{"id":1706,"date":"2012-12-13T19:42:58","date_gmt":"2012-12-14T00:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calla2.com\/?p=1706"},"modified":"2012-12-13T19:42:58","modified_gmt":"2012-12-14T00:42:58","slug":"get-thee-to-a-bookstore-with-this-ya-booklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/get-thee-to-a-bookstore-with-this-ya-booklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Thee to a Bookstore With This YA Booklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

From The Winnipeg Review<\/a>:<\/p>\n

By Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the spirit of December gift-giving, I asked my fellow children\u2019s authors to help me put a list together of books they\u2019re giving and ones they\u2019re looking forward to reading over the holidays.<\/p>\n

Here are picture book suggestions:<\/p>\n

Margriet Ruurs, whose most recent book is Amazing Animals: The Remarkable Things That Creatures Do <\/em>(Tundra, 2011) will be giving Island Santa<\/em> written by Sheryl McFarlane and illustrated by Sheena Lott, to the children on her list. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful story and one that all children on the Gulf Islands can relate to as we watch Santa arrive by boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Marilyn Helmer says, \u201cI just bought a copy of Lisa Dalrymple\u2019s new seasonal picture book, If It\u2019s No Trouble\u2026a Big Polar Bear<\/em>.\u00a0The story is about adjusting to new and unusual situations.\u00a0The illustrations compliment the story perfectly and the rhythm and rhyme make it a great read aloud book.\u201d I have ordered copies of this book as well and am looking forward to reading it before giving them away. Lisa is a rare author who can amuse in perfect rhyme. Marilyn\u2019s newest picture book is called That\u2019s What Bears Are For<\/em>, illustrated by Sonia Nadeau (Peanut Butter Press, 2012) will surely find its way under a number of trees as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like another copy of Picture a Tree<\/em> by Barbara Reid,\u201d says artist and illustrator, Kristi Bridgeman. The book shows tree varieties through the seasons, \u201cbut what I love are the plasticine images and green cover because it makes me want to make play dough.\u201d Krisi also recommends Solomon\u2019s Tree<\/em> by Andrea Spalding and Janet Wilson (Orca, 2005), \u201cbecause it made me cry in the bookstore.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of illustrator Dianna Bonder\u2019s favourite seasonal books is a hard to get classic by Jerry Pallotta called Dinosaur Christmas<\/em> (Scholastic US). I searched around for this one and the only place that it\u2019s available is from Pallotta\u2019s website (www.jerrypallotta.com) but he\u2019ll autograph it for you. The most recent book Dianna has illustrated is Pedro the Pirate<\/em>, by Tim Hoppey (Raven Tree Press, 2012).<\/p>\n

Short story writer Merna Summers, who won the Marian Engel Award in 1989, says \u201cI have just read Noah\u2019s Bark<\/em> (Lerner, 2010) by Stephen Krensky, with enchanting illustrations by the Quebec artist Rog\u00e9. It tells the story of how each animal was given its individual way of speaking by Noah, as a means of keeping some sort of order on the ark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christine Tripp (illustrator of Sheri Radford\u2019s Penelope and the Preposterous Birthday Party<\/em>, Lobster, 2009) says, \u201cI\u2019ve picked up a copy of Mine <\/em>(Knopf, 2012),<\/em> a little picture book with illustrations by Patrice Barton, for my 3.5 year old granddaughter. The author is Shutta Crum. The illustrations are what really knock this little book out of the park, so, so sweet. The story line of everything thing being the older sisters, EVERYTHING, would apply to any home where there is a baby sibling. It suits two of my granddaughters to a tee!\u201d<\/p>\n

