3 in 3 (and tea) – Episode 2!

Debbie Ridpath Ohi and I are back for another episode of 3 in 3 (and tea), where we feature 3 children’s books by Canadian authors and/or illustrators and provide some tips for using them in the classroom. 

In Episode 2, we explore a picture book and a middle grade novel that feature emotionally challenging situations, and check out a bonus middle grade novel that  includes a visit to Drumheller (I love dinosaurs!) and STEM connections. After you watch the video, click on the book cover or title to find out more about each book.  For more episodes of Three in Three (and Tea!) check out Debbie's Three in Three playlist!  You can find Episode 1 here.

Picture Book: 

 Malaika's Winter Carnival by Nadia L. Hohn & Irene Luxbacher

 Summary: In this picture book, a young girl is faced with a new family, a new country, a new school and maybe even new Carnival traditions. The vibrant, collage-style illustrations are a perfect fit with the writing style of standard English and Caribbean patois.

This book is part of the Malaika series which follows the same character through three stories.

Visit the author and illustrator:

Nadia L Hohn  🍁

Irene Luxbacher  🍁

Visit the publisher:

Groundwood Books 

Activities & resources here.

 

Middle Grade: 

Sorry for Your Loss by Joanne Levy

Summary: In the middle grade novel, Sorry for Your Loss, Oren, a boy whose parents were killed in a car accident and Evie, whose parents own a funeral home, start off *not* being friends—but they end up helping each other.

Visit the author online:

Joanne Levy 🍁  

Book cover design by Rachel Page

Visit the publisher:

Orca Books    

Activities & resources here.

 

Bonus Middle Grade: 

 Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn with illustrations by Julie Kwon

Summary: In Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field a boy who is really into dinosaurs gets a chance to attend a special paleontology expedition at the Royal Tyrell Museum, but has to learn to cope with disappointment and the failing health of his beloved grandmother.

Visit the author and illustrator online:

Angela Ahn 🍁 

Julie Kwon

Visit the Publisher

Penguin Random House Canada

Activities & resources here.

 

Find out more about Canadian author/illustrator Debbie Ohi by visiting her website.

Thanks to The Faithful Sidekicks for writing and performing our theme song! You can learn more about them at their website. 

 

Paper Heart by Cat Patrick - a story about coping after a devastating change

Why you want to read this book…

I was so interested to find out that this story takes up after the events of Cat Patrick’s other book, Tornado Brain (see my review of Tornado Brain here). One of the cool things about this story is that it’s told from the other sister’s perspective! This story has a sad start, since the main character Tess is dealing with the loss of her best friend, Colette. She decides to go to the family cabin with her aunt and uncle, separating herself from her twin Frankie. Tess meets some new friends and slowly begins to heal.

 An aspect of this book that I loved was that Tess goes to an art day camp, and tries experimenting with different art techniques. There’s also a boy, Izzy, who becomes important in her life. I thought it was really realistic the way her mom and aunt didn’t realize how much she needed help at first, but did end up getting her counseling. This is a really absorbing read. If you enjoyed Tornado Brain, you’ll love this one too, but you can definitely read it on its own.

 

 

 

 

Here’s the summary from the publisher…

Tess has always understood her role in her family. She is supposed to be the "okay" one. The one no one has to worry about. But all Tess does is worry, constantly picking at her fingers every time a new worry arises. Still grieving her best friend's death, she is consumed by the fear that everything was her fault and her sadness that Colette is never coming back. Worse still, it seems like everyone else has found a way to move on, even her twin sister Frankie. When her mom decides a change of location might do her good, Tess finds herself on an airplane bound for her aunt's house in small town Wyoming and a summer vacation attending art camp.

Tess thinks she might never be able to move on from losing Colette but her quirky but determined cousin Kennedy and new friend Izzy are determined to help. When Tess becomes convinced that Colette's ghost might be haunting her, Kennedy and Izzy find new ways for Tess to make peace with the past and finally let go of the grief that has been haunting her heart.

Paper Heart by Cat Patrick was published by Penguin Random House in 2021. I read an e-version from my local public library.

Teaching resources: Here's an article from Seattle Refined interviewing Cat Patrick about her inspiration for Frankie's character and writing characters we might not see as often in children's stories.

If you’re looking for another thought-provoking, maybe funny, or maybe both, middle grade book to read, check out the list for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday on Greg Pattridge's blog.