February 2019 Newsletter

Want to stay updated on the world of Canadian children’s books all month long? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

back to top

back to top

February Reading List: Activism

Our reading list this month is all about rising up and making a difference! Social justice and activism are at the forefront in these books that are perfect for classroom and library use.

Picture Books
Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs Written by Susan Hughes Illustrated by Valérie Boivin Kids Can Press, 2018 ISBN 978-1-77138-653-1 IL: Ages 7-9 RL: Grade 4 In this engaging informational picture book, author Susan Hughes provides a fictionalized story of the life of Jane Jacobs, an urban thinker and activist who made planning and development of healthy cities her life’s work and whose influence is still felt today. Kids will be inspired to notice the “sidewalk ballet” around them and to protect what makes their communities — and their cities — great! Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers	The Water Walker Written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson Second Story Press, 2017 ISBN 978-1-77260-038-4 IL: Ages 6-10 RL: Grades 2-3 Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, an Ojibwe grandmother, walks to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi (water) for future generations and for all life on the planet. Nokomis has walked around all the Great Lakes from the salt waters (oceans) all the way to Lake Superior. Young readers are challenged to take the responsibility to protect our water, the giver of life. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Junior & Intermediate Fiction
Pandas on the Eastside Written by Gabrielle Prendergast Orca Book Publishers, 2016 ISBN 978-1-4598-1143-0 IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 5-8 When 10-year-old Journey Song hears that two pandas are being held in a warehouse in her neighbourhood, she worries that they may be hungry, cold and lonely. Horrified to learn that the pandas, originally destined for a zoo in Washington, might be shipped back to China because of a diplomatic spat between China and the United States, Journey rallies her friends and neighbours on the poverty-stricken Eastside. Her infectious enthusiasm for all things panda is hard to resist, and soon she’s getting assistance from every corner of her tight-knit neighbourhood. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers	The Summer We Saved the Bees Written by Robin Stevenson Orca Book Publishers, 2015 ISBN 978-1-4598-0834-8 IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 5-6 Wolf’s mother is obsessed with saving the world’s honeybees. He gets that. But it’s another thing altogether when she announces that she’s taking her Save the Bees show on the road — family style, complete with mortifying bee costumes. Can Wolf and his sisters convince her that dragging the family around in a beat-up panel van may not be the best idea she’s ever had? Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Young Adult Fiction
Away Running Written by Luc Bouchard and David Wright Orca Book Publishers, 2016 ISBN 978-1-4598-1046-4 IL: Ages 12and up RL: Grades 8-9 Matt, a white quarterback from Montreal, Quebec, flies to France (without his parents’ permission) to play football and escape family pressure. Freeman, a black football player from San Antonio, Texas, is in Paris on a school trip when he hears about a team playing American football in a rough, low-income suburb called Villeneuve-La-Grande. Matt and Free join the Diables Rouges and make friends with the other players, who come from many different ethnic groups. Racial tension erupts into riots in Villeneuve when some of their Muslim teammates get in trouble with the police, and Matt and Free have to decide whether to get involved and face the very real risk of arrest and violence. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers	In Plain Sight Written by Laura Langston Orca Book Publishers, 2017 ISBN 978-1-4598-1416-5 IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades  3-4 Fifteen-year-old Megan “Cause Queen” Caliente is president of the political science club and likes to make her voice heard. But after the protest she organized on the Las Vegas Strip takes an unexpected turn, she is suddenly wishing she could disappear. When her mother comes to pick her up at the police station, Megan learns, to her horror, that her whole life has been a lie. Her father is a convicted terrorist, responsible for the deaths of more than 200 people, and her mother has been living under an assumed name for 15 years. Now everyone, students and teachers alike, is treating Megan differently now. Cruel accusations and gossip, as well as persistent reporters, follow her everywhere. Worried that she is destined to follow in her father’s footsteps, Megan, with the help of the charismatic Matt Mendez, the only person at school who hasn’t turned on her, decides to track down the father she thought was dead and get some answers. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Non-Fiction
Fight to Learn: The Struggle to Go to School Written by Laura Scandiffio Annick Press, 2016 ISBN 978-1-5545-1797-8 IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 5-6 In many countries around the world, universal access to education is a seemingly unattainable dream; however, determined individuals with vision and drive have made this dream come true for many. Fight to Learn highlights people such as Okello, a former child soldier in Uganda, who founded a school for children like him whose education was derailed by war; Chicago teen Deonte Tanner, who changed one high school’s culture from guns and gangs to talking and learning; Shannen Koostachin, a feisty 13-year-old Cree whose fight for the right of First Nations children to have proper schools endured even after her untimely death. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers	Meet Viola Desmond (Scholastic Canada Biography) Written by Elizabeth MacLeod Illustrated by Mike Deas Scholastic Canada, 2018 ISBN 978-1-4431-6387-3 IL: Ages 6-10 RL: Grades 2-4 On a rainy November day in 1946, Viola decided that she would not give up her seat in the unofficial white section of a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Viola knew she was being asked to move because she was black. She was jailed, tried and found guilty of an unfair charge. But Viola and her supporters persisted in their campaign for social justice — all the way to Nova Scotia’s Supreme Court. Because when Viola decided to do something … she did it! This new picture book biography series features simple text and full-colour, comic-flavoured illustration with speech balloons that help bring the story alive. Historical photos and a timeline support the narrative. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers
Our Rights: How Kids are Changing the World Written by Janet Wilson Second Story Press, 2013 ISBN 978-1-9269-2095-5 IL: Ages 7-12 RL: Grades 3-4 A girl who spoke out against her government for the rights of aboriginal children, a boy who walked across his country to raise awareness of homelessness, and a former child soldier who wants to make music not war. Here are true stories of kids just like you who are standing up for their rights. Read about how they have made a difference. Dylan Mahalingam from the USA started an online charity to raise money to fight child poverty. The bravery of Nujood Ali Mohammed from Yemen inspired other girls who were being forced to marry too young. of them are making a difference for children’s rights. Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers	You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World Written by Caroline Paul Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2018 ISBN 978-1-68119-822-4 IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 6-7 Passionate about politics? Dedicated to saving the environment? This guide book, featuring change-maker tips, as well as anecdotes of young activists around the globe, is for those with a fierce sense of justice, a good sense of humour and a big heart. So make a sign, write a letter, volunteer, march or take part in a sit-in! You’re never too young to change the world! Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

