The Riverman

Posted on: January 27, 2017 at 2:01 pm, in

The Riverman By Aaron Starmer What a wild book this is! Twelve-year-old Alistair Cleary is befriended by one of the neighbourhood “weird kids” – Fiona Loomis.  Fiona has a secret to tell Alistair and she trusts him not to tell – she is regularly transported to a fantasy world called Aquavania.  In this magical place, […]

Eco Warrior

Posted on: January 24, 2017 at 4:27 pm, in

Eco Warrior Eco Warriorby Philip RoyEco Warrior is a wonderful tale about a sixteen year old boy named Alfred that pulls you in right away and keeps you reading from page one to the end. Alfred is traveling to Australia in a homemade submarine with his pet seagull and dog to learn how to be an […]

We Are Growing!

Posted on: January 12, 2017 at 9:15 pm, in

We Are Growing!By Laurie Keller One of the new Elephant & Piggie Like Reading books, We Are Growing by Laurie Keller entices emerging readers to keep practicing their skills once they’ve finished all the books in their beloved Mo Willems series. With high-impact, brightly coloured and cartoonish illustrations, simple text and larger than life sounds […]

Book Scavenger

Posted on: December 22, 2016 at 6:37 pm, in

Book ScavengerBy Jennifer Chambliss Bertman Imagine a scavenger hunt that involves deciphering secret codes and following clues that could take you all over the city – any city.  Now imagine that the prizes you are seeking are all books.  You can even hide your own books and leave clues for other players.  This is the […]

Any Questions?

Posted on: December 4, 2016 at 3:17 pm, in

Any Questions? By Marie-Louise Gay A thought-provoking release from Marie-Louise Gay, this picturebook aims to not only answer questions but more importantly, encourage children to keep asking questions. Often children will express an interest in where stories come from and how a book is made, and Gay inspires children to capture their imaginations on paper. Through a creative […]

Spirit Bear

Posted on: November 25, 2016 at 12:22 pm, in

Spirit BearBy Jennifer Harrington, illustrated by Michael Arnott Annuk is a baby bear, born to a black bear mother.  Deep in the Great Bear Rainforest, Annuk discovers that he is special; unlike his siblings, Annuk is a white “Spirit Bear”.  His mother tells him that one day, he will “catch more salmon than any bear […]

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Posted on: November 17, 2016 at 8:38 pm, in

Serafina and the Black CloakBy Robert Beatty Serafina is a 12-year-old girl who lives in the grand Biltmore Estate in 1899.  Owned by the famous Vanderbilt family, the house itself is beautiful and vast, almost a castle.  The grounds are lovely, manicured, and surrounded by forest.  But Serafina is not a rich girl or even […]

The Swallow: A Ghost Story

Posted on: November 4, 2016 at 3:18 pm, in

The Swallow By Charis Cotter Polly is an awkward and lonely girl with a big family – too big in her estimation.  There are so many kids that her parents barely notice Polly.  Even her own bedroom, which has always been her sanctuary, has now been invaded by baby Sarah, with whom Polly must share […]

Where Are You Going Baby Lincoln?

Posted on: October 20, 2016 at 9:10 pm, in

Where Are You Going Baby Lincoln?By Kate DiCamillo In the third installment in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series, Baby Lincoln is feeling stifled by her older sister Eugenia.  Having been bossed around by the rule-bound Eugenia all her life, Baby Lincoln decides she must go on a “necessary journey”, although she does not know […]

The Blackthorn Key

Posted on: October 5, 2016 at 10:07 am, in

by Kevin SandsIt’s 1665 in London, England. Christopher Rowe is an apothecary’s apprentice. His master, Benedict Blackthorn – a well-respected, if slightly absentminded, apothecary, is teaching Christopher all about combining ingredients to create powerful medicines, as well as codes and puzzles that help to keep recipes for said medicines a secret.  Suddenly apothecaries all over […]