BOOK REVIEWS

Strange Loops

In the opening pages of Liz Harmer’s smart, sharp, and magnetic novel Strange Loops, Francine revisits the past. Deeply, frantically restless (whether in her role as wife, mother, graduate student, or coffee shop proprietor), Francine shows up ... Read More »

February 1, 2023 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels, Reviews

Reasonable Cause to Suspect: A Mother’s Ordeal to Free Her Son from a Kurdish Prison

By Sally Lane

In the fall of 2014, Sally Lane’s son called to tell her he was in Syria. Eighteen years old at the time, Jack Letts was a recent convert to Islam and, according to Lane, idealistic ... Read More »

January 25, 2023 | Filed under: Memoir & Biography, Politics & Current Affairs

★ While You Sleep

By Jennifer Maruno and Miki Sato (ill.)

For any parent desperate to get a bright-eyed, curious child to close their eyes for the day, While You Sleep provides a solution. Written by Jennifer Maruno with collage illustrations by Miki Sato, this enchanting ... Read More »

January 25, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

Carrying It Forward: Essays from Kistahpinânihk

By John Brady McDonald

In this new collection of essays, readers will find personal observations, commentaries, and essays by a Nêhiyaw (Cree) and Métis warrior, Knowledge Carrier, and Otacimow (storyteller) who, as a child, was given the same moniker ... Read More »

January 18, 2023 | Filed under: Criticism & Essays, Indigenous Peoples, Memoir & Biography

★ Not Talking About You

By Kevin heronJones

When Khalil’s family moves from Toronto to Milton, he finds himself navigating a new middle school and wondering where exactly he might fit in. As a Black boy among a predominantly white student population, Khalil ... Read More »

January 18, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

Professor Goose Debunks Goldilocks and the Three Bears

By Paulette Bourgeois and Alex G. Griffiths (ill.)

Almost any work of fiction requires the suspension of disbelief; when it comes to fairy tales, though, that disbelief needs to be suspended a few notches higher. It’s just part of the deal. Breaking free ... Read More »

January 16, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart

By Jen Sookfong Lee

Pop culture is powerful. Our shared experiences can foster a sense of collective belonging, while just as quickly isolate and traumatize. Consider the divisive social and political issues exposed by some of 2022’s biggest cultural ... Read More »

January 11, 2023 | Filed under: Art, Music & Pop Culture, Criticism & Essays, Memoir & Biography

★ Twelve in a Race

By Catherine Little and Sae Kimura (ill.)

Twelve in a Race is a charming retelling of the story behind the 12 animals that form the Chinese zodiac. The basic premise, across multiple variations, is that the Jade Emperor – or Buddha, in ... Read More »

January 11, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 Inspiring Individuals Found Their Dream Jobs

By Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac; Scot Ritchie (ill.)

This entry-level guide to career exploration prompts readers to get excited and start dreaming. While career books often zero in on a particular field or profile the lives of famous people, writing duo Colleen Nelson ... Read More »

January 9, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Non-fiction, Kids’ Books

★ Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock

By Linda Bailey and Isabelle Follath (ill.)

Linda Bailey’s latest picture book biography Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock is a lavish testament to the life of Arthur Conan Doyle. With full-throttle adventure and intimate character portrayal, Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock is like reading ... Read More »

January 4, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

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