Reviews of 12 new Canadian books by Joel Sutherland, Monica Arnaldo, Farah Heron, Bunmi Laditan and more!
Picture Books | Middle Grade | YA/Teen | Non-Fiction
Picture Books
Finding My Spark
written by Isabelle Jameson
illustrated by Sylvain Cabot
translated by Ann Marie Boulanger
Orca Book Publishers, 2026
978-1-4598-4335-6 (hc) $18.95
978-1-4598-4337-0 (ebook) $15.95
for Grades 4 to 7
Advanced Picture Book | Transgender | Trans Youth | Gender Binary | Gender Dysphoria | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Family | Social Emotional Learning
I don't want to hide―I want to shine.
To his mom, Alex has always been her little star. To everyone, Alex has always been a girl. When he starts to go through puberty, Alex realizes that he’s a boy. As his body changes, he becomes more and more uncomfortable and doesn’t know how to tell the people around him. Will people be mad? Will they call him Alex, the name he chose? When Alex comes out and the people in his life still love and respect him, his mom tells him that he’s shining even brighter lately and that he’ll always be her little star.
This advanced picture for middle grade readers is a heartfelt story of a transgender boy coming to terms with his gender and eventually coming out. This simple story can promote understanding and empathy or provide a path forward for readers who relate to Alex. Inspired by the author’s son, Finding My Spark was written when they were looking for a book to read to his class to help them understand. With brightly coloured art that richly depicts emotion, more details can be found on repeat readings in the illustrations. Hopeful and accessible for young readers, Finding My Spark is a book that shines bright.
Em Hunter works at Simon & Schuster Canada as Digital Marketing Associate. They live in Barrie with their very fluffy cat.
The Scariest House on the Street
written by Joel Sutherland
illustrated by Terry Pearson
Scholastic Canada, 2026
978-1-0397-1917-0 (hc) $18.99
for Preschool to Grade 3
Picture Book | Halloween | Friendship | Humour
On a dark and stormy night, Willow, a wispy, pigtailed ghost, and her monster friends head to the house at the dead end of Shivers Street. The ghoulish gang is shocked to discover their favourite abandoned hangout is not only occupied, but is in a frightening state of lemony fresh repair. Horrified at how awful the place looks all cleaned up with nary a spiderweb, rat, or dangerous hole in the floor, the pals declare it to be the scariest house on the street and go out of their way to steer clear.
An invitation to a Halloween bash hosted by the frightfully mysterious new neighbours sets everyone on edge. Imagining the worst, speculation swirls as to what kind of terrible monsters they must be. Willow and chums reluctantly attend the party with their most terrifying costumes on and their guards up. While the ghoulish guests (wearing human attire) find the friendly human kid hosts’ fiendish getups peculiar (“They’re not wearing costumes”), and the party games strange (“They played Pin the Limbs on the Zombie using cardboard instead of real parts”), everyone has so much fun they forget to be scared.
Award-winning horror writer Joel Sutherland’s debut picture book is chock full of perpetually popular Halloween antics, elevated by monster-sized irony, and capped off with a warm message of acceptance. Terry Pearson’s cinematic digital illustrations have a dose of gross (including a dinner plate laden with wiggly worms) and plenty of heart.
The Scariest House on the Street is a not-so-spooky picture book treat about facing fears and avoiding assumptions.
Linda Ludke is a librarian in London, Ontario.
Today We'll Be Eaten
written and illustrated by Alan Barillaro
Rocky Pond Books, 2026
979-8-217-00436-2 (hc) $26.99
979-8-217-00437-9 (ebook) $11.99
for Kindergarten to Grade 2
Picture Book | Friendship | Courage | Confronting Fear | New Perspectives
A great storm sweeps Dragonfly and Ladybug into a stream. Unable to fly with their waterlogged wings, the two friends are forced to float belly-up as the current transports them downstream. Convinced that they will be eaten, they stoically await their fate while gazing helplessly upwards at the sky—an action never known to them before. As the hours pass, they float past Fish, Frog and Turtle with some unexpected results. Anxiety dissipates as new friendships emerge. The insect protagonists eventually find themselves safe at home come morning, much relieved that their worst fears have not been realized.
With gentle humour and empathy, Alan Barillaro has written a story which will relate to many readers, young and old. Who hasn't braced for the worst, only to find that the outcome was far better than they had imagined? Here the author champions courage, patience and living in the moment. Although one never knows what will unfold in a day, unpredictable events can often result in new, even enriching, perspectives.
Barillaro's soft-hued pencil and watercolour illustrations, finished digitally, feature the ebb and flow of a rural stream: day and night, above and underwater, the changing light, and the significance that small creatures such as Ladybug, Dragonfly and their newfound friends hold in this big, expansive world.
