Yay, it’s Friday! And even though it has been exciting to celebrate Canadian Children’s Book Week, it’s still Friday and we here at the Butterflies & Aliens Library are feeling it. So for our next-to-last post for the week, we present a bit of a random selection of children’s books by Canadians. But, really, isn’t that part of the beauty of Canadian children’s books? They do include a bit of everything!

First up is Algonquin Spring by Rick Revelle and published by Dundurn Press. Part of the Algonquin Quest series of novels, Algonquin Spring paints a picture of these lands long before it become known as Canada, a glimpse into “the traditions, the legends and the intrigue” of the traditional Algonquin way of life. From the Dundurn website:

Six years ago, Mahingan’s wife was taken from him by the Haudenosaunee at the Battle of the Falls. Now, after learning that she is still alive and captive, he and his remaining family struggle to survive and rescue her. But events 2,000 kilometres away, and a mysterious Mi’kmaq legend, are conspiring in ways that could snatch away Mahingan’s hopes.

Next are a pair of novels by Arthur Slade, Dust and The Hunchback Assignments.

Dust is one of our Butterfly-in-Chief’s all time favourites, a middle grade novel about magic mirrors, mysterious disappearances, and a promise of rain:

"What if I told you that some individuals are born without a soul and have to wander for thousands and thousands of years searching for a way to fill that void."

Meanwhile, The Hunchback Assignments as it is known in Canada, and as Mission Clockwork in the rest of the world, tells a steampunk tale of spies in the Victorian era. It is the first of four novels set in this world.

Last but not least, we want to give a repeat shout out to The Barnabas Project by the Fan Brothers, which we profiled in an earlier post for I Read Canadian Day back in February. It quickly became a favourite of our Head Alien, with its gorgeous illustrations and heartwarming tale of friendship and a quest for freedom.

And seeing as how it is Friday, we here at the Butterflies & Aliens Library encourage you to start your weekend early (if said concept even still has any relevance to you) and take some time to enjoy some reading.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

– Winston and Stacey