Pajama Press

“Similar to this author’s previous novels, this story wove together history and a compelling story of injustice, hope and tenacity to survive in terrible conditions…Both Ali and Zeynep show incredible bravery and compassion as they help others avoid persecution. The author shared that while the book is fiction, “every single thing in my book happened”. This book is important to read and as Zeynep says, “what I have witnessed is evidence of a terrible crime and the world must know about it, because, he says, that what we forget, we are bound to repeat”.

Click here to read the full review.

“Bear on the Homefront (September), by Stephanie Innes, Harry Endurulat, and Brian Deines, follows up their acclaimed book, A Bear in War, to tell the story of Canada’s “wartime guests,” the British children who were evacuated to Canada during World War Two.

Iconic Canadian painter Ted Harrison’s own life story is told in A Brush Full of Colour (October), by Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson, which is filled with full-colour examples of his work.

A young girl facing life’s usual aggravations must also contend with the fact that her real parents are actually the king and queen of Papua New Guinea in Princess Pistachio (October), by Marie-Louise Gay.

In Dance of the Banished (August), by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, an Anatolian refugee is thrown into a Canadian internment camp when World War One breaks out, leaving his fiancée in peril in their homeland.”

Click here to read the full article.

On Friday, August 22nd at 11 am, one hundred plaques were unveiled across Canada. They commemorated Canada’s enemy alien internment operations in the First World War, a little-known part of our history that saw Canadian citizens imprisoned in camps across the country because they had immigrated here from nations with which the British Empire was now at war.

The vast majority of internees were Ukrainian, targeted because their passports read “Austrian.” Canadian immigration officials did not make a distinction between ethnic Austrians and others who then belonged to—and were even persecuted by—the Austrian empire. Similarly, all immigrants from the Ottoman Empire were labelled “Turks.”

In 1914, one hundred of these “Turks”—really Alevi Kurds—were rounded up in Brantford, Ontario, on the charge of having plotted to destroy the post office. Although the charge was proven to be false, they were sent to the wilderness of Kapuskasing to build and then occupy a prison camp there.

At Friday’s ceremony, hosted by the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John, Ukrainians came together with Armenians, Kurds, dignitaries, and supporters of Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, who put together many pieces of this history while researching her newest novel, Dance of the Banished. This young adult historical novel tells the stories of two Alevi teenagers in the First World War: Ali, who comes to Brantford to work and is interned in Kapuskasing, and his fiancée Zeynep, who is left behind in their homeland of Anatolia where she helps other Alevi Kurds rescue 40,000 of their Armenian neighbours from the Armenian Genocide.

A launch was held for Dance of the Banished following the plaque unveiling. Below, reviewer Helen Kubiw of CanLit for LittleCanadians (left) poses with the author and a signed copy of the book.

For more information about Dance of the Banished, visit the following links.

• Official Pajama Press Dance of the Banished page
• Official website of Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
• The Record news article
• Radio interview by Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio (begins at 19:00)
• CanLit for LittleCanadians blog interview
• CanLit for LittleCanadians blog review
• Blog interview by Laura Best

For more information about the recognition of Canada’s internment operations, visit the links below.

• The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund
• Keghart.com Armenian website coverage of the plaque unveiling
• The Province news article
• Edmonton Sun news article
• Winnipeg Free Press news article

“…It’s wonderful that children can learn about Emily Carr, a Canadian woman with such an interesting and eccentric life. When Emily Carr Met Woo opens the door to discussion about dealing with rejection. Emily’s story teaches readers about being resourceful too, and also that each of us should celebrate whatever it is that makes us unique.

Artist Dean Griffiths does a wonderful job depicting Emily Carr and Woo with his watercolor illustrations…He also does a great job interpreting her paintings.”

Click here to read the full review.

“Dance of the Banished is an old tale.  It’s the familiar love story in which two young people are separated, here by family, distance and war.  But, sadly, it’s also the story of prejudice, fear, and injustice, and the subsequent torment that intensifies that separation.  Dance of the Banished may be an old story in its foundations, but its context is wholly unique, expertly researched and penned by award-winning author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch…By creating legitimate characters in her fiction who bring varied and personal perspectives to the situations experienced and who speak through their questions and confusions and convictions, Marsha Skrypuch can tell the whole story, not just the public one….And we are grateful for that opportunity and bold honesty.”

Click here to read the full review.

“Just as multicultural literature for children and young adults allows readers to understand and appreciate the world around them, international and global books can help them understand the history, languages, and culture of nations around the world…For this week’s book reviews, members of the International Reading Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) examine some recent international and global favorites that caught their attention.”

Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass

“…The book makes it clear how war and its aftermath touch everyone, even [the protagonist’s] sister. Incidents such as the Soviets’ allowing much-needed butter to spoil in the sun due to incompetence or a lack of concern help readers understand Wilm’s anger. The book offers a fresh perspective on life for the Germans after WWII.”

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Click here to read the full review and see this week’s full list of multicultural books from the International Reading Association website, Reading Today Online.

In an interview with the New York Times Sunday Book Review, educational activist Malala Yousafzai spoke about one of her favourite contemporary authors, Deborah Ellis:

“I like writers who can show me worlds I know nothing about, but my favorites are those who create characters or worlds which feel realistic and familiar to me, or who can make me feel inspired. I discovered Deborah Ellis’s books in the school library after my head teacher encouraged me to go beyond the school curriculum and look for books I might enjoy. This wasn’t long after I arrived in Britain, and I was missing my friends terribly. Reading about Afghanistan made me feel like being back at home. This is the power of books. They can take you to places which are beyond reach.”

Asked what books she would recommend for young people who want to understand the situation for girls and women in Pakistan today, Malala suggested Mud City, where “Ellis beautifully captures childhood in war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan.” When the interviewer asked for a book recommendation for all girls to read, Malala replied, “‘The Breadwinner,’ by Deborah Ellis…’The Breadwinner’ reminds us how courageous and strong women are around the world.”

Malala Yousafzai has inspired the world as an activist and co-author of the the book, I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World. You can read her full interview with the New York Times Sunday Book Review here.

Click here to learn about Deborah Ellis’ latest book, Moon at Nine.
Photo by Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons – cc-by-sa-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

“…Rendered in a muted palette, Deines’s lush oil paintings showcase the Canadian landscape as the children make their way by train to Winnipeg to live on a family’s farm until the war ends. Once again, Teddy narrates the story, and his separation from Aileen tenderly mirrors the children’s distance from their parents…”

Click here to read the full review.

“…this book is virtually larger than life. Within a scant 40 pages, the authors share Ted Harrison’s progression from the coal-mining County Durham in England, to art school and military service post-WWII, teaching, immigration to Canada, and full-time artistry…A Brush Full of Colour is an exemplary youngCanLit biography having: informative text, organized well under headings such as Childhood, Travelling the World, Life in the North, and A Full-Time Artist; an assortment of visuals, including photographs and samples of Ted Harrison’s artwork throughout his career; quotes from the artist; and key features of non-fiction texts such as a table of contents, index and resources section…”
Click here to read the full review.

“…Here’s a book that will be as interesting for you as it will be for your child.

A Brush Full of Colour is a vibrant, fact-based picture book about Canadian artist Ted Harrison.

While the book takes you (the parent) through the life of a great painter, it will also take your child on a journey of a different kind—of beauty and exploration. The paintings in the book are colourful and magnificent. You don’t even have to be able to read to enjoy looking at the gorgeous images…”

Click here to read the full review.