December 17th, 2013
“…I didn’t actually think I was reading a time travel novel when I opened Sue MacLeod’s Namesake – and then I was like, “Hmm.” I was impressed with the characterization and drawn in by some home truths about the character’s life, and I didn’t realize I was enjoying a time travel novel until it was […]
Posted in Namesake
December 11th, 2013
This gripping page-turner set in 1947 East Germany explores the aftereffects of war and occupation. World War II is over and Germany partitioned among the victors. For most in the Soviet-occupied zone, life is grim and anything but peaceful. Hunger’s a constant companion, trust in short supply. Most despise their Russian masters and even more, […]
Posted in Graffiti Knight
November 28th, 2013
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has compiled a list of great children’s books for the 2013 holiday season. They include two books published by Pajama Press. Community Soup by Alma Fullerton Kioni loves her goats but they can be big trouble! On soup day, when all the other children are gathering vegetables from the community […]
Posted in Comunity Soup, Nix Minus One
November 27th, 2013
“…you’ll grow close to both young ladies as they explore each other’s lives in the here and there. You’ll grow to understand both their positions and the choices they make regarding their own fates. You’ll realize that it’s not just a history project in the making nor a chance to see life as it once […]
Posted in Namesake
November 25th, 2013
“Nix Minus One blew me away…I loved the characters. From Nix to Roxy to the girl named Blue – no character was flat and typical. The story was multi-leveled and made me care about all aspects of it. …Jill Maclean knows how to twist her readers with some pretty raw emotions. If I could, I’d […]
Posted in Nix Minus One
November 5th, 2013
Rated E: excellent, enduring, everyone should see it! “This notable fourth novel by Karen Bass should add an interesting dimension to the current fashion of [dystopian] novels. It is based on real evens from post-war Europe (1947 to be exact) in what is now East Germany. For my money, it has more drama than the […]
Posted in Graffiti Knight
November 1st, 2013
“Jane Grey is a student in Nova Scotia preparing a history project on her namesake, Lady Jane Grey, who was the queen of England for nine days in 1553, a political pawn in the intrigues of the Tudor era. Jane discovers Lady Jane’s Book of Prayre mixed in with her research books from the library […]
Posted in Namesake
October 21st, 2013
“You will think about the characters in this book, even when you’re not reading. Animal lovers, especially, won’t be able to put it down. Note: Nix Minus One is one of 10 works of fiction nominated in the White Pine (Grades 9 – 12) category for the 2014 Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading Awards.” […]
Posted in Nix Minus One
October 11th, 2013
Interview conducted by Aliya Stacey. Award-winning author Karen Bass takes readers on a suspenseful historical adventure in her new novel Graffiti Knight. Set in post-World War II East Germany, the book explores the struggles of living during that time and the courage needed to defy those in power. Karen took some time to answer a […]
Posted in Graffiti Knight
October 1st, 2013
“Strange things happen when Jane Grey, a high school student in Halifax, begins an assignment researching Lady Jane Grey, the “nine days queen.” Upon examining her cache of library books, she finds one she hadn’t checked out: Booke of Prayre. As Jane opens it, she is mysteriously transported to the 16th century and meets her […]
Posted in Namesake
