Halifax's Family Magazine
By Michelle ThornhillReadosaurus PressAges 5–8 When Zorgan the alien vacations on earth, he faces one misunderstanding after another. He has to learn to communicate with the locals, so he innocently signs up for a language-arts class, not realizing he’ll be studying poetry. The vivid, energetic illustrations evoke the spirit of Richard Scarry and perfectly capture […]
By Shanda CameronIllustrated by Stacy VenoSelf-publishedAges 4–6 Long before her foray into writing children’s books, Shanda Cameron was a veterinary technician, working for 20 years to help animals like the very ones she now writes about. In this sweet little story, she imagines her real dog Kiwi’s trip to the mall with a pack of […]
By Katie BrosnanChild’s Play Ages 4–8 Keith was born a cat, but he’s never truly felt feline. He tries to do cat things, but scratching posts and chasing birds just doesn’t feel right. What he really wants is to get to know the pigeons, live amongst them and explore their lives. Veiled just enough to be […]
By Melanie MosherNimbus PublishingAges 8–13 When Melanie Mosher was writing this middle-grade novel, she had no idea of the impending April 2020 mass shooting, which would rock all of Nova Scotia, but particularly the North Shore. So it’s fitting as our province continues to recover, this heartfelt story of grief, fear, loss, and healing, is […]
By Dakshana BascaramurtyMcLelland & Stewart Imagine the doctors have diagnosed you with terminal cancer. You’re now measuring life in months, not years. As you process that, your first child is born. All you can think about is the legacy you leave, how your newborn can know a parent they’ll never remember. That’s what Halifax photographer […]
By Holly CarrPlumleaf Press Light in the Forest is deceptively simple. Silkscreen artist Holly Carr translates one of her elegant, evocative murals into a book and the result is a simple yet so-often-forgotten message of hope. Carr’s work gets its power in its authenticity, in this case a candid expression of a mother’s love. “Years […]
By Lynn DaviesArt by Chrissie Park-MacNeilNimbus Publishing Lynn Davies is an accomplished poet and Governor General’s Award nominee, with three well regarded collections to her credit. So Imagine Me is her first foray into children’s writing, a medium that gives free range to her lyrical and deft writing style. In each poem, she challenges readers […]
By Jeffrey C. DommNimbus Publishing There are any number of conflicting theories about hockey’s birthplace. Some like to imagine it began at a boys’ school in the Annapolis Valley. Many historians point to Halifax or Montreal or the games of the Native tribes. With Wild Pond Hockey, nature writer and first-time children’s author Jeffrey C. […]
By Rita Joe / Rebecca Thomas Illustrated by Pauline Young Nimbus Publishing Ages 4–8 One of Rita Joe’s most influential poems, I Lost My Talk tells the revered Mi’kmaw elder’s childhood story of losing her language while living at the residential school in Shubenacadie. Joe’s powerful words explore and celebrate the survival of Mi’kmaw culture […]
By Cole Pauls Conundrum Press Ages 12+ Your kids have probably never read a graphic novel quite like this, nor one as deeply rooted in Indigenous culture and artistic tradition. Creator Cole Pauls is a Tahltan comic artist, illustrator, and printmaker from the Yukon. Driven by a desire to help revitalize the ancestral language of […]