Terrible Roar of Water by Penny Draper Published by Coteau Books Review by Karen Lawson $8.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-414-9 Penny Draper once again hits the mark with her latest young adult novel in the Disaster Strikes Series. This exciting story is set in a remote fishing village in Newfoundland and focuses on the tsunami that hit there on November 18, 1929. Draper is a gifted writer who understands how to combine historical facts and fiction. It is obvious that she conducts a great deal of in-depth research in order to maintain historical accuracy in her book. Draper weaves a page turner of a story that merges fictional characters and authentic historical facts. She also explores the culture and traditions of a fishing village to show what life was like at that time. The hero of her tale is Murphy, a twelve year old boy who loves the sea and the life of a fisherman. He lives in a small outport with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. The life of a fisherman is full of struggle and danger but Murphy embraces it with passionate enthusiasm. Murphy’s life is turned upside down in a matter of minutes one night when his community is…

Something to Hang On To by Beverly Brenna Published by Thistledown Press Review by Judith Silverthorne $12.95 ISBN 978-1-897235-57-7 Beverley Brenna’s new collection of short stories for teens is poignant and powerful. Each one is told in a clear, positive and simple way, so that Something to Hang On To will appeal to many readers. Her characters are both quirky and honest as they go through tough times. They all seem to overcome their obstacles by capturing lasting resolutions from within. Sometimes the stories are based on real life incidents and sometimes they are slightly autobiographical. Often they provide insights into a variety of serious life issues, such as loss, family violence, autism, Down’s Syndrome, or marginalization. She explores these adversities from a variety of angles. There are also some that are more-light hearted stories like the one about getting a toe caught in a vacuum cleaner, or another about parachuting from a plane for the first time. The award-winning author uses both first person and third person narrations in this compelling collection. As an added feature, there’s also an intriguing one-act play. This is her first and it’s an existential one, which captures the absurd, echoing sentiments many teens…

Longhorns & Outlaws by Linda Aksomitis Published by Coteau Books for Kids Review by Sandy Bonny $ 8.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-378-4 After losing his Dutch immigrant parents and sister to the Galveston TX Hurricane of 1900, twelve-year-old Lucas finds solace in his friends, his school work, and his favourite books – Wild West detective stories where ‘Pinkerton Agents’ track and capture outlaws. Then Lucas’s sixteen-year-old brother Gil shows up fresh off a cattle drive and Lucas is suddenly thrust into learning the ins and outs of being a cowboy. Having heard of an uncle living in Canada, Gil signs the boys on with the J Bar J Ranch, a cattle outfit driving two thousand ‘beeves’ north through Montana to Saskatchewan along the Lewis and Clark trail. Greenhorn Lucas and his reluctant Nez Perce roan, Ebenezer, have a lot to teach each other, and their mishaps ‘riding drag’ behind the cattle are good entertainment. Watching the cowboys work and listening to their stories about the geography and history of the West, Lucas, who had never ‘thought about learning any other way than from books and in a schoolroom,’ comes to a grudging realization that Gil, who can’t read or write, has still…

Dinosaur Blackout by Judith Silverthorne Published by Coteau Books Review by Shelley A. Leedahl $8.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-375-3 It’s unusual to begin the fourth novel in a series without having read the three previous. Would the book stand on its own, I wondered? Or would it be like arriving late to a party and feeling lost? I needn’t have worried. Judith Silverthorne, the award-winning Regina author of “Dinosaur Blackout,” has created a time-travel adventure for juvenile readers that definitely pulls its own weight. The rich story concerns young Daniel, who lives on a farm in Saskatchewan’s Frenchman River Valley near Eastend, home of the T.rex Discovery Centre. Daniel’s a budding paleontologist and a great kid. He helps his parents with chores; has forgiven the delinquent and bullying Nelwin brothers; cares for his toddling sister; assists tourists who visit the quarry’s archaeological dig-site and campground; and is a sensitive friend to elderly neighbour\paleontologist Ole Pederson. Daniel enjoys “the best of all worlds … living the rural life and being able to dig for dinosaur bones.” The boy has learned how to use prehistoric foliage to travel back to the Cretaceous Period, where dinosaurs like the Stygimoloch – a fossil of which was…

Return to Bone Tree Hill by Kristin Butcher Published by Thistledown Books Review by Marie Powell Mendenhall $12.95 ISBN: 1-897235-58-4 This young adult mystery opens with Jessica Lawler’s recurring nightmare: she is 12 years old again, and she can see her friends Charlie and Amanda fighting. Charlie is shaking Amanda and he won’t let go. Jessica picks up Charlie’s shovel and swings it. Then Charlie is lying on the ground, his hair matted with blood… At 18, Jessica returns from Australia to visit her grandmother in Victoria, BC, where she grew up. She discovers Charlie went missing on the same day she contracted meningitis. With her memories clouded by illness, Jessica has to wonder: Is the dream true? Did she kill him? With the help of her best friend Jilly, Jessica pieces together the puzzle of Charlie’s disappearance. The bantering friendship between the two girls and the lingering guilt that drives Jessica are believable and well-developed. Twists and turns lead the story in several unexpected directions. Symbols like the tree and that well-known Canadian icon, the snow globe, also play a role. Following hunches and clues, the girls uncover community secrets along with Jessica’s memories. Kristen Butcher unravels the mystery…

The book follows a young coyote named Silvertip, and other coyotes nearby, as he grows up in a particular section of rural Alberta. Using the traditions of creative nonfiction, Wilson names the coyotes and situates their stories in the gritty realism of their habitat.

Offside by Cathy Beveridge Published by Thistledown Press Review by Karen Lawson ISBN 1894345258 Offside is a fast moving novel that is geared to young adolescents. Calgary writer, Cathy Beveridge, has a keen understanding of her target audience. She uses this insight to enter the world of amateur hockey and examine the various issues that are part of Canada’s favourite game. Although Offside is a work of fiction, it is actually based on real events that happened in the hockey world. The main character is Joel, who is grappling with growing up and facing the concerns and problems that most teenagers face. The reader watches as Joel tries to be part of a winning team and gain the acceptance of his peers. However, he soon realizes that he must follow his conscience and do the right thing. This story is relevant because it deals with the complications of adolescence and the trials and tribulations of growing up in today’s competitive society. The author uses subtle humour to delve into the serious consequences of drug dependency in amateur sports. Initially, Offside seems to be a light hearted novel. But it quickly becomes apparent that there are deeper issues that provide the…

Graveyard of the Sea by Penny Draper Published by Coteau Books for Kids Review by Karen Lawson $8.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-3975 Author Penny Draper has set her latest young adult novel, Graveyard of the Sea on Vancouver Island in the year 1906. This historical piece of fiction is the fourth book in the Disaster Strikes! Series and focuses on what life was like as a lighthouse keeper. This was a time before technology and there was just the keeper and his lamp to watch and warn the ships that sailed the often dangerous and rough seas in this part of Canada. The author tells a story about a real heroine by the name of Minnie Patterson. Minnie is a lighthouse keeper who was instrumental is saving those aboard a doomed ship that ran aground. Because this novel is based on true facts and actual people, the author has created a fictional character by the name of Nell and uses her to tell the reader about what it is like to live in a lighthouse as well as to share Minnie’s tale. Nell is a unique little girl who lives a very unusual and isolated life. She lives with her lighthouse keeper…