Yolanda Ridge's Blog, page 2
May 23, 2023
Giveaway!
It’s one week till the official launch of my latest science book for kids, Evolution Under Pressure, and I just found out it’s a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
To celebrate, I’m giving away one of my author copies!!
Enter to win the giveaway before May 30th.
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May 3, 2023
Those Kids From Fawn Creek
I went on the record during my CBC Radio interview about the challenge of including multiple characters in a book without creating character soup. In Elliot Jelly-Legs, I wanted to include an entire hockey team (or most of it). The solution was hockey cards inserted in the text as each character is introduced.
In Those Kids From Fawn Creek, Erin Entrada Kelly, does something similar with a page of illustrations showing entire seventh grade class of Fawn Creek K-12. The Newbery Medalist for Hello, Universe also does a great job of making all thirteen classmates–excluding the new girl–memorable and unique.
Most of the story is told from the perspective of best friends, Dorothy and Greyson. While these two characters do change the most throughout the middle grade novel–Dorothy becomes DiDi and Greyson embraces his love of fashion–it’s the new girl that steals the show. Orchid may not be exactly who she says she is but she brings a different perspective and that’s all that matters.
I can’t say too much more without giving it away. But I will tell you that I couldn’t breathe as I read the scene at the dance near the end of the story. Really. It’s that good.
Erin Estrada Kelly has once again created a cast of characters you can’t stop cheering for, even if you’ve never been to a town as small as Fawn Creek. And if you–or the young readers in your life–have lived in a small town, Those Kids From Fawn Creek is an absolute must read.
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April 22, 2023
Happy Earth Day!
It is a dream come true for me to have one of my titles included in a list of Earth Day books for kids. Thank you 49th Shelf!
I’m also grateful to my publisher for putting together this great resource for educators:
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April 21, 2023
Linked
Will prolific kid-lit author, Gordon Korman, ever run out of ideas? I reviewed his book, The Hypnotists, in this post on my old website and included Ungifted in my SciWhy article Science in Middle Grade Fiction. But those are just a few of many great titles by Gordon Korman, who keeps finding new ways to bring new ideas to young readers… and the books just keep getting better!
I was drawn to Linked because I’m working on a middle grade mystery set in a small town. In my book, it’s a series of wildfires that shake things up in a fictionalized version of my own hometown. In Linked, it’s someone sneaking into Chokecherry Middle School and spray painting a swastika on the wall.
The mystery of who vandalized the school unfolds through chapters with alternating points of view. There are three central seventh grade characters:
Michael, a forgetful kid and Art Club president, discovers the hate crime. Dana, an outsider who moved to Chokecherry so her dad could study dinosaurs bones identified in the area, originally the only Jewish student in the school. Lincoln, a popular prankster that goes by “Link” (son of a realtor who wants to turn the town into Dino-Land) who ends up exploring his identity.After three weeks of tolerance education–which all the students have trouble tolerating–another swastika appears. And then another. As more appear, the town’s history of KKK activity comes to the surface and the mystery deepens.
Suspects are identified and more points of view are introduced including a vlogger who puts Chokecherry on the map for all the wrong reasons. The students start a paper chain–inspired by the Paper Clip Project–that gives the book its title.
I won’t go into any more detail for risk of giving too much away. I’ll leave you with this final quote from Michael. It’s also mentioned in the author’s note which includes a list of resources.
Maybe it shows that tolerance is more about the journey than the destination. A paper chain can be done when it hits a certain number of links. But tolerance is a project you always have to keep working at.
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April 6, 2023
Better Connected
You can tell from my past reviews (Under Pressure, Mya’s Strategy to Save the World and When the Worst Happens) that I’m a big fan of Tanya Lloyd Kyi. Now, in addition to middle grade nonfiction and fiction, she’s done something I’ve contemplated doing too–a collaborative book with her daughter (only in my case it would be a son!).
There’s a lot out there about the negative aspects of social media. While this is important, it’s refreshing to have a middle grade book that looks at the positive. It’s also a topic ideally suited to different generational perspectives.
