Letters From Bear

 

Letters From Bear

by Gauthier David

A longer picturebook for ages 4-8, Letters From Bear is an enchanting story of Bear, who misses his friend, Bird. 

"Dear Bird,
I've made up my mind.
I'm coming to find you on the other side of the world.
All our friends have wished me a safe journey.
"Don't get too hot," said Badger.
"Bring me back a coconut," said Fox.
"We'll be thinking of you," said Beaver.
                  Here I come, Bird!
                  Yours,

                   Bear

An epistolary book that would be perfect to teach letter writing. Such a sweet ending, too!  

Dragons in a Bag

Dragons in a Bag

By Zella Elliott

A fresh new chapter book fantasy series in an urban setting, Dragons in a Bag follows Jaxon as his mom leaves him with Ma, an older woman he's never met. He soon discovers Ma is not his grandmother, but a witch! And his mother was her apprentice. Ma tells Jaxon she needs help delivering baby dragons to a magical realm, but there are two important rules: do not open the bag they are in and do not feed them anything sweet. His friends, Vikram and Kavita, become involved in the adventure by freeing the baby dragons and sharing their sweets.

Dragons in a Bag

Dragons in a Bag

By Zetta Elliott

A fresh, new, chapter-book fantasy series in an urban setting, Dragons in a Bag follows Jaxon as his mom leaves him with Ma, an older woman he's never met. He soon discovers Ma is not his grandmother, but a witch! And his mother was her apprentice. Ma tells Jaxon she needs help delivering baby dragons to a magical realm, but there are two important rules: do not open the bag they are in and do not feed them anything sweet. His friends, Vikram and Kavita, become involved in the adventure by freeing the baby dragons and sharing their sweets. Oops.

This is a perfect introductory fantasy novel for young readers. Because of the detailed world-building, it's a great primer to reading the Harry Potter books.

The Barren Grounds

The Barren Grounds

By David A. Robertson

 

Morgan is a thirteen-year-old foster kid who was taken away from her mother when she was only three. She has lived with many different families, none of whom have ever made her feel truly at home.  By the time she moves in with Katie and James, she is just plain angry.

Eli is about a year younger than Morgan, but he was only taken from his family recently.  He remembers everything about them and his Indigenous community.  He misses them desperately, but now he must live with Katie and James too.

The good news is, Katie and James really want to be good parents and try their best to welcome Morgan and Eli into their home.  But when they buy Morgan a pair of moccasins to help her connect with her First Nations culture, Morgan loses her cool.  What do these white parents know about her culture anyway?

As Morgan and Eli try to find their footing in their new home, they discover a secret passageway in the attic.  After Eli disappears through the portal, Morgan goes after him.  Plunged into a blizzard, Morgan has no idea where to go.  When Ochek appears, he guides her to his home village where she finds Eli warm and dry.

But Ochek’s village is dying.  His world, known as Aski, is in perpetual winter, and there’s nothing left to eat.  As Morgan and Eli get to know Ochek, a fisher (who wears clothes and talks) and his squirrel companion, Arik, they decide to stay and help them get back to the Green Time, when the sun shone and game was plentiful.

Told as an allegory about the loss of Indigenous lands and culture, The Barren Grounds is a riveting fantasy novel.  Not only do the characters go on a quest through a wondrous landscape, but they also learn valuable lessons about their own strength of character and their own culture.  By the time Morgan and Eli return to their foster home, they are changed people, connected to the land, to their Indigenous communities and to each other.

The Barren Grounds is book one of the Misewa Saga.  Highly recommended!

Out Of This World

Out Of This World

By Chris Wooding

Jack is just an ordinary twelve-year-old kid.  His parents, however, are anything but ordinary.  Jack’s dad is always putting him through grueling assault courses where Jack must fend off hidden attackers.  His mom is always testing him on science and math concepts.  Neither of Jack’s parents ever seem to sleep and both of them always wear black tracksuits.

Jack has moved many times in his life so he doesn’t have any close friends.  When he starts attending yet another new school, Jack is befriended by Thomas, an out-of-shape nerdy kid who is forever sucking on his inhaler. 

One afternoon, Thomas drops by Jack’s house unannounced.  As he begins to explore, he discovers some rather strange machines hidden in the attic.  When Thomas presses a button, he releases a beam of light that changes both their lives forever.

