Spring 2015 – Page 3 – Tundra Book Group

April 6, 2015May 7, 2025

Tundra Reading Club: April 2015

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re ready for this month’s book!

Just to remind you of our reading club rules:

Each month, we’ll post a book and a sign-up form for bloggers. Then we’ll randomly choose the lucky five who will receive a copy (in some cases, an advance copy) in exchange for a review on their blog!

Of course, everyone is free to participate via tweets (@TundraBooks) or in the comment section on the monthly post.

To make it easy to work into your busy schedules, we’ve chosen picture books so it shouldn’t take you too long to read the book of the month (or like me, you might pore over it for hours and be distracted by the illustrations).

Our April pick is Outstanding in the Rain by Frank Viva. As soon as we saw it, we were reminded of the old saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” This book is absolutely gorgeous and full of oronyms. Don’t know what an oronym is? This book will teach you all about them!

Step right up! Step right up to the amusing amusement park! It’s a whole story, and the pages have holes! Watch the holes make pictures! Turn an umbrella into a cake, and balloons into ice cream! See the holes make words. Whole words! Change an ice man into an nice man! See fork handles turn into four candles! Realize the magic with your real eyes! Frank Viva’s tale of a boy spending his birthday at the amusement park will amaze readers big and small with astounding die-cuts that transform both words and pictures in delightful ways.

Outstanding in the Rain will be released on Tuesday April 14 and you can visit your local library or bookstore to get reading! If you’re interested, fill in the form below and we’ll randomly select five bloggers to read and review a copy of Outstanding in the Rain and join our discussion. You have until Monday April 13 at 3 pm EST to sign up, so don’t delay! Our only stipulation this month is that we can only send the book to those with Canadian mailing addresses. This title is also available in the USA by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

SIGN-UP FORM CLOSED!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Carrie, Carole, Bonnie, Suzanne and Cindy! We look forward to your reviews! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Check back in on Monday, April 27, 2015 for our reading club discussion of Outstanding in the Rain!

March 20, 2015May 7, 2025

You’re Invited to the Launch of The Pirate’s Bed

Set sail with us and author Nicola Winstanley and illustrator Matt James at the launch of The Pirate’s Bed!

Date: Sunday, March 29th, 2015
Time: 2:00pm-4:oopm
Place: Another Story Book Shop
Address: 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON
Telephone: 416-462-1104

Praise for The Pirate’s Bed:

“What sets The Pirate’s Bed apart from other tales of its ilk is the main character – the bed itself…Winstanley crafts the mood of this bed-time story through careful word choice. At times she evokes the feeling of being lulled to sleep – prominent ‘l’ sounds resonate and the rhythm of verbs..mimic the rocking boat…Matt James’s acrylic paint and India ink illustrations playfully and artfully reflect Winstanley’s text…James also has an impressive ability to convey the emotional journey of the secret-laden bed, especially through its bedpost eyes. This unique viewpoint, both in narrative and art, makes The Pirate’s Bed charming and memorable.” – Quill & Quire

March 10, 2015May 7, 2025

Tuesdays with Tundra 46

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Catch You Later, Traitor
Written by Avi
Hardcover | 304 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-101-91765-7
eBook: 978-1-101-91767-1
“Set in 1951 Brooklyn, Newbery Medalist Avi’s (Crispin: The Cross of Lead) suspenseful novel shows how seventh-grader Pete Collison deals with persecution and paranoia as he searches for answers about his family’s history…. Deciding to find out the truth about his father and the informant who turned him in, Pete follows the methods of his favorite gumshoe, Sam Spade, but the clues Pete uncovers are more confusing than enlightening, and the discoveries he makes about certain relatives could hurt his father’s cause…. An excellent introduction to the frenzy of the McCarthy era.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The Pirate’s Bed
Written by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by Matt James
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-616-3
A pirate is sleeping snug in his bed, dreaming pirate dreams, when a great storm comes up at sea. The pirate sleeps on, but his bed is awake and scared of the thunder and the angry waves. Tossed this way and that, the ship finally crashes, sending the pirate to a tropical island and his bed off to sea. At first, the bed is overjoyed. It’s free from smelly feet, snoring and scratchy wool. It floats in the now peaceful water, meeting friendly gulls and playful dolphins and basking in the sun. But soon the little bed begins to feel like something is missing…. This fanciful tale of a bed lost at sea will capture the hearts of little pirates everywhere and send them off to sleep with dreams of tropical birds, swooshing waves and chattering monkeys.

