Maria Tan

Children's Health Fiction Exhibition, October November 2014

The Deakin Review of Childrens Literature Health Fiction Exhibition is a joint exhibit at the University of Alberta’s Education and Health Sciences libraries. It showcases books reviewed in this special issue.

I Can See Just Fine by E. Barclay

Barclay, Eric. I Can See Just Fine . New York, NY:, Abrams Appleseed, 2013. Print. Paige is a little girl who really needs glasses, but doesn’t know it. Her teachers and her mum and dad notice that she is having trouble with her vision, but when her parents decide to take her to the eye doctor, she’s not keen on going. Young readers will follow Paige as she goes for her eye examination and through the process of choosing frames. They will witness the dramatic change in how Paige sees the world when she finally gets her new glasses. I Can See Just Fine gives children get a sense of what to expect if they need glasses, ranging from what they will encounter during a visit to the optometrist or ophthalmologist, to the clinic environment, to the equipment and procedures, to being fitted for lenses and frames. Author and illustrator, Eric Barclay, crafts a story that is engaging, humorous, and instructive. His text and artwork highlights the fun and fascinating aspects of the eye exam and frame selection process. Barclay includes many details that draw in the reader and make reading and re-reading the story enjoyable, weaving humorous details around the central issue of Paige’s vision impairment. He employs two-page spreads at strategic points in the story, in one case representing the vast array of frames for Paige to select, and in another communicating the dramatic contrast between what Paige sees with and without her new glasses. I Can See Just Fine is a story that will entertain and educate young readers, and help children to feel less anxious about having their vision assessed and corrected. The story’s text and illustrations include subtle details that will appeal to older readers or to parents/older siblings reading the book to young children. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria C. Tan is a medical librarian at the Abdul Khaliq Library in Alberta Health Services’ Cross Cancer Institute and a former editorial team member of the Deakin Review. She firmly believes that childrens literature is an essential component in the fountain of youth.

The Apothecary by M. Meloy

Meloy, Maile. The Apothecary . New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2011. Print. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Los Angeles-based Maile Meloy is an acclaimed author of novels and short stories for adults. In 2007, she was named one of Granta ’s 21 Best Young American Novelists . With The Apothecary , Ms. Meloy makes her entrance into book writing for a young adult audience. T he Apothecary won the 2011 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award, Middle Reader category (coincidentally, the other winner that year was Wildwood, a book written by the author’s brother). Publishers Weekly, the Chicago Public Library, and Booktrust in the UK all declared The Apothecary as one of the best children’s books of 2011 . Set in the mid-1900s, The Apothecary is a work of historical fiction that that takes place during the Cold War era. Fourteen-year-old Janie Scott is followed home from school one day by US Marshals, then her parents suddenly decide to move the family to London. Uprooted from her home in Hollywood, Janie receives an unusual cure for homesickness from the local apothecary. She meets Benjamin, the apothecary’s son, who takes a dim view of his father’s drug store and is much more interested in becoming an agent of the Secret Intelligence Service than aspiring to the profession of apothecary. In a cloak and dagger turn of events, Benjamin’s father is kidnapped and Janie and Benjamin are entrusted with protecting the Pharmacopeia, a book containing alchemical recipes. Along the way, they connect with a young pickpocket named Pip - the intrepid trio search for Benjamin’s father, outmaneuvering Russian spies, and playing a critical role in averting nuclear disaster. The themes of espionage, magic and mystery, with hints of romance will engage a range of readers. Ian Schoenherr’s black and white illustrations herald the start of each chapter and complement Meloy’s sombre and suspenseful tale. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

In the Tree House by A. Larsen, D. Petričić, & Y. Ghione

Larsen, Andrew, Dusan Petricic, and Yvette Ghione. In the Tree House . Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2013. Print. Inspired in part by the author’s childhood dreams of building a treehouse, Andrew Larsen relates the story of a young boy who designs and builds a treehouse with his older brother and father. He and his brother spend an idyllic summer playing games, reading comics, and hanging out. But the next summer is different. The boy discovers that it’s not much fun to have the treehouse to himself when his brother is busy spending time with friends. As he sits disconsolately in the treehouse, an unexpected blackout provides a different perspective on the neighbourhood and the boy’s older sibling joins him in the treehouse, where they recapture some of the previous summer, sipping lemonade, reading comics by flashlight, and playing card games. This connection persists even after the power comes back on. Larsen’s spare writing skillfully conveys the heaviness of the summer heat and evokes the feelings of excitement, of dreaming and fulfilling a dream, of exclusion and loneliness as siblings grow apart, the disappointment of having something but no one to share it with, and a longing for the past. Dusan Petricic’s pen and ink illustrations complement the text beautifully. This book is aimed at children 3-6 years of age, but the content will strike a chord for older readers and reminiscing adults alike. The story reminded me of John Rocco’s Blackout , in which a power outage is an event that brings busy family members and their neighbourhood closer together. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

