7 new books to keep young readers edified and entertained

A pile of books and a summer’s day can be heaven, a promise of distraction, recreation and food for mind and soul. My summer recommendations for kids and young adults:

“Afterwards, Everything was Different: A Tale from the Pleistocene,” by Rafael Yockteng, illustrated by Jairo Buitrago (Greystone, 64 pages, $22.95, ages 4-9): I love this almost-wordless book, its pages stuffed with a dramatic, meticulous graphite-and-ink graphic story. A prehistoric clan on the move faces adventure after adventure: an erupting volcano, ravening beasts, a hunt and finally, a creative surprise. There’s much to notice and enjoy in Buitrago’s art; it’s alive with expressiveness and suspense. Inspired by cave art, this shows vibrant storytelling then and now. Highly recommended.

“Mountain of Fire: Into the Heart of Volcanoes,” text by Julie Roberge, illustrated by Aless MC (Orca, 96 pages, $29.95, ages 6-10): Volcanologist Roberge introduces kids to a plethora of volcanoes in the world and out of it — on other planets — offering enough information on each to pique interest and expand knowledge of volcanic variety. Blocks of flat colour and stylized shapes give this pleasing visual interest. A good choice for young scientists and non-fictionadoes.

“Buffalo Flats,” by Martine Leavitt (Groundwood, 246 pages, $19.99, ages 11 and up): Leavitt mines 1890s journals in this funny, wise story set near Lethbridge, Alberta. Rebecca loves the landscape her Mormon family homesteads and determines to buy her own piece of “God’s country.” Her efforts are filled with natural wonder, struggles both serious and comic and rich, unpredictable community life — from weather disasters and midwifery to women’s suffrage. Leavitt’s prose shimmers with the land’s beauty, its appreciative lyricism balanced with down-to-earth spirituality and humour.

“Stateless,” by Elizabeth Wein (Little Brown, 385 pages, $17.99, ages 12 and up): A compulsively readable thriller/romance set in Europe, 1937. Stella is the only woman pilot in a (fictional) international aviation race intended to promote peace in the shadow of Hitler’s rise. When a fellow aviator is forced to crash, she realizes that she could be the murderer’s real target. Wein’s breezy prose and adventurous plot deftly encompass the period’s politics and culture, some of which resonates eerily today. It’s a great beach read with satisfying heft.

“Warrior Girl Unearthed,” by Angeline Boulley (Henry Holt, 396 pages, $25.99, ages 12 and up): This too is a compelling mystery, one of murdered and missing Indigenous women and of repatriating Indigenous artifacts. When Perry’s assigned an internship at her Ojibwe community’s tribal museum, she’s introduced to the legal and practical side of repatriating stolen artifacts and remains — acquiring the knowledge and skills to dare some detective work, a heist and a rescue. Chippewan author Boulley creates a strong sense of place, culture, language, traditional ways and tribal politics all in the context of family, strong friendships, and a complex, topical plot. Highly recommended.

“Unraveller,” by Frances Hardinge (Amulet, 423 pages, $24.99, ages 11 and up): Hardinge’s originality and flair with language has exceptional depth in this fantasy. In Raddith, people consumed by hatred can curse those they hate any way they like. It’s Kellen’s gift that he can unravel curses, and Nettle’s that she keeps Kellen calm and manageable. But when the two are conscripted to round up a rebel group of cursers, both must question their own natures. The marshy, magical landscape, intensely peculiar curses, and Hardinge’s imaginative exploration of hatred’s outcomes make this delightfully entertaining, thought-provoking and even challenging. Highly recommended.

“The Notorious Scarlett and Browne,” by Jonathan Stroud (Knopf, 422 pages, $24.49, ages 11 and up): This has all the insouciant humour, energetic invention and underlying empathy of the earlier “The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne.” In a dystopic Britain of outlaws, ghouls and a corrupt religious conglomerate, Scarlett and telepathically gifted Albert are roped into a dangerous heist, only to find themselves blackmailed and heading for the gallows: how will they escape? Stroud’s inventive plotting and playful language make for a clever, suspenseful and fizzingly paced adventure.

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