Category: Book of the Month

“The charity worker opened the first-aid kit and ripped open packets of gauze with her teeth. ‘Hold this!’ She pulled in volunteers to put pressure on the wound and carry the man to the truck. Abdul could tell from the cries and the noise of pounding boots that the CRS, [the security police] were almost…

A Moose in a Maple Tree: The All-Canadian 12 Days of Christmas. Written by Troy Townsin, Illustrated by Jennifer Harrington. Toronto: Polygot Publishing, 2008. ISBN# 978-0-9737748-6-3 First of all, let me just say that part of the proceeds from this book go towards “Make-A-Wish Canada” and it was not only published in Canada, but printed…

By Devin Scillian, Illustrated by Tim BowersPublished by Sleeping Bear PressISBN #9781585365074 Sometimes, when searching for the perfect story to share with your child, it is important to leave literacy acquisition strategies by the wayside and search for one thing, and one thing only: just plain fun. Scillian serves that up with his latest work…

By Irene N. WattsPublished by Tundra Books ISBN #978-0-88776-971-9 (0-88776-971-3) To mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I wanted to review two great classroom reads based on the tragic tale. AN EXCERPT:   I am dazzled by the sight of the Titanic. The great crowd of people, gazing up from the…

  Leonetti, Mike and Banning, Greg. The Mighty Tim Horton. Toronto: North Winds Press (Scholastic), 2010. ISBN# 978-1-44310042-7 At this time of year in the classroom, I think it’s safe to say the “honeymoon” is over with your students. From this point on, it can be a struggle to keep them engaged, but one tactic…

By Students and Teachers of School District No. 50 (Haida Gwaii) and illustrated by Judy HilgemannPublished by McKellar and Martin Publishing Group This fabulous collaboration between students and teachers of the Haida Gwaii School District focuses on Aboriginal basketball while teaching the alphabet.  Basketball is a significant component of cultural life in northern Aboriginal communities,…

By Susin NielsenPublished by Toronto: Tundra Books, 2010ISBN #978-0-88776-977-1 With the same light-hearted, youth-savvy style in which she delivered us Word Nerd, Susin Nielsen has created another Canadian gem: Dear George Clooney, Please Marry my Mom. The attention to detail Nielsen pays to her Vancouver neighbourhood settings (Kitsilano in Word Nerd, and now mid-Main Street…

By Ashley SpiresPublished by Kids Can PressISBN #978-1-55453-309-1 Binky the Space Cat is an excellent graphic novel for students in grades two to five (but to be fair, adults love Binky just as much as kids!) Although Binky may appear to be just another pet (other than his oddly-shaped head, that is), in his mind…

By Hervé BouchardPublished by Groundwood BooksISBN #978-1-55498-075-8 Winner of two Governor General’s Literary Awards in French language children’s literature (one for text and one for art); Bouchard’s poignant and original graphic novel Harvey has been translated into English. When Harvey and his younger brother find out that their father has died of a sudden heart…

By Deborah HodgePublished by Kids Can PressISBN #978-1-55453-618-4 Deborah Hodge and Brian Harris, the writer-photographer team that brought us Up We Grow: A Year in the Life of a Small Local Farm, have collaborated again to create a unique reference picturebook. Aimed at children from Kindergarten to Grade Three, Watch Me Grow: A Down-to-Earth Look…