Before Jack realizes what’s happening, some very aggressive aliens appear and they have one target: Jack.  As he runs from them he begins to understand why his parents have been testing him his whole life.  The aliens believe that Jack is someone called Gradius Clench – some want him dead, and others are willing to take him alive.  Soon Jack is caught up in an interstellar war complete with spies, mind-readers, flame-throwers and gates that transport ships between galaxies.  Jack and Thomas are whisked away with some very unlikely new friends.

But who is Jack really?  Jack himself longs to find out.  As he learns more about his parents, Gradius Clench, and the rest of the universe, Jack must make some important decisions about his life.  But can he also help save Earth from certain destruction?

Author Chris Wooding makes science fiction fun.  Those who like space aliens and superheroes will love Out Of This World!

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest

By Andi Watson

Kerry’s parents are very sick and he is their only hope. So Kerry leaves their family farm to retrieve their lifesaving medicine.  As he skirts the forest on the way back, he is led astray by what appears to be a little girl.  But this girl isn’t what she seems.  As Kerry follows her into the woods, he quickly becomes lost.

The forest itself is filled with dangers.  From one-eyed monsters to mystical weed-filled swamps to captive children, Kerry finds peril wherever he runs.  He is desperate to find his way home, but every turn in the forest seems to take him further into darkness.

But on his travels, Kerry also meets an old forest creature called Waystone.  With his one eye and rock-like appearance, Waystone seems rather menacing.   But Kerry quickly learns that Waystone is the Knight of the Forest, a trustworthy fellow who is willing and able to lead Kerry back to his farm.

Even with Waystone on his side, moving through the dark forest is not easy.  But as danger closes in, Kerry unexpectedly finds friends too.  His open heart allows him to trust some of the forest dwellers, despite Waystone’s warnings.  Will Kerry’s faith in the goodness of the world be his ultimate downfall?

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that leads readers down the path of the old-fashioned lost-in-the-woods fairy tale.  By turns frightening and hopeful, Kerry will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Big Foot and Little Foot and the Squatchicorns

The Squatchicorns

By Ellen Potter

Illustrated by  Felicita Sala

Hugo and Boone are off on another adventure in this third book in the Big Foot and Little Foot series.  Hugo is a sasquatch, but when a large group of strange sasquatches with unicorn horns appears at his cavern, he’s a bit concerned.  It turns out there’s nothing to worry about and these strange-looking creatures are a lot like him.

But where did they come from?  The squatchicorns, it seems, were driven out of their own cavern by a ghost.  Now they are looking for a new home.

Meanwhile, Hugo is invited to Boone’s birthday party!  He’s never been to a human party and can’t wait to go.  He is accompanied by Nogg, one of the squatchicorns.  After eating the whole birthday cake, getting spaghetti sauce all over his fur and doing a couple of other things that seem rude to humans but normal to a sasquatch, Hugo gives Boone a crown and pronounces him king for a day.  As king, Boone can make the rest of them do anything he wants.  So he decides that they must hunt down the ghost in the squatchicorn cavern.

Hugo and Nogg aren’t too thrilled about this idea, but they go along with it.  Before long they are solving the mystery of the ghost and having an adventure along the way!

The Storm Keeper's Island

The Storm Keeper's Island

By Catherine Doyle

Fionn and Tara Boyle have been sent to the Island of Arranmore to spend the summer with their grandfather.  Although they are close in age – Fionn is eleven and Tara is thirteen – they are no longer interested in the same things.  Tara, in fact, drives Fionn crazy.

On Arranmore, Tara meets up with her boyfriend, Bartley Beasley, but they won’t have anything to do with Fionn.  Away from the comforts of his home in Dublin, Fionn doesn’t know what to do.  But Arranmore is full of secrets, and as Fionn begins to question his grandad, some of those secrets begin to reveal themselves.

Arranmore, it seems, has a long history of magic.  It dates back thousands of years to a battle between the evil Morrigan and Dagda the good.  Morrigan is darkness incarnate.  She has been hidden away all these years, but is now regaining strength.

Fionn also learns about the Sea Cave, a magical place that promises to grant one wish.  But finding it turns out to be more dangerous than he thinks and he faces some stiff competition to get there first.

With Fionn’s arrival, the island starts to wake up.  The magic that’s been tucked away for years begins to appear everywhere. It’s thrilling but it’s also terrifying.  And when Fionn learns that Arranmore is searching for a new Storm Keeper, he fervently hopes that it won’t be him.

Filled with magic, The Storm Keeper’s Island is about a boy who learns he is capable of much more than he thinks.  If you like a bit of magic in your stories, you’ll love this book!