Canada
(English)
46
Bastedo, Jamie
On thin ice
Calgary, Alberta : Red Deer Press, 2006. – 348 p.
ISBN 978-0-88995-337-6
Arctic
– Climate change – Cultural identity
Five months after her ragtag family moved to the Artic village of
Nanurtalik, 16-year-old Ashley, half French-Canadian and half Inuit, still
feels like an outsider. When a blizzard hits the place, two of her classmates
are killed in a mysterious accident, and terrifying dreams of a bear-man
shaman start haunting her, the teenager becomes aware of her special
connection with the legendary spirit bear, Nanurluk, and starts exploring an
ancient spirit trail. In this gripping novel told in a fresh voice, Jamie
Bastedo cleverly intertwines a realistic story about a teenager’s everyday
life in the Arctic with mystical elements and messages about the devastating
effects of global warming. (14+) <>
47
Ellis, Deborah
I am a taxi
Toronto : House of Anansi Press, 2006. – 205 p.
(The Cocalero novels) (Groundwood books )
ISBN 978-0-88899-735-7
South
America – Parents – Prison – Son –Coca trade – Illegal work –
Exploitation
Deborah Ellis, author of the highly praised »Breadwinner«-trilogy,
once again dishes up a heavy diet for her readers. Set in South America,
this novel relates the situation of 12-year-old Diego, whose innocent parents
serve a 17-year prison sentence. The boy shares his mother’s prison cell,
goes to school, and works as messenger for other prison inmates (providing the
only source of income to pay for their food and »rent«). When he loses his
job, he grows desperate enough to join his friend for a job in the coca trade
but instead is exploited, abused, chased, and almost killed. Readers will
quickly become immersed in the breathtaking events of Diego’s realistically
described life and eagerly await the book’s sequel. (11+) <>
48
Goobie, Beth
Hello, groin
Victoria, BC [et al.] : Orca Book Publ., 2006. – 271 p.
ISBN 978-1-55143-459-9
Sexual
identity – Peer pressure – Fear – Courage – Homosexuality – Coming
out
For a long time, 16-year-old Dylan has done everything in her power
to annihilate her own suspicion that she might be a lesbian. Not only does she
dread the wrathful reactions of the tyrannising »phone-patrol« girls and her
other classmates if they found out; she simply doesn’t dare acknowledge her
own feelings to herself, let alone face the shock and disappointment of her
family, her boyfriend Cam, and her best friend Jocelyn, with whom she is
secretly in love. Told in a straightforward, authentic voice that slowly
reveals the first-person narrator’s inner fights and most intimate thoughts,
the impressive coming-of-age novel sensitively portrays the girl’s struggle
to find her true identity and accept her sexual orientation. (14+)
Special Mention
49
Poe, Edgar Allan (text)
Price, Ryan (illus.)
The raven
Toronto, ON [et al.] : KCP Poetry, 2006. – [48] p.
(Visions in poetry)
ISBN 978-1-55337-473-2
Love
– Loss – Despair – Mental illness
The fifth volume in the highly praised »Visions in poetry« series again
brings a classic poem alive for modern day readers. »The raven« – a
compelling poem about a man’s suffering and slow descent into madness after
his true love’s death (and probably Edgar Allan Poe’s best-known work) –
was originally published in 1845 but has lost nothing of its appeal. Using a
technique called drypoint printmaking, in which the artist crafts an image
onto a copper plate with sharp-pointed tools (similar to etching), Ryan Price
has created stunning illustrations that perfectly capture the sinister,
chilling atmosphere of the timeless text. The slightly distorted pictures show
the raven-like protagonist with his spindly arms and huge egg-shaped head
gloomily brooding inside his hut. The un-usual perspectives underline the
man’s growing despair when it becomes clear that the threatening figure of
the raven will disappear »nevermore«. (14+) ¤
50
Sawa, Maureen (text)
Slavin, Bill (illus.)
The library book : the story of libraries from camels to computers
Toronto [et al.] : Tundra Books, 2006. – 72 p.
ISBN 0-88776-698-6
Library/3000
BC-2000 AD – Writing –Reading – Book
Over the centuries, books have come in all kinds of shapes and forms – and
so have libraries. Whether they consist of clay tablets inscribed with
cuneiform, hundreds of leather scrolls in a cave, thousands of books carried
by 500 camels walking in alphabetical order, or even virtual documents in
cyberspace, they all store and provide important knowledge. In an engaging
text that reads almost like an adventure story, this non-fiction book traces
the history and development of writing, reading, and libraries from the
ancient beginnings in Mesopotamia in 3000 BC to the present day. Short factual
paragraphs focusing on particular aspects and a bibliographic appendix offer
an entertaining combination of background knowledge, trivia, and information
for further reading. (10+) ¤
51
Scowen, Kate (text)
Szuc, Jeff (illus.)
My kind of sad : what it’s like to be young and depressed
Toronto [et al.] : Annick Press, 2006. – 168 p.
ISBN 978-1-55037-940-2
Depression
– Eating disorder – Mental health
While depression is not at all a recent phenomenon, Kate Scowen points out
that »adolescent depression has only been recognized as a medical diagnosis
in the past 25 years.« In this non-fiction book, the author discusses this
illness, its various manifestations in adolescents, the different problems
accompanying it, the possible treatments, and some strategies for dealing with
it. The clear text is cut into short paragraphs by quirky black-and-white
illustrations, lists of facts, headlines in bold type, and quotations from
interviews with young people from 9 to 23. Despite the slightly repetitive
style that allows readers to read chapters individually, the book offers a
good introduction to affected teenagers, and their friends and families to
this topical issue. (12+) ¤
52
Yolen, Jane (retell.)
Stemple, Heidi E. Y. (recipes)
Béha, Philippe (illus.)
Fairy tale feasts : a literary cookbook
Vancouver : Tradewind Books, 2006. – 197 p.
ISBN 978-1-896580-84-5
Fairy
tale – Recipe – Cookbook
In this unusual fairy-tale-anthology-cum-cookbook, young readers are
offered a delicious feast for their eyes, ears, and bellies. Divided into five
sections (breakfasts, lunches, soups, dinners, and desserts), the square
volume dishes up crisp, modern retellings of twenty popular mostly European
folk tales with some worthwhile information about the tales, their origins,
and different versions added in the margins. Each retelling is followed by a
step-by-step recipe of a meal taken from the corresponding tale, such as »Runaway
Pancakes« or »Snow White’s Baked Apples«, including some suggestions for
tasty variations and a number of facts about the dish. Vigorous, boldly
coloured full-page illustrations and vignettes perfectly complement this
family treat. (8+) ¤