The Sand Sifter

by Julie Lawson

In a tumble-down house carved out of the dunes lives an old man with second sight. He is the sifter of sands, the man who separates the sparkling mica, black lava, golden-reds, and misty grays. And as he sifts he mesmerizes Jessica and Andrew with his tales of the trickster-creator Raven and how a lonely young man lived to be 300 years old.

58 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Julie Lawson is the award-winning author of many books for young people. Her novels include White Jade Tiger (winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Book Literature Prize and nominated for both the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award and the Silver Birch Award), Destination Gold, and The Ghost of Avalanche Mountain. Among her acclaimed picture books are The Dragon’s Pearl, Emma and the Silk Train, Bear on the Train, and Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Near That Canoe! Her most recent novel, Ghosts of the Titanic, was released in Spring 2011.

Some of the events written about in A Ribbon of Shining Steel were based on the real-life experiences of Julie’s own grandfather, John Anderson, who was among the many immigrants needed to keep the CPR running smoothly.

Julie lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Reviews

[Empty Eons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book as a child. 30 years later and I still think about it. It just felt so beautiful and profound. I must have read it a hundred times. I wrote a song about it, one of my first at 10 years old. Got rid of it in my teens thinking I was too old but I immediately regretted it. Now I have a son and I am excited to find a copy for him to read as soon as he’s able. This isn’t really a review, just wish more people were aware of this gem.