Tundra Telegram: Books to Brighten Any Holmes

Hello, and thanks for joining us at Tundra Telegram, the column where we discuss ideas that are hounding readers and clue them into some relevant titles, in case they need a new literary obsession.

The holidays are just around the corner, so it would be perfectly reasonable to start talking about wintry or holiday books. But this week, we’re talking about something else: murder. Specifically, the murder of Enoch Drebber. The murder of this fictional Mormon kicks off the first story to feature fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the story was published in the 1887 edition of Beeton’s Christmas Annual, and first hit newsstands on December 1. The rest is literary history.

To celebrate 115 years of the world’s greatest detective, we’re recommending children’s books about, based on, or similar to the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. Nearly any mystery story is – in some fashion – indebted to the stories about Sherlock Holmes. But with this roundup, we’ve focused on those that most clearly are an homage to the great detective, or – at the very least – have a distinctly Victorian flavor.

PICTURE BOOKS

What better way to start a young reader’s journey with Sherlock than a picture-book biography about the man who created him? Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock by Linda Bailey and Isabelle Follath chronicles the incredible life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: a doctor, adventurer,  tireless campaigner for justice . . . and, of course, creator of the world’s greatest detective! Any kid with an interest in mysteries will love this lively story of the facts behind the fiction.

For a book of mysteries that many kids will know, and are conundrums worthy of Holmes himself, try Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries by David Levinthal and John Nickle. Who committed a B & E at the Three Bears’ family home? Did Humpty Dumpty really just fall off that wall, or was he pushed? A streetwise investigator delves into five fairy-tale criminal cases, and though Binky wears a fedora (rather than a deerstalker hat), his shrewd mind has much in common with the great detective.

As Holmes and Watson are to London, Sam Cat and Dudley Pig are to Busytown. And in Richard Scarry’s The Great Steamboat Mystery, the almost-dynamic duo have to solve a jewel theft during a wedding aboard a steamboat (instead of eating cake). The best part is that young readers can assist by finding clues and helping crack the case in this humorous story book.

CHAPTER BOOKS & MIDDLE GRADE

Ghost and human child friends Simon and Chester may live in the here-and-now, but they are inspired by Sherlock Holmes in Cale Atkinson’s graphic novel Simon & Chester: Super Detectives! In the duo’s first comic-book adventure, Simon is busy writing a mystery (a regular Arthur Conan Doyle!) when Chester discovers a detective costume, complete with deerstalker. The two quickly decide to start solving mysteries themselves – starting with how a strange (yet adorable) dog wound up inside their house! (Perhaps a far cry from The Hound of the Baskervilles.)

Though their adventures take place decades before the first Holmes story, Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley make for effective tween alternatives to Holmes and Watson in Jordan Stratford’s The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series, illustrated by Kelly Murphy. The girls who grow up to become the first computer programmer and Frankenstein writer join forces to make a secret detective agency dedicated to unlocking only the most puzzling mysteries, whether those involve missing wills, counterfeit dinosaur bones, or coded messages from princesses.

And while Marthe Jocelyn’s beloved Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series very explicitly takes inspiration from Agatha Christie and her fictional detectives (rather than Arthur Conan Doyle’s), there’s no denying these mysteries, inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot, have a touch of Sherlock in them. At the very least, they occupy the same era of British mystery – and now you can burn though all four books in the series (mysteries from fall through summer) in one handsome ebook bundle.

YOUNG ADULT

If you need a YA fix for your Sherlock jones, look no further than the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer. Now a series of motion pictures starring Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Superman (Henry Cavill), the books star the teenaged sister of Sherlock Holmes, who finds herself investigating missing mothers, missing ladies of wealth, and even missing landladies (sometimes with the help of her talented older brothers, and sometimes while evading them!) And, like the Aggie Morton series, they are also available in one digital collection.

Equally intriguing is Shane Peacock’s The Boy Sherlock Holmes series. From The Eye of the Crow, the first book in the saga, to Becoming Holmes, the sixth and final book, Peacock reimagines Holmes as a teen social misfit with an aristocrat mother and poor Jewish father whose wits are his only defense – and an incredible asset when solving baffling murders in Victorian London. (Additionally, the books feature no nightmarish food sequences like that Young Sherlock Holmes film!)

Though Sherlock Holmes is not referenced, Singaporean-Canadian Y. S. Lee’s four-book series, The Agency, features secret assignments undertaken by heroines in a Victorian atmosphere. Mary Quinn, an orphan, is brought to Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, which is a front for an all-female investigative unit who use disguises and wits to infiltrate everything from high society to damp cargo ships to solve the era’s most dastardly mysteries.

