The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Pages: 274

Intended Audience: Adults

Genre: Historical fiction

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

January 1946: Writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

After the manuscript was accepted for publication (2006), the book's editor requested that the author, Mary Shaffer, make some changes that required substantial rewriting, but around that time Shaffer's health had deteriorated dramatically. She asked the daughter of her sister Cynthia, Annie Barrows, who by that time was a well-established author of children's literature, to finish the editing and rewriting. Barrows did so, and thereby became a listed co-author on the work.

What’s good?

The island of Guernsey was the only part of British soil that was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. Set in London in 1946, this is the story of a group of Guernsey islanders who survived the five-year occupation by reading books, hiding a pig, and developing strong bonds of friendship. Told in an epistolary format (letters), the tale begins when Juliet, a posh British writer receives an unsolicited letter from a man living in Guernsey. They exchange letters and eventually reveal the fascinating story of the islanders during those difficult years. The storytelling is smooth and the plot well-paced (after Juliet gets the letter – before that it’s pretty slow!). With plenty of moments of both joy and heartbreak, this is a gratifying tale with eccentric characters, compassion and wit, and a lesson about the power of love.

Best Part(s): Dawsey Adams, Zenobia the parrot, and the pig story.

What isn’t good?

I didn’t particularly enjoy the letter format because it limited the amount of information accessible to the reader. There were many interesting themes and subjects that were treated superficially because the format didn’t allow for much more. In essence, what could have been a powerful wartime story is better described as romanticized historical fiction.

Worst part: The start was really slow.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

This is the kind of book you read on a chilly winter’s night, wrapped in a blanket and sitting by a fire. Less about war and more about how war disrupts lives, it’s a character study and a heartwarming (at times heart-wrenching) story of friends, family, and community. The story has a kindness about it that is rarely seen in a book about the dark days of World War II.

Shaffer, Mary Ann & Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. New York: Dial Press, 2008.

These Are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens by Ruby Slipperjack

Pages: 168

Intended Audience: Mature Tweens and up

Genre: Historical novel

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

September 9, 1966

They took everything away when I arrived here. I had stones from home and some feathers that Grandma gave me. They took my diary too. I had a lot of stuff written in there that I thought would give me some comfort over the year. But now it’s gone.

I was given this notebook and pencils for school, so I am going to start another diary. I am going to hide it with me all the time.

I put the things that were on the bed into the locker. All the clothes had the number 75 written in black marker on the tags. I am now #75.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Description from Goodreads.com:

Violet Pesheens is struggling to adjust to her new life at Residential School. She misses her Grandma; she has run-ins with Cree girls; at her “white” school, everyone just stares; and everything she brought has been taken from her, including her name—she is now just a number. But worst of all, she has a fear. A fear of forgetting the things she treasures most: her Anishinaabe language; the names of those she knew before; and her traditional customs. A fear of forgetting who she was.
Her notebook is the one place she can record all of her worries, and heartbreaks, and memories. And maybe, just maybe there will be hope at the end of the tunnel.

The novel is part of the “Dear Canada” series.

What’s good?

The diary format and the middle school level makes this a quick and easy read. The main character, Violet, is easily likeable, and the plot is simple. This is a story of survival as Violet struggles to hold on to her personal and cultural identity amidst a system that is trying to strip her of it. There are very few secondary characters, but Violet’s grandmother is noteworthy as a vibrant and independent woman in her community. The inclusion of Anishinaabe words was interesting, and illustrated her efforts to preserve her sense of self. This is a sanitized version of a very dark part of Canada’s history.

Best Part: Blackie the dog

What isn’t good?

Plot development was weak and the whole story lacked any real historical or cultural context. While this was a decent introduction to a dark and complex topic, it serves only as a mild starting point. The events were sanitized so much that Violet’s experience in a residential school felt more like a sad inconvenience for one girl rather than the horrific injustice that was forced upon an entire nation.

Worst part: The lack of emotion.

Recommendation ☺☺☻☻☻ (2/5)

This is not a happy story, nor should it be, but it lacked an element that should have made it feel hopeful. We knew Violet was sad and homesick, but her diary never really explored the deeper emotions. There were bright moments, but ultimately it felt like a story told rather than an experience shared. The story was thought-provoking, but ultimately, for me, disappointing.

Slipperjack, Ruby. These are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2016

Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Pages: 287

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Crime drama

Notes for Parents: Contains language, mature content, including a sexual assault, under-age drinking, and drinking and driving.

The Back Cover

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But since his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went anyway…

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something terrible—unimaginable—happened to Callie Wheeler that night, and now she’s told the police that Vic is responsible. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both with the police and the angry kids at school. As the whispers and violence against him escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie’s best friend, the gorgeous but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened at the party, they realize that while the truth can set Vic free, some truths can destroy a life forever.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

From kelley-york.com: ”She [the author] finds the workings of the mind fascinating and--also being no stranger to mental illness in her own life--loves making that shine through in her characters to bring awareness and get people thinking.”

What’s good?

This is an intense read with a strong, emotional narrative. Although the story is centered around a girl who accuses Vic of raping her at a party, the plot is more of a character study that focuses on Vic and his relationships with the people around him – his mom, his best friend, his classmates, his boss, and even his absent father. Vic’s character is complex and his path to growth is credible. Secondary characters pale in comparison to the main character, but still manage to lend themselves well to the drama of the situation that Vic finds himself in. The ending was satisfying.