Children\u2019s Book News<\/em> editor Gillian O\u2019Reilly will be giving Crazy About Soccer!,<\/em> a collection of poems about the sport\u00a0by Loris Lesynski, with illustrations by Gerry Rasmussen (Annick Press) to her 3.5 year old great-niece.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cTo describe her\u00a0father and brother as avid soccer fans is putting it mildly, so the\u00a0subject matter\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0amazing versifying talent of\u00a0Loris Lesyski seems like a perfect combination.\u00a0The fact that the illustrations are by one of the creators of my favourite Canadian comic strip (Betty) is icing on the cake.\u201d Gillian is the author of two non-fiction titles herself: Slangalicious: Where We Got That Crazy Lingo<\/em> (Annick, 2004) and The Great Number Rumble: A Story of Math in Surprising Places <\/em>(co-written with Cora Lee, Annick, 2007).<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Helaine Becker\u2019s A Porcupine in a Pine Tree<\/em>, illustrated by Werner Zimmerman (North Winds Press, 2010) is finding its way onto several gift lists this year, in its traditional format from years past and new this year in a book and gift package. Maureen McGowan , author of Deviants<\/em>, (Amazon Children\u2019s Publishing 2012) says, \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0 looking forward to reading A Porcupine in a Pine Tree<\/em>, by Helaine Becker, with my four-year-old nephew. He was introduced to it last year and nearly had it memorized. I\u2019m hoping he\u2019ll sing the book to the whole extended family this Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wendy Whittingham, illustrator of Valerie Sherrard\u2019s Miss Wondergem\u2019s Dreadfully Dreadful Pie <\/em>(Tuckamore, 2011), is buying A Porcupine in a Pine Tree<\/em> for herself, \u201cbecause it\u2019s Canadian and because it\u2019s awesome!\u201d Wendy also recommends Maurice Sendak\u2019s classic Where the Wild Things Are <\/em>and Mo Willem\u2019s Don\u2019t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.<\/em><\/p>\n

Wendy also says, \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to giving a copy of I\u2019m Bored<\/em>, by Michael Ian Black, and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi to my nephew (Simon & Schuster, 2012),\u201d says Maureen McGowan. \u201cThe minimalist illustrations really capture the emotions of the characters\u2013even the potato!\u201d Christine Tripp agrees:\u00a0 \u201cI am very<\/em> tempted to keep it for myself, just because I love that ridiculous damn potato! The idea of trying to entertain a bored potato alone keeps making me chuckle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marjorie Gann, author of Five Thousand Years of Slavery<\/em> (illustrated by Janet Wilson, Tundra, 2011) suggests four picture books:<\/p>\n

The Huron Carol<\/em>, illustrated by Frances Tyrrell (William Eerdmans, 2003): \u201cTyrrell\u2019s exquisite illustrations situate this famous carol squarely within the native context. Mary is a Huron mum, the manger a longhouse, Bethlehem a boreal forest, the kings wear snowshoes, etc., all as in Father Brebeuf\u2019s telling. Tyrrell is a brilliant draughtsman, and the design of each page is enchanting: an arched window in the centre concentrating on the story, framed by a background of the Canadian landscape or sky (constellations representing bears, wildcats, etc.)\u201d This classic book is out of print but can be purchased used.<\/p>\n

\u201cZlateh the Goat,\u201d by Isaac Bashevis Singer. \u201cThis comes in a collection by Singer, Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories<\/em>, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Programs and Genres, 2001). Set in the vanished world of the European Jewish communities, this Hanukkah story begins when the father tells his son Aaron to take their goat Zlateh to the butcher; the money for the animal will help the family to buy what they need for Hanukkah. But on the way, the wind whips up a fearsome snowstorm. The beloved goat leads the boy to shelter in a haystack while the winds whirl; the goat nourishes herself on the hay, Aaron drinks her milk, and they stay warm and safe. The storm ended, the boy is found by his panicking father and \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 Zlateh returns home to the grateful family. A beautiful book. There\u2019s a video made in black and white, set in Czechoslovakia, with Janacek\u2019s music in the background, that captures the story\u2019s tone magnificently.<\/p>\n

The Tailor of Gloucester<\/em> by Beatrix Potter (Little Simon, 1987). \u201cWell, this will never go\u00a0out of print! I\u2019m sure everyone knows the story (of the tailor who has to finish the mayor\u2019s waistcoat by Christmas morning but becomes ill \u2013 only to be saved by the little mice who live in his walls, and are threatened by Simpkin the cat!) but I wouldn\u2019t want to forget it. Quaint, old-fashioned \u2014 but my (Grade 4) students loved it.<\/p>\n

Elijah\u2019s Angel: A Story of Chanukah and Christmas<\/em> by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson (Harcourt, 1992). \u201cElijah Pierce really existed \u2014 an\u00a0African-American barber and woodcarver who was a friend of both the author and illustrator. This is the story of a friendship between a Jewish-American boy and a devout Christian woodcarver, of how they shared their traditions. It\u2019s not at all sappy or Brotherhood Week \u2013 ish, though. But it is about Christmas angels and Hanukkah menorahs, and how they bond two people together.\u201d<\/p>\n