What if Sherlock Holmes had to solve the mystery of his own death? Well, Lemony Snicket is no Sherlock Holmes. But he has been poisoned in the book Poison for Breakfast (you can probably guess when the poisoning happens), and it’s up to the author to follow a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his own murder plot – with more than a few diversions along the way in this archly comic novel.

Tuesdays with Tundra 38

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

Nine Words MaxNine Words Max
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by David Huyck
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-562-3
“Bar-el uses his skills as a storyteller, educator and children’s author to spin an entertaining, quirky tale that celebrates the use of language. The clever and humorous story extols the use of words at a time when today’s media emphasizes brevity and seems to rely on shortened messaging in texts, emails and abbreviated tweets. The rich vocabulary and lively text are well-served by the high energy illustrations. . . . The cartoon-like illustrations are colorful, action-packed and crammed full of riotous detail.” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

Becoming HolmesBecoming Holmes
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Final Case

Written by Shane Peacock
Trade Paperback | 264 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-768-9
“Peacock concludes his stellar saga with a final mystery, shaping the young boy into the man he will become. . . . This is a solid period mystery. Peacock once again uses London as a character, this time as a city deep in mourning for Charles Dickens. Holmes’s actions, decisions, and interactions all demonstrate the roots of the legendary detective he will become. Such characters as Irene Doyle, Malefactor (who will become Moriarty), Lestrade, and even a whiff of Watson all contribute to a feeling of authenticity . . . this is a strong story. The ending is exciting and unexpected. This is an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series.” – VOYA Magazine

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K LarsenThe Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Written by Susin Nielsen
Trade Paperback | 256 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-654-5
“. . . maybe it’s best that, while the story is infused with the quirkiness of Henry and the other teens, the emphasis should be on the overwhelming anguish experienced by those left behind after unnatural death. Nothing could or should remedy that agony except time, acceptance, and maybe forgiveness of oneself and others. Susin Nielsen shares the complicated nature of grief and grieving while helping the reader see the far-reaching and unpredictable consequences of bullying.” – CanLit for LittleCanadians

Pub Date Giveaway: In the comments below, please tell us which new April 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, April 28, 2014!

UPDATE: Congratulations to James, winner of Becoming Holmes by Shane Peacock.

Finalists for the 2013 Governor General’s Literary Awards

GG2012Each year, the Governor General’s Literary Awards (the GGs) honours the best in Canadian literature. Tundra Books would like to showcase our two finalists!

For Children’s Text, congratulations to Shane Peacock!

Becoming HolmesBecoming Holmes: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Final Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 264 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-232-5
eBook: 978-1-77049-291-2
“This final book in Shane Peacock’s award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series combines brilliant storytelling with fascinating historical detail, including famous people, popular myths and street-level views of London. A surprising and shocking conclusion to a mystery worthy of one of the greatest sleuths in English literature.”

Congratulations to the other finalists in the text category: Beverley Brenna for The White Bicycle, Jean E. Pendziwol for Once Upon a Northern Night, Valerie Sherrard for Counting Back From Nine, and Teresa Toten for The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B.

For Children’s Illustration, congratulations to Rachel Berman!

Miss Mousies Blind DateMiss Mousie’s Blind Date
Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
Hardcover | 24 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-251-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-363-6
“A story about self-acceptance, and love lost and found, told through the eyes of a little mouse, and her possibly-not-so-handsome suitor, Mole. Charmingly illustrated, cleverly told, the message is timeless, and the illustrations endearing.”

Congratulations to the other finalists in the illustration category: Gary Clement for Oy, Feh, So?, text by Cary Fagan; Matt James for Northwest Passage, text by Stan Rogers; Jon Klassen for The Dark, text by Lemony Snicket; and Julie Morstad for How To.

The winners will be announced Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 10 am at the Betty Oliphant Theatre at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto. For the official press release, please click here. For more information about the award and other finalists, please visit ggbooks.canadacouncil.ca

Finalists for the 2013 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has announced the finalists for its seven major children’s book awards – the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, John Spray Mystery Award, and the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy.