back to top

Author’s Corner: Erinne Paisley

Erinne Paisley is an activist, public speaker, youth content developer, writer and student who made international headlines when she turned her math homework into a dress and wore it to prom, then donated the money she would have spent on a dress to the Malala Fund. She is studying Peace, Conflict and Justice, as well as Book and Media Studies, at the University of Toronto and was an intern at She’s the First in New York City in 2017. She is the author of the PopActivism series. Follow Erinne on Twitter @ErinneP

First, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get your start as an author? What is your writing process like?

My journey as an author began when I was twelve years old. I wrote my first complete book manuscript called Salieri’s Diary (a YA mystery based in Vienna, Austria). It was rejected by every publishing house I submitted to, but Orca Book Publishers let me come and tour their publishing offices. Six years later, I graduated high school in Victoria, BC and created my prom dress out of my old pre-calculus 11 homework. On it I wrote: “I’ve receive my education. Not every woman has that right. Malala.org.” I then donated the money I would have spent on a dress to the Malala Fund. The story went viral and I had the opportunity to promote women’s educational rights on platforms such as MTV and Teen Vogue. Sarah Harvey (the series editor at Orca) saw the story and recognized me from Salieri’s Diary. I was approached by Orca to write a book on going viral. I instead proposed a three-part series on youth activism with a focus on digital technology. The PopActivism book series was born!

Do you have any advice on bringing out the spirit of activism in young people?

Activism is about turning your creativity and passions towards an issue that means something to you in order to help others! I think the most important thing when encouraging young people to get involved in activist activities is to really look at how you’re defining activism. When a young person is first getting started, activism to them could look like creating a poster at their school about bullying or posting a drawing they did of their favourite feminist on their Instagram to bring awareness to women’s rights. It could also mean attending or organizing a protest or emailing a politician. The list is endless. As long as activism is approached as a creative and fun way to help others, then I always find people (of all ages) are easily engaged and excited to get starting making a positive difference in the world!

What’s pop activism and how did it start?

After the story about my paper prom dress went viral, I had a hunger to learn more about how popular culture influences activism and vice versa. Activism is defined as the creation of political and/or social change. I defined PopActivism as activism that is integrated with pop culture and inspires similar acts which can be created in everyday life. To reflect and inspire this concept, I created the blog popactivism.com and found the overarching theme for the series.

How do you stay motivated and positive despite everything going on in the world today?

This is a really important topic that needs to be talked about more. If your energy is low and your tank is empty, then you won’t be able to help anyone else! It’s important to keep time in your day for self care, whether that means time with friends, walking the dog, meditating, cooking etc. I think it’s also important to stay educated on as many topics as possible but to focus your energy on one or a small number of issues that matter the most to you. You will be able to contribute more effectively this way as well!

What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?

At the moment, I’m about to graduate from the University of Toronto with a degree in Peace, Conflict, and Justice and Book and Media Studies. I’m hoping to study the topics of activism, the Internet, and creative writing in my graduate studies as well. For writing projects, I’m currently working on a picture book on the topic of fake news and a YA fictional mystery series featuring a young student journalist named Maggie!

