Fitzhenry & Whiteside

27/08/2024

A Blanket of Steel has now advanced to the short list for the 2024 Cygnus award.

23/08/2024

Kirkus Reviews
BLACK SUNFLOWERS
Author: Cynthia LeBrun

Review Issue Date: October 1, 2024
Online Publish Date: August 30, 2024
Publisher:Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Pages: 248
Price ( Paperback ): $21.95
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
ISBN ( Paperback ): 9781554556434
Section: Teen
A close-knit family struggles to survive, first in the Soviet-occupied Ukraine of the 1930s and then, in the early 1940s, after Germany invades Ukraine.

Polish Catholic Veronika lives with her parents on a farm outside the Ukrainian village of Kuzmin, where Polish, Ukrainian, and Jewish communities coexist. The story opens in 1929 when Veronika is 6, depicting her idyllic family life before the Soviet regime intrudes on their lives, forcing collectivization on Ukraine’s farmers. What follows are the devastating years of the Holodomor, the human-caused famine that led millions across the country to starve. Though Veronika survives, their community is terrorized by the Soviet secret police, who deport members of her extended family to Siberia and Kazakhstan in politically motivated purges. While forces beyond her control shape Veronika’s life, the support of her family allows her to grow into a confident young woman who befriends a Jewish classmate and dreams of becoming a teacher. Told in Veronika’s and her father Janek’s alternating perspectives, this historical account is based on the experiences of the author’s mother-in-law and is grounded in historical research. Janek’s perspective gives voice to the violent brutality of Soviet rule and the heartbreak of trying to provide for one’s family under an authoritarian regime, while Veronika’s chapters offer moments of impish levity and youthful hope.

A significant moment in Ukrainian history brought to light in an accessible, moving, and personal way. (maps, family tree, photographs, author’s note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 16-adult)

03/07/2024

Bears Bears Bears for Kids by Wayne Lynch
9781554556137
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556139
In Bears, Bears, and Bears one can set aside previous
concepts and view eight species of bears from a more
objective and scientific perspective. The writer, Wayne
Lynch, has an impressive background with over 40
years of bear research on the four continents that they
inhabit.
All eight species are described: how to identify them,
their habits, their habitats, and their status in our ever
changing environments. The writer’s fascinating personal anecdotes mix with information gathered from
visual observations as well as radio transmitters that are
attached to the bear after they have been tranquilized
and tracked by scientists. These studies have provided
detailed information about what they eat, their mating
habits, how they get through the winter, their social
habits with other bears, and their interaction with
human cultures, both ancient and modern. Much of
the results of this data are found in this interesting and
highly recommended book.
—Paul Dix, world traveler, author & photographer, OregonBears
https://www.skippingstones.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024BookAwardsReviews.pdf

30/06/2024

Hungry for the arts signing at booth #546 at ALA Annual Conference

30/06/2024

Kari-Lynn Winters will be signing at our booth #546 at 1:00 today at the ALA Annual Conference

30/06/2024

Visit us at ALA Annual Conference in San Diego booth #546

29/06/2024

Jennifer Maruno ready to sign THE GO-BETWEEN at - Booth #546!

29/06/2024

Going to San Diego this weekend for ALA? Come meet Kari Lynn Winters at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth #546. Kari Lynn will be signing copies of her picture book HUNGRY FOR THE ARTS, on Sunday, June 30 at 1 pm!

29/06/2024

Check out all the great new books at Fitzhenry & Whiteside Booth # 546 at in San Diego!

28/06/2024

Going to San Diego this week for ALA? Come meet Jennifer Maruno at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth #546. Jennifer will be signing copies of her new novel THE GO-BETWEEN, on Sat., June 29 at 1 pm!

19/06/2024

We are saddened to hear of the recent passing of Ann Featherstone. She was instrumental in the development of many of Fitzhenry & Whiteside’s children’s books and she will be sorely missed. Our deepest sympathies go to her family and friends.

13/06/2024

A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston
"Fans of Clive Cussler's NUMA Files will be delighted with
Timothy S. Johnston's undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are
cut from the same adventurer's cloth."
— Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556287

10/06/2024

Meet Timothy S. Johnston at Coles Masonville Mall, 451-1680 Richmond St, London ON on June 22 from 12-4 pm, for the signing of his new book, Blanket of Steel.
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556287
Learn more about A Blanket of Steel here: www.timothysjohnston.com/ablanketofsteel/
Watch the exciting book trailer here: www.timothysjohnston.com/ablanketofsteeltrailer/

www.timothysjohnston.com

10/06/2024

Dining out with History: At Atlantic Canada’s Historical Sites by Jan Feduck (Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd, 2024). Reviewed by Judy Corser, Culinary Historians of Canada
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556279
Ontario author and CHC member Jan Feduck’s delightful book explores Atlantic Canada’s dining traditions, historical context and recipes, providing a fascinating glimpse into lives lived in Canada’s past through the lens of the historic sites.

