Definitely Not James Herriot
Adult
Definitely Not James Herriot is a loving ode to the animals, domestic and wild, who taught Jocelyn and her family that every critter has a personality of their own, animals are smarter than humans, and just cleaning the barn won’t get you into animal heaven.
“Wholesome is sometimes wrongly viewed as boring—that you need to be edgy to hold a reader’s attention and this book is proof that is completely untrue. Definitely Not James Herriot is a story told with heart and a healthy dose of laughter, and will keep readers turning pages until the very end and then still wanting more.” — Eileen Cook, author You Owe Me A Murder
“Of all the books I have been assigned to read in the past three years, this one was my favourite. The story held me to continue reading, each animal displayed its personality well, and the reactions of individual people were evident and logical … My favourite animal has always been a well-trained German Shepherd dog, but this story took me beyond them, almost ready to adore other animals my children have lived with, like horses that the author nurtured.” – Evaluation, Whistler Independent Book Awards
Tess
Highly recommended, CM Magazine
Top shelf fiction, Resource Links and VOYA
A #1 BC Best Seller
Shortlisted for the 2004 Chocolate Lily Award
Shortlisted for the 2005 Red Cedar Award
For readers age 13+
In 1856, two of Tess Macqueen’s brothers succumbed to a measles epidemic and in 1857 her mother and youngest brother die of flu. The deaths leave Tess and her father reeling. When her uncle arrives from the colonies, where he’s been for 10 years, for her mother’s and brother’s funeral, he reminds her father that when Tess’s grandfather died six years before that, he inherited everything according to Scotland’s Primogeniture law. He sells the Macqueen ancestral home out from under her father. Soon, Tess and her father find themselves en route to the colony of Vancouver’s Island in the New World. There, they hope to begin a new life. What they encounter when they land is a reality far different from what Tess’s uncle led them to expect.
Kittens and Stars and Cats Who Meet Czars
Preschool / Ages 1-3
Kittens and Stars and Cats Who Meet Czars is a beautifully illustrated counting book designed for preschool children. The central characters are cats and kittens that appear in increasing numbers on each successive page.
The counting is highly original and full of humour moving from one cat in a belfry ringing a bell to 10 cats who travel to meet three old-fashioned czars. In between, the readers see cats on a high barre above five posed ballerinas as well as seven cats in the kitchen accompanied by a single rooster. The introduction of unique ideas and the pairing of almost peculiar concepts is a refreshing change from more traditional counting books, particularly for adults as they interact with young children in various settings.
Whale Hunt
On a morning in April 1861, Young Seal is first paddler in his father’s whaling canoe. The Matlinniaht hunters are searching for whales off the Northwest coast of Vancouver’s Island. It’s been the worst no-food-getting season in living memory and the whales do not swim close to shore as they used to do.
In the gray dawn the hunters spy a lone humpback whale, asleep. Young Seal’s father readies his harpoon. Silently and swiftly, the paddlers bring the canoe alongside the whale. The chief steps up and balances himself with one foot on the gunwale, the other on a thwart. He will wait for Young Seal’s signal before he turns and strikes.
Young Seal knows his father is praying his arm will be strong and his aim will be true. Young Seal prays his paddle will be quick and that, this time, they will succeed.
A Dog’s Life
The dog was a wanderer. Picked up by the dog catcher for the third time, things weren’t looking good for him.
Told without words, the colorful illustrations in this board book will draw children and adults into the life of an energetic, curious, mischievous black Labrador whose wandering ways were tamed—almost—when he came to live with his forever family. They named him Bouncer, and fell in love with him.
The Nut
For some, Christmas is a season of fun and plenty. But Lester Bowles Pearson Parker’s mother and his 39 brothers and sisters are hungry. And the house humans’ Jack Russell terrier, whose bite is definitely worse than his bark, is on the prowl.
In spite of his weighty name and the expectations carrying it places on him, Lester has no experience at all with being a hero. He spends most of his time alone. No one listens to him. So how can this tiny mouse find the courage to save his family from starving?
The Week of the Horse
Shortlisted for the 2005 Saskatchewan Snow Willow Award
“The Week of the Horse is an engaging, lively story with a truly unforgettable
heroine. Paulie and her beloved horse will captivate every reader, who loves
animals, family drama and adventure.”
