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December Experts' Picks

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Experts' Picks

Expert booksellers and librarians share their top picks for young readers. Check out what our experts are reading this December!

Cover of The Story and Science of HopeThe Story and Science of Hope 
 Written by Andrea Curtis 
 Illustrated by Ana Suárez 
 Groundwood Books, 2025 
 IL: Ages 9-12  RL: Grades 4-5  
  
Hope is an often misunderstood or trivialized emotion. In this clearly written, comprehensive narrative non-fiction book, award-winning author Andrea Curtis emphasizes that hope isn’t mere wistful, wish-upon-a-star thinking, but requires ongoing concerted effort and action: “It’s about leaning into and working toward something meaningful to you—even if you’re not sure it’s going to happen.”  
  
Information includes a range of historical ponderings on hope (Nietzsche called it the greatest evil, while Emily Dickinson wrote “Hope is the thing with feather”), as well as current research being conducted by neuroscientists and scientific theorists on how hope impacts our lives. In a conversational style, Curtis acknowledges the inherent difficulties involved (“Hope and struggle go hand in hand”) and offers ways to hone hope-building skills.  
  
Bright bursts of colour emanate from Ana Suárez’s energetic, stylized watercolour illustrations. Back matter includes profiles of hopeful environmental activists, a glossary, and further resources.  
 
Impactful and meaningful—just like hope—this is a book to embrace.  
  

Recommended by Linda Ludke, Collections Management Librarian, London Public Library 

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The Discovery of Finnegan WildeThe Discovery of Finnegan Wilde 
Written by Caroline Pignat 
Thistledown Press, 2025 
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 5-6 
 
Finn is a wily, street-wise orphan who knows how to survive in the gritty streets of Dublin in the early 1900s. Eddie is a studious young apprentice at the National Museum who is utterly engrossed in studying a manuscript that was recently unearthed in a nearby bog and that was written by a monk many centuries ago. The unlikely pair join forces after Finn steals Eddie's father's journal. She is looking for clues to her own family and past. He longs to find a legendary Irish treasure. Together, the two embark on a quest that will lead to discoveries that neither one could ever have imagined.

Pignat's characters are lively and compelling and richly drawn, her setting is vivid and exquisitely rendered, and her skillful weaving of Irish folklore into the narrative makes this book a joy to read from start to finish. Expertly shifting from the points of view of Finn, Eddie and Tomas the Monk, the story unfolds in a way that is deliberately paced and carefully crafted.

Recommended by Lisa Doucet, Manager, Woozles Children's Bookstore 

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