Better Connected covers a lot of ground, laid out in five chapters. Each focuses on a different way social media is used to connect, be creative, showcase diversity, learn/share and promote change. There are lots of specific examples in each section, including many references to young activists and female-led campaigns.
The layout of Better Connected is very approachable with both photographs and illustrations from Vivian Rosas breaking up the text. Recurring sidebars–Julia’s Headspace and #NoFilter–present different mother daughter view points. The Social Media Smarts feature at the end of each chapter provides scenarios, options and suggestions to ensure safety online.
There is so much to explore in this book that instead of reading this review, you should request a copy from your library or order from your favourite bookstore. Since I love this photo of Tanya and Julia, I’ll also leave you these recommendations for further information:
How girls are using social media for positive change: An interview with Creative Writing lecturer Tanya Kyi and her daughter from UBC’s School of Creative Writing.Vancouver mother and daughter release new children’s book highlighting positive uses of social media from CBC.
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March 15, 2023
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
I love a story within a story!
At the start of Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, 11-year-old Maizy and her mom travel from their home in Los Angeles to Last Chance, Minnesota to spend time with her Oma and Opa. Although her mom has a strained relationship with her parents, Opa is sick. And Oma needs help running The Golden Palace–a restaurant that’s been in the family for generations.
In addition to being homesick, Maizy experiences bullying and racism as part of the only family of colour in Last Chance. And so begins Maizy journey of discovery. She learns about herself, her Asian-American family and some of extreme injustices faced by Chinese immigrants.
That might sound like a lot of learning but the relationship that develops between Maizy and Opa makes it natural and easy. The story of Lucky (Maizy’s great-great grandfather), who came to America in 1869, is told through chapters interspersed within the larger narrative.
As Opa tells “Lucky stories” Maizy figures out how to play poker and make custom fortune cookies. She writes personalized fortunes that do everything from making customers smile to mending old relationships to nudging people toward their dreams.
This middle grade novel covers a lot of ground including the subject of Paper Sons, an important piece of history for Chinese Americans. The book has humor and nuance–seen in Maizy’s growing understanding of people’s “tells” and introduction to “worming”–but doesn’t shy away from though topics like death and hate crime. Lisa Yee includes an author’s note at the end, providing information on her family, research she did for the novel and a recipe for Cream Cheese Wontons.
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance deserves to be a Newbery Honor Book and a National Book Award Finalist (and it’s impossible to read without craving Chinese food!). Although it’s a page-turner, I suggest taking time to absorb all the emotion and sensory detail. As Opa says, ” You can’t rush marinating char sip, and you can’t rush a Lucky story.”
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February 14, 2023
Happy Book Birthday, Elliot Jelly-Legs!
And Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
I’m certainly feeling all the feels as Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Bobblehead Miracle officially hits the shelves today. A good friend reminded me that the seeds of Elliot’s story were sprouting on walks we took over five years ago with my beloved dog, Rover, who’s no longer with us.
It’s been a long journey to the publication of Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Bobblehead Miracle. I took a few risks with this book that are making me feel a bit vulnerable. One was setting it in Trail, BC rather than a fictional town. Another was including the very real Carey Price as a magical role model for Elliot. I really hope these things help young readers connect with the story and see themselves on the page.
I’ve been told by my publisher that Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Bobblehead Miracle is much more than a hockey book. I completely agree—it’s a book about resilience, relationships, superstition, belonging and believing in yourself. It contains strong characters that want nothing to do with hockey at all such as Elliot’s adopted sister, Aislyn, who competes in a fictional Change Climate Change contest. At its heart, though, the story’s about Elliot’s passion for hockey and his desire to be part of the team.
