fiction

Young Adult Fiction In The News

A Great Start to February with Dundurn Young Adult

Early February brought great praise for Dundurn’s Young Adult Fiction. Both Larry McCloskey’s Murder Fit for a King and Valerie Sherrard’s Speechless made waves in the press.

 McCloskey’s book was mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen where it was deemed a “tale thatwill keep young readers glued until the last page,” and Sherrard’s book, reviewed in the Lethbridge Herald, was considered educational and interesting. Matthew Rauhala writes,

“I thought the story was interesting how it incorporated fiction as well as the reality of the child soldiers. It provided information on this serious issue to younger readers. Normally, this topic would be directed towards adults or older teens…Reading this book certainly made me more aware of a heinous crime against children that is going on in many countries.”

In Murder Fit for a King, Caitlin and Dani are back and this time they are in Quebec! Across the river from Canada’s capital, they meet Rex (the ghost of William Lyon Mackenzie King) where he provides them with a series of tests in order to save his estate and a local park sending the girls on adventures involving murder and political scandal.

 

 

 

 

 In Speechless, Griffin learns about himself and his relationship with others through an “accidental” social activism campaign. Last year Griffin’s English assignment to write a speech didn’t go over so well so this year he’s decided to take a vow of silence in protest of the assignment. He decides that his silence will be in honor of those children forced to go to war. However, little does Griffin know how wrapped up he will become in the cause or what an impact he’ll have on the community around him.

© 2008 Defining Canada.