A life-long traveller interested in food history, Feduck uses her curiosity and experience to discover the food traditions of 20 of Atlantic Canada’s living museums.

Feduck prefaces most chapters with photos and brief stories. These well-researched fictional accounts of a day or event in the life of a person at the time are wonderful bonus walk-backs to the 18th or 19th centuries.

An enjoyable browse, Dining Out with History would also be a particularly special and useful resource or gift for a friend about to embark on a discovery trip to Atlantic Canada.

31/05/2024

Ary's Trees
Review by Diana Mumford in Canadian Teacher, Spring 2024 issue
https://canadianteachermagazine.com/2024/04/15/from-the-editor-shining-a-light-on-great-books-arys-trees/
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554554098
Kerbel and illustrator Sophia Choi have created a modern parable that champions the preservation of trees and decries humankind’s propensity to cut them down. In this story, Ary arrives by boat on a new island covered by lush vegetation. The island promises to be a wonderful new home for her people. “Once ashore, there was work to be done,” and, led by Ary’s father, the people immediately begin to cut down trees to make new houses and boats. Ary beseeches her father, “Please don’t cut too many this time,” hinting at past experiences on other islands. She basks in the air that smells green and rests in the cool shade of the palm trees. Soon, however, Ary’s heart aches as more and more trees are felled to make space to grow food for the growing population. And she becomes angry when the people begin to burn down the trees.

But after the people had taken what they needed, they still wanted more. Bigger houses, better boats, extra land.

Eventually, all the trees are gone, and the people are unhappy because the soil no longer supports their crops. Ary’s father announces that it is time to search for a new island, saying, “This one’s not good anymore.” The people prepare to move again, but when the day comes to leave the island, Ary and her young friends plant their feet firmly in the sand and refuse to board the boats. They had decided that this island was home, “And there was work to be done.” The young people immediately begin to plant tree seeds to re-establish an ecological balance on the island.

An author’s note at the end of the book speaks of the importance of trees to the future of the world and offers suggestions for taking care of our island—Planet Earth.

28/05/2024

Timothy S. Johnston will be visiting Indigo Windsor (in Devonshire Mall) on June 8, from 12:00 - 4:00 PM signing copies of his newest thriller, A Blanket of Steel, chatting thrillers/technothrillers, and giving away free swag. With Father's Day just around the corner, a personalized book featuring underwater warfare and espionage might just be the perfect gift for Dad!

Location: Indigo - Windsor, Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard, Windsor, ON N8X 3Y8

This is the seventh stop on Timothy's promoting this newest electrifying release from Fitzhenry & Whiteside. https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556287

23/05/2024

We have just heard of the passing of Carolyn Beck. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends. Her books have brought joy to many children, and adults, and will continue to entertain future readers.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Canadian children’s book author Carolyn Beck in the early morning on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

15/05/2024

The Stradivari Formula
Red Deer Press
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556449

How life as a luthier inspired the plot of Grit Laskin’s new novel.

For 300 years, luthiers and musicians have marveled at the quality of instruments made by Antonio Stradivari. His violins, which are stilled played today, have never been equaled for playability and sound. Generation after generation of violin makers have tried and failed to replicate his sound or discover what his secret was.

In his new novel, The Stradivari Formula, master luthier Grit Laskin offers one possible explanation. The basic premise of the novel is that the secret to how Stradivari crafted his instruments was found hidden within a handful of his guitars.

Read the full review at https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2024/05/11/how-life-as-a-luthier-inspired-the-plot-of-grit-laskins-new-novel/
Review by Jan Vanderhorst at Just Us Folk

13/05/2024

CM MAGAZINE:Volume ### / Issue 34 - May 10 / 2024

Ary’s Trees
Author: Deborah Kerbel
Illustrated by: Sophia Choi
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2023 https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554554098
32 pp., hardcover, $23.95
ISBN: 9781554554096
Grades: Grades 1-3
Ages: Ages 6-8
Review by: Ellen Heaney

Kerbel, who is better known for her young adult fiction, has told a story aimed at younger readers in a straightforward and hardly subtle way. But the message is a worthwhile one, and the tone is gentle throughout, encouraging readers to think of better ways to manage the eco-system for the benefit of all. There is a strong indication that a new generation may have some answers. A note at the end summarizes the author’s impetus for writing the book.

