There have been The Lord of the Rings And The world of Narnia, Then Harry Potter And The Northern Kingdoms. More recently, young readers have become infatuated with the peculiar children of Miss Peregrine and heroes of Hunger Games.
Each generation is the cradle of fantastic novels which transcend it, which can claim cult status, which are available in films, series and other derivative products. But above all, which make those who never open the pages of a book want to be tempted.
The first volume of the adventures of Whisperwicks, “The Endless Labyrinth”, which is already a global success, is of this caliber. With its wonderful and inventive world and its larger-than-life characters, it promises to bathe rainy days with magic and wonder, for young and old alike.
Benjamiah spends his days in his grandmother’s bookstore manning the cash register, advising customers, but above all devouring the books that explain to him how the world and science work. One day, he receives a strange doll with button eyes from his parents – who have gone on a trip to try one last time to repair the problems between them. Dissatisfied – it’s been years since he played with dolls – the kid puts her on a chest of drawers.
What is his surprise when the toy turns into a chaotic monkey who does more mischief. Forced to follow him to limit the damage, Benjamiah is soon dragged to the other side of a secret door hidden in the family bookstore. Crossing the threshold, he is catapulted to Dedaleum, a labyrinthine world whose streets are constantly changing places, and in which it is impossible to find his way.
To hope to return home, the boy joins forces with Elizabella, a young girl looking for her missing brother. Guided by a magic string – Ariane -, the two children, in the company of their doll Ecko, set off in search of whisperwicks, lanterns containing a clue that Elizabella’s twin has hidden in the four corners of the city, ready to face the Viper, the Hanged Men and the terrible Minotaur.
Jordan Lees creates a dark, intriguing and complex universe that taps the reader’s imagination and curiosity, and builds a captivating story driven by the urgency and stubbornness of multidimensional characters to whom children can easily relate. identify. The learning and lessons are done at the rhythm of the narration, which only reveals its full force in the very last pages. Strong!
The germ fan club, Élise Gravel
After sharing his passion for small animals and mushrooms in two books as amusing as they are informative, the star of children’s literature is offering a new “fan club”, this one dedicated to microbes, these feared “masters of the world”. , but often essential to our survival. With her usual efficiency and humor, Élise Gravel does a useful job by skilfully deconstructing the myths and fears that these organizations give rise to. As a bonus, it could inspire a passion for Latin for certain young readers…
The Museum of Useless Parts of the Body, Rachel Poliquin and Clayton Hanmer
This magnificent album aimed at a youth audience answers questions that also bother adults: what was the appendix for? Why do we have wisdom teeth? We follow Professor Wisdom Tooth and a Fugitive Kidney through the mazes of a surprising museum: one which relates the history of vestigial structures, these parts of the human body which have lost their usefulness, and also that of genes and organs that have disappeared over the course of the evolution of animal and human species. An enlightening and entertaining read, but which can be tough for beginning readers.
Text, publish, scroll, Emmanuelle Parent
This book by researcher Emmanuelle Parent, director of the Center for Online Emotional Intelligence, is aimed first and foremost at adolescents. But reading this essay, which directly addresses our relationship with social networks and their use, could be beneficial to Internet users of all ages… In simple but not simplistic language, the communications doctor offers avenues for reflection and solutions to have a “healthy” relationship with these addictive platforms, thanks among other things to the numerous testimonies of young users.
A bedtime story for my parents, Valérie Kempa and Monica Bauleo
This classic-style tale told from a child’s point of view will no doubt be requested again and again at bedtime by little ones. As night approaches, Arthur has a mission: to invent a story for his parents so that they have sweet dreams. Dressed in his knight’s armor, with the help of Mom, his apprentice squire, Lulu the unicorn and Dani-Ailes the dragon, he will face many obstacles to save his father from danger. This colorful and expressive album is a true ode to the imagination, which ends in bursts of laughter.
Louise and the St. Lawrence Cowboys, Victoria Lord
Even if country music does not fall into your preteen’s musical tastes, she may very well succumb to the old-fashioned charm of Paul and Paulette, a musical and loving duo who toured the province in the summer of 1974. Perhaps be that she will dream of experiencing the same temporal and musical adventure as Louise, the shy and talented young heroine who follows them on the roads and even on stage. And that she will come to hum the four original songs composed by the author, herself a musician adept in this genre, which accompany this very beautiful first novel.