If you liked The Hunger Games, you might like these novels, too!   Anthony, Joelle. Restoring Harmony. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2010. “Ten years after the Great Collapse of 2031, sixteen-year-old Molly McClure, with only her fiddle for company, leaves the safety of her family’s island home to travel through a dangerous and desolate […]

What is the theme of a novel? A statement about life. But you need to infer in order to find that message. You need to find the clues that point to the theme. Fleischman, Sid. The Whipping Boy. New York: HarperTrophy, 2003, c1986. I think the author’s message is that even the most stubborn and […]

When it is cold outside, find a warm place indoors and curl up with a good book! Blades, Ann. Mary of Mile 18. Tundra Books, 1971. Brouwer, Sigmund. Winter Hawk Star. Orca Book Publishers, 2007. Brooke, Lauren. A Winter’s Gift. Scholastic, 2007. Bunting, Eve. The In-between Days. Harper Trophy, 1996. Claire, Céline. Shelter. Toronto: Kids Can […]

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” – Nelson Mandela NONFICTION Hood, Susan. Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016.  Ada lives in a poverty-stricken town that serves as the main garbage […]

Almond, David. The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2013, c2012. Stanley runs away and joins the circus after Uncle Ernie loses his job and turns their house into a fish-canning factory. But life on the road with Mr. Dostoyevsky is just as crazy as life was at home. All stories by David Almond are […]

 Looking for a book by a Canadian author? A few of my favourites… YOUNG ADULT NOVELS Acheson, Alison. Mud Girl. (realistic; Vancouver (B.C.); coming-of-age) Banks, Lynne Reid. Broken Bridge. (realistic; Israel; Palestinians) Barker, Michelle. My Long List of Impossible Things. Toronto: Annick Press, 2020. The second world war is ending in Germany, but that does not […]

The Newbery Award was named after a British bookseller who lived in the 1700s: John Newbery. Every year, the American Library Association recognizes one author for making the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Below you’ll find all the books chosen since the first award was given in 1922! 2017 Medal Winner: The […]