Tuesdays with Tundra 13

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

The Case of the Missing Deed
By Ellen Schwartz
Hardcover | Ages 8-11
ISBN 978-0-88776-959-7
eBook 978-1-77049-267-7

Take a dash of colorful characters, a pinch of danger, and generous scoops of adventure and you have a terrific culinary mystery for young readers.

Five cousins are looking forward to their annual vacation at their grandmother’s cottage. None of them knows that this may be their last such summer. A mining company has set its sights on the land and is determined to seize it. Grandma must produce the deed to prove that the property is really hers, but her memory is not what it used to be, and she can’t find it. The children suspect there may be clues to the deed’s whereabouts somewhere in the family’s cherished trove of recipes. But can they solve the mystery in time?

Adult mystery buffs have had many culinary mysteries to choose from. Ellen Schwartz introduces her young readers to a delicious genre. She even provides easy-to-follow and yummy to eat recipes.

First Descent
By Pam Withers
Hardcover | Ages 12+
ISBN 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook 978-1-77049-274-5

Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river’s challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human.

In Colombia, he meets Myriam Calambás, an indígena, who has lived along the El Furioso all her life. Though she loves its rushing waters, she dreams of leaving to get an education so that she can help her people. Her dreams, and her very survival, are in the balance when she and Rex are caught up in the clash between paramilitaries, working for rich landowners, and guerillas, who are supposed to be protecting the poor.

Pam Withers’ skill at writing about extreme adventures combines with a compelling story about an endangered world and a people struggling for their very right to exist.

Juba This, Juba That
By Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Ron Lightburn
Hardcover | Ages 2-5
ISBN 978-1-77049-975-7

Traditional “juba” rhythms have a long history. They originated in Nigeria as hand-clapping games. People who were brought to the New World as slaves fought hard to keep their culture alive against terrible odds. They transformed “juba” rhythms into work songs that were passed down orally.

Juba This, Juba That is based on one of the most popular songs. With its strong beat and read-along repetition, it will delight small children. Along with all the fun there’s also fascinating history and concepts including opposites and prepositions. Children will have fun discovering the story told in the art about a boy named Juba who follows a mysterious yellow cat on a magical, middle-of-the night adventure that leaves them both happy and ready for slumber.

Body Works Series


By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | Ages 6-9

My Achy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-204-2
My Messy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-202-8
My Noisy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-201-1
My Stretchy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-203-5

Young children are full of questions about how their bodies work. With straightforward, easy-to-understand language and a playful attitude, Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD have collaborated to create books packed with solid information about the intricacies of the human body. Their reassuring text describes the body’s various systems and supplies parents and caregivers with answers that will help them provide the accurate, age-appropriate information young children need.

Pub Date Giveaway: How was back to school week? Tell us which new release (the four Body Works books count as one) you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book! One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, September 15, 2011!

UPDATE: A winner has been randomly chosen. Congratulations to Emily D., the new owner of The Case of the Missing Deed.

Words Worth Eating

You’re invited to:

WORDS WORTH EATING with Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder
Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year

Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder have created a beautiful tribute to a traditional Mennonite girl’s year. Follow her through the seasons with poems, recipes, and of course stunning illustrations.

When: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Where: Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21, 21 King Street North, Waterloo, ON (Map)
Details: $80 for a single ticket or $125 for a couple. Tickets include a copy of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms and a four course meal. Beverages, taxes, and gratuities are additional. Doors open at 6:00pm, meal served at 6:30pm.
RSVP: Please call the restaurant to reserve your seat – (519) 883-1100.

UPDATE!
Due to enthusiastic ticket sales for the October event, Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21 will host a second evening of Words Worth Eating on Wednesday, November 23 from 6:00pm-9:30pm.  Call (519) 883-1100 for tickets, your ticket includes a 4-course meal inspired by the story and a copy of the book.

The Mona Lisa Caper

On this day in 1911, Vincenzo Perugia shocked the world by stealing the most famous of the many treasures in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa. Rick Jacobson and Laura Fernandez take a playful look at the possibilities behind the facts in this delightful tale of a famous missing treasures.