Best Part: Amjad, Vic’s boss at the convenience store.

What isn’t good?

I didn’t buy the romance. It felt awkward, and especially uncomfortable when they were cuddling and talking about nothing that pertained to the current problem. The story itself was fairly predictable. I guessed a few of the major plot mysteries almost at the start, though one thing I didn’t see coming. While characterization of Vic was superb, the secondary characters were lackluster and the overall story lacked action.

Worst part: The definitions were completely unnecessary.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

It was good. It wouldn’t be fair to give this 3 out of 5 but a 4 seems generous. While the story lacked action, the character of Vic was strong and his dilemma was significant and kept me engaged. It was a fairly quick read, and the plot was easy to follow. The content is mature, so I don’t recommend this for young or sensitive readers. For everyone else, it’s a story worth reading.

York, Kelley. Modern Monsters. Fort Collins, CO: Entangled Pub., 2015.

In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton

Pages: 228

Intended Audience: Mature teens and up

Genre: Canadian; social issues

Notes for Parents: Contains mature content, including violence. Not for sensitive readers.

The Back Cover

There was no back cover description, so this is from Mcnallyrobinson.com:

Two young sisters are taken from their home and family. Powerless to change their fortunes, they are separated, and each put into different foster homes. Yet over the years, the bond between them grows. As they each make their way in a society that is, at times, indifferent, hostile, and violent, one embraces her Métis identity, while the other tries to leave it behind. In the end, out of tragedy, comes an unexpected legacy of triumph and reclamation.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author is Métis and was born in Manitoba. The youngest of four children, she grew up in foster homes. After a short time living in Toronto, where she attended college, she returned to Winnipeg. Following the death of two sisters to suicide, she decided to write In Search of April Raintree. First published in 1983, it has become a Canadian classic. There is a version, simply titled April Raintree, that has been edited for high school aged readers.

What’s good?

This is the gritty and tragic story of two Métis sisters growing up in Manitoba’s foster care system. The story begins in the 50s when they are young and living with their alcoholic parents, and follows them as they navigate the foster system, and eventually into adulthood where relationships, identity, racism, violence, and difficult choices draw the sisters together and also push them apart. The reality of living in a community that marginalizes the poor and Métis is portrayed with unforgiving starkness, and the lasting effects of cultural displacement and the cycle of abuse is explored. The characters are well-drawn, the pace is steady, and it’s easy to read.

Best Part: the relationship between the two sisters.

What isn’t good?

The writing style is very simplistic, and the dialogue is a bit stilted. There are a few moments in the story when the action feels contrived and the narration lacks authenticity.

Worst part: nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻

This was not an easy story to read. While it’s a fictional story, it’s clearly based on very real issues that continue to be relevant even now, thirty years after the book’s original publication. Some scenes are so raw, they are disturbing, and some are so real, they are heartbreaking. Recommended.

Culleton, Beatrice. In Search of April Raintree. Winnipeg: Pemmican Publications, 1983.

The Art of Getting Stared At by Laura Langston

Pages: 343

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Real life

Notes for Parents: Some coarse language and mature content

The Back Cover

After a school video she produced goes viral, sixteen-year-old Sloane is given a chance for a film school scholarship. Unfortunately, she must work with Isaac Alexander, an irresponsible charmer with whom she shares an uneasy history.

On the heels of this opportunity comes a horrifying discovery: a bald spot on her head. No gibber than a quarter, the patch shouldn’t be there. Neither should the bald spots that follow. Horror gives way to devastation when Sloane is diagnosed with alopecia areata. The autoimmune disease has no cause, no cure, and no definitive outcome. The spots might grow over tomorrow or Sloane might become completely bald.

Determined to produce her video, hider her condition, and resist Isaac’s every charm, Sloane finds herself turning into the kind of person she has always mocked: someone obsessed with their looks. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, Sloane is forced to make the most difficult decision of her life.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This novel was shortlisted for the CLA YA Book of the Year, the Snow Willow Award, the White Pine Award, the Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize, and the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award.

What’s good?

Sloane knows that other people have it worse than she does, but it doesn’t make it any easier for her to deal with the fact that she’s losing her hair – and may lose it all – and it may never grow back. The main character, Sloane, was independent, driven, and didn’t care about her looks in the beginning, but when she’s faced with the possibility of losing her hair, she becomes self-conscious and afraid of what others will see or think. The plot is strong and the pace is even. The narrative voice is genuine and emotional, and Sloane is very relatable. There’s a hint of romance, and good character development that leads to an interesting conclusion.

Best Part: “Appearance is superficial but beauty goes deep.” (pg 305)

What isn’t good?

I didn’t like any of the secondary characters. The mean girl was too mean (with no growth or consequences). The mom was completely unsympathetic to her daughter’s circumstance. The step-mom was shallow and completely disregarded Sloane’s privacy. Isaac, the film partner, was an unnecessary complication. And Sloane’s friends were completely forgettable.

Worst part: Step-mom Kim.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

I could easily sense the dread as Sloane was losing more and more hair. And while her experience couldn’t compare to the little girl with cancer and her mom dealing with an epidemic in a foreign country, the author did a great job of creating a character and situation that was worthy of our sympathy. The story was easy to read and kept me engaged to the end. Recommended.

Langston, Laura. The Art of Getting Stared At. Toronto: RazorBill, 2015.