Getting the artifacts straight: Silverthorne’s research brings dinos to life
“I wanted the book to be as authentic as possible. I’ve worked with experts to get accurate details about vegetation and climate as well.”
Dinosaur Breakout
Judith Silverthorne
Coteau Books
$7.95 pb, 200 pages
ISBN 1-55050-294-8

Pas de deux: Hutchins and Ohi create award-winning picture books
“Ruth Ohi and I worked for several years without ever meeting.”
Beneath the Bridge
The Sidewalk Rescue
Hazel Hutchins, illustrated by Ruth Ohi
Annick Press
$8.95 pb, 32 pages each
ISBN: 1-55037-858-9 (Beneath the Bridge)
ISBN: 1-55037-830-9 (The Sidewalk Rescue)

Talking books: Jean Little reveals her writing secrets
“I don’t mean to preach messages; I mean to tell stories. But there are messages-you cannot write without your values entering into it.”
The Birthday Girl
Jean Little
Illustrated by June Lawrason
Orca Book Publishers
$6.95 pb, 64 pages
ISBN 1-55143-292-7

Are the kids all right? Fantasy author writes for ‘forgotten’ age group
“I think there’s a forgotten age group, because if you go from reading The Outsiders in grade nine and then you have to read something much more challenging, it’s a huge leap. And it would be nice if there were some books out there that reached that age group.”
A Winter’s Tale
Gail Sidonie Sobat
Great Plains Publications
$16.95 pb, 173 pages
ISBN 1-894283-45-7

Founding mothers: Riel’s grandmother in YA bio series
“I believe people need to know their roots. Not just their family history, but the history of the place where they live and the people who founded that place are important too.”
Marie-Anne Lagimodiere: The Incredible Life and Epic Adventures of Louis Riel’s Grandmother
Irene Gordon
Altitude Publishing
$9.95 pb, 128 pages
ISBN 1-551539-67-5

Alienated: Marty Chan tells kids about racism
“I made myself the main character so that the kids knew that the discrimination I experienced was real. I wanted them to know that a real person went through this and survived the teasing.”
The Mystery of the Frozen Brains
Marty Chan
Thistledown Press
$10.95 pb, 191 pages
ISBN 1-894345-71-1

poetry

Gothic, naïve and bloody-minded: First poetry collection a personal tour de force
“Why write at all? To hold ground. Because there are still readers and writers of poetry out there. It’s a worthy pursuit even if the general public could care less.”
Stealing Mercury
Lori Cayer
The Muses Company/J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing
$14.95 pb, 96 pages
ISBN 0920486657

fiction

Getting better all the time: Toews releases third novel
“I love my first two novels, but in some ways, I was in training to write this book.”
A Complicated Kindness
Miriam Toews
Random House
$29.95 hc, 256 pages
ISBN 0-676976-123

Peyton Place, Saskatchewan: Short stories capture small town life
“Everyone knows that Farmer X’s wife is fooling around with Farmer Y. But what they can’t ever know for sure is why. Why does Farmer X put up with it? Why does the wife cheat in the first place? What’s in it for Y, apart from the sex?”
Eyehill
Kelly Cooper
Goose Lane Editions
$19.95 pb, 220 pages
ISBN 0-86492-379-1

Short fiction yin and yang
A roundup of new short story collections by and about men and women.

non-fiction

Something fishy: Manitoba guide tells it all
“It’s meant to be a good, thorough sketch of fish fauna in Manitoba in the 21st century.”
The Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba
Kenneth W. Stewart and Douglas A. Watkinson
University of Manitoba Press
$26.95 pb, 275 pages
ISBN 0-88755-678-7

The Rex Files: The Truth - about our pets - Is Out There
“The main consideration is to avoid being hokey. I’m still not sure whether I wholly succeeded. But, I mean, come on… pet ghosts? You’ve got to expect a fair amount of hoke. It’s built in.”
Ghost Stories of Pets and Animals
Darren Zenko
Lone Pine Publishing
$14.95 pb, 207 pages
ISBN 1-894877-36-5

Baby love: Writer records motherhood
“Once my babies arrived, I was all too aware of how quickly they were evolving, and I became determined to capture the moments with my most powerful tool: my words.”
The Fleeting Years: A Mother’s Journal
Laura Pratt
Signature Editions
$19.95 pb
ISBN0-921833-946

Bearing her soul: Real “Winnie” a mascot of human kindness
“This is a true story of a real bear and a real man, both of whom lived their entire lives with a spirit of gentleness, kindness, generosity, and consideration for others.”
The Real Winnie: A One-Of-A-Kind Bear
Val Shushkewich
Natural Heritage Books
$16.95 pb, 86 pages
ISBN 1-896219-89-6