Author Archive

Foreword Reviews “The novel matches teenage wits against those of corrupt government officials, with the teens proving more formidable than anyone expects them to be. It somehow handles grand and troubling questions in a gentle, musing way. The magnificent capabilities of the book’s determined young leads emerge as The Flooded Earth’s dominant force. Readers of […]

A Year of Reading “My favorite feature of the book is the ‘Bat Citizen’ feature.  Author Rob Laidlaw highlights 10+ bat activists–young people who are doing something to protect and help bats in some way. This is a great feature as it not only highlights kids who are making a difference, it will also help […]

Growing with Science “The ‘bat citizens’ from the title are young people from around the world who study bats and let others know how they can help conserve them…In between the descriptions of the kids and their projects are interesting facts about bats. The center features a fold-out illustration of the anatomy of a hoary […]

International Examiner “Adrift At Sea is a powerful historical nonfiction story… Adrift at Sea is the true story of Tuan Ho, a young Vietnamese boy who escapes his country’s military regime in 1981 and becomes part of the wave of ‘boat people’ refugees hoping to reach America. Given no other options but to leave their […]

Kids’ Book Buzz “I thought this book was cute. I liked the ending. All the illustrations were made with clay and paint. I thought that was neat. The art was my favorite part. The book is not that scary for little kids. People who like animals will like this book. It would be interesting to […]

CanLit for Little Canadians Children will love the story of Juno as Sun Dog, not least of which because she is an adorable dog, thanks to Suzanne Del Rizzo’s elaborate and emotive dimensional art. But I think that Deborah Kerbel’s message that ‘Juno might be little, but there’s a big dog inside her’ is a meaningful one for […]

“Rating: Excellent… This historic novel is set 4,000 years ago and is beautifully written in prose and verse. The style is easy to understand and eloquently adds to the captivating story, giving insight into Aissa’s thoughts and feelings. Author Wendy Orr does a wonderful job creating an enthralling plot for her readers to read.” Click […]

“Questions of valuing human life, responsibly caring for the environment, proactively responding to natural disasters, and thoughtfully considering governmental authority could emerge as a result of reading this book…these advanced themes makes the story richer…In a racially charged society, focusing character development on relationships, rather than physical attributes, is mentally refreshing. The first installment in […]

“Having spent a good part of the summer here listening to reports of the destruction caused by wildfires on the west coast of Canada and the United States, this book is an excellent way to get kids thinking about the dire consequences of such events in peoples’ lives. It is a moving account of the […]

“Having just spent the summer breathing in the smoke blanketing the entire province of BC, with fires burning close enough to my home that I packed up photos and essentials in preparation for evacuation, this story really resonated. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down and I’m pretty sure I didn’t take a full, […]