This French to English translation is a tale of adventure that shares the traditional skill of ice fishing with a generation that may not be so familiar with it anymore.
The Ice Shack’s comedic tale follows Alphonse, who owns the most beautiful ice-fishing shack on the whole coast, but can’t seem to catch a thing—not even an old tire, a sock, or a worn-out pair of underpants!…
Cat hasn’t been to Montgomery Falls, the town her family founded, since she was twelve years old. Since the summer she discovered she could do things that no normal twelve-year-old could do. Since she had her first kiss with Riley Fraser. Since she destroyed their friendship.
Now, five years later, she’s back and Riley has disappeared.
New Brunswick’s Kathleen Peacock has written a book that has made people sit up and take notice.…
New Brunswick author Susan White writes great stories, suitable for young adult readers on up. Past reviews here at TMR include Fear of Drowning, The Memory Chair and Waiting for Still Water. Fine stories all, and I highly recommend them. Now, PEI’s Acorn Press has released her latest, When the Hill Came Down, a story about loss, jealousy, childhood abuse/misuse, love, and redemption.…
Despite not having met author Anita Daher, I felt as though I knew her. As Chair of The Writers’ Union of Canada, Anita’s regular, written updates are enjoyable—informative and inspirational, yet conversational—as though chatting with an insightful friend over coffee. So when I purchased her latest, You Don’t Have to Die in the End, I felt the comfort one expects when settling in to read the work of an author you trust.…
This classic Canadian young reader’s book has been updated (it was originally published in 2000) with illustrations, new dialogue, shorter chapters and new resources, such as Historical Notes, Ask the Author and Questions for Discussion. Tunnels of Time combines adventure and history to create a fascinating read, even for this mature reader!
The story is that of Andrea Talbot, a thirteen-year-old girl who reluctantly accompanies her family to her cousin’s wedding rehearsal party in the basement banquet room of the Four Star Cafe in downtown Moose Jaw.…
Andre Fenton’s second novel Annaka is a whirlwind. The narrative follows 16-year-old Annaka Brooks as she returns home to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for her Grampy’s funeral. Though much of her adolescence has been tarnished by feelings of loneliness and difference, her homecoming provides opportunities to rebuild connections with family and friends and to figure out key secrets from her past. Clay, her childhood imaginary friend, poses a particularly interesting reunion.…
In her fantastical Young Adult (YA) fantasy novel Off My Feet, Rachel Tremblay slays at delivering a wild ride of an adventure while also delivering many important and under-communicated messages to her younger audience.
Tremblay opens her novel with one of the best introductions to a character I have ever encountered in any writing, perfectly encapsulating the personality of Edie Stacks, the female protagonist we didn’t know we needed, in just a few lines:
“We are Stardust.…
Samantha Baker’s first book, A Newfoundland Maple, is here. While on a fishing trip with his grandfather in western Newfoundland, Daniel discovers a maple tree that has stood there for decades. What he doesn’t realize is just how important it is to the local wildlife. Squirrels, moose, beavers, birds, and more rely on the tree for food and shelter. Throughout the pages of this delightful book, find out which creatures visit across the four seasons and learn how just one tree can make a difference.…
Wherever you are this summer of 2020, with COVID swirling around and many needing comfort, what better than to pick up a book that reminds you of summers past? Sheree Fitch’s delightfully playful language would be a treat to read to young ones – after all, Summer Feet is a children’s book. Not being either a child or having a willing one nearby, I read it aloud to myself several times, revisiting the exuberance of summers past.…
Barbara Radecki’s sophomore novel, Messenger 93, opens with a flutter of information. A mind-bending conversation with a crow kicks off the absorbing thriller, and cryptic messages, hidden clues, and uncertain instructions become the norm in M, the narrator’s, life. M feels compelled to investigate the disappearance of a girl named Krista, and her movements over the seven days that structure each chapter offer insight into her life and closest relationships.…
, the high-school years. Especially the Junior grades when you are still finding your way around a new academic setting, while at the same time discovering your own way in life. When the opposite sex gets thrown into the mix, and it can be a very confusing time for a young thirteen-year-old lad like Derek Cowell. Valerie Sherrard’s latest Young Adult (YA) title takes a humorous look at an otherwise average self-described “see-through” teen as he becomes quite popular after unintentionally photo-bombing a group selfie of his sister and her friends.…
“In seven days, she will fall,” say the crows. “As she falls, so do we all.” Who falls? wonders M. The ominous, supernatural message starts M on a quest that could save more than one life. But what if the person in danger happens to be her nemesis? Along the way, M meets up with Gray, a Cree boy with his own hopes of saving a runaway Indigenous girl.…
No Girls Allowed, by Natalie Corbett Sampson, follows ten-year-old Tina Marie Forbes and her family as they fight for her right to play hockey. The Forbes family moves from Toronto to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and are excited to get settled in the town. Early on, Tina reflects, “all you need to do to make friends is play sports. Join a team and there’s a bunch of them ready to meet .…
-year-old Kathleen Dunkley lives in a small Ontario town several hours north of Kingston. After her parents die in an automobile accident, a neighbour sends her to Toronto with the address of an old friend. It turns out the old friend has passed on, and the current owner of the house, a gentlemanly Jamaican immigrant by the name of Walker T. …
Ontario author Lesley Strutt’s novel On the Edge is part of Inanna Publication’s Young Feminist Series, and is an adventurous read for all ages, especially for those who like sailing stories. Fourteen-year-old Emma (short for Emerald) is living an overly-restrictive life on her Aunt and Uncle’s farm near Kingston, Ontario. For mysterious reasons. her mother handed over care of her to them when Emma was only a little girl.…