The Mona Lisa Caper
Written by Rick Jacobson
Illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 5-7
ISBN: 978-0-88776-726-5
Throughout Rick Jacobson’s lively text, Mona Lisa herself narrates the story of her trip back to the city of her creation. The playful art Rick has painted along with his wife, Laura Fernandez, heightens the fun. Not only is it Keystone-Cops funny, it is a sound introduction to the painting that continues to delight, amaze, and mystify hundreds of years after Leonardo da Vinci’s death.

PRAISE FOR The Mona Lisa Caper:

“…the writing is sprightly, and the watercolor artwork, superior – realistic, but with touches of whimsy.” – Booklist

“[The book] has a sweet whimsy, and lovely paintings of the great lady.” – The Globe and Mail

“The watercolour illustrations … include lively action scenes and beautifully atmospheric landscapes and cityscapes … the book has a lot of charm and a vivid sense of period. It will doubtless encourage readers to see the painting and decide for themselves about her smile.” – Quill & Quire

“[Jacobson and Fernandez’s] soft-edge paintings and decorative cameos are atmospheric and appealing….” – School Library Journal

“…Jacobson’s dense text brims with suspenseful details, and he humorously imagines how a painting might feel … Jacobson and Fernandez’s beautifully drafted watercolors convey a sense of excitement while capturing many details of the era. Jacobson wisely resists the temptation to teach or preach in his unusual tale; he merely delights in the events, and readers will, too.’ – Publishers Weekly

“Author Rick Jacobson paints the fascinating, often hilarious details of this oddball art heist through the eyes of Mona Lisa herself. Additional humour is added by the outstanding realistic artwork. This is a history book that reads like an action adventure story.” – Canadian Family Magazine

Lawrence of Arabia

On this day in 1888, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, was born.

Medina Hill
By Trilby Kent
Hardcover | 176 Pages | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-0-88776-888-0
In the grimy London of 1935, eleven-year-old Dominic Walker has lost his voice. His mother is sick and his father’s unemployed. Rescue comes in the form of his Uncle Roo, who arrives to take him and his young sister, Marlo, to Cornwall. There, in a boarding house populated by eccentric residents, Marlo, who keeps a death grip on her copy of The New Art of Cooking, and Dominic, armed with Incredible Adventures for Boys: Colonel Lawrence and the Revolt in the Desert, find a way of life unlike any they have known. Dominic’s passion for Lawrence of Arabia is tested when he finds himself embroiled in a village uprising against a band of travelers who face expulsion. In defending the vulnerable, Dominic learns what it truly means to have a voice.

PRAISE FOR Medina Hill:

“… Kent’s highly original debut.” – Starred Review, Booklist

“…[Medina Hill] offers vivid descriptions of the setting, lively characters, and a satisfying ending.” – School Library Journal

“…the voice of the narrator and the motley cast of characters are brilliantly realized. Kent’s language is both poetic and insightful…. Definitely a writer to watch.” – Quill & Quire

If you haven’t already, take a look at what readers were saying during the Medina Hill blog tour.

The 2012 Chocolate Lily Short-list

The short-list for the 2012  Chocolate Lily Book Award has been announced. Tundra has two nominated titles under the Novel category:

No Moon
By Irene N. Watts
Trade Paperback | 240 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-971-9
eBook: 978-0-88776-972-6
“…Watts provides a fascinating account of what the great unsinkable ship was like. The catastrophe is rendered in a heartbreakingly graceful style, and Lou performs heroically in shepherding her two little girls to safety on a lifeboat in this uniquely engaging and satisfying coming-of-age historical adventure tale.” – Starred Review, Booklist

Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
By Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 240 Pages | Ages 11-14
ISBN: 978-0-88776-977-1
eBook: 978-0-88776-978-8
“Nielsen (Word Nerd) has created a narrator as sassy and candid as this memorable novel’s title…. Nielsen skillfully balances her story’s keen humor…with poignancy. Especially affecting are Violet’s struggles to accept her father’s new family….” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The Chocolate Lily Award encourages grade school students to read some of the best fiction by British Columbia’s children’s authors and illustrators. There are three categories: Best Picture Book, as voted by students in kindergarten through grade 3, Best Chapter Book, as voted by students in grades 2 through 5, and Best Novel as voted by students in grades 4 through 8.

Congratulations to Irene N. Watts and Susin Nielsen!

Tundra Book Group