 Oscar Dunleavy, apple tart baker, is missing and presumed dead after taking his own life. Nobody seems suspicious of his disappearance except for Meg, his best friend, and Stevie, his little brother. Through interwoven narratives, we find out what truly happened to Oscar and what changed so drastically in his life that drove him to attempt suicide. Meg had moved from Ireland to New Zealand for six months, losing touch with Oscar. Oscar’s new neighbor, Paloma Killealy, moved into Meg’s house while she was away. A manipulative and pathological schemer, Paloma makes Oscar’s life miserable as she fakes a friendship with him all to allow her notion of “The Ratio,” to come to fruition. Meg and Stevie team up to determine what really happened to Oscar and learn about the power of never giving up hope. This sensational novel centers on the destruction of bullying and the power of true friendship. cc |
| Title: The Apple Tart Of Hope Author: Sarah Moore Fitzgerald Publisher: Orion Children’s Books, a division of Orion Publishing Group Ltd., London Copyright: 2014 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-4440-0692-6 Hardcover pages: 199 Age range: 13 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Ireland/New Zealand Author’s ethnicity: Irish Author’s residence: Ireland Subjects: Bullying, Deception, Disabilities, Families, Friends, Food, High school, Hope, Love |
The Apple Tart Of Hope
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Malik, a boy in a wheelchair, does batter with other kites in the Basant festival from his rooftop in Lahore, Pakistan. With Falcon, his specially built-for-speed kite, he captures many kites including two flown by the bully next door. His good natured spirit shines through when the bully takes a young girl’s kite and Malik, as king for the day, helps the girl. Cut paper, yarn, Pakistani fabric, ribbon and pencil sketch collage illustrations from varying perspectives provide a kite’s eye view of the festival. A pronunciation guide and an afterword about the celebration of Basant are included in the book, and a teacher’s guide is available on the 
Adolescent Helene has been ostracized by girls who had once been her friends. They scribble insults on the school walls and snicker about her on the bus. Her escape is Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. When she goes on a camping trip with her class, she discovers an amazing red fox and a new friend, Geraldine. The mixed-media illustrations alternate between Helene’s sad, black-and-white world and Jane Eyre’s bold colorful English countryside. Helene’s world changes as she learns that she is worthy of friendship. mjw
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In 1884, in Washington Territory just miles from the British Columbia border, 15-year-old George Gillies and his siblings discover a local white settler murdered. Suspicion falls on 14-year-old Louie Sam, a member of the Stó:lo tribe. George and his friend Pete secretly follow a lynch mob into Canada, where Louie Sam is seized and hanged. But, George and his father have doubts about Louie Sam’s guilt. Based on the only recorded lynching to occur on Canadian soil, this is a gripping story about racism, injustice, mob mentality, and discrimination. A final note provides historical facts. mjw
TIn 1968, in the coal mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, nine-year-old Jenny dreams of being a famous singer, but she suffers from stage fright and has become the target of bullies at school. She makes friends with Melody, a proud Mi’kmaq girl who has moved from a residential school. The girls bond. They both love books, nature, and music. The powerful harmony they develop helps them face challenges of peer cruelty, racism, and grief. The time and place of socially evolving Canada are captured perfectly in the first-person narration. mjw
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