The nominated books exemplify some of the best work by Canadian authors and illustrators. The following Tundra titles have been shortlisted:

TD CANADIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AWARD

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K LarsenThe Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Written by Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 256 Pages |  Ages 10 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-372-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-373-5
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen provides an impressively nuanced portrayal of family dynamics in the aftermath of an unpredictable and nearly unspeakable tragedy… This powerful novel is infused with humour, while not turning away from the hard reality of grief… With this book, Nielsen secures her place as one of Canada’s most powerful writers for young people, and she delivers what they need most: an appropriate, satisfying, realistic measure of hope.” – Jury’s Comments

Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War written by Deborah Ellis; One Year in Coal Harbour written by Polly Horvath; The Stamp Collector written by Jennifer Lanthier, illustrated by François Thisdale; and Virginia Wolf written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

MARILYN BAILLIE PICTURE BOOK AWARD

Mr Zingers HatMr. Zinger’s Hat
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 4-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-253-0
“A charming, marvelous tale surrounding the art of creating and telling stories, Mr. Zinger’s Hat celebrates the budding friendship between an elderly writer and a young boy who discovers a storyteller within… Fagan’s writing is beautifully crafted… Petričić’s engaging artwork deftly juxtaposes two distinct styles which portray a real-life setting and an imaginary world.” – Jury’s Comments

Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Mr. King’s Things written and illustrated by Geneviève Côté; The Stamp Collector written by Jennifer Lanthier, illustrated by François Thisdale; Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards; and Virginia Wolf written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

NORMA FLECK AWARD FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION

Going Up - Elisha Otis Trip to the TopGoing Up!
Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-240-0
“The story of Elisha Otis, the inventor of the passenger elevator, is one of creativity, vision and ultimately, perseverance… Kulling’s exuberant account of this remarkable invention has all the lift of its subject and Parkins’s illustrations effectively blend realism with whimsy… It reads like a picture book but leaves us with a clear picture of the science behind the concept.” – Jury’s Comments

Rescuing the ChildrenRescuing the Children
The Story of the Kindertransport

Written by Deborah Hodge
Hardcover | 64 Pages | Ages 10 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-256-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-366-7
“Hodge presents an unforgettable account of how ten thousand Jewish children escaped from Nazi Germany before the war… The timelines, artifacts, survivor interviews and artwork blend harmoniously to create a brave tableau of both the children and adults involved in this astonishing historical enterprise… The individual stories enrich the larger story with an insider’s knowledge of the anguish of leaving home, perhaps forever.” – Jury’s Comments

Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Kate & Pippin: An Unlikely Love Story written by Martin Springett, photographs by Isobel Springett; Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War written by Deborah Ellis; and Real Justice: Fourteen and Sentenced to Death – The Story of Steven Truscott written by Bill Swan.

JOHN SPRAY MYSTERY AWARD

Becoming HolmesBecoming Holmes
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Final Case

Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 264 Pages | Ages 10 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-232-5
eBook: 978-1-77049-291-2
“Becoming Holmes pulls off a remarkable feat: being at once an exceptionally satisfying conclusion to the Boy Sherlock Holmes books and a gripping entry point for a first-time reader of the series… With vivid writing, complex characters and dark plotting, Peacock proves himself to be a master of the genre.” – Jury’s Comments

Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Breakaway written by Michael Betcherman; Devil’s Pass written by Sigmund Brouwer; The Lynching of Louie Sam written by Elizabeth Stewart; and Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester.

For the first time ever, TD is partnering with CBC Books to present the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Fan Choice Award. Young readers will be asked to pick their favourite book from the shortlisted TD Award titles in an online poll starting on Monday, September 9. The book with the most votes will win, and one lucky entrant will win a trip to Toronto to present the award at the gala ceremony. The event will be hosted by Shelagh Rogers, host of The Next Chapter on CBC Radio One.

Look for all the details regarding the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Fan Choice Award and enter the contest starting Monday, September 9 at CBC Books.

Congratulations to our authors, illustrators, and to our hardworking publishing team! The winners will be announced at the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards on Tuesday, October 22, 2013.

2013 Arthur Ellis Award Winner

Becoming HolmesThe winners were announced at the Arthur Ellis Awards gala dinner last night at the Arts & Letters Club.

Tundra would like to congratulate Shane Peacock, winner of the 2013 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book for Becoming Holmes: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Final Case.

Becoming Holmes is the final book in Shane Peacock’s award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series, combining brilliant storytelling with fascinating historical detail, and a mystery worthy of one of the greatest sleuths in English literature.” – Arthur Ellis Award

Congratulations to the finalists in this category:

  • Lisa Harrington, Live to Tell
  • Y.S. Lee, The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel
  • Sylvia McNicoll, Crush Candy Corpse
  • Elizabeth Stewart, The Lynching of Louie Sam

Arthur Ellis Awards