I have a whack of picture books to give out myself and I always enjoy reading them gently before wrapping. Rebecca Bender\u2019s Don\u2019t Laugh, Giraffe <\/em>(Pajama Press, 2012) <\/em>is a fabulous selection on so many levels. I love how it demonstrates the teasing that can happen between friends but gently shows how a tease gone wrong can hurt. The illustrations and text are both vivid yet simple. A great choice for toddlers to grade two.<\/p>\n

I am also giving Cat\u2019s Night Out<\/em> by Caroline Stutson and J. Klassen (Simon & Shuster, 2010). Ostensibly a counting book, but it will not bore the adult reader no matter how many times a child wants to hear it. The illustrations are visually stunning, showing detailed streetscapes, many retro styles of clothing, dance and music.<\/p>\n

A Birthday for Bear <\/em>by Bonnie Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick, 2012) is the perfect book to get a child out of a spoiled brat funk. Humourous and engaging.<\/p>\n

Children Make Terrible Pets<\/em> by Peter Brown (Little-Brown, 2010) will make your littlest family members chuckle but it will also make them think from the point of view of the animal when they drag in a squirrel or sparrow and want to keep it as a pet.<\/p>\n

For kids eight and up, Robin Stevenson, author of Hummingbird Hearts <\/em>(Orca, 2012), has a great suggestion. \u201cI will be buying my eight-year-old son as many Foxtrot<\/em> comic books as I can find! The first books he enjoyed reading on his own.\u201d For example, AAAA: A Foxtrot Kids Edition<\/em>, by Bill Amend, (Andrews McMeel, 2012). \u201cThe character of ten-year-old Jason is kind of like a grown up techie version of Calvin [from Calvin and Hobbes<\/em>],with the same quirky humour and mischievous spirit. Anyone who likes math, science and computers will love this kid and his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>My own suggestion for kids aged eight and up is Jennifer Lanthier\u2019s stunning new picture book, The Stamp Collector<\/em>, illustrated by Francois Thisdale (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012). I didn\u2019t include it in the picture book category above because it really is for older kids and adults. It\u2019s the story of a city boy and a country boy, both who grow up in a repressed country. One becomes a writer and is imprisoned for his stories. The other becomes his prison guard. A powerful and nuanced story that is sure to win awards.<\/p>\n

Illustrator Jan Dolby, (Gabby, by Joyce Grant, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012) is giving her daughter Hockey Girl<\/em> by\u00a0Natalie Hyde (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012) for Christmas. Jan says it\u2019s \u201ca perfect fit for her\u2026she plays girls\u2019\u00a0peewee rep hockey and has played for boys\u2019 hockey league as well.\u00a0I think the story line will grab her attention and she will finish the book with excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dianna Bonder is looking forward to reading the Penderwicks<\/em> books with her oldest daughter over the holidays. Jeanne Birdsall\u2019s Penderwicks<\/em> books are The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, <\/em>and The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy<\/em> (Yearling). They just begun reading the series and she called them \u201ctruly excellent!\u201d<\/p>\n

Wendy Whittingham suggests J. R. R. Tolkien\u2019s The Hobbit<\/em>, Yann Martel\u2019s Life of Pi<\/em>, Charlotte\u2019s Web<\/em> by E. B. White, Holes<\/em> by Louis Sachar, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em> by C. S. Lewis for kids aged ten and up.<\/p>\n

And what children\u2019s novels are authors reading and giving over the holidays? An eclectic variety:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am saving Shane Peacock\u2019s Vanishing Girl<\/em> from Tundra Books to read over the season,\u201d says Marilyn Helmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI plan to give Urve Tamburg\u2019s The Darkest Corner of the World<\/em> to an Estonian friend who came to Canada when she was a young girl in the 1950s,\u201d says Judith Robinson, playwright and author of Working Miracles: The Drama & Passion of Aimee Semple McPherson\u00a0<\/em>(James Lorimer & Company, 2006). \u201cHer grandfather was interned by the Soviets and never returned. I\u2019m sure the experiences in the book will speak to her about her own family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helaine Becker, author of Porcupine in a Pine Tree<\/em>: is looking forward to reading Leah Bobet\u2019s Above <\/em>(Arthur Levine, 2012), Joanne Levy\u2019s Small Medium at Large (Bloomsbury, 2012),<\/em> Deborah Kerbel\u2019s GG-nominated novel, Under the Moon<\/em> (Dancing Cat, 2012), and Valerie Sherrard\u2019s Counting Back From Nine <\/em>(Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012).<\/p>\n

