Category: book reviews

by Michelle Ruby, Brantford Expositor.

The release of the third book in a Second World War trilogy by city author Marsha Skrypuch couldn’t be more timely.

The young readers’ novel, Underground Soldier, tells the story of the terrorization, enslavement and killing of Ukrainians by both the Soviets and the Nazis.

The underground army formed by Ukrainians included people of many nationalities and ages with one thing in common — the desire to live in a democratic country.

“This parallels the Euromaidan conflict where regular people of all ages and nationalities took to the streets and proclaimed they would rather die than take the corruption anymore,” said Skrypuch. “It just goes to show how timely history can be.”

Underground Soldier is the story of 14-year-old Luka, who works as an Ostarbeiter in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe, alongside Lida from Making Bombs for Hitler, the second book in the trilogy, which began with Stolen Child.

Desperate to escape the brutal conditions of a Nazi slave camp, Luka manages to break free by hiding in a truck under a pile of dead bodies and joins a group of Ukrainian resistance fighters.

Caught between advancing Nazis in the west and Soviet troops in the east, they mount guerrilla raids, help POW escapees and do all they can to make life hard for the Nazis and Soviets. After the war, Luka must decide whether to follow Lida to Canada or stay in Europe and search for his long-lost mother.

“They were 10 years in the making,” said Skrypuch of the trilogy. “Finishing it feels like a relief but there is also a sadness. The characters were in my head for so long.”

Underground Soldier is the prolific, award-winning city author’s 18th published book.

Skrypuch will be in Toronto on Wednesday as one of five nominees for the $25,000 Kobzar Literary Award for Making Bombs for Hitler. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to Canadian literary arts by an author who develops a Ukrainian Canadian theme with literary merit in one of several genres, including literary non-fiction, fiction, poetry, young readers’ literature, plays, screenplays and musicals.

Although Skrypuch said she has written more on Ukraine than anyone else in Canada, this is her first nomination for the biennial Kobzar.

Most of Skrypuch’s works are fiction but she bases all of her stories on detailed research. Of great help on Underground Soldier, she said, was Peter J. Potichnyj, professor emeritus at McMaster University who was a teen soldier in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and has written extensively about it.

Skrypuch said she is closely following the ongoing demonstrations and revolution in Ukraine.

“I’m so proud of the people. It’s a very civil revolution. All they want is freedom. It’s a wave of democracy. In the long run, it’s the most beautiful thing that could possibly have happened to Ukraine.”

In the meantime, acclaim for Skrypuch’s books continues. The non-fiction One Step at a Time, which is based on Brantford resident Tuyet Yurczyszyn, is shortlisted for the Silver Birch award with winners to be announced in May.

She also has a new young adult novel scheduled for release in August to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. Dance of the Banished is partly set in Brantford.

michelle.ruby@sunmedia.ca

Thanks, Karen Upper, for this great photo of my signing at the OLA Bookstore at the OLA Superconference! I am surrounded by awesome Near North librarians!

Thank you also, for this great review of Underground Soldier, and the book trailer, and the youtube reading!

Source Citation   (MLA 7^th Edition)

It was a fun and busy time at the OLA Superconference. It started bright and early with the Forest of Reading breakfast on Thursday, and then the winners from last year gave a panel discussion on what their win meant to them. The photo below, taken by Joanne Levy, shows me at the far left, Wesley King (Red Maple Fiction winner), Martin Springett (Blue Spruce winner), Brit Trogen and Kari Trogen (Silver Birch Express winners). Not visible is Jeyn Roberts (White Pine Winner) Bill Swan (Red Maple non-fiction winner) and Rob Laidlaw, (Silver Birch non-fiction winner). Helen Kubiw, Forest of Reading co-chair can be seen in green behind the panel. Angela Thompson, her co-chair, is not visible.

