Review by Logaine Navascués
When Maya decides to direct a play, all of her friends in the Mile End neighbourhood join in. But as soon as she starts bossing them around, some actors try to find a way out, revealing how easily a driven leader can become a dominant ruler, in spite of having good intentions. … More Maya’s Big Scene by Isabelle Arsenault
Review by Jane Diokpo
Catherine’s War, a graphic novel by French novelist Julia Billet, is based on the author’s mother’s true story. Set in France during World War II, it follows Rachel Cohen, a young Jewish teenager who starts off living at Sèvres Children’s Home in Paris. … More Catherine’s War by Julia Billet, illus. by Claire Fauvel
Review by Jocelyne Gregory
There is a conspiracy in the insect world and it involves butterflies. Are they truly beautiful? Or are people fooled by their delicate-looking nature and colourful wings? … More Butterflies Are Pretty … Gross! by Rosemary Mosco, illus. by Jacob Souva
Review by Logaine Navascués
Imagine what would happen if a group of forest animals asked themselves: what is art, and what’s it for? … More Outside Art by Madeline Kloepper
Review by Logaine Navascués
Sometimes a picture book comes along that reframes the possibilities of the form itself. Jon Klassen has already demonstrated his ability to play with readers’ expectations with wit and irony in his iconic hat trilogy. In The Rock from the Sky, Klassen again challenges the inseparable nature of word and image intrinsic to the picture book, while also defying conventions of the format with its 96 pages and multi-chapter structure—five consecutive short stories in one volume!— proposing a reading that is both blunt yet mysterious, simple yet multilayered. … More The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen
Review by Louise Brecht
James Rhodes’ Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound is a spellbinding introduction to the rock star composers of the classical music era(s). Cleverly crafted to resonate with teen readers unfamiliar with this genre, its message that our current tunesmiths are born from classical roots is potent for lapsed fans or music aficionados, regardless of age. … More Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound by James Rhodes, Illus. by Martin O’Neill
Review by Hira Peracha
When Lucy Crisp, who is halfway through her second gap year between high school and university, receives an acceptance letter to the floral artistry program at Ladywyck Lodge, the last thing she expected to come across was a town of witches and fairies.
… More Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House by Janet Hill
Review by Logaine Navascués
What does it really mean to be tough? Despite her young age, Kim has already learned that faces are not always a reflection of the feelings people carry inside. … More Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, Illus. by Carmen Mok
Review by Logaine Navascués
Sometimes, grief fills up everything in and around us, like an enormous dark gorilla standing in the middle of the room: present and inevitable, yet still unimaginable.
… More The Boy and the Gorilla by Jackie Azúa Kramer, Illus. by Cindy Derby
Review by Sara Francoeur
When someone you love is struggling with a big problem, all you want to do is help. But what if they don’t want your help? In Parked by Danielle Svetcov, two 12-year-olds develop an unlikely friendship while tackling hardships that would challenge most adults. … More Parked by Danielle Svetcov