Find out more about Erinne on her website at  popactivism.com and erinnepaisley.com

back to top

Amy’s Travels in Teen Fiction

In 2014, Amy Mathers read and reviewed 365 YA books to raise funds to create the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award.

back to top

Illustrator’s Studio: Julie McLaughlin

Julie McLaughlin is a freelance illustrator born in Edmonton, raised in Saskatchewan, and, after living in Montreal and Vancouver, now resides in Victoria, BC (unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations). She’s illustrated four children’s non-fiction titles, as well as over 50 middle grade book covers. Her previous books have been nominated for several awards, including the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, which she won for Why We Live Where We Live by Kira Vermond in 2015. Clients include HarperCollins, Scholastic, Random House, Disney/Hyperion, Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Algonquin Books, Chronicle Books, Owlkids, Usborne, Orca Book Publishers, and more.

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get your start as an illustrator?

Growing up I was always quite creative and loved to draw; my specialty was faces, quirky buildings, and horses. So many horses. I was constantly poring over picture books and examining all the little details over and over again. Perhaps it was growing up somewhat sheltered in small town Saskatchewan, but it never once occurred to me that maybe one day I could be the one drawing those pictures. In grade 4 I got a hand-lettering book I was obsessed with (from the Scholastic book fair, of course), and when we finally got Windows 95 I fancied myself quite the Microsoft Paint artist! But I thought the closest I could get to a creative career was interior design or “computer graphics,” which was a vague concept for me and, at best, meant something like making goofy WordArt or ClipArt.

Everything changed when I moved back to Alberta for the last two years of high school, and met with an amazing guidance counselor who had an information booklet on ACAD (Alberta College of Art & Design) and blew me away with a whole new world of creative opportunities and career paths. I dove in and immediately began crafting my application portfolio. My parents were so supportive and I had a really wonderful art teacher who let me stay late or come in off-hours to work on it.

I was accepted into the Visual Communications program at ACAD and started the fall after high school in 2002. I was 17 and still had to get permission slips signed by my parents for school trips! It was the scariest and best thing ever. I took the Illustration stream, with the exception of one semester in third year when I was continually frustrated and second guessing everything, and so switched to the design stream instead. It actually ended up being very helpful in my illustration work by furthering my understanding of typography and composition. I graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Design, and from there I started freelancing for local publications and volunteering to do gig posters for my friends’ bands, I slowly built up a portfolio and professional contacts from there. It has obviously not been without struggles, but I feel tremendously lucky to have known what I wanted to do from a young age and have it actually work out pretty well!

Can you walk us through the artistic process for your illustrative work?

I always start with a lot of written notes and teeny tiny thumbnails. They look like incoherent chicken scratches, but it helps me work out the most basic compositional elements, as well as be able to move quickly between different concepts without getting too hung up on particulars. (This is perhaps not widely recommended, but I almost always do this part sitting in bed with my laptop and papers and drawing tools strewn about. I have a hard time doing this initial phase anywhere else! Weird, but it works.) From there I move to my computer and Wacom tablet, where I use a mix of digital brushes and scanned textures for refining sketches and completing artwork.

In terms of selecting books for you to illustrate, what appeals to you the most?

It’s a mix of things! Sometimes I have a personal connection or interest in the content, sometimes it covers an issue I think is really important. Sometimes it’s because I have limited experience with the subject matter, and the process of learning something new and then trying to communicate that to others is a fun and unique challenge.

What inspires you most as a creator?

Being out in nature is a big part! I live on Vancouver Island and the natural beauty is incredible. It’s lush and green all year round (there are flowers blooming in January!), it never ceases to be inspiring, especially as I include a lot of plants and animals in my work. Travelling, people-watching, looking at other artists/illustrators work too. I also like to include bits of real life where I can, like people, pets or places. It gives me another layer of engagement and interest while working. I have a sassy, old Pomeranian named Mr. Pants who makes his way into an illustration almost every year!

What projects are you working on? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?

I’m working on a fun non-fiction book written by Johanna Wagstaffe (who’s also a meteorologist/science host for CBC) called Little Cloud, due out in Spring 2020 with Orca Book Publishers. It’s the story of a cloud who wanted to grow up to be a hurricane… until he did! It’s for young readers to learn the science of hurricanes through the adventures of a little cloud with big dreams! Aside from that, I’ve been working on several  [predominantly middle grade] book covers, which I absolutely adore doing, a bunch of those will be released in the coming year. I read every book I illustrate a cover for and I’m always blown away by the quality of books out there for young people!

Find out more about Julie and her work at whatwouldjuliedraw.com

back to top