Blog
28 Rep Picks to Read this Spring
by Melissa
Biography & Memoir + Essays + Fiction + Graphica + Kids + Picture Books + YA Fiction / March 16, 2018
Spring is finally here, and with the new season comes a whole new batch of favourite books! Check out our sales reps' picks for the season and get those TBR lists ready!
Jessica Price
The Year of Less
by Cait Flanders
“The remarkable true story of a young woman who got herself out of debt by radically simplifying and redefining what it means to have, and be ‘enough.’”
Yoga Storytime
by Miriam Raventos, illustrated by Maria Giron
“Simple text paired with beautiful illustrations make this the perfect book to introduce children to the practice of yoga.”
Jenny Enriquez
Shit Is Real
by Aisha Franz
“A graphic novel chock-full of existential millennial themes? Sign me up!”
Children of Blood and Bone
by Tomi Adeyemi
“So excited about this new fantasy series! A high stakes adventure about a teenage girl named Zelie who has a chance to restore magic back to her home on Orisha, with the help of her brother and the fugitive Crown Princess. The striking cover art has been all over social media, so I am clearly not alone in my excitement!”
Saffron Beckwith
The Merry Spinster
by Mallory Ortberg
“Ortberg’s Texts from Jane Eyre was a hoot; this takes it up a notch with feminist fairy tales that are dark and playful.”
Sylvia Long’s Big Book for Small Children
by Sylvia Long
“I have been a huge fan of Sylvia Long’s for decades; she has brought together a number of our favourite classics in a wonderful treasury.”
Morgen Young
Carnegie’s Maid
by Marie Benedict
“Set in mid-nineteenth century Pittsburgh, this impeccably researched novel tells the tale of Clara Kelly, maid to Andrew Carnegie’s mother, in the time when Pittsburgh was earning its name as a steel town; before Carnegie was the philanthropist he would become. At heart a tale of the immigrant experience and the power of ambition, we see the undeniably important role Clara played in Carnegie’s life, and the risks she took along the way.”
Ocean
by Ricardo Henriques, illustrated by Andre Letria
“Amazing fun facts about ocean life and exploration throughout history for 8-12 year olds! These super cool illustrations will catch the eye of both parent and child alike and will be a perfect summer title for 2018.”
Lorna MacDonald
The Dry
by Jane Harper
“In the process of investigating his friend’s death, Melbourne Federal Agent Aaron Falk finds that small towns can harbour big secrets. Published in hardcover in January 2017, The Dry received stellar reviews both at home and abroad—The New York Times called it ‘a breathless page turner.’ This is an atmospheric mystery with surprising revelations and plot twists.”
The Big Bed
by Bunmi Laditan, illustrated by Tom Knight
“Two’s company. Three’s a crowd. A determined toddler explains why she needs to sleep in the big bed with Mommy and not in her own little bed. Only problem is Daddy taking up a lot of space. There’s no way three of them can fit in the bed comfortably. So Daddy has got to go—but not too far. Author Bunmi Laditan, creator of the blog The Honest Toddler, puts a new twist on a perennial parental struggle! This is a bedtime story to make both parents and toddlers laugh out loud.”
Evette Sintichakis
Sometimes I Lie
by Alice Feeney
“Why is Amber in a coma? Why doesn’t her husband love her anymore? What does she know? WHAT IS SHE LYING ABOUT!? Sometimes I Lie is so twisty and Amber so unreliable—you truly won’t see the twist coming!”
Unicorn (and Horse)
by David W. Miles and Hollie Mengert
"'Unicorn dances. Tra la la! Horse sits grumpy. Blah blah blah.' This is not your typical glitter and rainbows unicorn book! Kids and adults will both love this hilarious story that ultimately reminds us about the power of friendship even though we may be different."
Karen Stacey
How to Swear
by Stephen Wildish
“Chats, text, tweets. Some say we’re losing proper English usage. Art of conversation? Here’s your chance to refine your language skills, Chronicle style!! A new addition to our nasty words publishing program.”
I Got It!
by David Wiesner
“Each of David Wiesner’s amazing (almost) wordless picture books reveal the magic in simple everyday settings. A great journey of imagination.”