Frankenstink!
Garbage Gone Bad
Written by Ron Lightburn
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 4-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-694-1
With a glow-in-the-dark cover and zany art, this is a book about “garbage” that transforms and mutates into a grotesque, greedy monster devouring everything in its path, Frankenstink is sure to be a hit with kids who do not like to clean up. Is the monster who feeds on “a mountainous salad of plastic and goo, fast-food leftovers and Styrofoam stew,” real, a dream, or a warning of what is to come if we don’t compost and recycle? Complemented by playful illustrations in a comic-book style.

Little Red Lies
Written by Julie Johnston
Trade Paperback | 352 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-807-5
“Johnston has crafted a beautifully written, low-key, yet emotional story of a family dealing with the return of a son at the close of war. Jamie is wracked with survivor’s guilt…. His letters to Rachel … are painfully realistic, the antithesis of the glamour that teens too often assign to war….” – Starred Review, Booklist

Pub Date Giveaway: In the comments below, please tell us which new March 2015 release of Tundra’s you would love to read and one lucky reader will receive their requested book! One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, March 16, 2015!

Update: Congratulations to Stephanie, winner of The Pirate’s Bed!

February 25, 2015May 7, 2025

Pink Shirt Day

Stand up against bullying! Today is Pink Shirt Day, a day when we wear pink to show that we are all working together as a community to prevent bullying in all forms.

Not only are we wearing pink and spreading the word, we’re also hosting a giveaway! And what better author to talk about bullying than our very own Susin Nielsen? Her upcoming book, We Are All Made of Molecules, deals with themes of bullying and the power of having someone stand up for another person.

Two lucky winners will receive: one We Are All Made of Molecules T-shirt, one signed ARC of We Are All Made of Molecules, one signed paperback of Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom, one signed paperback of The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, and one signed paperback of Word Nerd.

Ooo, comfy T-shirt! (Person not included in giveaway.)

Pink Shirt Day was started by two Nova Scotia students in 2007 when a younger boy was bullied for wearing pink. You can read a full account of the story here.

Fill out the entry below to enter our giveaway! One entry per person and please make sure you review our rules. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only (sorry, US fans!) and ends on Wednesday March 4, 2015. We Are All Made of Molecules will be released on May 12, 2015, so this is your chance for an early read!

Entry form closed!

Update: Congratulations Karen and Sharon, we hope you enjoy your signed books! Thanks to everyone who participated! #PinkItForward

February 10, 2015May 7, 2025

Tuesdays with Tundra 45

Happy New Year! This is our first Tuesdays with Tundra of 2015, we’re so excited to begin because there’s so many great books this year! Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Best Friends through Eternity
Written by Sylvia McNicoll
Hardcover | 192 Pages | Ages 12 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-710-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-712-2
Inspired by the true story of a teen who was killed at a railway crossing, the author weaves the tale of fourteen-year-old Paige, who, taking a shortcut alongside the tracks to avoid the school bullies, is tragically hit by a train and transported to a surreal world where she encounters Kim, who died seven years before. Convinced she is only dreaming, Paige must discover a way to return to her former life. Poignant, gripping, and full of unexpected twists and turns, Best Friends through Eternity will resonate with readers who have struggled with cultural identity, a sense of belonging, and the real meaning of home.

Head Lice
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6 to 9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-661-3
Part of a series of hilarious nonfiction books about disgusting creatures, this book examines head lice. It covers such topics as head lice habitats (human heads only, dogs are gross) anatomy (his body is slightly see through, so he can always see what he ate for lunch), and parenting practice (the female louse sticks eggs to human hair and uses the leftover glue for her model airplanes). Although silly and off-the-wall, Head Lice contains factual information that will both amuse and teach.

Reality Check in Detroit
Written by Roy and Kerry MacGregor
Trade Paperback | 209 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-422-0
eBook: 978-1-77049-427-5
The Screech Owls are invited to compete in a four-day skills competition in Detroit. Along with another team, they will be participating in a reality show called Goals and Dreams. They’re staying at a fancy hotel, being showered with hockey swag, given Hollywood nicknames, and posing for the film crew – Hockeytown doesn’t look bad at all! That’s until they meet the other team and start noticing how differently they’re being treated. Are the producers engineering certain tensions and situations to pump up the show? The Screech Owls don’t like to be manipulated . . .

The Spider
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6 to 9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-664-4
Part of a series of hilarious nonfiction about disgusting creatures, this book looks at the spider. It covers such topics as the spider’s habitats (pretty much everywhere but outer space), the silk it spins (it can trap prey and makes a nifty bowtie), and its parenting practice (female spiders carry around their eggs in a silk purse). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Spider contains real information that will both amuse and teach.

Pub Date Giveaway: In the comments below, please tell us which new February 2015 release of Tundra’s you would love to read and one lucky reader will receive their requested book! One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, February 16, 2015!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Erin, winner of The Spider by Elise Gravel!