for publication. Her books have been published in Canada, the United States and Europe. Linda Granfield and her family currently live in the greater-Toronto area. YOUNG ADULT CANADIAN BOOK AWARD(CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)FOR BEST BOOK
Adrien is 15 years old and simply exists. When she was 13, she survived a brain aneurysm and now lives with the constant threat of death: something as inconsequential as a sneeze could kill her. After two years of parental coddling, Adrien agrees to spend the summer working in the tuck shop of her aunt's residential camp. Aunt Erin feels Adrien needs to be at the camp: "something to do with you and something to do with the camp." At the camp, Adrien meets Paul, who has a sixth sense and is very in tune with Adrien. Connor is the waterfront coordinator, and the self-appointed head of after-hours staff activity. Adrien's roommate, Darcie, and Aunt Erin round out the main characters. Five fun-loving restless spirits who died at the camp 20 years earlier also inhabit the camp, held there by Aunt Erin. Adrien sees and hears them frequently. They pull at Adrien, drawing her to join them in the spirit world. Adrien's life parallels the life of the mayflies, which live in the lake for two years before getting wings. They fly, mate, spawn and then die, all within a few short days. After two years of protection and recuperation, Adrien is getting her wings. She must decide whether to join the spirits or the world of the living. This is a gripping, haunting book best read in small doses that allow the reader to ponder and digest the events and ideas. It is extremely well written and the choice of words is magnificent. The ideas are deep, but understandable. High school students will find it well worth reading. |
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THE SECRET UNDER MY SKIN
