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Reason for Reading: I am in the process of reading the whole series. I am particularly fond of WWII stories and this one takes place near where I grew up, Fergus, ON and we went to Guelph many, many times.

Comments: As per all books in the Dear Canada series, this is written as a series of diary entries that cover the span of one year. Charlotte receives the diary for her twelfth birthday and the book finishes a few days after her thirteenth birthday. The book focuses on a family and their close neighbour who both receive War Guests from England. A brother and sister who have been evacuated from London and sent to live in Canada for the duration of the War. When the family picks them up from Toronto they are sent off by two other children they sailed over with a little 5yo girl and a much older teen boy.

Through Charlotte's eyes we experience life on the homefront for a family who has a son in the army and a Jewish family who worries about what is happening to their relatives in Europe. Many horrible things are reported in the papers and on the radio that terrify Charlotte but some things she cannot comprehend and her father explains many things to her but when it comes to her questions about the Jews he is unable to give her answer telling she must wait till she is older, his reason being that he himself is unable to explain the inhumanity of the Nazi's hate.

Through Charlotte's eyes we see the adjustments the children from England must make in their new homes. The terror and shock they have experience from the bombings and air raid alarms, their worry for their parents and the gradual settling in with a new family who has foreign ways but treats them lovingly and as a member of their own family. We also get to see the flip side of other War Guest children when they meet the little five year old girl in town and see she is being neglected (by her own aunt at that) and how the boy receives regular letters from the older boy he met on ship telling him how much he hates the family he is with, how he wants to runaway, go home and please may he come to visit him.

In this modest appearing book Jean Little manages to capture so many experiences from differing peoples that one gets a very diverse view of life both on the homefront and the life of a War Guest. She even manages to mention recurringly about the treatment of a German shopkeeper in town. I found the book to have covered all the issues I could think of and they came with the naivete of a child's point of view and the innocence with which a child can blurt out the simple truths. The story is highly entertaining and informative. Things are not all war, war, war either; there are plenty of happy times and a wonderful first-hand glimpse into 1940s wartime life for children and in general is portrayed. Since I've lived in the area it was fun to hear mention of places I knew: my own Fergus a couple of times, the quarry and Belwood Lake to name a few dear to my heart.

I really enjoy the Dear Canada series, but of course the quality of each depends on the author and when Jean Little's name is spied on the title page you just know you've got a winner in your hands. As usual the book ends with a chapter telling us what happened to the characters in the future, then an historical note that tells the real history behind the story and is finally followed by a section of related photographs. This book would make a great introduction to reading about the War as many feelings are dealt with but war details are not graphic. Highly recommended.

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Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my son as part of our history curriculum.

Comments: This book, another in the Snapshots series, was much more satisfying for us than the previous one we read on Alexander Graham Bell. A brief biography that includes both Helen's personal life and accomplishments from birth to death. Each "chapter" is a two page spread with the left hand page containing the text and the right hand page profusely illustrated with photographs, memorabilia and artifacts. These pictures also show up in the left-hand margin of the left page. The illustrations with captions either illustrate the text or provide more information on the topic under discussion. Though the book is brief in length it amazingly contains a lot of information covering details of her 80 plus years especially recognizing the work she accomplished for the deaf and blind. A very satisfying, interesting book that my son enjoyed very much. We will now be following it up with watching the movie "The Miracle Worker".

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Reason for Reading: I enjoyed Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle books so was up for reading whatever she wrote next.

Summary: The book starts of with Cameron, your typical slacker 16-year-old living in a family that has drifted into typical modern, busy, note-leaving suburbanites, while he and his popular younger sister are at that stage where they hate each other at home and she pretends he don't exist outside of the house. Since Cameron often does strange things it isn't easily noticeable when he first starts showing strange behaviour, yelling out at hallucinations and twitching. Not until he has a major seizure at school and is taken to the hospital do the doctor's start their weeks long testing and it is diagnosed that Cameron has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (often referred to as the human form of mad cow disease). It is at this point that Cameron is visited by a punk angel, and sent on a road trip with his hospital room mate, a hypochondriac teen dwarf. Thus starts their surreal, hallucinogenic, out of this world journey across the States which has them visiting a happiness cult, picking up a yard gnome who think he is a Viking god, meeting a dead New Orleans jazz player, playing weird TV game shows, being chased down by the snow globe corporation and meeting up with a group of scientists who are on the verge of parallel world travel. This is the tip of the iceberg.

Comments: What can I say? The book is very well written and one wild ride from start to finish. There is plenty of humour, the events are so out there that everything is surreal. Written in the first person of Cameron, the reader knows from the outset that we have an unreliable narrator. Cameron will tell us the hallucinations he is having then he tells us the 'real' strange things he sees. What is reality?

