2012 Book of the Year for Children Award Shortlist

The Canadian Library Association has announced the shortlist for the 2012 Book of the Year for Children Award. This award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2011, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.

This year, the committee was presented with 218 books, of which 32 were ultimately long‐listed for a thorough reading and review!

Tundra would like to congratulate the authors and illustrator for being on the 2012 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award shortlist:

From Then to Now
A Short History of the World
Written by Christopher Moore
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Hardcover | 192 pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-540-7
eBook: 978-1-77049-120-5
“Capably told and uniquely illustrated, From Then to Now explains how imaginative human cultures have produced an intellectually and socially dynamic world…. Far from a history of conquerors, this exceptional history of humanity is a breath of fresh air” – School Library Journal

The Dragon Turn
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 240 pages | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
“…Shane Peacock delivers another intriguing novel exploring the boy detective…. His Sherlock is a penniless but resourceful young man living with an eccentric apothecary who encourages his curiosity and his powers of observation. In The Dragon Turn, he attempts to unravel the mystery of a magician’s illusion, which has apparently caused the death of a rival magician … the Canadian-made Sherlock has a real feeling for Victorian London.” – Winnipeg Free Press

The winners of the 2012 Book of the Year for Children Award and Honour Books will be announced prior to the Canadian Library Association National Conference. The award will be presented at the CLA National Conference and Trade Show at the Ottawa Convention Centre in Ottawa, Ontario on 31 May 2012.

The Boy Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows hits theatres in three week! Once again, Robert Downey Jr. plays the ever resourceful Sherlock Holmes with Jude Law as Dr. John Watson.

However, before you watch the movie, why not read about the Boy Sherlock Holmes first?

Eye of the Crow PaperbackEye of the CrowEye of the Crow
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 1st Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-850-7 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-88776-919-1 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-078-9 (eBook)

“…Shane Peacock has created a cleverly inventive background story for Sherlock Holmes that explains the adult character’s reluctance to talk about his family life. He’s also managed to create a thrilling, impeccably paced murder mystery. Peacock reveals the budding detective’s very real fears and insecurities, providing just enough detail about the young Sherlock’s methods to make him an entirely believable teenage precursor to the master detective. ” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

“The details of the plot are plausible, the pacing well timed, and the historical setting vividly depicted… the characters enrich the book and help give Holmes’s storied abilities credence.” – Starred review, School Library Journal

“…the first intriguing volume in an ambitious new series…. Creative references to Doyle’s characters abound…and Sherlock himself is cleverly interpreted….[made] both fascinating and complex….plenty of readers will like the smart, young detective they find here, and find themselves irresistibly drawn into his thrilling adventures.” – Starred review, Booklist

Death in the Air PaperbackDeath in the AirDeath in the Air
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 2nd Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-851-4 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-88776-928-3 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-080-2 (eBook)

“In the first novel, we see many of the characteristics of the adult detective being formed through his first exciting adventure. In Death in the Air, this development continues and we get to know young Sherlock even better….This novel is written for the young adult, but adult readers will also find it satisfying. Peacock places demand on the reader, expecting intelligence and curiosity. The fast-paced adventure is a treat.” – The Globe and Mail

Vanishing GirlVanishing Girl
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 3rd Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-852-1 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-234-9 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-081-9 (eBook)

“The first two books in this splendid series have won a shelf-full of awards. Peacock’s adolescent Sherlock is complex, intuitive and fascinating. As much as a Bildungsroman as a detective yarn, Sherlock tracks down an aristocratic young woman gone missing twice, driven by passion and pride, in the belief this may be the case that will make his reputation.” – The National Post

The Secret FiendThe Secret Fiend
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 4th Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-853-8 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-213-4 (eBook)

“…Peacock has added another brilliant installation to an already amazing series. Sherlock is beautifully drawn, true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and infused with the freshness of a youthful perspective. It is a delight to watch as the young detective develops, and it is a thrill to see how the various elements of his adult persona come together. This book is more than an origin story of the famous detective…. The mystery has a solid, fast-paced plot; the characters are carefully constructed and fully fleshed out with dynamic, complex relationships; Victorian England itself is a character, and Peacock does a wonderful job of describing the streets, the political unrest and the changing modes that mark the era. This is a truly wonderful book and belongs in any library.” – VOYA

The Dragon Turn
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 5th Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-1-77049-231-8 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-273-8 (eBook)

Summer 1869, and Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. It is the London sensation. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth – just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham. Is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader.

