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The Dog Heist by Dani Jansen
Dani Jansen’s first book – The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life - made me laugh out loud. I promised myself to read her next book, which is The Dog Heist.
The Dog Heist is about more than stealing Lyra the dog: it is the intricate story of two tweens, Valery and Caleb, who navigate the complexities of life, friendship, social responsibility, and learn independence. It is also about realizing that sometimes the person you least expect to understand you become exactly the friend you need.
The strength of this book is that it captures the experience of Valery and Caleb who learn the skills necessary to communicate. It’s not easy to get across what you are thinking. We aren’t born brilliant communicators. Learning to communicate is sometimes an awkward process. In The Dog Heist, the parents and teachers in this story, are supportive and helpful mentors, without being didactic. And, oh. The whole, “going-outside-in-a-hurricane-and-finding-your-furious-frightened-parents-waiting-when-you-get-back” scene? Perfect.
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This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights by Debbie Fong
Banned Together is a collection of personal essays, short stories, comics, poetry and interviews from 15 diverse authors exploring book bans through multiple perspectives.
Among the collected works is Robin Stevenson’s essay that unpacks her misrepresented book and the ensuing American Supreme Court case about access to 2SLGBTQ books – or the choice to opt out of occasions where 2SLGBTQ materials would be presented.
In another chapter, an author writes about her relationships with two male friends, who felt she overreacted, when she reported a misogynist “joke” that was serious enough to have the perpetrator expelled from university. It’s interesting to see how she associates that experience with the theme. There is a piece by Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir. One of the best aspects of this book is that it offers a list of banned authors and books to support, and other ways youth can protect their right to read. I wonder about using a book like this as the backbone of a book club. It’s humbling and inspiring to read about courage. Authors are amazing.
YA Fiction Anthology: pr7781981
This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.
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The Third Period Comeback by E. K. Johnston
In an almost dystopian - indeed, apocalyptic - current events news cycle – even for children – this book is an oasis, a balm. It is a funny, quirky-character driven book with Canadian in-jokes, wonderful inclusiveness, Canadian settings and activities – cottages/cabins, hockey, camping, etc. And, it also has magical elements that make the plot remarkably unpredictable. Reading it feels like Ms. Johnston had a riot writing it.
You probably have favourite authors, like I do, who could write anything, and you’d look forward to reading it – for any age level, any genre, fiction, non-fiction, Cabbage Seeds Catalogue – whatever.
E.K. Johnston is one of these, for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed her YA titles, so far, and she has my vote for best book title ever – Exit, Pursued by a Bear.
Holding an author in such high esteem, can be perilous. Looking forward to reading a book, sets one up for disappointment. The Third Period Comeback is Ms. Johnston’s first foray into Juvenile Fiction. Here, huge anticipation was justified - it’s a barnburner.
A clan of hockey playing tween cousins, conspire one summer, to do what their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great, great relatives – together with the NHL and generations of Toronto Maple Leaf fans – have failed to do. In the story, their great, great grandfather died in a plane crash, and was never found. In the story, the Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since; ergo, it’s widely believed that the team is cursed by the disappearance. In the story, every member of the cousins’ extended family, is also believed to be cursed, and therefore banned from playing organized hockey after childhood. In the story, curses are a real thing. “Curse breaking” is an industry, etc. (This story arc references the Maple Leafs’ curse narrative in the real world. For that “true” curse, see the Tragically Hip song, “Fifty-Mission Cap.”)
The cousins spend every summer together under the lax supervision of their grand parents, at a family huddle of cabins in the wilderness. As it happens, the crash took place en route to this remote location – and therefore possibly nearby. This summer, the oldest cousins are approaching the end of their hockey playing careers, as dictated by the curse. This summer, the band of cousins find research about the curse from previous generations. Their older relatives worked in solitude. This generation of cousins pool their resources, and believe in each other, if not themselves. It’s hard to say enough about this empowering, authentic, engaging very Canadian story. Mostly, it’s a story about innocent, childhood fun.