Senta Ross is a former elementary teacher and teacher-librarian in Kitchener, Ontario.
Whale, That Was Unexpected
written by Casey Lyall
illustrated by Kathryn Durst
Tundra Books, 2026
978-1-77488-361-7 (hc) $24.99
978-1-77488-362-4 (ebook) $11.99
for Pre-School to Grade 2
Picture Book | Cumulative Tale | Sea Adventure | Whales | Humour
Every day for many, many, MANY years, an eccentric fisherwoman, Maude, along with her canine companion, Claude, heads out to sea aboard their "trusty little boat" to catch fish. Being a veteran sailor, Maude is adamant that she has experienced everything marine-related... until her boat gets swallowed by a whale. Deep inside the gigantic mammal, there is but one sensible task for Maude to do: throw a goodbye party for herself and Claude. Merriment amid numerous party plan alterations ensues as additional creatures become swallowed, resulting in the duo being joined, no less, by a crab, an octopus, a goat, a sea lion and a puffin. Will this mark the end of their seafaring days?
Casey Lyall has written a rollicking maritime tale told in the voice of an attentive narrator who is constantly interrupted by Maude's acerbic comments: "Can't you fancy it up a bit?... Speed it up a little. I'm hungry." A highlight is the clever send-off tribute which becomes cumulative with each creature the whale ingests. Although this is not a typical farewell celebration, one would almost yearn to join in on the unfolding aquatic fun.
Kathryn Durst's detailed nautical illustrations, created with charcoal, gouache, paint and digital media, contain numerous details which amplify the text's humour. Readers will be transported from a fishing village to a fishing vessel riding the open sea and, ultimately, deep inside a whale's humongous interior. An uproarious adventure awaits!
Senta Ross is a former elementary teacher and teacher-librarian in Kitchener, Ontario.
Middle Grade
About A Home Child
written by Caroline Fernandez
DCB Young Readers, 2026
978-1-7708-6842-7 (pb) $14.95
978-1-7708-6843-4 (ebook) $13.99
for Grades 4 to 7
Historical Fiction | Home Children | Immigration | Barnardo Home
About A Home Child by Caroline Fernandez is a historical fiction account of home children. From 1869 to 1932, over 100,000 poor and orphaned children were sent from England to Canada in a British migration plan. The plan was proposed as a solution to overcrowding and poverty, and promised a good education and new life for the home children. In reality, many children arrived in a new country to find hard labour and poor treatment.
Through third-person multiple-point-of-view letters and newspaper clippings, About A Home Child brings history alive, taking readers on a journey from England to Canada and following characters from their beginnings to their new lives. This in-depth account of an important period in history will prepare young readers for future curriculum topics and foster dialogue about people experiencing poverty and homelessness throughout history and today.
Fernandez’s detailed novel is compelling and empathetic, giving a voice to thousands of children who had none. About A Home Child is an immigration story and a Canadian story. Approximately 11% of Canadians today are descendants of home children.
Rachel Schwartz Fagan is a writer and educator based in Kingston, Ontario.
The Summer Camp Disaster
The Third Period Comeback
written by E.K. Johnston
Dutton Children’s Books (2026)
979-8-21711-042-1 (hc) $24.99
979-8-21711-043-8 (ebook) $11.99
979-8-21734-221-1 (audiobook) $21.00
for Grades 4 to 7
Fiction | Hockey | Family | Ghosts | Puberty | Menstruation
Hayley Rilko loves playing hockey—a talent for the game runs in the family—but everyone knows that her days in the sport are numbered. A family curse hangs over her head, and the full force of it will settle upon her when she reaches puberty. When Hayley gets her period, she realizes that she can either accept the inevitable or try to actually do something about her fate. In order to lift the curse, Hayley needs to find the body of her great-grandfather William Rilko, who disappeared in the northern Ontario woods when his plane came down decades ago. Luckily, Hayley is spending the summer in those woods with her large extended family—what are cousins for if not to summon the dead and hunt down a body?
This was an unexpected story filled to the brim with Canadiana. There’s hockey, sports trivia, magic, a ghost, a summer at the lake in the woods, and a good deal of frank discussion about periods. The connection Hayley feels with her extended family is heartwarming, and many readers will recognize her experiences roughing it at her family’s summer camp near Timmins, Ontario.
Despite the presence of magic, there is a realism to this story that grounds it. As some of Hayley’s cousins also grapple with the onset of puberty, the family curse is equated with the belief that growing up means not only letting go of the things that once mattered to you, but also letting go of who you are. In the end, the question raised is one of the future, about what is possible relative to what one may believe is possible.
Ildiko Sumegi is a reviewer from Ottawa who blogs about inspirational children's books at beyondtheglassmountains.com.
