Sigmund Brouwer

This very well may be one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year. From the moment I picked it up, I knew I had my hands on something GOOD. A fast-paced book, Devil’s Pass gripped me from page 1 and didn’t let me go under after I read the last sentence in the book.

While a fast read, Devil’s Pass wasn’t an easy book on some levels – it deals with being homeless due to child abuse. The main character, Webb, has been abused by his step-father and this book looks at both show more survival and this particular character’s healing process. It’s gritty and emotional; it all felt so real, yet was hope-inspiring. This book shows how much our actions affect other people, and how that can change who they are – both for better and worse. I am so thoroughly impressed with how Brouwer handled the subject matter in such a mature and relatable way.

I love the concept of this series – seven authors wrote seven books about seven grandchildren who are all affected by the death of their grandfather and the tasks he’s outlined for them in his will. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of these books, but I love that I don’t have to read them in any particular order, or that I don’t even have to read all of them if I don’t want to. This is a brilliant concept, and in the instance of Devil’s Pass was executed perfectly. It left me craving more, but still gave me full closure with the one story I was focused on.

The Bottom Line
I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading both more from this author and more in this series. show less

Broken Angel and its sequel Flight of Shadows: A Novel take place in an alternative future...or maybe not-so-alternative. It's obvious that the author wrote this story as a cautionary tale, a warning of the possiblities awaiting our country if we don't change our path. The story is great and stands on its own, though.

Caitlyn and her father, Jordan, have been living in Appalachia, which is now an oppressive country bordered by fences and thrown back into the dark ages by a dictator who show more refuses his subjects the right to read or to enjoy any privacy. Jordan Brown chose to live there 16 years ago because a life "Outside" was impossible with the authorities looking for him. But, now it is safer for Caitlyn to be Outside and Jordan will sacrifice anything to help her get there.

This is an emotional and suspenseful book. Jordan and Caitlyn are pursued by Appalachia's most feared bounty hunter, as well as a federal agent from Outside. Local police are soon involved and no one can be trusted. Yet, Caitlyn is forced to trust her new travelling companions, while we learn that things are not always what they seem.

I received Flight of Shadows as part of a review program without realizing that it is a sequel. I did realize it before I started it, though, and got Broken Angel from the library. I'm really glad I did. Not only is it a fabulous book, but the two books really should be read together. There is an ending in Broken Angel, but the story is not complete, and if you only read Flight of Shadows, you'll be missing important information. I suppose the second book could stand alone, but I wouldn't recommend it. I really don't think it would be as enjoyable.

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Personal rule: a book that starts with a map is going to be great. Trapped in Terror Bay is no exception to that rule, although it takes some skill and attention to navigate, much like the poor sailors on the lost Franklin expedition to the Arctic. Written almost in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure, this non-fiction book puts the reader in the doomed shoes of Captain Francis Crozier, sailing through imagined accounts of events onboard the ship, tracking the voyage across the show more Atlantic, around Greenland and eventually into the maze of ice and islands between the North American continent and the North Pole. As weather worsens, disease rampages, and nature triumphs over the technology of 1848, the reader explores this tragedy and its mystery in short, engaging chapters.

Within each chapter are subsections that include modern forensic research into the expedition, sidebars about characters, politics, nautical technology, and knowledge from the native peoples who have lived on the Arctic ice since time immemorial.

It took me a while for me to notice subtle changes in fonts, page color or border, or headings to denote these different sections, but once I did I read this like a textbook, skipping around to follow the parts I was interested in, then doubling back to read the sidebars that explained something in the main storyline. With that in mind, this is a great book to teach some textbook reading skills. Readers will love the inevitable doom, perfectly captured by the author, the fascinating facts and insights into life in the mid-1800’s, and the modern quest to understand the events of the past. show less

On the front lines of World War One, everyone had a role to play, including animals. INNOCENT HEROES tells the stories of the dogs, cats, horses, birds, and other animals that contributed to the war effort.

This book offers a fine set of linked short stories about a Canadian platoon, the Storming Normans. Each fictionalized account of an animal (and the nearby humans) is supported by a brief nonfiction account of the animal(s) that inspired the story. The accounts also include contextual show more details about the state of warfare in the early twentieth century, conditions in the trenches, and most importantly, the differences between the Canadian soldiers and the British and French command. The author also presents a subplot about an Aboriginal soldier, whose story is more fully realized in an epilogue set well after the conclusion of the war. This inclusion reflects an important struggle and complements Canada’s national efforts to address colonial wrongs, but it may feel slightly out of place for some readers. (It isn’t, though: the author introduces race-based tensions early in the stories, and the epilogue resolves some of these tensions while also recognizing the continuing value of animals to human lives.)

INNOCENT HEROES offers a palatable way for middle-grade readers to learn some important Canadian history. These stories are likely to be presented to boys to encourage them to read, and indeed, the blend of fact and fiction makes an appealing package. But remember that girls love animal stories, too. All readers can use a richer, deeper understanding of history and human conflict. This book should be in the classroom library of anyone teaching upper elementary social studies, as well as in school and public libraries. show less