The book's whole purpose seems to be to examine death. The process of knowing you are to die soon, how you handle that knowledge. When do you start living? Is it ever too late to start living? What is living anyway? What happens at the end? There are no spiritual connections made and for me that made the examination process fall flat and ultimately meaningless. However you may reach a different conclusion.

Even though the book's message didn't hit home with me, I enjoyed the road trip (mostly) for what it was, a lot of eccentric characters and crazy events. There does come a time in the story though when everything suddenly became clear and from that point on I felt the book was longer than it needed to be. The charade kept being played and the hints kept being dropped to the point of frustration for this reader. I would have liked to have seen more of the family's reactions, feelings and coping during this time that Cameron was away. Finally, the language in the book is very vulgar and I found that hugely off-putting though I do realize it was realistic of the characters.

Ultimately, I did have some problems with the story and some other issues with some of the content that I would rather have done without but it certainly is an entertaining story. I enjoyed the characters of Gonzo, the Mexican dwarf, and Balder, the Viking garden gnome the best. I couldn't put the book down and read it quickly over the weekend. This book isn't going to appeal to everyone, and it is not anything like the author's Gemma Doyle books, but if the strange, phantasmagoric and surreal appeal to you then this may be right up your alley.

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Reason for Reading: The dark planet intrigued me but mostly the plot revolves around mail carriers and I {ahem} really like getting mail, so thought this sounded cool. Plus the cover is gorgeous.

Comments: Amberground is a dark planet divided into three rings separated by rivers which also separates the classes. In the middle of the planet is Akatsuki, the city of the government and wealthy. No one may enter without extremely hard to get special passes. Above Akatsuki is a man-made sun which glows down on the city bathing it in light. Across the river live the middle classes and across another live the lower classes, the further you go from Akatsuki and its man-made sun the darker the perpetual night-time sky becomes. It is in this world that the Letter Bees carry mail from one end to the other, they have special passes to cross the bridges and must traverse the dangerous lands inhabited by Gaichuu, huge insect like creatures completely covered in metal armour. Here we meet Gauche Suede, 18yos, on his way to pick up a letter but when he gets there he finds that the letter he must deliver is a child, Lag, who does not believe he has been abandoned to be delivered to his aunt.

I really enjoyed this manga story. Gauche is very determined and respective of his honourable job as Letter Bee, but Lag creates animosity between them right from the start and this is an ongoing source for humour to contrast the darker aspects of the story. Both Gauche and Lag have back-stories that are revealed during their journey showing the difficult, emotional situations each is dealing with separately. Of course what would a journey over dangerous terrain be without monsters to fight? And so Gauche and Lag find themselves often attacked by the Gaichuu in which there is no defence against except a special gun that all Letter Bees carry which, with concentration, will shoot a part of their heart energy at the insect-like creatures and reduce them to nothing. It is during one of these battles that a unique ability of Lag's is found. Part Two gets even better which takes place five years later and concentrates on Lag along with the introduction of a fabulous female character, Niche. I loved the plot, lots of story threads going on and the book ends on an exciting note leaving the reader anxious for the next volume. I also enjoyed the artwork, Lag is cute and Gauche while possibly slightly ambiguous was obviously a male to me. Many scenes of the terrain and background brought the desolation of the planet to the reader. The only thing that bothered me were the fight scenes lasted a little on the long side, sometimes too many pages of nothing but BAM, CLICK, WWHOOSH, AAAA, CLANK. These I skipped over, I got the point. In all, I really enjoyed the mixture of humour, darkness and plot. I'll be reading Vol. 2 shortly.

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Reason for Reading: I enjoy historical fiction about WWII, especial from a child's point of view.

Comments: This is an extremely compelling story about a subject which I know very little about: The Lebensborn Program. I knew such things were done but haven't really read anything about it before. The story is of Nadia, who moves to Canada with a Ukranian man and woman who are not her parents after World War II. She must call them Mother and Father, though she knows they are not, but they are kind and loving. Nadia is in somewhat of a state of shock and really doesn't remember any of her past but this book is a slow unraveling of her past as she starts to have flashes of memories from her past that are haunting and confusing, making her question whether she is a Nazi. Her new "parents" assure her she is not and encourage her to keep on remembering, which she does. At the same time, Nadia must also deal with fitting into her new country and its customs which, unfortunately, a couple of children at school make very difficult.

This is a bittersweet story that brings to life an aspect of the Nazi regime that is perhaps not so well known. While not as physically horrifying as other acts the Nazis perpetrated , it is an awful "experiment" that tore families apart, and ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands of children. The book is a compelling read, and coupled with its shortness is a fast read. The book's brevity does not however affect the power of emotion contained within its pages nor the development of Nadia's character. The reader connects with Nadia as a person and feels great anguish with her as she also learns who she is and what has happened to her.