Unlikely Friends
(Diary of a Dinoghost, Book 1)
written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
Scholastic Canada, 2026
979-8-2250-2128-3 $35.99
979-8-2250-2122-1 (pb) $10.99
979-8-2250-2141-2 (ebook) $8.99
for Grades 1 to 3
Fiction | Chapter Book | Ghosts | Dinosaurs | Friendship
Cobble the brontosaurus has been wandering the Earth for millennia, ever since that pesky asteroid crashed into the planet and turned him into a ghost. Now, he enjoys his daily routine of hanging out with Kevin, a ketchup-loving 7-year-old kid. Even though Kevin can’t see or hear the dinosaur because of his ghostly status, Cobble still enjoys his company.
One day, Bonny, Kevin’s pet goldfish, meets her untimely demise and gets flushed down the toilet. Fortunately, the phantom fish quickly reappears inside the fishbowl, destined to swim in circles until the end of time thanks to Ghost Rule #47, which dictates that all ghosts must spend their afterlife wherever they spent their life. Bonny is incredibly put out by this ridiculous rule, particularly after a nasty tarantula moves into her home. Eventually, she convinces Cobble to break free from his routines and take her to the ocean where she’ll be able to swim free for eternity. When a hungry, tarantula-eating seagull, an explosive ketchup bottle, and a couple of neighbourhood bullies with a GhoulRay enter the mix, things get seriously complicated for Cobble and Bonny.
Librarians, educators, and parents—take note. This book is a wonderful introduction to spooky books for kids who think they want to read the scary stuff, but might not be quite ready for truly terrifying tales. It’s also an excellent launch for starting journals or diary-writing with kids. Presented in diary format, this new early chapter book from acclaimed author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo is sure to delight young readers. Not only is it funny and clever (as any Arnaldo creation would naturally be), but the black-and-white illustrations throughout and easy-to-read font make this a very accessible and engaging book for kids. This is the first in a new Branches series, so we can look forward to many more adventures from our friend Cobble and his ghoulish sidekicks.
Danny Neville is an educator, children’s author, and editor-in-chief of The Teaching Librarian magazine.
YA/Teen
The Bad Boyfriend Curse
written by Farah Heron
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026
978-1-66595-760-1 (hc) $29.99
978-1-66595-761-8 (pb) $18.99
978-1-66595-762-5 (ebook) $11.99
for Grades 9 and up
Fiction | Romance | Family and Stepfamilies | Poverty and Classism | Discrimination
When Meera gets arrested after her first date, this proves to her that the curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations is real. But having always been high-achieving and focused on her academic goals, she resents the fact that her mother responds to this one transgression by wrenching Meera from her life in Toronto and forcing her to spend the summer in the rural Ontario town where her mother is now living with her new husband.
There, Meera must complete her community service assignment while also adjusting to having a stepfather who is from a wealthy family and is now running for mayor. So she devises a plan to fake-date a local “bad boy” in the hopes that it will get her sent back home. But as she gets to know her fake boyfriend and makes friends through both her new family and her community service program, she begins to see how old wounds, long-held prejudices, and misunderstandings run deep within families, as well as between friends and in communities. Ultimately, Meera learns many things about herself and her family, and helps others to see things differently too.
Heron's latest YA romp is fun and swoon-worthy while also addressing weightier social themes. Meera is a sympathetic protagonist who feels betrayed by her mother, who she perceives as having forgotten about being an independent, hard-working single mom now that she has become the wife of one of Cherrybridge's wealthiest citizens. As Meera finds herself caught between two seemingly different worlds (i.e., her new stepfamily and her community service friends), she sees firsthand the effects of a deep social and political divide, as well as the ways in which poverty and prejudice limit the opportunities of those who are less privileged. This book also explores complex family dynamics and relationships as well as intergenerational trauma with a light touch that is nonetheless thought-provoking.
Lisa Doucet is the Manager of Woozles in Halifax.
The Vacation Shift
written by Lily Chu
Quill Tree Books, 2026
978-0-0634-3063-1 (hc) $25.99
978-0-0634-3062-4 (pb) $20.99
978-0-0634-3064-8 (ebook) $19.99
For Grades 9 and up
Fiction | Mental Health | Family Dynamics | Japan | Relationships
Lily Chu, acclaimed author of The Stand-In and other adult rom-coms, makes her first foray into YA fiction with The Vacation Shift. Readers follow Ivy Chu, a teen whose mom surprises her with a trip to Japan to kick off summer vacation. Not only does the trip throw a wrench into Ivy’s summer job plans and her chance to spend time with her crush, but it is also the family’s first trip since her parents separated six months earlier.
