It's a busy reading season, and being smitten with prizelists adds to its intensity. As does the amazing schedule of events at the International Festival of Authors. Which included a reading, on Monday night, of the Governor General's English Fiction shortlist, which includes Tamas Dobozy's Siege 13, Robert Hough's Dr Brinkley's Tower, Vincent
Jonathan Goldstein's short reading from I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow was very funny. He read its introduction, along with a short piece about Mary Poppins and The Penguin and umbrella usage, and a longer story about the time his mother asked him to go with her to the store to
"Not far from here, I have seen a house held up by the hands of trees. This is its story." So states the title page of this illustrated work with prose by Ted Kooser (who has won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry) and images by Jon Klassen.
The story begins in spring, with the trees greening, but the talk is all of pumpkins. It's too soon to plant pumpkins, Grandpa says, because they need real heat. "And bees. Pumpkins need bees." For many young readers, this will be new -- and startling -- information. "We'll
Sammie Bell is sixteen years old and has just hustled her way into living in the basement of her friend Jill's house. Random House Canada, 2012 She has already been there for two weeks before Jill's mom even started asking questions, and, then, Sammie knows just what to