I did four separate signings, two on Thursday and two on Friday. The  photo below is of Christie Harkin and myself at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth on Friday. I was signing The Best Gifts and When Mama Goes to Work. Christie was my editor for both books.

I also signed at the OLA bookstore on Thursday. I was signing Making Bombs for Hitler, as it was the Silver Birch winner last year, plus One Step at a Time, as it’s a Silver Birch nominee this year. I also signed Underground Soldier at the booth since it was brand new and a companion novel to Making Bombs for Hitler.  The store ran out of Underground Soldier!

I also signed at the Goodminds.com booth. They had all three books in my WWII trilogy available, plus One Step At A Time and When Mama Goes to Work. They sold out of Underground Soldier too!

My fourth signing was at the OBPO booth with Pajama Press, signing One Step at a Time. Richard Jones, president of Pajama Press, gave a great prep talk to everyone waiting in line for their book. It was really great the way he gave background info on One Step, as well as Last Airlift, the companion book.

Underground Soldier officially hit store shelves on January 1, 2014 and I have been on pins and needles, waiting for initial reader response. Well, today I got it, and I am thrilled!

Karen Upper, teacher-librarian-superwoman of the Near North, made a trailer of the book. You can view it on Youtube. Wow!

And she had this to say:

Hi Marsha:
I have let one of my Grade 8 students read this wonderful story, her mom told me she found Gabby crying, while reading it.
Gabby’s response was so strong, she felt that she had to write you her reaction:

{she is usually a very shy girl, and doesn’t talk much — but this book evoked a very strong reaction in her}

“This is an extraordinary book that you cannot put down, until you’re done and even then, you find yourself rereading it over and over. The author used great descriptive wording that placed a clear image into your head. This novel makes you laugh, CRY, and fear for the characters.

Gabby W”

I just had to share this wonderful comment with you.  My reaction echoes Gabby’s.
Thank you for allowing me to read this very moving story.
sincerely,
Karen

The Stowaways by Meghan Marentette

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love everything about The Stowaways — from the beautiful Dean Griffiths painting on the cover to the bright red ribbon bookmark and the way that the book fits cozily in my hands. Even before opening it, I knew that it would take me back to a simpler time, and of classic children’s stories.

On one level, this is a straight adventure, about Rory, the younger twin brother, needing to prove to his family that he’s all grown up and dependable and that he will find their lost grandfather. There is sibling rivalry, bullying at school — all the things you’d expect in a book about kids, be they mouse kids or human.

But Marentette does some interesting things about stereotypes. The old people don’t sit on rocking chairs and snooze. They are action heroes. I also like how Marentette shows the baby sister also as having her own set of special talents. What a nice change for kids, to see that people (be they mouse or human) are active and vital regardless of their age.

Marentette also does interesting things with context. Just the thought of these little wee mice talking and thinking and going to school, making juneberry paste — makes you want to stop and think and consider every little thing. It’s also neat to think of the Stowaways’ entire world is the size of a city block. I loved small details of a thimble falling on the father’s head and getting stuck, a button becoming a bicycle wheel, escape by mail truck. All these instances of common things seen in different context is utterly neat to read.

And of course, what makes this book so enjoyable is that it is a page turner. We care about Rory and his family. We want them to find Grandfather. We want them to survive.

As I read this, I couldn’t help thinking what a fabulous movie this would be.

View all my reviews

Every one of Valerie Sherrard’s books have delighted me, and what impresses me the most is that she’s able to write such masterfully absorbing stories in so many different genres and forms.

Driftwood is unlike anything she has written before. The seemingly simple narrative of a boy on summer vacation at a campground by the sea turns out to be a series of linked stories wrapped together, commenting and reflecting on each other. Every single person in this novel changes for the better in an unexpected way. By the last page I was openly weeping. I don’t want to give the story away. Suffice it to say that you’ll be drawn into Driftwood by the simple and engaging story, but you’ll have a deeper appreciation of the world around you by the time you reach the end. Bravo Valerie!