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Piper
(Nimbus Books, 2018 ISBN 978-1-77108-605-9 Cover: James Bentley)
"Johnny Piper's shoulders were shaking as he stood in front of the Captain. Dougal was trembling too, but he took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Please Sir," he said to the Captain "Let him stay. We need a piper in New Scotland." Reviews
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Explosion Newsie
(Formac Publishing, 2015 ISBN 978-1-4595-0401-1 Illustrated by Loretta Migani Listed in Canadian Children's Book Centre - Best Books for Kids and Teens 2016 According to Macky's brother, Macky is the worst newsboy ever but in the aftermath of the the terrible Halifax Harbour Explosion, Macky continues to deliver the newspapers that help people find their loved ones. He proves that even the worst newsboy ever can be a hero. "Jumping over fallen telegraph wires and uprooted trees, Macky ran downhill after his friend. Half the city was gone, the rest flattened or on fire." Reviews
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Bluenose Adventure
(Formac Publishing, 2013) A school-age picture book, Illustrated by Eric Orchard. Nominated for the 2013 APMA Best Atlantic Published Book Award. Set on the famous schooner Bluenose, this is the story of ten year old Arty Brown and his friends who gut the cod aboard the fishing schooners in the north Atlantic in the 1920s. “Arty looked in dismay at the slimy mess of fish guts dripping off the splitting table. He hauled up bucket of seawater and scrubbed the splitting are clean. Then, still wearing his boots, he collapsed on a bunk and was asleep before he’d even laid down.” |
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The Terrible Horrible Smelly Pirate
(Nimbus Publishing, 2008.) Co-authored with Carrie Muller, and illustrated by Eric Orchard. (Nominated for the Lillian Shepherd Award CA (2009) Winner of the Mayor’s award for illustration CA (2009). A fun pre-school picture book that topped local best-seller lists for many weeks. “Pirate’s don’t take bubble baths,” spluttered the terrible, horrible, smelly pirate. “But supposing there be treasure hidden under them bubbles,” squawked Parrot Polly. “Arrrrgh. That be different.” |
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Peggy’s Letters
(Orca Books, 2005.) A Canadian Children's Book Center 2006 ‘Our Choice’ starred selection. Nominated for the 2007 Hackmatack Children's Choice Award and the 2007 Rocky Mountain Children's Book Award. Voted an Honour Book in the 2007 Silver Birch Express Award. Peggy's Letters is now available to be read on Tumblebooks. This story is based on a compilation of my mother’s anecdotes about living in London during the Second World War. Through the eyes of eleven-year-old Peggy, the reader sees and feels what it was like to experience air raids, food rationing, loss and unlikely friendships in a war-torn city. "Through a teary blur, I look at the black soggy wreck. Our home is just another bomb site.” |
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The Gran Plan
(Scholastic, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7791-6648-0 p-48) Placed third in the 2003 Atlantic Writing Competition - Joyce Barkhouse award for Children's Literature. Subsequently, published by Scholastic Education in their “Literacy Place for the Early Years” series. Josh and his siblings, in an attempt to cheer up their Gran, take Dad’s idea of yard work a step further by creating a water garden in Gran’s back yard. Of course everybody, including Dad, gets covered in mud, which cheers Gran up no end. “Petals, and compost rained down on Dad, as he slid slowly, on his belly, down the short, gentle slope into the mud pond.” |
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Mom's in the Navy
(Naval association of Canada 2019) Illustrated by Lin Luo. Starry nights, storms and a rescue at sea are some of the adventures Mom shares with Ava as she sails, in a Canadian Naval frigate, towards an earthquake stricken island. Ava has adventures too and finds her own way to help the island people. "I waved until my arms ached and Mom's ship was just a tiny speck. Gramps gave me his handkerchief. I wiped my drippy eyes, and nose. "Don't be sad," he said. "You and Mom can email. We couldn't do that in my day." |