GIVEAWAY CONTEST!
Win a set of the Boy Sherlock Holmes in hardcover! We’ll throw in a lovely green book bag for you to carry the series in! That’s not all, we’ll even send you the books that are available in paperback so that you can give them to a friend (it’s almost gift-giving season). Review our contest rules here and leave a comment below responding to this question:

It has been said that Sherlock Holmes was the first superhero. Do you agree? (You can compare him to other superheroes in comic books, movies, graphic novels, etc.)

We’ll pick a winner and announce it here on December 8, 2011.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sean Pynaert!

Tuesdays with Tundra 14

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

The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
By Shane Peacock
Hardcover | Ages 10-14
ISBN 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook 978-1-77049-273-8
Summer 1869, and Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. It is the London sensation. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth – just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham.

It seems that traces of the missing Wizard’s blood and his spectacles were found in Hemsworth’s secret studio. Hemsworth has a motive: not only is the Wizard his rival, but he also caused a scandal when he lured Hemsworth’s wife away. But is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader.

With humor and plot turns as dizzying as a narrow London lane, Shane Peacock invites his readers into a fascinating world, and a fresh adventure with one of literature’s favorite characters. The Boy Sherlock Holmes series is an international success with readers and reviewers alike.

Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies: A History of Horse Breeds
Written and Illustrated by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
Hardcover | All Ages
ISBN 978-0-88776-986-3
Thousands of years ago people living on the steppes of central Asia realized that horses could transport them long distances, help them fight their wars, pull their plows, and provide them with sport and companionship. Ever since, horses and human history have been intertwined.

The author-illustrator team of Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson celebrates all kinds of horses in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled book. From fast horses like the Barb, which traveled to Spain from Africa in the early eighth century to become a foundation for many Spanish and European breeds, to war horses like the Mongolian that gave their owners military advantage (today there are more horses in Mongolia than there are people), to the hard-working horses ranging from the tiny American Miniature to the giant Clydesdale, Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies is a treasure-trove of information. Today there are fifty-eight million horses in the world.

This is the perfect book for those who own (or dream of owning) a horse, who ride, or who simply like to read about these magnificent animals and the special relationship they share with humans.

In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | Ages 5-8
ISBN 978-1-77049-239-4
Tundra’s Great Idea Series is comprised of biographies of inventors for early readers. The third book in the series introduces the fascinating Margaret Knight. Known as Mattie, she was different from most American girls living in 1850. She loved to make things with wood and made the best kites and sleds in town. Her father died when she was only three, and by the time she was twelve, she was working at the local cotton mill alongside her two older brothers. One day, she saw a worker get injured by a shuttle that had come loose from the giant loom, and the accident inspired her to invent a stop-motion device. It was the first of her many inventions.

Margaret Knight devoted her life to inventing, and is best known for the clever, practical, paper bag. When she died in 1914, she had ninety inventions to her name and over twenty patents, astounding accomplishments for a woman of her day. Monica Kulling’s easy-to-read text, peppered with lots of dialogue, brings an amazing, inspiring woman to life.

The White Ballets
By Rajka Kupesic
Hardcover | All Ages
ISBN 978-0-88776-923-8
Possibly the best-loved of all ballets are “Giselle,” “La Bayadère,” and “Swan Lake.” Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal maidens costumed in floating white, who seem to be lovely creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth.

Rajka Kupesic, herself a dancer, has retold the stories and set them against her breathtaking art to create a book to cherish. Notes about the ballets are included.

Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
By Nan Forler
Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder
Hardcover | All Ages
ISBN 978-1-77049-254-7
With an evocative poem for every month of the year, young Naomi introduces us to her family and hosts a journey through the seasonal rhythms of her rural Mennonite community. And all year long there are delicious, child-friendly recipes to make and sample.

The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

Pub Date Giveaway: Tell us which new release 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, October 13, 2011!

UPDATE: A winner has been chosen! Congratulations to Laurie!

Tundra Book Group