Spencer’s first GTMHA season in 2017
Spencer’s last GTMHA season in 2023Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Booblehead Miracle is dedicated to my son, who’s both a player and official with the Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association. The work I put into writing it was supported by so many family, friends, hockey parents, writers, colleagues and most importantly—readers. I’m so grateful to you all. xo
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November 29, 2022
Eight Days
On the surface, Eight Days is a road trip from Toronto to Chicago with a diverse characters and an unfortunate set of circumstances. Underneath the surface, it’s a story about judgement, racism, addiction, forgiveness, guilt, shame and feeling “haram”–an Arabic term that means forbidden or unwanted. For Sami (the 14-year-old main character) it’s about finding your family, your voice and your tears. For Carl (Sami’s grandfather) It’s about the difference between dry and sober and facing your demons. Above all, it’s about love.
Teresa Toten covers a lot of ground in this middle grade novel, from the death of Sami’s mother–even though Sami thought she’d been dead for ten year–to AA meetings. A lot of the book is a slow reveal of hidden truths but there’s a few twists that keep readers engaged till the end.
Richly drawn characters and well-researched details create an immersive reading experience. During the formal visitation planned by the neighbours, I could see the candles, smell the incense and hear Sami and Carl’s “shukran”. A lot of cultural and religious information is explored without feeling forced andI love the way the visitation was adapted to suit the various beliefs of the diverse people living in the Towers, a Muslim-dominated apartment complex in Toronto.
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13b will probably always be my favorite (young adult) novel from Governor General award winning author, Teresa Toten. Eight Days is a great addition to the middle grade bookshelf.
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November 7, 2022
The Words in my Hands
This is my first book review (well, actually it’s more of a recommendation) in over a year! And it comes with a bit of a warning: The Words in my Hands is Young Adult (recommended for 13 to 16-year-olds) and not Middle Grade, like most of the books on my website. It’s also dystopian and I tend to prefer contemporary novels, which pretty much says it all–this book is that good!
Beautifully illustrated and written by a Deaf artist and author from Australia, The Words in my Hands is a visual representation of 16-year-old Piper’s diary. Piper wears hearing aids and has been raised oral by her single mom. They live in a near future version of Australia that’s struggling with food shortages, in part due to Organicore–a company that produces lab generated food. Recon, developed by Piper’s mom, is individualized to meet nutritional needs and contains a formula that’s wiped out the common cold, cancer and obesity.
As if this premise isn’t interesting enough, The Words in my Hands is a coming of age story about Piper realizing there’s an alternative to fitting in with the hearing world. After meeting Marley and his mom, Robbie, Piper’s introduced to the Deaf community and learns sign language. She also discovers “wild food” and how to grow it–a dangerous proposition as the corrupt government tries to maintain reliance on recon, despite distribution issues, and hide evidence that it could cause allergies, asthma and Energy Deficiency Syndrome.
The Words in my Hands is a cautionary tale that also provides hope for the future. It shows how someone who’s deaf or hard of hearing can struggle with headaches, misunderstandings and fatigue despite hearing aids, lip reading and perfect speech. Although my boys have a different hearing level than Piper’s, I related to many of her experiences. I highly recommend The Words in my Hands for those who belong to the Deaf community, those who do not, and those in-between. In other words, everyone.
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September 7, 2022
One Year Later
I can’t believe it’s been a full year since I last posted an update. Here’s a pretty good summary of what the year’s been like:
I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to work at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre as a Knowledge Translation Coordinator. I learned tons and really enjoyed the people I got to interact with on a daily basis.
It was a lot to juggle that full time position and my other writing contracts, however.. So when my contract didn’t get renewed for another year (because of a new requirement that everyone must work on site at least two days a week) it was a bit of a relief.
Going forward, I will be doing part time contract work for my favourite Genome Sciences Centre project, www.thisisepigenetics.ca, and some other freelance science writing through UBC. This will allow me time to focus on the three book contracts I currently have as well as pitching more. I’m looking forward to all these projects but especially exited to be returning to more creative work and (hopefully) a more balanced schedule.
Stay tuned for an update on Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Bobblehead Miracle, other exciting book news and maybe even more book reviews! Thanks to everyone reading this post for sticking with me on this journey!
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