Quill and Quire

BOOK REVIEWS

First Day on Earth

By Cecil Castellucci

Cecil Castellucci delivers a sparse study in loneliness and angst in her latest novel for teens. Her protagonist, 16-year-old Mal, is a morose and withdrawn boy who believes he was abducted by aliens for three ... Read More »

September 14, 2011

Luz Sees the Light

By Claudia Dávila

Whether it’s playing video games, zapping a brownie in the microwave, or getting a drive to the mall, most of 12-year-old Luz’s favourite activities rely on electricity or fossil fuels. But everywhere around her are ... Read More »

September 14, 2011

My Beating Teenage Heart

By C.K. Kelly Martin

In her latest teen novel, C.K. Kelly Martin once again showcases her talent for putting the emphasis on character-driven narrative. Alternating between the voices of Ashlyn Baptiste and Breckon Cody, Martin lets the characters tell ... Read More »

September 14, 2011

All Good Children

By Catherine Austen

In Quebec-based author Catherine Austen’s imaginative and affecting dystopian novel, the company town of New Middletown is a safe, secure enclave in a world beset by terrorism and environmental disaster. The community was built by ... Read More »

September 14, 2011

The Dead Kid Detective Agency

By Evan Munday

Cartoonist Evan Munday, who makes his prose debut with ECW Press’s first offering of fiction for young adults, proves to be the funniest thing to hit Canadian YA since Susan Juby. Thirteen-year-old October Schwartz is ... Read More »

September 14, 2011

Morning Star

By Judith Plaxton

The story of the Underground Railroad is a natural source of inspiration for children’s writers. It has the shape of a journey, plausible possibilities for autonomous child participation, plenty of suspense, and a built-in ethical ... Read More »

September 14, 2011