Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

Title: Bonechiller

Author: Graham McNamee

Publish Date: September 2008

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Pages: 176pp

ISBN: 0553494279

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Supernatural

Annotation: Danny and his three friends encounter a soul-stealing beast that has been making young people disappear from their small town in Ontario, Canada.

Plot Summary: Danny and his father have moved to Harvest Cove, a small town just north of Barrie on the shores of Lake Simcoe. Danny has three close friends he hangs out with; Ash, Howie and Pike. It is the dead of winter, which means the weather is the coldest of the season.  One night, after being out with his three friends, Danny is running home, and he is bitten by something. It was too dark to see what it was, some sort of beast/monster that moves quickly.  The bite leaves him with ice in his veins, and later, with voices in his head, and nightmares that seem real.  As he becomes increasingly and mysteriously ill, he realizes that his life is in danger.  Danny and his friends decide they must kill this beast themselves as they have found disturbing statistics about kids who disappear every generation on the coldest winter nights.  While dealing with this beast and feeling ill, Danny is simultaneously dealing with the death of his mother, reconnecting with his father, and falling in love with Ash.

Personal Response: I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller/horror story—it was a wild ride set in a lackluster little town.  Filled with plenty of supernatural elements, along with a romance and what I found to be the most meaningful theme of the story in which was the reconnection of Danny with his father and his coming to terms with his mother’s death. 

~Reader’s Advisory~

Themes: Coming to terms with death. Reconnecting. 

Age Range: 12 and up

Subjects: Winter, Supernatural, Paranormal Relationships, Boxing, Kidnapping, Nightmares, Monsters, Native American, Death, Father and Son Relationships,

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Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer

Whaleshinger by Welwyn Wilton Katz

Title: Whaleshinger

Author: Welwyn Wilton Katz

Publish Date: October 2002

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Pages: 212pp

ISBN: 0888991916

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Annotation: Seventeen year old Nick is not yet over the death of his older brother and sixteen year old Marty has learning difficulties.  On a scientific field trip on the California coast, these two teenagers come together and share an empathic bond with two grey whales.

Plot Summary: Seventeen-year-old Nick is feeling hurt and angry about his brothers death.  To get away from everyone at home in Vancouver, he accepts a research job for a conservation group on Point Reyes and Drake's Bay.  He meets Marty, an intensely shy sixteen-year old who seems to have her own set of disabilities.  It is these qualities that help Marty communicate with a whale mother and her baby. Together, Nick and Marty discover that the conservation project is a front for a plan to rob the treasure of Sir Francis Drake’s sunken frigate.  Nick and Marty make an uncomfortable conformation and experience an earthquake.

Personal Response: A deeply felt novel with a multi-layered storyline of science, love, loss, treasure, and a whale mother with an ailing baby.  Katz writes beautifully and depicts deeply touching relationships—the love between Marty and Nick and the love they share with the mother whale and her baby.  

~Reader’s Advisory~

Themes: Teen angst.

Age Range: 12 and up

Subjects: Death, Depression, Teen Angst, Anger, Relationships, Family Relationships, Love, Whales, Ecology, Environment, Ocean, Sex, Thievery, Confrontation, Empathy, Earthquake,

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The Sky Is Falling by Kit Pearson

The Third Magic by Welwyn Wilton Katz

The Hidden World by Alison Baird

The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service

Title: The Cremation of Sam McGee

Author: Robert W. Service

Illustrator: Ted Harrison

Publish Date: July 2006

Publisher: Kids Can Press, Limited

Pages: 32pp

ISBN: 155453092X

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Folktale

Annotation: A classic Yukon adventure poem about a man name Sam McGee who is constantly suffering from the cold—so much so that he convinces his companion on the trail to cremate him he should die.

Plot Summary: Sam McGee is constantly struggling with the cold while along an Arctic trail. One day, McGee persuades his trail companion (the narrator of the story) to cremate him if he shall die. That very same day, McGee passes away leaving the companion obligated to keep his promise. We follow the companion on his journey to cremate Sam McGee and to finally keep him warm.

Personal Response: A poignant tale brought to life by the evocative paintings of Ted Harrison. I really appreciated reading the forward by Pierre Berton, as it gave me insight on the creators of this book and into the story/poem as a whole. I found this tale to be humorous and touching as the narrator kept his bargain and finally gave Sam McGee some warmth.

~Reader’s Advisory~

Themes: If you make a promise to someone, keep it.

Age Range: 9 to 12

Subjects: Death, Yukon, Adventure, Humor, Cremation, Journey, Cold, Poem

Similar Titles:

Children of the Yukon by Ted Harrison

The Shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert W. Service

Odd Man Out by Sarah Ellis

Title: Odd Man Out

Author: Sarah Ellis

Publish Date: February 2008

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Pages: 162pp

ISBN: 0888997035

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Annotation: When Kip’s mother remarries, he is sent to stay with his grandmother for the summer, along with five of his girl cousins. During his stay, Kip finds a notebook made by his late father when he was a teenager, things begin to change as Kip becomes entranced by the story as it leads him to self discovery.

Plot Summary: While Kip’s mother vacations on her honeymoon, he is sent away for the summer to stay with his Grandma and five girl cousins. At first, Kip finds himself struggling to find his place as he is not used to being around a spirited group of girls, and so he spends a lot of time in his attic bedroom where he discovers a notebook his late father had kept as a teen. As he begins to read the notebook, he becomes engrossed by the story, in which leads Kip to learning about his past, present, and what the future might hold.

Personal Response: An insightful story about the growing pains of an almost teenage boy, Kip. As the protagonist, Kip is easy to identify with, along with the additional characters consisting of the five girl cousins –although we don’t get too much depth of their views as we stay with Kip throughout the entire novel. The illustrations within the novel are detailed pertinent to the story.

~Reader’s Advisory~

Themes: Growing up and accepting change.

Age Range: 9 through 13

Subjects: Deceased Father, Identity, Family, Coming of Age, Mental Illness, Grandmother, Mystery, Death, Remarriage, Acceptance, Change, Fitting In, Mental Illness

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