Raincoast Books
“At times humorous, at times heart-wrenching, The Week of the Horse is more than a book about a horse. It is the story of a spunky girl’s courage against odds that seem insurmountable and the support she finds in unexpected places; of a girl who struggles for acceptance in a large family where other people’s needs often supercede her own. The strong, inter-generational ties are prevalent throughout the story, not only between Paulie and Nana, but also between the young girl and Bob, the stable manager, who is forced to move away in search of employment when the stable closes.”
Carole Marion, Branch Librarian, for CM Magazine
“Reekie’s skill in creating a vivid sense of place is perhaps most evident in the scenes at the livestock auction. The reader can almost smell the unmistakable odor of manure, see the animals crowded in their pens, and hear the singsong call of the auctioneer.”
Tanya Storr, Discovery Islander
Shorelines: Memoirs & Tales of the Discovery Islands
Kingfisher Publishing
Shorelines is a literary conjuring of the spirit of place; a collection of writings as rich and varied as the islands which have provided their inspiration. From Hardwicke in the north to Savary in the south, the islands jam the passage of the Northern Georgia Strait, creating a dynamic environment of turbulent waters and beckoning shores. In this anthology, brimming with humour, drama and tragedy, over 30 writers and artists bring us Memoirs and Tales of the Discovery Islands.
Edited by Jocelyn Reekie and Annette Yourk
Includes: Alan Haig-Brown, Dennis Kaye, Heather Kellerhals-Stewart, Alexandra Morton, Joan Skogan, Hilary Stewart, Rex Weyler, Gilean Douglas.
Escape: An Anthology from North Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands
Peregrin Publishing
“Twenty-eight writers, from careful journeymen to exhilarated beginners, take readers on a swirling, bobbing ride through the unusual lives of islanders that’s not unlike a Boston whaler running Seymour Narrows. Campbell River Courier-Islander editor Neil Cameron provides a poignant and moving sketch of an encounter with an underage poacher; Peter Davies offers a window into the gritty side of island life with a graphic (that’s graphic as in illustrated) short story, Campbell Joe; Jocelyn Reekie recounts a diver’s encounter with a pod of killer whales. There are bush pilots dodging clag where the mountains disappear into the clouds and an angler who encounters an antlered deer in an offshore kelp bed; there are poems, stories, essays and memoirs—perfect for the night table and pre-sleep dipping.”
—Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun
Please Don’t Eat The Cheese House Mouse Tales: Volume I: Christmas
These stories have been crafted with a child’s sense of adventure, wonder and joy in mind. They tell the tales of very different mice who, one Christmas, have adventures they’ll never forget. First off there are Inky, Pinky, Stinky and Rose, who save Christmas when Santa is ill. Next up is Nimble Nibbles, who could ‘squeeze into spots that were smaller than a fly and scamper faster than lightning could light up the sky’. He’s also a mouse who is drawn to bling, which leads to a mystery tale. Jefferson Mouseton lives under a porch in a box with his family, but is lured into the house by the smell of Christmas cookies. Unfortunately, his nose lands him inside another box and takes him on a journey he did not anticipate. Lester Bowles Pearson Parker feels weighed down by the expectations placed on mice in his family who are given that name. He’s no Prime Minister, that’s for sure. He spends most of his time lost in thought and alone, and when he’s summoned by his mother he thinks about ignoring her. But he knows she knows ‘he can hear as well as dolphins and bats’, and with 39 brothers and sisters to sniff him out, there’s no place to hide. He must summon his strength and courage to face the challenge he’s given.
By Amandah Bracken, Gwen Kushner, Louise Rapson, Sidanne Switzer, Jocelyn Reekie
About the authors:
We are five friends who gather together once a month for lunch. Somewhere along the line, someone came up with an idea for a book. We all enjoy reading and telling stories and we all like to draw and paint. So we decided to just do it. For some, this is their first time in print. For others, it’s a continuation of what we love to do. We hope readers have as much fun reading this as we had creating it. The book was written, illustrated, printed and handbound by the authors with love.
