Barnabas Bigfoot: A Hairy Tangle by Marty Chan Published by Thistledown Press Review by Tavish Bell $10.95 ISBN 9781927068052 Barnabas Bigfoot: A Hairy Tangle quite surprised me. Although geared to young readers, I had difficulty putting this book down while reading it. I mean, who doesn’t want to know what the Sasquatch think about us hunting them? A nice fantasy/adventure story, this book was quite interesting, telling the story from the Bigfoot’s view; not only do we see the story from Barnabas Bigfoot’s point of view, we learn that there is a whole society of Bigfoots (Bigfeet, if you will), who live hidden from humanity. The storyline, picking up directly from Barnabas Bigfoot: A Close Shave, was fast paced and pun, but I also appreciated the level of detail in the narrative. The author of this book, Marty Chan, also penned several other juvenile novels, including The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which won the 2008 Willow Awards. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It was definitely one of my favorite books to read, and it gave me a few things to think about once I was done, including the joys and difficulties of growing up, and friendship and…

The Piper of Shadonia by Linda Smith Published by Coteau Books Review by Tavish Bell $14.95 ISBN 9781550505160 The Piper of Shadonia by Linda Smith is an excellent book for teenage readers who like adventure and fiction. When I first got this book, I was dubious. “I’m supposed to read a book about songs and music?” I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, since I prefer books laden with adventure. I was wrong. The Piper of Shadonia is about a boy who gets a pipe with magical powers. It starts out amazing and ends with tons of fun. Linda Smith’s story is good all the way through and hooks you on the very first page. You will never get bored of this book. In fact, you won’t want to put it down. Ever. The Piper of Shadonia has a wonderful storyline and Linda Smith has a great, engaging writing style. The characters are very interesting; each one is unique. The book presents an interesting way of looking at things. I found that when I read it for the first time, the message seemed to be “you don’t have to be a big, buff, tough, warrior to be powerful.” That message…