Can you imagine such a thing? (Original rat photo courtesy of PetNet)

According to Jen, the book gets a “rent the video” rating from her creative rating scheme. What does that mean? The Ruby Kingdom should be available at your local bookstore and library (if they don’t, ask for it!) so you should definitely take a peak at the book if you haven’t already — The Prism Blade is coming soon!

“Mystery at Shildii Rock by Robert Feagan is an excellent mystery for a young reader. I think more advanced readers may find this story slightly predictable. Overall, it was an exciting story that was full of suspense. It keeps you guessing from beginning to end. I think that younger readers will really enjoy this book.” — Klaw, Flamingnet Book Reviews

Read the full review here!

There’s a notable mention in Ryerson’s Alumni magazine which you can take a look at online if you don’t happen to be Ryerson’s alumni or if you happened to have misplaced your copy — Page 36 of the Winter 2008 edition.

For those looking for more detail — the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted has reviewed The Last to Die in their Fall 2007/Winter 2008 AIDWYC Journal. A bit of the review:

The Last to Die is a major contribution to Canadian true crime literature which belongs in the curriculums of high schools, universities and law schools, and would make an excellent eye-opening, provocative gift to anyone born after memories of the Turpin and Lucas cases began fading away. — Harold Levy, AIDWYC Journal, P. 36

Lastly for those of you interested in hearing more about Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas, the last two men to receive capital punishment in Canada, Robert J. Hoshowsky will be speaking at the Writers and Editors Network on March 15th 2008, 9:00 to 11:30am — check out their website for more details.

“Griffin is an amiable and sympathetic character with whom readers will readily identify with. His fear of public speaking, in particular, is something that many readers will appreciate. The fact that such an ordinary young boy could go on to accomplish something so monumental is therefore a true inspiration. Sherrard very convincingly depicts Griffin’s journey from simply trying to get out of a dreaded school project to feeling deeply committed to a cause he had previously not known anything about. Much like author Eric Walters, Valerie Sherrard manages to introduce young readers to an important social-justice issue through her fiction, and in a way that is neither heavy-handed nor didactic.”

“The secondary characters here are equally believable, and with its straight-forward plot, this book could easily appeal to reluctant readers, while still offering more accomplished readers much to think about.”
- Lisa Doucet, Atlantic Books Today, December 31, 2007

“Underappreciated Strube’s story of a guy turning into one big pain in the ass as he senses the earth going to hell finds that elusive fine line between tragic and comic. Very smart.”  – NOW Magazine, January 2, 2008

The latest Jack Taggart Mystery …

Bruce Grossman from Bookgasm has picked out top 10 best crime novels for 2007, and both Loose Ends and Above Ground by Don Easton have made it on to the list! This is great news as the next Jack Taggart mystery is coming very soon …

In the meanwhile, take a look at the top 10!

“Having heard Peter Kelly speak at the Annual General Meeting of the Field Botanists of Ontario, I knew I would be in for a great read. This book did not let me down. It is well laid out and has some of Peter’s fantastic photos. The book is easy to read and is not overly heavy on facts or too scientific with the information it presents. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s easy to read and provides a great review of the research completed by the Cliff Ecology Research Group.” — Lesley McDonell, Field Botanists of Ontario

Just in time to help you with your holiday shopping, The Edmonton Sun (December 5) has released its top gifts that will get people into the Christmas spirit. Included is Dorothy Duncan’s Canadians at Table: Food, Fellowship, and Folklore: A Culinary History of Canada that’s sure to help “those feeling just a tad overwhelmed by the whole experience of throwing their first Christmas.” Canadians at Table won gold at this year’s Canadian Culinary Book Awards. Click here to find out more about this book. 978-1-55002-647-4/$35.00

The Canadian Press has also released their round-up of homegrown coffee-table books that make great gifts. Included is Hell and High Water: Canada and the Italian Campaign by Lance Goddard. Click here to find out more about this fascinating account of Canada’s military role in Italy from 1943-1945.

978-1-55002-728-0/$29.99

“Patricia Bow packs a lot of action and interest into The Ruby Kingdom from the first chapter. My kids were quickly sucked in, and were annoyed when I wouldn’t read a second chapter. They were still talking about what had happened the next day, and waiting to see what would come next. This is especially great because a lot of fantasy as well as a lot of tween/YA/read-aloud books start slow. They end up great, but you have to push through the first chapter or two. In The Ruby Kingdom, you are drawn in right away.” — Our Gaggle of Books

Definitely go check out the complete review for a very insightful perspective.

If you are on the run and don’t have time to read the interview. Bookmark it and watch some video coverage from CourtTV Canada.