Michelle Whitehead's Top Two Books of 2015

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal is a delectable debut from this past year. The story follows the life of Eva Thorvald from preconception to adulthood, but only from the point of view of other characters in her life, each of whom gets to narrate one chapter.  I wasn’t sure at first if this format was going to work but I ended up loving it and loving the quirky characters that were fleshed out as a result. As you may be able to tell from the title, food is almost a character itself in this novel and there is some really interesting mixing and contrasting of comfort cooking alongside the rise of foodie culture (there is more than one recipe for dessert bars!). The story was at turns moving and hilarious…I laughed so hard I cried at times. I can’t wait to see what Stradal comes out with next.

The Outside Circle by Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Illustrated byKelly Mellings)

I’m a big fan of graphic novels and The Outside Circle is one of the most important books (graphic or otherwise) that I read this year. Patti LaBoucane-Benson wrote this fictional story about two Aboriginal brothers who grow up in poverty and violence based on her experiences working at the Native Counselling Services of Alberta. The story follows Pete as he hits rock-bottom, drawn into a gang and finding himself in jail, but finds support and inspiration to try and overcome his traumatic past. Sometimes you could expect a project like this to be too didactic to be enjoyed as fiction and art but this book does not fall into that category. Immensely readable, heartbreaking, and powerful.

Michelle is the Collection Librarian and the Adult Fiction Selector at the Greater Victoria Public Library.

And that's a wrap! Thanks to all those who shared their favourite books of the year with us. :)

 

Scott Robins' Faves!

As one of the children’s selectors for the Toronto Public Library, I’m delighted to see and hear about the thousands of children’s books published every year. But when asked to pick 2 of my favourites published this year and write about them here, it was no easy task! There are so just many great books!

So I decided to select two that tend to come up in conversations with other children’s librarians and friends who begrudgingly listen to me talk about kids books – 1 middle grade graphic novel and 1 picture book.

Sunny Side Up is the newest graphic novel from the Babymouse team, Jennifer and Matthew Holm that takes a decidedly different turn than the lighthearted stories in their early reader series. Set in the late 70’s, Sunny is sent to stay with her grandfather in Florida where she meets a new friend, leading to adventures all summer long. But the reason why Sunny has been sent away from her family is revealed later in the book - Sunny’s brother has a substance abuse problem. Reflecting the trend of more typically YA themes trickling down to middle grade fiction, Sunny Side Up presents this issue beyond successfully in a thoughtful and age-appropriate manner.  

We Forgot Brock by Carter Goodrich tackles a universal topic for many kids – imaginary friends. Phillip and his imaginary friend named Brock are inseparable and both are excited when his parents decide to take them to the fair. But when Phillip arrives at home after falling asleep at the fair, he realizes that they’ve left Brock behind! The young boy sets out to find Brock only to find him with a young girl and her own imaginary friend named Princess Sparkle Dust. The four quickly become the best of friends. We Forgot Brock perfectly captures the imagination and the level of detail that kids put into their fantasy creations and is a delightful story about the power of creating stories.

Guest Post: Andrew Woodrow-Butcher from The Beguiling Recommends Comics for Your Library

The Beguiling Books & Art has been selling graphic novels in Toronto since 1987. Five years ago, I took a position heading up their Library Services division, which works with librarians and teacher-librarians to develop graphic collections in schools and libraries across the country. This means that every autumn I travel throughout Ontario to vendor displays, meeting in person with people who need expert advice on which graphic novels are right for their schools and communities. Of course, this also means that each autumn I have the pleasure of reading dozens and dozens of great graphic novels for kids, teens, and adults!

There is so much great work being produced and published nowadays, and happily in the last decade or so comics have gotten much of the attention they have always deserved. I’ve been asked to share just two of my favourites from this year, and as you might imagine, it was quite difficult to narrow my choices down. Here are two great comics for kids that you should be sure to include in your collections!

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

You may know Chmakova’s work from her earlier books Nightschool or Dramacon, in which she deployed a contemporary manga style towards which so many young readers gravitate. Now, in Awkward, her visual language has retained strong manga influences while incorporating some of the clearer æsthetic of North American cartoonists like Raina Telgemeier (Sisters) or Faith Erin Hicks (Adventures of Superhero Girl). Awkward tells a story of middle school friends and enemies, and how sometimes one can become the other. With a diverse cast of characters and a nuanced plot, I can’t imagine the middle-grade reader who wouldn’t get drawn in to this great book.

