BOOK REVIEWS

★ The Skull

The best children’s stories – the best stories, period – often start in ways that feel familiar, even hackneyed, only to go places you could not have predicted. Think of celebrated author-illustrator Jon Klassen’s picture ... Read More »

August 9, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

Pictou town

By Teresa MacKenzie

Combining a children’s picture book, a souvenir of local history, and an architectural tribute is an ambitious undertaking, but Pictou town, written and illustrated by Teresa MacKenzie, rises to the challenge. MacKenzie’s lively illustrations and ... Read More »

August 7, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

★ Not That Kind of Place

By Michael Melgaard

Based on a brief description, a reader might think they know what to expect from Not That Kind of Place, the stunning debut novel by Toronto-based writer Michael Melgaard. The background is simple, but harrowing: ... Read More »

August 2, 2023 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels, Reviews

What a Desi Girl Wants

By Sabina Khan

When her estranged father decides to remarry and invites her to the wedding in India, Mehar Rabbani sees it as her chance to mend family ties. But can this American teenager reconnect with the Indian ... Read More »

August 2, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

When Rubin Plays

By Gracey Zhang

“In a small town by a big forest, there was a little orchestra ...” Gracey Zhang’s whimsical narration, paired with vibrant and colourful artwork, sets the stage for this funny and uplifting tale of music, ... Read More »

July 31, 2023 | Filed under: Kids’ Books, Picture Books

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue

By Christine Higdon

Near the end of Christine Higdon’s evocative and provocative novel Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue, Isla McKenzie wonders how different things will be for the next generation, who “could live through the twentieth century, and even ... Read More »

July 26, 2023 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels, Reviews

Where the Water Takes Us

By Alan Barillaro

A summer with your doting grandparents and tons of independence at a beautiful lake might appeal to some 11-year-olds, but for Ava Amato, the protagonist of Where the Water Takes Us, it’s a crushing sentence. ... Read More »

July 26, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

The Grover School Pledge

By Wanda Taylor

Sixth-grader Arlaina is excited to be taking care of her cousin Patrice’s bunny, now that Patrice and her family are moving to New York. On the other hand, Arlaina’s elderly teacher Mr. Matthews has been ... Read More »

July 24, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

Brown Boy

By Omer Aziz

In his memoir Brown Boy, journalist, lawyer, and recent Radcliffe Fellow Omer Aziz delivers a compelling account about growing up in Canada, struggling to find his way in life as the son of Pakistani immigrants, ... Read More »

July 19, 2023 | Filed under: Memoir & Biography, Reviews

★ Cardboard City

By Katarina Jovanovic

Belgrade-born Katarina Jovanovic offers an endearing fictional story about a place that once existed in her hometown. Cardboard City follows Romani teenagers Nikola and his older sister Saida as they dream of escaping the informal ... Read More »

July 19, 2023 | Filed under: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

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