I should add, I am not a Maple Leaf fan. I’m not an NHL fan. I am a fan of the PWHL and Canadian National Hockey teams. If I can enjoy this book, you can too. We are all on team Canada.
Middle Grade Fiction pr8363747
This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.
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Finding My Spark by Isabelle Jameson
Alex, the protagonist of this picture book, knows he is a boy. He can’t bring himself to say – out loud – the words in his head. His feelings begin his story – worried, afraid, unhappy. The illustrations convey these very well.
Eventually, Alex writes a letter to his mom. She helps him to draw a picture to show his family, and then he tells his class. He wants people to use he/him pronouns. He wants to be called Alex.
His feelings change - relieved, brave, happy. He had the feelings before he had the words. A picture helps him tell his truth.
I remember an altercation with another child – Marty - when I was small. Grown-up interventions ensued. “What happened” was explained by others. I thought, “That’s not right.” It was so obvious in my head - but I didn’t have the words to clarify the facts or my feelings – also I was crying. Feeling powerless to communicate a correction, is what I remember most. (If I met Marty today, I’d explain the whole thing!)
All kids have felt worried or afraid or unhappy. All kids would rather feel relieved or brave or happy. I think this picture book will support many kids to feel these emotions themselves and/or have empathy for others. It might even help them to find words about a specific truth in their own lives. We hope there is room for this Canadian book in your library.
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The Truth About Maura by Isabelle Jameson
Maura makes a careful plan - how, when, where to get it done so that no one will find out. Her plan works perfectly, except that there’s a class mate at the abortion clinic, and they see each other. Social media explodes. Maura’s mother is embarrassed; her best friend is furious with the father; strangers are disgusted, classmates are curious. Everyone has feelings and opinions and questions about her, the unplanned pregnancy, the abortion, the father and more. No one she loves asks Maura how she feels, what she thinks, what she needs. Two relative strangers offer her unconditional support. For them, the pregnancy and abortion are none of their business and don’t change who Maura is. Maura agrees.
This book is a high interest low-reading-level title in the Orca Soundings series. You don’t particularly notice this.
Turning the last page, I wanted to find out more about Maura, and how her relationships would change. I think teenagers - in her position or not - would benefit from reading her story. It’s a great, suspenseful book. -Helen Wilding Cook
YA Fiction pr8383121
This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.
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As a teenager, I can remember imagining who I’d thank if I won an Academy Award. To be clear, I had no ambition then or ever, to be an actor. Still, one daydreams…
Imagine a teenager daydreaming about being in charge… say President of the United States. Then imagine the light bulb moment – why wait? Why not a 17-year-old president?
That is what Soman Chainani imagined. The already extremely accomplished author of The School for Good and Evil series, among others, imagined Benton Young. In a near future, where climate change is worse, and politicians are about the same, Benton decides to try.
A Revolting Youth movement - fantastic name - starts with Benton in the United States and spreads across the G7. Suddenly, the leaders of the free world are all teenagers. They sweep into office on their promises to be different. They promise to think about the planet and future generations, instead of accumulating short-term wealth and power for themselves.
In their first week as leaders, these teenagers gather for a G7 meeting. Huge issues are on the agenda, and President Benton Young is still working out the names of each of the other leaders, and trying to wrest power away from American politicians.
That premise had me reading late into the night, as it was. Then – THEN! – one of the teenage leaders is murdered. The suspects? The other teenage leaders!
As Benton and his team (his two best friends, his poli-sci teacher and one or two trustworthy U.S. government officials) navigate the other G7 leaders, murder charges, impeachment in the U.S., unhelpful parents, and the inevitable international conspiracy – they gradually figure out what’s going on, and what to do. This book is the definition of action packed. It is an ode to the vitality, optimism, authenticity and creativity of young people. And who knows? If they had control, maybe they would rule the world better than grown-up politicians. They probably wouldn’t make it any worse.
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