Pajama Press

…Readers will immediately be drawn in from the very first page. The book only covers Tuyet’s journey by airplane from Saigon to Toronto, Canada and her adoption to a new family who loves her very much. When Tuyet is flying to Canada, another orphan, Linh, gives her some advise. Whenever someone asks you something in English, answer, No. That will stop them from doing what they were going to do. The last three chapters are most touching as we learn just how patient Tuyet’s new family is as they learn how to communicate with each other. (They do not speak Vietnamese) Some of the changes in Tuyet’s life were difficult. For instance, Tuyet was used to sleeping with all the other orphans on the floor at the orphanage, she is unable to adjust to sleeping alone in a bed in her own bedroom.

Historic black & white photographs, including some of Tuyet, enhance the reading experience.

In a historic note, Skrypuch briefly explains the rescue operation. In her Author’s note, we learn that Tuyet currenly lives in Skrypuch’s hometown of Brantford, Ontario. It is great to see Tuyet as a grown up woman.

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Kato, the main character in Alma Fullerton and Karen Patkau’s new picture book A Good Trade, is overwhelmed with gratitude when he receives a pair of shoes. Did you ever wonder why? What makes a pair of shoes so exciting? To answer that question, we’re interviewing representatives from organizations that have devoted themselves to shoes, kids, and changing lives. Today our featured organization is Soles4Souls.

Author and illustrator Rebecca Bender has fashioned a delightful children’s picture book for kids ages 4 through 7. It is one thing for people to laugh with one another in unison and quite another thing to laugh at others. Seeing his friend humiliated and unhappy brings out Bird’s caring and creativity. Don’t Laugh at Giraffe covers both the good and the bad sides of laughter.

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You will need:

A batch of your favourite cupcakes

2 C icing sugar

1 Tbs margarine or softened butter

A small amount of milk

Food colouring to make yellow, blue, green, and orange

Chocolate chips

A mixing bowl

Four small containers

Five spoons

Two piping bags

(Alternate: use plastic bags with the corners cut off to pipe icing)

To make the icing:

1. Mix the margarine or butter with 1.5 C of the icing sugar.
2. Gradually add very small amounts of milk until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
3. If the icing becomes too runny, add more icing sugar.
4. Separate the icing into the four small containers, leaving a little behind in the bowl. Note that you will need more in the yellow and green bowls and less in the orange and blue bowls.
5. Stir food colouring into each container one drop at a time until the icing reaches the desired vibrancy.
6. You may choose to make the blue and white icing slightly runnier than the other colours, since it will be piped rather than spread.
7. Spoon the white and blue icing into piping bags.

To decorate the cupcakes:

The author uses clear prose and descriptive language to make the reader aware of the life that Kato lives. We hear the silence of the early morning, see the soldiers as they stand guard, feel the sloshing of the water on Kato’s bare, dusty toes, catch our breath with him as he hauls the water home and must stop to rest, and smile as he and the aid worker make their ‘good trade’.

Karen Patkau creates a setting that allows a glimpse at Kato’s life and his village, the bright and happy colors that the children wear (including their new shoes) and the muted landscape he travels over daily. Each page captures our attention and begs for discussion.

Click here to read the full review.

Kato, the main character in Alma Fullerton and Karen Patkau’s new picture book A Good Trade, is overwhelmed with gratitude when he receives a pair of shoes. Did you ever wonder why? What makes a pair of shoes so exciting? To answer that question, we’re interviewing representatives from organizations that have devoted themselves to shoes, kids, and changing lives. Today our featured organization is Shoe4Africa.

Yes, and the day you can buy a running shoe made in East Africa I’ll stop importing and start fund raising to support sales.  The truth of the matter is running shoes are a rare commodity in the places I work.  The last few towns I have done shoe drops will probably never ever have a “place/local business” from where to be able to get running shoes.  I work in places where food and water are hard to get, let’s not even think about ‘luxuries’ like running shoes.

Kenyan school girls run for peace at a Shoe4Africa event.

Pajama Press is proud to announce that Deborah Ellis has won The Reliable Life Insurance Award for Children & Young Adult Book for her YA psychological thriller True Blue.

The award was presented on November 12, 2012, during the 18^th Annual Hamilton Literary Awards at Theatre Aquarius’ Norman and Louise Haac Studio Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario. Ron Ulrich, artistic director of the host theatre, announced the award and shared the compelling first chapter with the audience.

