Recent Young Adult and
Middle Years
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Thistledown Press gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for its publishing program.
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NOVEL |
Mostly Happy, Pam Bustin ISBN 978-1-897235-39-3 / trade paper; Bean E. Fallwell’s story in Mostly Happy begins with an inventory of items, shiny bits of beauty that she has collected and tucked into a red Samsonite Saturn suitcase. This suitcase, a dominant metaphor in the novel, becomes Bean’s touchstone that keeps her from spiralling into the dark worlds of her beautiful, screwed up mother and all the stray men she brings home; her sad, exhausted father; and her magnetic stepfather as he transforms from family saviour into drunken dragon. Without remorse or bitterness Bean moves forward, seeking her friendships where she can, casting spells to protect her younger sister, and seeking solace from whatever small sanctuaries her transient life offers. Available February 2008 Available in the US |
NOVEL |
Charlie Muskrat , Harold Johnson ISBN 978-1-897235-44-7 / trade paper Charlie Muskrat, out of moose meat for the winter and committed to getting some, finds himself in Prince Albert with a 30/30 Winchester under the seat of his truck, Thunder, half a tank of gas, half a thermos of coffee, lots of Cheezies and a desire to drive south. Accompanied during the trip by phantom hitchhikers from history and myth — the Trickster, Wesakicak, Greek gods, writers, philosophers and politicians — Charlie motors along to the backdrop of Johnny Cash gospel songs and his own foggy memories of his purpose. Through Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Trenton, Sudbury, Ottawa and Toronto and all along the way are those moments of laughter that Johnson does so well — the US border guards who turn Charlie away on gun issues, the Indian Affairs people with their bags of money, the bar conversations on literature in Toronto. Johnson is the author of two novels, Billy Tinker and Back Track, both set in northern Saskatchewan against a background of traditional Cree mythology. His most recent publication Two Families: Treaties and Government (Purich Publishing) has been shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Book Award. Available April 2008 Available in the US |
MEMOIR |
Journey Without A Map: Growing Up Italian, ISBN 978-1-897235-36-2 / trade paper Even as generations pass, cultural pride persists in the very DNA of those who were raised in Italian immigrant families. Donna Caruso’s Journey Without A Map appropriately begins with pasta cooking instructions, and from there the aromas of tomatoes, olives and red wine weave through her sensuous stories. Whether making connections between her Uncle Nick’s nose and her Roman ancestors, or detailing the daily rituals of her shepherdess mother on the Italian hillsides, Caruso relays the information in broad colourful strokes that are at once both inviting and humorous. Journey Without a Map is a journey directly to the heart of family. And that’s one trip Donna Caruso needs no map for — she is a master navigator who intuitively knows the way, and how to tell some great rollicking stories along the way. Her tales of family and being Italian are hilarious, moving, and rich as her homemade marinara sauce.— Dave Margoshes This is vintage Caruso — funny, compelling, full of the most wonderful characters. But there is also poignancy here, sometimes dark, a yearning for a golden childhood long past. Reading Journey Without a Map, I felt envious, wishing I too had grown up Italian in New Jersey. — Maggie Siggins Available March 2008 Available in the US |
TEEN NOVEL |
Cheating Fate, Audrey Pfitzenmaier ISBN 978-1-897235-41-6 / trade paper This is the charged story of four teens, all best friends, who have grown up together in a small town in the BC interior. Loyal, compassionate, and trusting they accept their friendship bonds with a resoluteness that only another teen could understand. But when they survive a serious snowmobile accident and discover they share remarkable and frightening memories of their near-death experience, they fear that their fates are sealed and that they will die at some unknown time — together. The action is paced through four distinct voices Sukhwinder, a laidback Indo-Canadian teenager who loves his friends but gets lured into illegal activity with his urban cousins; Kyle, a restless teen wanting to conquer the motocross world with extreme riding; Jeremy, a sensitive teenager craving attention from a busy single father and absentee mother; and Cassidy, the only girl in the group of friends who fears for the boys and their flawed sense of invincibility. Available March 2008 Available in the US |