Flop to the Top by Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing

This book for emerging readers is another triumph for Françoise Mouly’s Toon Books line. When our young protagonist Wanda is unwittingly outshone by her demure dog, she isn’t quite sure how to take it. Flop to the Top is a book about attention, social media, and how we feel when someone close to us ends up with all the limelight. But beyond that, it’s a book full of stunning – just stunning – art that will delight every reader.

Grab these books for your library, but make sure you read them yourself too – you’ll be happy you did!

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For more graphic novel suggestions from Andrew, you can head to The Beguiling Books & Art (comics for grown-ups) or Little Island Comics (comics for kids) in downtown Toronto, or get in touch via email at andrew@beguiling.ca!

Andrew Woodrow-Butcher has been a Toronto bookseller for about two decades. He is currently the Director of Library Services for The Beguiling, and Manager of Little Island Comics, North America’s first and only comic book shop just for kids.

Fave Books from Lisa Doucette at Woozles!

Woozles, an independent book and toy store located in the heart of downtown Halifax, is Canada's oldest children's bookstore, having just celebrated its 37th birthday.  If you haven't had the opportunity to go, it is an awesome experience! In addition to providing a carefully-curated selection of books for infants right up to older teens, Woozles runs book clubs for various ages and supports reading through programs such as our annual Battle of the Books.  Lisa is the Co-manager of the store, which means that in addition to numerous other things, she has the distinct pleasure of being one half of the team that makes the buying decisions for the store...a true labour of love! 

Here are Lisa's fave books of the year:

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Christopher Rowe has a pretty perfect life serving as an apothecary’s assistant to the kind but firm Master Benedict Blackthorn who rescued him from the orphanage that had been his previous home.  Master Benedict encourages Christopher’s curiosity and challenges him to solve various puzzles and codes on a regular basis.  But when Master Benedict becomes the latest victim in a series of gruesome murders, it falls to Christopher to follow the clues that his master has cunningly left for him in order to find the killers.

In this, his first novel, Kevin Sands has crafted a satisfying and page-turning mystery that is also a rich and vivid historical fiction novel.  I loved the way in which he really captured the feel of the city (London) while also weaving in a wealth of information about the social and political machinations of the time period.  Most of all, though, Christopher himself is a thoroughly wonderful protagonist.  His relationship with his master as well as his friendship with Tom, the baker’s son, were beautifully rendered.  I truly enjoyed every aspect of this book and can’t wait to read the next book from this very talented writer.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

When Sydney’s older brother is sentenced to serve time in prison for a drunk driving accident in which he seriously hurt a boy on a bicycle, her whole family is shaken to the core.  Now, more than ever, her parents’ lives revolve around Peyton.  And while her mother devotes herself completely to his plight, Sydney wonders if anyone in her family truly appreciates the enormity of what he has done, the irreparable damage he has caused.   Feeling like she must remain invisible, she is surprised when she meets Layla and her brother Mac, and the two of them readily absorb her into their circle of friends.  Suddenly Sydney finds herself connecting with a group of her peers who really see her for who she is.  But when Sydney disobeys her parents to help her new friends, her mother comes down on her with a heavy hand.  Will Sydney ever be able to convince her mother to really see her as someone with her own strengths and weaknesses rather than just in relation to her larger-than-life older brother?

Although those who know me might be tempted to roll their eyes and say “of course she would choose the new Sarah Dessen book”, I put a lot of thought into this selection.  Having read the book twice this past year, I can say that it really is one of my favourite reads of 2015.  It is certainly classic Sarah Dessen, in all the ways that I love.  The family dynamics that are explored are complicated and realistic.  I especially loved the way that Sydney came to see her brother in a new light, and the cautious new relationship that they began to develop.  I loved everything about Mac and Layla and their family…especially the bluegrass music.  They play the banjo!  I would have loved it for that alone!  But their familial relationships are also beautifully depicted.  And, as always, Dessen captures profound truths of every day life.  The relationship that develops between Mac and Sydney is sweet and satisfying but doesn’t overshadow the other aspects of the story.  She gets it so right in this book, which is both exactly what we’ve come to expect from Sarah Dessen and yet something entirely new as well.