Continuing my series on this year’s Willow Award nominees. The Snow Willows are intended for a grade 7 and up audience. They tend to have mature themes – drug use, abuse, war and violence are just some of the topics covered.
Haunted by Barbara Haworth Attard
Haunted is a book I never would have read without it being on this list. I don’t typically choose to read from the ’thriller’ genre. Haunted is a spooky, suspense-filled mystery story. Set in post World War One in a rural area of Ontario, a young girl is drawn into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of young girls in her region. Definitely a read to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Thunder over Kandahar by Sharon McKay. I was troubled when reading this book. Just prior to reading it, I heard a discussion on CBC radio about the ‘exotic’ stance in western literature when portraying mid-Eastern cultures, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan. The speaker talked about how all portrayals of this area of the world seem to start with a woman in a veil. Sure enough, on the first page, the issue is the veil and the woman on cover is wearing a burka. I wondered about the bias of the author throughout the book. Although there are strong attempts to portray the positive and life-giving aspects of the lives of people in Afghanistan, there is also a tendency to portray the Canadian and British forces as the ‘white knights’ of the region. Much as I hope the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan have brought peace and stability, I know the situation has been much more complex than simply the role of hero as it seemed to me here. Still the book is well-written and could provide a starting point discussion on international interventions and cultural relativity. If I were to use it in a classroom, I would want to have other books and resources to provide further depth and perspective to the discussions.
Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett.
Sive is a beautiful young woman with a magical and powerful voice. She captures the attentions of an evil wizard and so begins her struggle for freedom, love and a home. Holly Bennett writes the story behind the mythical story of Sive and Finn mac Cumhail. A well-written and spell-binding novel with adventure, magic and love. It would be worth offering to your Twilight fans when they are looking for something new.
Free as a bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber.
Ruby Jean Sharp has Down’s Syndrome. She is sent to live at the age of eight in an institution in British Columbia. The institution is brutal and de-humanizing yet Ruby survives and when finally given the opportunities to learn and care for herself, is allowed to leave. An important story, well-told and accessible. This book would make an interesting addition to discussions on Canadian policies during the 1930′s-1970′s. A time period full of sweeping institutionalization of ‘undesirable’ parts of society from education institutions to health institutions to judicial institutions, this story serves as a reminder of what society can at its worst do to the people it does not understand.
