Kids’ Books

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

Victoria author Joanne Wiebe’s debut is a page-turning supernatural story full of vividly painted characters and thrilling plot twists worthy of a good horror movie. Death is part of everyday life for 16-year-old Anne Merchant: ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

The Rule of Three

By Eric Walters

Imagine every computer suddenly dying. No tablets, no cellphones, no ATMs. Most cars and planes are suddenly out of commission. All systems that rely on computers – including utilities – grind to a halt. This ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

★ The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden

By Philippa Dowding

This lively, fast-paced novel by Philippa Dowding (author of the Lost Gargoyle series) moves fluidly from the whimsical to the fantastical and takes an intriguing detour to some dark places in between. Thirteen-year-old Gwendolyn Golden ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

The Boy and the Whale

By Michael Moniz

Michael Moniz follows up his lively picture-book debut, 2011’s Wazzyjump, with the story of a small boy who lives on a tiny island in the middle of the sea. The boy sets out in his ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Picture Books

★ Starring Me and You

By Geneviève Côté

Piggy and Bunny, the charming chums from Geneviève Côté’s Me and You and Without You (winner of the 2012 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award), take to the stage in the latest instalment of the series. ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Picture Books

Lasso the Wind: Aurélia’s Verses and Other Poems

By George Elliott Clarke; Susan Tooke; illus.

Lauded Governor General’s Literary Award winning poet and playwright George Elliott Clarke sets the tone for his first collection of verse for young readers with its opening lines: “Can you burn down the sun? / ... Read More »

February 18, 2014 | Filed under: Picture Books

Francis the Little Fox

In an age when everything (including picture books) is being turned into an app, it is heartening to know that apps are also becoming books. Based on a French-language app, Francis the Little Fox recalls ... Read More »

November 20, 2013 | Filed under: Picture Books

★ The Man with the Violin

By Kathy Stinson; Dusan Petricic, illus.

One January morning in 2007, renowned classical violinist Joshua Bell played his multimillion-dollar violin incognito in a Washington subway station during rush hour. The results of the experiment, conducted by The Washington Post, were startling. ... Read More »

November 20, 2013 | Filed under: Picture Books

Learn to Speak Film: A Guide to Creating, Promoting, and Screening Your Movies

By Michael Glassbourg; Jeff Kulak, illus.

Young people have it easy these days. In the age of torrents, cloud computing, YouTube, and iTunes, having instant, unfettered access to the entire history of recorded sound and images is a given. But who’s ... Read More »

November 14, 2013 | Filed under: Children and YA Non-fiction