What Ivy initially dismisses as jet lag soon becomes something more. A persistent fog makes it difficult to get out of bed and face each day. It is only after befriending Matteo that Ivy realizes her struggles go beyond simple exhaustion and that it may be time for some difficult conversations with her mom.
Chu’s relatable writing style translates beautifully to YA fiction, creating authentic characters and vivid settings that readers can easily immerse themselves in. Throughout the novel, metaphors rooted in wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection) and kintsugi (the art of repairing broken pottery with precious metals to highlight its cracks) provide meaningful reflections on mental health. These themes will resonate with anyone who needs a reminder that feeling broken does not make a person any less valuable. Chu balances these important messages with humour, friendship, and personal growth, creating a supportive and engaging reading experience for readers of all ages.
Ashley Pamenter is a volunteer with the Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple and White Pine Steering Committees. In her day job, she is the national manager of programs at Girl Guides of Canada (Guides du Canada).
Witch’s Inheritance
written and illustrated by Paige Hender
Henry Holt and Co., 2026
978-1-250-88261-5 (pb) $24.99
978-1250-48832-9 (ebook) $16.99
for Grades 9 and up
Graphic Novel | Witches | Family Secrets | Connection to Nature | Supernatural | Monsters
Edie Birch doesn’t know a lot about her estranged mom’s side of the family. But one thing’s for sure: she never expected to discover she’s descended from a long line of witches. That’s until she receives a handwritten letter, sent upon her grandmother, Ludmilla Vovk’s death. In it, she’s summoned to Hart Creek, Maine, where her inheritance — the ancient, towering Vovk family home — awaits.
Witch’s Inheritance is the debut young adult graphic novel written and illustrated by Canadian-born, Louisiana-raised cartoonist Paige Hender. A truly terrifying coming-of-age story, it brings together elements of fantasy and horror, all centred on Edie who, just after high-school graduation, finds herself in small-town Hart Creek. Here she’s met by Darya, an aunt she didn’t know she had, and local history nerd, Leander. Together, they learn more about the Vovk family history, all while Edie struggles to master her own magic with Hart Creek goblins lurking outside her door.
From the earliest pages of Witch’s Inheritance, Hender has a knack for building suspense. Rich, moody illustrations bring readers deep into the woods, where voices off the page both taunt and unnerve. Sound effects help readers experience Edie’s feelings of dread, while deepening tension. Elements of visual storytelling, including wordless panels and pages, allow readers the opportunity to notice Hender’s exceptional attention to detail, including Edie’s telling facial expressions and body language.
Moving back and forth through time, Hender introduces sepia-toned pages to tell the Vovk family history, including the tragic deaths of Edie’s relatives. Readers with an interest in history and folklore will be especially drawn to Witch’s Inheritance, which finds Edie spending late nights in the local library unearthing family secrets.
At first glance, Witch’s Inheritance is a terrifying tale of goblins, whispering woods, and a sentient haunted house. However, upon further examination, it’s much more, centred on family — chosen and inherited. Alongside Hender’s haunting storytelling is an exploration of how belonging, legacy, and community can connect people across generations.
Jessica Rose is a writer, reviewer and editor in Hamilton, Ontario.
Non-Fiction
Be Kind: It Can Change Everything
written by Elizabeth Macleod
illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Orca Book Publishers, 2026
978-1-4598-4104-8 (hc) $21.95
978-1-4598-4106-2 (pb) $17.99
for Grades 4 to 7
Non-Fiction | Kindness | Health and Daily Living | Mental Health and Social Science | Psychology | Activism
The second volume in Orca’s Feel Good, Do Good series reveals how even small acts of kindness have life-changing effects on both givers and recipients. This title discusses the social and physiological effects of kindness, its contribution to personal happiness, its potential for helping the environment and the necessity for being kind to yourself as well as others. Quoting from many international scientific studies, the book demonstrates how kindness affects relationships, physical wellbeing and even the planet.
The subject matter is divided into five readable chapters, with the text interspersed with uplifting quotes from people as disparate as Aesop, Mr. Rogers, Lady Gaga, Paddington Bear, and Anne Frank. Sidebars describe successful examples of altruism by specific individuals, such as a baker who provides for the homeless and a grateful immigrant who shovels snow for those with mobility issues. Other inserts suggest practical acts of kindness for readers to attempt, such as helping wildlife, teaching another child a new skill, baking your sister her favourite cookies, paying compliments and generally being encouraging to others. The text is enhanced by bright, colourful illustrations that reveal eager children of various cultures, races and abilities going about their generous activities. The book contains an index, glossary and a resource list.
Emphasizing the universality of kindness and how it brings everybody together, Be Kind demonstrates how small acts of kindness can change the world. It carries a sincere and upbeat message, and its content will lead to animated discussions between children and their caregivers.
Aileen Wortley is a retired children’s librarian from Toronto.