Choi’s illustrations, with their muted colours and soft-edged shapes, are naïve in style but full of detail, telling the story of the evolution of the island from a lush paradise to the heavily-peopled tract that shows the stresses resulting from the clear-cutting. The work of the young pioneers who, at the end, have decided to revitalize the island shows in verdant hillsides and blossoms of all colours bordering the garden plots. Facial expressions – from sorrow to anger to satisfaction at the end – are clearly realized. There is one small vignette before the back endpage showing those who had left in the boat sad and still at sea.

The object lesson provided by Ary’s Trees would be enjoyed by individual youngsters who have a passion for ecology or by groups as part of a discussion about the sustainability of the planet.

Recommended
Reviewer:
Ellen Heaney, a retired children’s librarian, lives in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

Subject Headings:
Trees
Care of-Juvenile fiction
Environmentalism-Juvenile fiction
Conservation of natural resources-Juvenile fiction

01/05/2024

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month? Start with Darshana Khiani’s and Dow Phumiruk’s inspiring picture book BUILDING A DREAM, which Kirkus called “a stirring story of perseverance.”
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/9780802855473

25/04/2024

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is: The Shadow of War
Congratulations to Timothy S. Johnston. He is also the winner of the Cygnus Science Fiction 1st Place, Best in Category for the Shadow of War.
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556007

23/04/2024

Ary;'s Trees
written by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Sophia Choi
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554554098
Heartening themes of conservation, preservation and environmental stewardship are smoothly sown in Ary's Trees by ⁦‪‬⁩ illus Sophia Choi. A tree-mendous for ⁦‪‬⁩ pic.twitter.com/YFdRGlzJQP - Linda Ludke

18/04/2024

20 April 2024
BLANKET OF STEEL
MEET TIMOTHY S. JOHSTON IN PERSON AND GET AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF A BLANKET OF STEEL AT THE BOOK SIGNING
WHERE: Chapters Vega, Erin Mills Power Centre, 3050 Vega Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5L 5X8
TIME: 12:00-4:00 pm

15/04/2024

The Stradivari Formula
by Grit Laskin
Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1554556449

The Stradivari Formula is a well written mystery thriller/espionage novel by luthier Grit Laskin. Due out 1st June 2024 by indie Canadian publisher Fitzhenry & Whiteside, it's 334 pages and will be available in paperback format.

Engaging, very much action driven plot which features a well known fictitious luthier tasked with repairing a Stradivarius guitar (yes, his studio apparently made some). It's a little bit of wish fulfillment, the author's a talented luthier himself, and why not? Although it's not derivative in any way, there's a definite "Da Vinci Code" vibe, with a medieval/renaissance mystery come down to the protagonists almost accidentally from the past, full of secret agents and ruthless bad guys.

It's a fun romp, and very theatrical. It would make a good action movie. Being deeply personally knowledgeable about stringed instruments and the high-end world of luthiers and their customers has definitely helped with the verisimilitude. It's full of really interesting (otherwise hidden to regular people) facts and minutiae on guitars, wood, music, crafting processes, and musicians.

There is some violence, though not egregious. The opening scene is painful to read (destruction of personal property on a catastrophic scale), but the book resolves satisfyingly.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition and home collections. Since it's from an indie publisher, it might not be on the general ALA radar lists. Worth the effort to acquire.
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Award Winning Titles Kid Sterling Benjamin Franklin Award winner Everyone Can Be a Changemaker Skipping Stones Award Hungry for Science 2019 Crystal Kite Award Nominee View More

15/04/2024

BOOK LAUNCH FOR THE STRADIVARI FORMULA WITH AUTHOR GRIT LASKIN
When: Wednesday, April 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Where: Ben McNally’s Books, 108 Queen St. E, Toronto, Ontario
What: Grit will be interviewed by Bill Garrett and then do a reading from his new book
Light refreshment will be provided
RSVP to [email protected]

08/04/2024

It was a wonderful day at Indigo North London yesterday for the book launch of A Blanket of Steel.

The Book Launch … Success! It was a wonderful day at Indigo North London yesterday for the book launch of A Blanket of Steel. Here are some pictures with captions, including visits with some…