True Blue has met with critical acclaim in both Canada and the United States. School Library Journal said, “True Blue is about the courage to believe in oneself and fight for what’s right, even when it’s the hardest thing to do. A book worthy of any school curriculum.” Kirkus Reviews said protagonist Jess “grabs readers’ attention and never lets it go.”

True Blue has also been nominated for the Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award and the John Spray Mystery Award.

When Emily’s Grandad dies, she’s more concerned with her break up. When a mysterious guest shows up at her Grandad’s funeral, claiming to be an old friend of her Grandad’s Emily’s life gets suddenly more complicated. Her grandfather had a secret life and as it tears Emily’s family apart, Emily finds herself questioning everything she ever knew about her family.

Although Emily’s family situation—secret affairs, hidden adoptions, illegitimate children—could have come across as an over the top soap opera plot, Emily’s genuine characterization keeps the situation grounded in real emotion that readers will be able to relate to. The book is refreshingly romance-free—save for an odd, nearly out of place romantic development in the last twenty pages—giving Emily room to focus on her family and friend relationships, includg her relationship with Leo.

Leo has a rough home situation, with an alcoholic mother. He doesn’t ask Emily too many questions about her home life for which she’s grateful and in turn she tries to be a supportive friend for everything Leo’s going through. Their relationship is unusual in teen fiction—an opposite sex friendship—and it lends realism to Emily For Real.

Teens more interested in friendship and family than romance will find themselves relating to Emily and rooting for her through her struggles.

Rating: G – Good, even great at times, generally useful!

—Kat Drennan-Scace

Lieutenant Lawrence Browning Rogers, aged 37, travelled to the front lines of World War One as a medic in the Fifth Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1915. He left behind his wife, May, his ten-year-old daughter, Aileen, and his seven-year-old son, Howard. The family exchanged hundreds of letters, ten of which we have shared over the last two weeks. This letter came to May following Lawrence’s death during the battle of Passchendaele.

Lawrence Rogers in uniform

France

Nov. 3, 1917

Dear Mrs. Rogers –

Words written or spoken would fail to express to you our sympathies with you in your sad bereavement.

Mr. Rogers was more than a comrade to both. Dan and myself and I can assure you we both feel the loss of such a comrade deeply.

We have at least one consolation. His sacrifice will not have been made in vain.

His medical work will be remembered by many who have been attended by him in the field and many a poor fellow has departed this world with little pain thanks to the untiring efforts of Mr. rogers.

Our Empire and our God I am sure cannot forget such deeds.

In your sorrow remember that our God knows best what is good for us, and I am sure it is God’s will that our comrade should be called to higher service.

Mr. Rogers died serving his God and Country, what better and nobler death could a man die.

In closing kindly permit Dan and myself to again offer you our sincerest sympathies.

Yours sincerely,

J.M. Wright

The Rogers family’s story is preserved in the picture book A Bear in War. For more information, including more letters, visit www.abearinwar.com.

Lieutenant Lawrence Browning Rogers, aged 37, travelled to the front lines of World War One as a medic in the Fifth Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1915. He left behind his wife, May, his ten-year-old daughter, Aileen, and his seven-year-old son, Howard. The family exchanged hundreds of letters, many of which were kept by their descendents. This is one of them.

May feeding the chickens at the farm

453 Grosvenor Ave.

Westmount

Oct. 17, 1917

Dear Laurie

Think of it. I have sent you Christmas boxes already. What they said is we must do so early to ensure delivery. There will be such a lot. I had to pack in two boxes I marked them 1 & 2.

There are a couple of little gifts for Dan, they are marked from children and from me. Aileen made a sweater herself…excuse some uneven places. There is a lot of love and devotion knit into it. Howard saved up his money and that is hard, and bought your present himself and we did enjoy purchasing it.

I have been pretty sick for a week. Was not able to go out. Had to get what I could on Victoria Avenue. Have not been out for a week. Terrible pain in back across shoulders.

I guess it must be my age is breaking me up. Oh Laurie, I am so afraid it may make an invalid of me as it does of lots of women and the children need me. Pray for me to be spared that.

Children are working hard at school… Poor Aileen struggles along. I did not send her to dancing. Cost too much and she did not seem to want to go much.   So I want to give her music and can’t do everything. I have all the money I need. Don’t send me any. You may need it.

If only I could see you again I think it would make a different woman of me. Loneliness is eating my heart out and yours probably too.

I must go and get dinner for kiddies, love from us all and hoping for your leave.

I am always yours,

May

The Rogers family’s story is preserved in the picture book A Bear in War. For more information, including more letters, visit www.abearinwar.com.