My Healthy Body by L. Framer and F. Gerstein

Fromer, Liza, and F. Gerstein. My Healthy Body . Toronto: Tundra Books, 2012. Print. Liza Fromer is a broadcast journalist with a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University. In addition to working with The Discovery Channel and being a weekend anchor and reporter at A-Channel in Calgary, Liza has co-hosted CityTV’s Breakfast Television, hosted The Weather Network’s “Good Morning Toronto” and SLICE network’s series, “The List”. Currently, Ms Fromer lives in Toronto, as does her co-author sister-in-law, Dr. Francine Gerstein, a family physician and cosmetic medicine practitioner. Together they have co-written My Healthy Body and five other books that make up the Body Works Series. My Healthy Body opens with an author’s note about seeking medical advice for health concerns, then covers the following topics: sleep, exercise, nutrition, vaccination, eye and dental care, and the importance of family and friends, learning, and personal hygiene. Fun facts and true/false questions signal the end of each topic. Colourful illustrations depict children engaged in a variety of daily activities related to the health topics being discussed. The book focuses on the role that individuals play in being healthy. While it does not specifically situate health behaviours in a broader context of health promotion (i.e., that being healthy is affected by many factors, one of which is individual behaviour) the sections on family and friends and learning, although presented from a personal choice perspective, are a nod to some of these broader determinants. Overall, My Healthy Body is engaging and informative without being text heavy. However, it does have a few limitations. Firstly, I was surprised that, despite the book being written and published in Canada, the nutrition section does not refer to Canada’s Food Guide, highlighting the USDA’s guide instead. Similarly, the section on exercise eschews the more inclusive term, physical activity, used in the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Secondly, while the publisher’s website lists the book as suitable for children ages six to nine years old, this book includes vocabulary that may be more suited to the upper end of this range and readers may need assistance to understand some of the terms. Some terms are introduced in plain language, followed by the medical term in parentheses. This treatment of health-related terminology is inconsistent – some words, such as “tissues”, “self-esteem”, “obesity” are not defined in the text, nor are they addressed in the brief glossary at the end of the book; unexpectedly, the glossary does introduce some terms that do not appear in the text (e.g., antigen). Finally, the book ends abruptly, with no conclusion, suggestions for further reading, or mention of the glossary. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

One Cool Friend by T. Buzzeo

Buzzeo, Toni, and David Small. One Cool Friend . New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012. Print. Hailing from Michigan, former teacher and children’s librarian Toni Buzzeo has been writing children’s literature since 1995. Ms. Buzzeo has published over 20 picture books and has written or co-written curriculum support materials and professional books for teachers and teacher librarians. One Cool Friend was named a 2013 Caldecott Honor book. Eliot, “a very proper young man” politely asks his father, “May I have a penguin?” His father acquiesces and Eliot takes home a unique memento of his visit to the aquarium. A humorous and unexpected adventure unfolds as Magellan, Eliot’s new pet penguin, gets settled in his new home. The interactions between Eliot and his father are entertaining and full of double meaning. David Small’s clever illustrations and strategic use of colour and texture provide hints to the surprise ending. Although targeted at children aged 5-9, readers of all ages will enjoy this book, gleaning different meanings from the illustrations and text. This story invites repeated readings; readers are sure to pick up details that they missed previously. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

Hey Canada! by V. Bowers

Bowers, Vivien. Hey Canada! . Toronto: Tundra Books, 2012. Print. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Vivien Bowers received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia (BC). She has taught at the elementary school level and currently works as a freelance writer in BC and has written for children and adult audiences alike. She has authored elementary and secondary school materials, non-fiction books and magazine articles. Hey Canada! follows Alice, her grandmother, her cousin Cal, and his hamster, simply named ‘Hampster’, on a car trip across Canada. As the family travels through each province and territory, the reader is introduced to geographic, historical, and culturally significant locations, activities, and foods. As a nod to current technology, the content is narrated from the perspective of seven-year-old Alice, in the form of blog posts with highlight boxes featuring her cousin’s tweets sprinkled throughout the book. A map of Canada shows readers the path travelled by Alice, Cal, Grandma and Hampster as they journey from east to west. Hey Canada! presents colourful, cartoon-style illustrations interspersed with photos. The addition of comic strip styled interludes depicting historical events and fun facts make the content engaging and fun to read. Each province and territory is introduced with an illustration of the provincial flower, bird, and an outline of the province with the capital city highlighted. Unfortunately, the provincial flower for Alberta is incorrectly listed as White Trillium instead of Wild Rose, and the Museum of Civilization is described as being located in Ottawa instead of in Hull, Quebec. Hopefully, these errors will be corrected in the next edition. Readers who enjoy Hey Canada! and who are not familiar with the author’s earlier books may want to check out Wow Canada! and That’s Very Canadian for equally entertaining and informative reading about this country. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

Wonderstruck by B. Selznick

Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck . New York: Scholastic Press, 2011. Print. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Brian Selznick is an illustrator of children’s books and a professional puppeteer. He has received a Caldecott Honor Award for his illustrations in Barbara Kerley’s The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins . In 2008, Selznick’s bestselling novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret , was awarded a Caldecott Medal. Wonderstruck , a book aimed at readers aged 9 and older, tells the story of two children from two different time periods. A boy who has recently lost his mother finds a mysterious clue that leads him in search of his father. In a parallel storyline taking place 50 years earlier, a deaf girl runs away from home, seeking a famous actress. Each child’s quest eventually leads to New York’s American Museum of Natural History where they discover the wonders it contains. Following the format used in The Invention of Hugo Cabret , beautiful black and white illustrations combine with vivid descriptions and an engaging story. Selznick skillfully alternates between the two storylines and weaves them together. The hybrid of text and images will appeal to readers who enjoy visual aspects of the graphic novel genre. Readers who revelled in the museum intrigue of E.L. Konigsberg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will find this book a treat. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.