The book ends with an Author's Note which includes just enough historical background to place the story within context and to pique the reader's interest in the subject. I will certainly look twice if I find another book that deals with the same topic. I had never heard of Skrypuch before but after a quick look I see she has written quite a number of historical fiction which all seem to centre around either one of the World Wars and be set in Eastern Europe. I would most definitely read other of her books. Recommended.

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Reason for Reading: I love Victorian literature.

Comments: Published as part of the Hesperus Classics series, which publishes obscure or little known titles by well-known classic authors, this book actually contains two titles: "The Lawyer's Secret", a novella, which was originally published as a serialization and a short story entitled "The Mystery at Fernwood".

In "The Lawyer's Secret" a woman receives a large inheritance from her uncle with the stipulation that she marry his adopted son. At first she refuses but is then convinced by her lawyer and guardian to accept the situation. Shortly after the marriage she realizes the man she has married is not the caring man she thought he was and her long marriage becomes an enduring torture.

In "The Mystery at Fernwood" a young woman becomes engaged to a lively young man, Laurence, and with her aunt goes down to his estate to meet the family. Here she finds a friendly yet morose group of people, especially her fiance's sister. Then she learns that the sister is very committed to looking after an invalid relation who lives in a wing of the house. This relation has always been locked up in that wing ever since Laurence was a young boy and yet he has never seen him, not even once.

Both of these stories revolve around a secret being kept beyond all manner of sense for the sake of honour, promises, or the perceived good of others because of a grave matter unacceptable to decent society. Neither of these stories is much of a mystery; it doesn't take long to figure out the lawyer's secret or to know exactly what is the mystery of Fernwood. But that is not really the point in the enjoyment of these stories to the modern reader. They are both wonderful examples of sensation fiction and Braddon was prolific in the field, writing over seventy books in her lifetime.

Both stories make delicious use of foreshadowing. Right from the start we're told how absolutely terrible the final outcome will be and all throughout this is repeated often, so if we dare get a thought in mind that things are working out nicely it is quickly squashed. "The Lawyer's Secret" is divided into chapters, I'm supposing where it would have left off each issue as it was serialized and every chapter ends with lines announcing the "utter wretchedness" of the situation, making one anxious to read on.

The topics dealt with, while certainly not sensational to the modern reader, are perfect examples of Victorian sins and secrets. My favourite of the two is "The Mystery at Fernwood" simply because I love the mysterious person locked in the west wing/attic/secret room plot and this story while predictable was wonderfully Gothic and kept the one especial mystery a secret until the tragic ending. Simply delightful to read!

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Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Summary: A Victorian home is being pulled down to make way for a luxury apartment building but is stopped due to the finding of Roman remains. As archaeologists work they find a headless skeleton of a child under the doorstep of the home and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called in for her expertise by DCI Harry Nelson. The house was last used as a Catholic children's home and that sends the investigation in a direction that will not easily bring answers. At the same time someone is literally trying to scare Ruth to death and when that doesn't work perhaps they'll have to get up close and personal to finish off the job.

Comments: I love this series! This book is even better the first, The Crossing Places. This was a fast, page-turner that I read very quickly; I just couldn't put it down. Not only are there several possible suspects there are a few possible choices for the identity of the victim! I only just managed to stay a few pages ahead of each reveal but the final solution is one that you could not possibly see coming from the beginning.

Both Ruth and Harry are back the same as we remembered them from book one, only Ruth is less self-conscious but still her same outspoken, hard-headed, overweight, unfashionable self. For me personally, she is a character I could like ( I want to like) only I have great issues with her moral conduct and Harry's as well, though both of their personal lives take new directions and this is being addressed. I am eager to see where they are each headed personally in the next book. Since the personal life is integral in these books I do recommend reading them in order.

I also was quite taken with the Catholic part of the story. Of course, starting with the investigation into a children's home the usual preconceived prejudices are rampant and several characters are anti-Catholic. But once a retired Sister and Father are introduced as characters the journey of these characters and the Catholic part of the plot which leads to the eventual reconciliation of one of the characters is very satisfying.

Elly Griffiths, pseudonym of Domenica de Rosa, has created a wonderful mystery that is going to appeal to a lot of people. There is plenty of action and forensic detail for thriller fans and yet no gory bits for more cozy mystery fans. The plot has many layers, is quite intricate as it twists and turns upon itself and is a ton of fun to read. I'm glad to have started this series at the beginning and can't wait for the next Ruth Galloway Mystery!

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Reason for Reading: Read aloud to the 9yo. Both my son and I love animal fantasy and the plot sounded like it would be something we would enjoy.