Valerie Sherrard recommends Amphibian<\/em>\u00a0by Carla Gunn (Coach House, 2009). \u201cIt\u2019s a crossover book \u2013 written for adults but also\u00a0great for young people.\u201d Sherrard also recommends Mahtab Narsimhan\u2019s\u00a0The Tiffin. <\/em>\u201cIt had me instantly\u00a0mesmerized with its\u00a0rich descriptions. A wonderful story that\u00a0plunks you down in\u00a0Mumbai and takes you along on a young man\u2019s perilous search for hope and home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillian O\u2019Reilly says, \u201cWhat I\u2019ll be reading over the holidays is Trilby Kent\u2019s Stones for My Father<\/em>, (Tundra, 2011) recent winner of this year\u2019s TD Canadian Children\u2019s Book Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebecca Upjohn, author of The Secret of the Village Fool <\/em>(illustrated by Renn\u00e9 Benoit, Second Story Press, 2012) says, \u201cI am really looking forward to reading Mastiff<\/em> (Random House, 2011) book three in Tamora Pierce\u2019s Beka Cooper<\/em> trilogy. I have long enjoyed Pierce\u2019s books for their smart female characters who often challenge the status quo. Her books set in the kingdom of Tortall are among my favourites. The Beka Cooper series is about a young woman employed by the city guard. She and her working dog, Achoo, and a cast of many take on such subjects as slavery, counterfeiting, and the clash between those living in poverty and those born to nobility. The books in this series are long but Pierce is a compelling storyteller and a master world builder and there is always a payoff worth the read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebecca Upjohn has another suggestion as well. \u201cAlthough marketed for adults, I would consider giving an older teen who loves epic fantasy, K.V. Johansen\u2019s Blackdog<\/em> (PYR Books, 2011). The world created in the book is compelling. There is an intriguing treatment of gods and other immortal beings and the charged history between these beings and humans is slowly revealed. The story focuses on a mortal girl, the living incarnation of a goddess, and Blackdog, a spirit who possesses a human mortal male. Blackdog\u2019s only goal is to protect the goddess regardless of the toll it takes on the man whom it possesses. It is a layered story with many twists which kept me guessing. The connection between the goddess and Blackdog and that between their two human counterparts is complex and unpredictable. Altogether a great read for someone in need of a book to sink their teeth into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA book I am looking forward to re-reading over the holidays is Dianne Linden\u2019s beautifully-written Shimmerdogs <\/em>(Thistledown, 2008),\u201d says Merna Summers. \u201cIt is the story of a little boy whose world falls apart in various ways after his mother is posted out of the country on a peace-keeping mission. The joy of the book, besides its honesty, is the beauty of the prose. I believe that Dianne was short-listed for a GG Award for this one, and anyone who reads it will readily understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maureen McGowan, is looking forward to reading Insurgent<\/em>, by Veronica Roth (Katherine Tegan, 2012). \u201cI thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Divergent<\/em>, because it\u2019s fast-paced and tackles big questions we first faced as teens such as, who do I want to be, and what kind of person am I? Her dystopian world poses the questions: \u2018Can you be too honest? Too self-sacrificing? Too brave? Too friendly? Too knowledgable?\u2019 in an interesting and exciting way. I\u2019ve been saving Insurgent<\/em> as a treat for when I finish the last book in my own dystopian trilogy.\u201d<\/p>\n

For myself? Many of those I\u2019ll be giving will be books that I reviewed over the past year. I would also highly recommend The Talk-Funny Girl<\/em> by Roland Merullo (Crown Publishing, 2011), a novel about a dirt-poor girl who transcends her abusive childhood. It will appeal to anyone who loved Jeanette Walls\u2019 The Glass Castle<\/em> (Scribner, 2006).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From The Winnipeg Review: By Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch In the spirit of December gift-giving, I asked my fellow children\u2019s authors to help me put a list together of books they\u2019re giving and ones they\u2019re looking forward to reading over the holidays. Here are picture book suggestions: Margriet Ruurs, whose most recent book is Amazing Animals: … Continue reading “Get Thee to a Bookstore With This YA Booklist”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1706\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}