JUVENILE NOVEL |
The Mystery Of the Mad Science Teacher, ISBN 978-1-897235-38-6 / trade paper When Trina’s bicycle is stolen, Marty and Remi gear up to solve the case. Once they start their investigation they are both stunned that the evidence leads them to the doorstep of their new elementary school teacher. Mr E proves to be quite resourceful as an opponent, and the new girl at school, Ida, seemingly foils their attempts to catch the school thief. When Marty discovers that he and Remi share the same feelings toward Trina, things get complicated as they try to find out who she likes. For Marty, friendship, loyalty, and trust suddenly seem less straightforward when the mystery of girls is involved. The sequel to The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which was nominated for the 2007 Arthur Ellis Award; and The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, winner of the 2005 City of Edmonton Book Award. Available February 2008 Available in the US |
JUVENILE NOVEL |
Shimmerdogs, Dianne Linden
ISBN 978-1-897235-37-9 / trade paper Lester B. Hopkins — Mike to almost everyone except his mother, Master Corporal Alice Mackelwain — is just a boy trying to make sense of his life, which is becoming more complicated by the world of his absent soldiering mother. Mike is very worried about his mother’s safety while she is in Bosnia. He, like his sister, gets caught up in his mother’s tragic stories of Bosnian boys whose daily lives include nightmares of the violence and terror of war. Mike wonders how to make sense of it all, how to step outside the fears he harbours and the unanswered questions he has. Stumbling upon a book he finds in the library that describes the ancient belief that “shimmerdogs” guard the doorways to death, he begins to shape an understanding of his troubles. Then his dog, Merit, disappears, and he reasons she is on some kind of peacekeeping mission, like his mother. In her new book Dianne Linden takes us on a journey into the world of Mike Hopkins, the little brother we met in her highly-successful young adult novel, Peacekeepers. It’s an authentic, unsentimental journey, but one shimmering with magic, myth and miracle – too good to miss! — Glen Huser, Governor General Award winning author of Stitches, Governor General Award Finalist for Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen Available March 2008 Available in the US |
JUVENILE NOVEL |
The Adventures of Caraway Kim...Right Wing, Don Truckey ISBN 978-1-897235-43-0 / trade paper Ever since legendary hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt’s “He shoots, he scores!”, Canadian kids have been lacing up their skates, grabbing their hockey gear and heading out to the rink. Caraway Kim’s quest in The Adventures of Caraway Kim . . . Right Wing is to become the top goal scorer on his hockey team. He is highly motivated, skilled but not the rough and tumble kind of hockey player who dominates the ice. And, of course, there is such a player on his team — Bradley Rooks — a bigger, stronger, older rival who seems to dominate play and the puck and seems certain to take the crown. What Brandley Rooks doesn’t know is that Kim is truly a student of the game and when the curved stick becomes the latest innovation in hockey, Kim adopts “the secret weapon” revolutionizing the game. Every kid in Canada should read this book. — Eric Duhatschek, hockey analyst, Globe & Mail and Hockey Night in Canada Available March 2008 Available in the US |
JUVENILE NOVEL |
Breathing Soccer, Debbie Spring ISBN 978-1-897235-42-3 / trade paper Breathing Soccer is the realistic account of Lisa who is forbidden to play soccer because of her asthma. At its core the novel reveals the plight of asthmatics who desire the challenge and thrill of sports, but who must weigh that desire against some very real health issues. Dr. Emerson, Lisa’s family doctor, has warned her that her asthma must be taken seriously, and that the aggressive demands that soccer places on her breathing could be lethal. Her parents believe the doctor and as a result become overly protective. Even her soccer coach, Wilcox, decides not to play her in the games because he does not want to take a chance on her getting sick and weakening the team’s chance to win. But just when it seems that the world has conspired against her, while watching the Olympic Games, Lisa discovers a new source of strength in the example of Olympic Rower Silken Laumann. Lisa is inspired by Silken who, after a terrible accident, was told by doctors that her career was over, but who rose above their verdict to overcome her own barriers in order to win the Bronze medal for Canada. Available March 2008 Available in the US |