Ali Hewitt
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
by Alexander Chee
“Alexander Chee’s Queen of the Night was such a gorgeous and special book, and now he’s written a collection of essays that weaves together his coming of age as a man, writer, and activist, exploring the craft of writing, and the many facets of his identity.”
I Love Kisses
by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Brenna Vaughan
“A charming picture book about the many kinds of love a toddler can experience. Inspired by my niece and written by her extremely fond grandmother (my very own mum!).”
Dani Farmer
Even the Stiffest People Can Do the Splits
by Eiko
“I have NEVER been able to do the splits, even as a little kid. It’s perpetually on my New Years resolution list and I’m hoping, with the help of the Marie Kondo of stretching, that I’ll finally achieve my goal. Hopefully the rest of my colleagues will join me in doing some fun stretching too!”
As You Wish
by Chelsea Sedoti
“Being a teen in a small town is tough. High school, popularity, family issues, big decisions... But what if one of the big decisions you had to make was a single, magical wish? Suddenly, turning eighteen just got a whole lot more complicated!”
Judy Parker
What to Do When I’m Gone
by Suzy Hopkins, illustrated by Hallie Bateman
“I am a mother to daughters, and a daughter who lost her mother, and this graphic novel spoke to both of those sides of me. I could hear the advice my mother might have given me and could see myself giving advice to my daughters but the messages in the book reach beyond those roles. It is really about love and grief and life and the format is so accessible and immediate. Highly recommended.”
Polly Diamond and the Magic Book
by Alice Kuipers, illustrated by Diana Toledano
“Alice Kuipers is a well known Canadian author who has published in the teen and picture book market. Her new character, Polly Diamond, is an absolute charmer and she will be an inspiration to young writers everywhere. An engaging main character, a realistic family and a book that writes back to Polly combine in this great new series for emerging chapter book readers.”
Laurie Martella
The Radium Girls
by Kate Moore
“The true story of the young women who worked in deadly radium factories during WWI. The book reveals how their daily exposure and ingestion of the poisonous substance caused serious illness and death—all the while they were assured that this new, glowing substance was completely safe. In fact, their jobs as the shining girls was coveted. I encourage you to learn more about these extraordinary women, and read this carefully researched sad, sad story.”
Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years
by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield
“Fun and whimsical, written by beloved children’s author Stacy McAnulty, and illustrated by the award winning and amazing illustrator David Litchfield, but told from the POV of Earth itself.”
Vanessa Di Gregorio
A Conjuring of Light
by V. E. Schwab
“The final book in the Shades of Magic trilogy has EVERYTHING. If this epically perfect series hasn’t been on your radar, it should be! Especially since it was just announced that there will be another four books set in the Shades of Magic universe—another trilogy and a standalone set in the future.”
100 First Words for Little Geeks
Familius
“This IS the book you’ve been looking for. As a geek mom with a geek baby (sorry Link!), this is exactly the kind of book I would love to get as a gift. Simply perfect!”
Laureen Cusack
The Mitford Murders
by Jessica Fellowes
“Based on a real unsolved murder! Set in London in 1920, a young impoverished woman is hired as a chaperone to Nancy Mitford and gets caught up in a murder that will haunt her and Nancy for decades to follow.”
I Really Want to See You, Grandma
by Taro Gomi
“With sparse text and bold illustrations, Taro Gomi captures the essence of that special grandparent-child bond.”
Louis-Marc Simard
Child of a Mad God
by R. A. Salvatore
“Few people in fantasy are as well established as R. A. Salvatore. In Child of a Mad God, Salvatore brings his storytelling talents to a whole new world: one where a young woman, a witch’s daughter, struggles to find her place in a barbaric world, as well as understand her origins. Fans of action and adventure will devour this new series debut, and hunger for more!”
The Brilliant Deep
by Kate Messner, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
“In 2014, more than twenty species of coral were classified as endangered in the United States. In this nonfiction picture book, award-winning author Kate Messner tells the story of Ken Nedimyer, who, along with his daughter, founded the Coral Restoration Foundation. Matthew Forsythe’s gorgeous illustrations bring Ken’s quest to save the world’s coral reefs to life with its vibrant colours and bold art style.”
