Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. This title is now available in stores and online!
New in Paperback:
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls By Cherie Dimaline 280 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9780735265653 | Tundra Books Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother’s grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack. Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It’s welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father’s job being outsourced. Now that the ghost tours have started, Winifred just might be able to save her father’s job and the only home she’s ever known, not to mention being able to stay close to where her mother is buried. All she has to do is get help from her con-artist cousin to keep up the rouse and somehow manage to stop her father from believing his wife has returned from the grave. But when Phil, an actual ghost of a teen girl who lived and died in the ravine next to the cemetery, starts showing up, Winifred begins to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Especially love.
We can’t wait to see you reading this title! If you share this book online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!
I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf Written by Danielle Daniel Illustrated by Matt James 64 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880708 | Tundra Books I’m afraid, Said the leaf. / You’re not alone, Said the tree. But who will comfort a nervous bird, a lonely crab, a lost wolf? How can a horse find warmth, a snail some cheer, a child some rest? Through a series of amusing and soothing exchanges, this deceptively simple and profound picture book depicts different pairings to celebrate interconnectedness and underlines the importance of caring for every living organism to ensure a strong and healthy natural world. I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf invites young readers to understand that we all need each other for support and survival – and that we’re all stronger together.
Once Upon a Sari Written by Zenia Wadhwani Illustrated by Avani Dwivedi 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880944 | Tundra Books Avani is having a wonderful time looking at all of her mother’s saris, but she soon realizes she’s made a big mess. When her mom comes in, Avani expects a scolding, but instead, her mom sits down with her and tells her about the memories associated with each sari: memories of weddings and celebrations, memories of when and where the sari came from. And, in case of one very special sari, memories that were passed down from her parents and grandparents. A beautiful and vibrant reflection on how what we wear connects us to big and small moments in our lives, Once Upon a Sari is a colorful feast for the eyes and the heart.
New in Paperback:
The Big Sting By Rachelle Delaney 224 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735269323 | Tundra Books Eleven-year-old Leo is an “armchair adventurer.” This, according to Dad, means he’d choose adventures in books or video games over real-life experiences. And while Leo hates the label, he can’t argue with it. Unlike his little sister Lizzie, Leo is not a risk-taker. So when he, Lizzie, Mom and Dad leave the city to visit Grandpa on Heron Island, Leo finds all kinds of dangers to avoid – from the deep, dark ocean to an old barn on the verge of collapse. But nothing on the island is more fearsome than Grandpa himself – Leo has never met anyone so grumpy! According to Mom, Grandpa is still grieving the recent death of his wife, a beekeeper beloved by everyone on the island. Despite Leo’s best efforts to avoid it, adventure finds him anyway when Grandma’s beehives go missing in the dead of night. Infuriated, Grandpa vows to track down the sticky-fingered thieves himself . . . with risk-averse Leo and danger-loving Lizzie (plus a kitten named Mayhem) in tow.
We can’t wait to see you reading these titles! If you share these books online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.
Hello graphic novel lovers! The Young Readers team at Penguin Random House Canada is headed to downtown Toronto for TCAF 2024, happening on May 11th and 12th at the Toronto Reference Library. We’ll be showcasing many of our wonderful graphic novels at tables 144/145!
Saturday, May 11th
At 1:00pm in the Novella Room, join creator Adam de Souza for the Coast to Coast to Coast discussion. Moderated by Sal Sawler.
At 3:00pm in the Learning Centre, join creator Eunnie for a panel on Queer Kisses: Love, Romance and Identity.
Saturday, May 11th
At 1:00pm in the Learning Centre, join creator Adam de Souza for a discussion on Teen Titans: Empowering Stories for Young Folks. Moderated by Cole Pauls.
At 3:00pm in the Learning Centre, join creators Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka for a discussion on Back Pack: Creating Stories for Middle-Graders. Moderated by Sid Sharp.
We will also be hosting signings on both days at tables 144/145! Books will be available for purchase courtesy of The Beguiling.
And don’t forget to follow us online @tundrabooks and @penguinteenca as we post live from the show floors!
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. This title is now available in stores and online!
Shine By Bruno Valasse 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774884287 | Tundra Books A little moth hides from the dark, and doesn’t want to leave his bright and cozy home. But here’s a secret: he loves watching the stars. They only come out at night, though . . . when it’s dark outside. One night, the stars give the moth the courage to go outside into the night. There, he makes friends with other creatures who are also afraid of the dark, and they play and sparkle under the stars. But will a dangerous encounter with a group of hungry frogs drive the moth back inside? Or will it encourage him to create his own light in the darkness? Inspired by the author’s own childhood memories of being afraid of the dark but drawn to the beauty of the night sky, Shine is a gorgeous debut picture book which will encourage readers to be their authentic selves . . . and glow!
We can’t wait to see you reading this title! If you share this book online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Kern Carter!
About the Author:
KERN CARTER is the author of Boys and Girls Screaming, along with two self-published novels, Thoughts of a Fractured Soul (novella) and Beauty Scars. In addition to his writing, Kern is a filmmaker and also teaches professional writing at a local college, committed to supporting emerging writers and helping them find their voice. He lives in Toronto.
Fast Five with Kern Carter:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
This is a tough question, so I’m going to cheat and give a couple of different answers. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live part of my life in Grenada. My mother and grandmother were both born there and the stories they tell me speaks to my soul. The other place I would live is in Laguna Beach, California. I spent a few days there and you’re literally in between the ocean and these gorgeous mountains. I didn’t want to leave.
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
One thing that instantly makes my day better is eating my first meal. I absolutely love food, good food, and eating usually puts me in the best mood.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner is definitely my favorite meal. There are so many options and I get the most excited thinking about all the different possibilities. Plus all of my favourite dishes are dinner dishes.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
The best concert I’ve ever been to was Kanye’s West’s Yeezus tour. I’ve never seen a production like that in my life. I also want to give a shoutout to Jill Scott. I saw her perform in New Orleans and her show was probably the most memorable. Her voice and stage presence was all she needed to command the audience.
Who do you consider a fashion icon?
When I was growing up, I remember waking up on Saturday mornings and flipping the TV to a show called Raw hosted by Jeanne Beker. Jeanne would take you behind the scenes of fashion shows all across the world and do these unscripted, random interviews and it was my first exposure to that level of fashion. So to me, Jeanne Beker is a fashion icon because she gave kids like me access at a time when it was limited.
Books by Kern:
And Then There Was Us By Kern Carter 232 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774883402 | Tundra Books Coi is just eighteen years old, but has already survived years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother. After being kicked out of her mother’s house at age fourteen, Coi has lived with her father, and together they’ve created a peaceful life. That peace ends suddenly when her mother dies. While Coi struggles to find kindness in her heart for the woman who only hurt her, she starts having lucid dreams, forcing her to relive moments of abuse and emotional trauma that eventually led to Coi’s abandonment. Her mother’s passing also reopens the door to her mother’s side of the family, including her beloved younger half-sister, Kayla, her stepfather and her grandmother. Each of them challenge Coi’s long-held views about her mother, especially Kayla, who, Coi realizes, is taking their mother’s loss hard. As she reconnects with her family, Coi learns to see parts of her mother she never experienced, and for the first time since she was abandoned, opens her heart to forgiveness.
