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Copyright/Source |
UN ÉTÉ DE JADE |
Théo is a teenager who decides not to return to college after learning that his great-aunt Anna has left him a house and some land on Eider Island. He finds nothing of interest to do in the bland suburb where he lives, so he decides to go to the island. His mother lets him go, convinced that her son will soon miss his comfortable life. While disappointed at first, Théo discovers that Eider Island is a captivating world. First, there is the house, which is more like a cabin in need of a new roof, and then there's Jade, who spends every summer on Eider Island and who knew and admired his aunt Anna. Théo learns things about himself, and about what it feels like to be needed. He discovers the island's secrets, and learns to live in harmony with a fragile nature that needs to be protected. He finally understands the meaning of Anna's legacy.
Un été de Jade is a novel of self-discovery. The finely crafted words describe with great accuracy the isolated landscapes of the wave-beaten island and the fragility of the sprouting young trees. The characters are presented with modesty and restraint, their subtle emotions are inferred by the reader. A beautiful novel that gets right to the point.
Copyright/Source |
L'ÉCHARPE ROUGE |
"Another grey morning, thinks Turpin the taxi driver." Those are the only words to be found in the entire book.
One day, the little taxi driver finds on his backseat a red scarf left behind by a customer in a hurry. And so the hero of this story pursues the elusive owner of the red scarf. The chase takes him to a circus where he meets a curious lizard, a mischievous bear, a gluttonous lion, a juggler and his elephant, and an acrobatic monkey, before finally running into an enigmatic magician. He unwittingly becomes the magician's assistant before discovering that the magician is the earnestly sought-after owner of the red scarf. The insignificant grey day and the most ordinary objects are here transformed, producing hidden treasures and surprise encounters.
Anne Villeneuve's vivid and brightly coloured drawings of characters with pleasant and cheerful features tell this story. With practically no text, the drawings provide the narrative. This leads the "reader" on a whirlwind of adventures that seem to rapidly unfold right before your eyes, with scarcely a pause. One gets the sense of being in a game, like a pinball endlessly bouncing from one point to the next. The absence of text in this story emphasizes the speed with which events take place. And it works.
Copyright/Source |
CHRISTOPHE AU GRAND CŒUR |
"I think people, in general, are afraid of death. I don't really know why. I kind of like death." These words come from Christophe, a small child with a heart condition, who is the hero of this story. Christophe isn't quite 10 years old, and yet he's already been acquainted with death. He saw his mother die, then his neighbour Mr. Simoneau; he also has many sick friends at the hospital, and he himself has such a weak heart that the only thing that can save him is a heart transplant. Despite these things, Christophe is happy, he's full of spirit and he loves life. As for death, he is not in the least afraid of it. What is it really, anyway? He feels his mother's constant presence, and he smells her perfume before waking up in the morning or falling asleep at night. As for Mr. Simoneau, he's still watering his plants, although now he does it in flight since the dead learn to fly so that they can observe their loved ones from above. And very soon, it will be Christophe's turn. Christophe is not afraid of death. "They weren't able to find a heart from a dead child for me in time… Instead they found a bunch of presents to say goodbye." These are the last words of the text. Christophe is happy and unafraid.
This novel is a lesson on how to live life, on being happy, on having hope and about love. How can you not be touched by the character's innocent outlook on death and the gravity of his situation? The emotions expressed throughout the text come out of this uncommon and triumphant point of view. Adult readers will be moved, and younger readers who have been touched by the death of a loved one will find comfort in it. The illustrations, sensitive and gentle, help convey the truth of the message of the text that "death isn't the end of life when we're happy."
Copyright/Source |
LE SECRET DE MISHA |
Simon just turned 16, and his grandmother has given him the watch that belonged to her husband Joseph Duford. He passed away long before Simon had a chance to know him. Before getting married, this grandfather had lived in Switzerland. Intrigued by a mysterious inscription in the watch, Simon manages to convince his parents to let him travel to Basel, Switzerland, with his best friend, Cédric.
With the help of a girl named Valérie, the youths are able to find people who knew Simon's grandfather during the Second World War. Simon discovers that grandfather Joseph had another identity. Simon finds this revelation shattering. What had started out as an adventurous vacation has now taken on an entirely new dimension, their innocent investigation putting them face to face with danger. The friends come to realize that events that took place over 50 years ago can still have repercussions in the present.
A brisk tale of adventure in which the framework of the narrative blends in well with historic events related to the Second World War, to the Jewish refugees and to the presence of neo-Nazis in Europe.
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Copyright/Source |
L'ÉCHARPE ROUGE |
"Another grey morning, thinks Turpin the taxi driver." Those are the only words to be found in the entire book.
One day, the little taxi driver finds on his backseat a red scarf left behind by a customer in a hurry. And so the hero of this story pursues the elusive owner of the red scarf. The chase takes him to a circus where he meets a curious lizard, a mischievous bear, a gluttonous lion, a juggler and his elephant, and an acrobatic monkey, before finally running into an enigmatic magician. He unwittingly becomes the magician's assistant before discovering that the magician is the earnestly sought-after owner of the red scarf. The insignificant grey day and the most ordinary objects are here transformed, producing hidden treasures and surprise encounters.
Anne Villeneuve's vivid and brightly coloured drawings of characters with pleasant and cheerful features tell this story. With practically no text, the drawings provide the narrative. This leads the "reader" on a whirlwind of adventures that seem to rapidly unfold right before your eyes, with scarcely a pause. One gets the sense of being in a game, like a pinball endlessly bouncing from one point to the next. The absence of text in this story emphasizes the speed with which events take place. And it works.
Copyright/Source |
A.A. AIME H.H. |
Amélie Archambault loves Henri Héroux. And everyone in the class knows it, except Henri. Following the advice of her friends, Amélie says nothing about her feelings. She tries to be subtle, but her attempts turn into a disaster. Eventually, she and Henri end up in the principal's office. There, she is forced to tell poor Henri everything. As punishment for her behaviour, the principal gives Amélie detentions after school every day for a whole week. But each day as she leaves school, guess who is waiting to take her home? It just goes to show that the direct approach is often the best choice.
Full-page, brightly coloured drawings give the characters, already likable and engaging, an innocence which serves the subject of the story well. In fact, the moral of this story -- it's better to be clear when you have something to say -- is even more convincing since it is so directly and simply told.
Copyright/Source |
LA MYSTÉRIEUSE BIBLIOTHÉCAIRE |
Without realizing it, the mayor of Saint-Anatole has just hired a rather unusual, but very resourceful, librarian. Under her supervision, the children convert the tiny library into a loft where they discover the pleasures of reading.
The author's writing is as dynamic and amusing as ever, and children will enjoy discovering another adventure of the mysterious Mademoiselle Charlotte. They may have already imaged having her as their teacher, and now they will surely dream of having her as their school or public librarian.
Copyright/Source |
LE BAL DES FINISSANTS |
The big day of the graduation ceremony has finally arrived for the graduates of La Passerelle du faubourg St-Rock School. Going to the prom is an important step in the lives of these high-school students. For some, this rite of passage is not without its problems or struggles. The relationships of a few of these students are explored: the friendships that bind them together as well as the emotional tragedies that can tear them apart. This novel sensitively describes the psychological struggles of this rite of passage to maturity.
Le Bal des finissants is an intelligent and touching novel with contemporary dialogue. It will appeal to teens, who will have no trouble identifying with the characters.
PRIX LITTÉRAIRE DU GOUVERNEUR GÉNÉRAL - LITTÉRATURE DE JEUNESSE
