Aspirations aplenty in Boynton’s board book
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It’s never too early to encourage toddlers aged 1-3 to follow their dreams — and When Pigs Fly! A Song For Dreamers (Boynton Bookworks, 24 pages, board book, $11), by prolific American writer Sandra Boyton, does just that.
Right from birth, kids may be told their aspirations are impossible, but they just may find their own path as they absorb the lyrical poetry and look at Boynton’s oh-so-cute trademark illustrations. They’ll have sweet dreams as they plot their lives as future grown-ups.
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In Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe (Simon & Schuster, 64 pages, hardcover, $25), a little girl is excited to live alone (it’s a story, so we’ll accept that), but her new house is haunted by a messy ghost. To Aggie’s annoyance, the ghost won’t follow her strict rules, such as “no eating all the cheese.”
Both Forsythe’s droll writing and his illustrations will draw smiles from children aged 4-8, who will concur with Aggie that while some solitude is good, we all need to have a friend (it doesn’t have to be a bestie) around sometimes.
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One Can, by Lana Button and Eric Walters (Groundwood, 32 pages, hardcover, $20) is a lesson in humility and generosity.
A little boy enthusiastically takes a can of food to school to support needy families, only to find his mom bringing home that same can. He learns there are many people in need and they’re all around us — not just somewhere else.
The simple, endearing illustrations of a child in wonder by Governor General’s Literary Awards nominee Isabelle Malenfant will appeal to children ages 6-8.
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Local history comes alive when we think back to who lived on the land before our houses were built.
In My Street Remembers (Groundwood, 48 pages, hardcover, $22), Karen Krossing reminds us that the streets where we live once had animals grazing, Indigenous people hunting and gathering, then settlers declaring ownership, bringing war and changing the environment utterly. The focus here is on changes to Indigenous lives on Danforth Street in Toronto, leading up to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the apology for the harms done.
Anishinaabe artist Cathie Jamieson shows readers how Danforth Avenue evolved. This book for 6-8 year olds can be useful for the study of community history.
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The Story and Science of Hope by Andrea Curtis (House of Anansi, 40 pages, hardcover, $22) is an important book for young people ages 9-12. It discusses the work of theorists who study how hope can improve our lives, the psychological and physical benefits of having hope, and how it motivates.
Included are examples of people who’ve engaged in positive social activism in their efforts to solve society’s problems. In uncertain times, it uses frank, honest commentary to offer hope.
Examples will help kids foster positive attitudes about learning new ideas, about the role of science in our lives, and about what inspires creativity. Ana Suárez’s contemplative illustrations can motivate kids to think about how they can make the world a better place.
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First-time author Léa Taranto’s A Drop in the Ocean (Arsenal Pulp Press, 296 pages, softcover, $20) is a gripping story about a 16-year-old girl’s struggle with mental illness.
Mira’s been in and out of psychiatric programs to contain her obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia and other forms of control, but now she’s landed on a ward with the tightest restrictions. She thinks that only by physically abusing herself can she atone for her very being. It’s painful for her, for the staff, her fellow patients and her family to watch.
Taranto uses her own experiences to inform this raw, heartbreakingly honest narrative, which teens from age 14 and up will find compelling.
Harriet Zaidman is a novelist for young people. Her latest, What Friends Are For, is set in 1983 during the abortion debate in Canada. It launches on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers.