Me & Death: An Afterlife Adventure

When 14-year-old Jim dashes onto a busy Toronto street in hot pursuit of Lloyd, his favourite whipping boy, he’s sure he’s got the situation in hand. After all, the whole west end neighbourhood is terrified ... Read More »

March 15, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders

By Kevin Sylvester

With cooking shows proliferating on TV, and with the 2007 hit movie Ratatouille (about a rat that loves to cook), it was probably inevitable that someone would take a stab at creating the sort of ... Read More »

March 15, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

On My Walk

By Kari-Lynn Winters; Christina Leist, illus.

A young, curly-haired kid in overalls heads out for a summer walk with his rambunctious dog and pregnant mom. (It’s not enirely clear whether the kid is a boy or a girl, but “boy” seems ... Read More »

March 10, 2010 | Filed under: Picture Books

The Red Scarf

By Anne Villeneuve

It’s a wonder it took 10 years for Anne Villeneuve’s l’Écharpe rouge to be translated. As a Governor General’s award winner, it should be a prime candidate for an English readership. Besides, there is only ... Read More »

March 10, 2010 | Filed under: Picture Books

★ Think Again

By JonArno Lawson; Julie Morstad, illus.

Parents often look at their teenagers and wonder: “What the heck is going on in that head?” The moping, the slouching, the copious amounts of black clothing – all can be attributed, for the most ... Read More »

February 8, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

What’s the Big Idea? Inventions that Changed Life on Earth Forever

By Helaine Becker; Steve Attoe, illus.

Boredom Blasters and The Insecto-Files author Helaine Becker delves into the history of technology in What’s the Big Idea? Split into four chronological sections spanning 4,000 years, the book examines groundbreaking innovations and highlights a ... Read More »

January 27, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction

Walking Backward

By Catherine Austen

Catherine Austen’s first novel takes the form of a grief journal kept by 12-year-old Josh after his mother dies in a freak accident caused by someone putting a garter snake in her car. The mystery ... Read More »

January 27, 2010 | Filed under: Children and YA Non-fiction

★ Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem

By Ruth Ohi

Chicken, Pig, and Cow are clay figures created by Girl. Pig is pink, Chicken is yellow, and Cow … well, when Girl made Cow, she had only purple clay left for the spots, so Cow ... Read More »

January 4, 2010 | Filed under: Picture Books

★ Under the Star

By Jane Yolen; Vlasta van Kampen, illus.

The enduring appeal of the counting book is that it serves a functional purpose – teaching kids to count – while allowing room for the exploration of just about any theme the authors choose, as well ... Read More »

January 4, 2010 | Filed under: Picture Books