Quill and Quire

BOOK REVIEWS

Survivor’s Leave

By Robert Sutherland

Reading the latest novel from Ontario-based author Robert Sutherland is like travelling back in time in two ways. Not only is Survivor’s Leave set toward the end of the Second World War, it is also ... Read More »

June 11, 2010

Free as a Bird

By Gina McMurchy-Barber

In her new book, Gina McMurchy-Barber writes about one of the bleaker facets of Canada’s history: the institutional mistreatment of people with disabilities. Free as a Bird chronicles the life of Ruby Jean Sharp, an ... Read More »

June 11, 2010

Fishtailing

By Wendy Phillips

The teen-penned poem is a form so open to wince-inducing recollection that it’s easy to forget just how those rhyming couplets and long lines of “free verse” ring true for the young poets who write ... Read More »

June 11, 2010

Grease Town

By Ann Towell

In her second children’s novel, Ann Towell of Shetland, Ontario, employs a little-known historical event as the foundation for a solid coming of age story featuring complex characters and a nuanced exploration of race and ... Read More »

June 11, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

The Big Swim

By Cary Fagan

Teetering on the edge of adolescence, Pinky (aka Ethan) is a sensitive, smart kid who likes to write stories, hang out with his older brothers, and generally keep out of trouble. When his parents announce ... Read More »

June 11, 2010

Nieve

By Terry Griggs

Terry Griggs’ genuinely creepy new YA novel will thrill young readers while giving their parents nightmares. Reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and Michael Ende’s Momo, the story follows feisty, independent Nieve, whose parents are freelance ... Read More »

June 11, 2010