Summary: Penhaligon Brush is the town's apothecary. When he was just a cub his parents left him in the care of a Badger family but never came back, so he was raised as a member of that family. When Penhaligon receives a message from his brother Bancroft Badger to come to Porthleven right away, he hurries off. But when he arrives, Penhaligon finds that the village is under the cruel dictatorship of Lady Ferball's nephew, Sir Derek. Lady Ferball is apparently ill and hasn't been seen since his arrival while Bancroft has been arrested and thrown in the dungeon! Trying to see reason with Sir Derek, Penhaligon himself is sent to the dungeon and here he finds out about Sir Derek's diabolical plans to shipwreck the coming princess of Spatavia so he and his ferret army can capture all the gold and other riches aboard. Penhaligon, Bancroft, Lady Ferball and her companion Rowan along with the clandestine help of certain villagers set out to foil Sir Derek's plans and free the village from his clutches.

Comments: Both my son and I thoroughly enjoyed this. Set in a medieval world the book has a "Redwall" aura to it but aimed at a much younger audience. The separation of good and evil is very clear; the good characters are always good and the bad are not just bad but downright nasty. We both fell in love with a secondary character called Hotchi-witchi, a hedgehog, who ends up joining the gang. He's a brave little guy despite his fears and very comical. My son also enjoyed Old Amon, the lighthouse keeper, who didn't say a lot but when he did he had the habit having say "oh, aye" all the time. Ds asked what it meant and being from Yorkshire myself I admit to putting on a bit of a broad accent when reading Old Amon's lines so we had ds going around for days saying "oh, aye" to everything!

The story is a lot of fun. Plenty of action and adventure right from the start and non-stop until the end. The book is profusely illustrated with wonderfully detailed drawings. Not only are there full page illustrations in every chapter but there are also illustrations on the bottom or along the side of some text pages as well. You can't go four or five pages without next coming upon an illustration. This will certainly make the book friendly to kids who are reluctant to read picture-less chapter books. The book ends properly with a complete ending but does suggest a sequel which indeed there is, The Curse of the Romany Wolves. We will be reading that in the not too distant future. Recommended.

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This incredibly unique story picks up where Vol. 1 left off and after reading the book I'm still left without any evidence on whether to call it fantasy or science fiction at this point. The fish continue to disappear but that aspect of the story fades to the background as this volume both takes a closer look at certain characters and propels Umi and Sora's plot forward. We are taken into the past and shown Jim's backstory which explains why he is the boys' guardian. A new character, Anglade, appears on the scene who promises answers to Sora. Sora's disappearance leaves Umi depressed and physically ill and Ruka helps him on his search to find Sora.

A few exciting reveals are given in this volume adding more mystery to the nature of the boys' existence. The shocking ending is unexpected and will make for a major change in plot for the next volume, if all is as it seems to be. I love the science presented in this manga, the information on marine life and specific to this volume the tsunami's natural place in the ecosystem. I really enjoy the artwork, a lot of attention is paid to the background scenery in many frames and the characters are nicely drawn. One thing that did irritate me though was the new character Anglade. So far in this book, the men have been drawn to look like men, something I appreciated and had come to expect from the series. But along comes Anglade who is obviously an attractive female and referred to by name only at first then all of a sudden Anglade is referred to as he and him all the time.

Otherwise, I'm finding this series incredibly intriguing and unique. The science setting of the aquarium, the involvement of marine biologists keep the possible science fiction angle open while the fantastical events are happening all around them. At over 300 pages these volumes include a lot of characterization and I've grown attachments to certain characters and found a few I'm not fond of as well. After the system jarring ending I'm really looking forward to the next volume due out this summer (2010).

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A collection of the author/illustrator's first published works which first appeared online as web comics. This collection also includes some new comics and stories plus a special step-by-step section on how the author created the Copper comics. While the majority of comics are one page in length there are a handful which are "story" length covering six or so pages. These are the strange adventures of a little boy, Copper, and his dog, Fred. They venture to strange lands full of mushrooms, fly planes, go underwater, travel by boat, hike, surf and appear in surreal lands full of strange beings. Copper is full of energy, ready to try and do anything on a moment's notice completely carefree. Fred on the other hand, would rather stay home ...safe...but he most go where Copper goes so he is the voice of what could go wrong, he gets scared, he wants to leave, wants to go home, tells Copper the downfalls of his plans, but in the end he's usually won over and sometimes even proven right. They are wonderful characters who contrast each other delightfully. The illustrations are gorgeous, cute, whimsical with drawings I've come to expect form Kibuishi from his Amulet series.

My problem with these comics is that I suppose they are meant to be funny. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but that is still the purpose of a comic? Humour, satire, wit? Something to make you chuckle? Well, I simply didn't "get" these comics. I understood what was happening but why it was humorous or witty I haven't a clue. I'll admit there were a couple that made me smile further into the book but seriously on the whole I just seemed to be out of the loop on what was funny here. I really can't see kids appreciating the humour thus I recommend the book for ages 12 and up but even then I wonder. I can only say the humour is extremely esoteric and I am not a member of the club.