The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell by @ValerieSherrard DCB @cormorantbooks #ireadcanadian #redmaple #forestofreading

The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell
Valerie Sherrard
DCB Cormorant Books

Valerie Sherrard's latest novel is one of this year's Red Maple Award nominees. She has created an entertaining story about a boy, named Derek, who finds himself invisible and infamous over the course of the novel. His fame and popularity are determined with the help of a single social media post. 
Valerie describes her characters so well that the reader can easily visualize them and relate to their personalities. I enjoyed the way Valerie described Derek's internal feelings about his rise in status at school so that the reader could see how different it is from his public persona.
It's a great read-aloud for middle-grade students as they begin to define their own presence and limits on social media. It would generate some valuable discussions around good decision making when creating your own digital footprint. Valerie explains the pitfalls of notoriety in a humorous and relatable manner.  

One Year in Coal Harbor by @PollyHorvath published by @GroundwoodBooks

One Year in Coal Harbor
Polly Horvath
Groundwood Books

I really enjoyed Polly's quirky protagonist in this middle grade novel.  She reminded me of a modern day Anne Shirley! Polly Horvath cleverly intersperses humour into real life situations to ensure the reader is entertained and informed.   I think this would make a great read aloud in Grades 4 and 5.  This novel would be a great way to introduce classroom discussions around friendship and being an active citizen. There are some great examples of positive behaviour to draw from when asking the tough questions about what makes a good friend and when is it okay to break the law?  This companion novel to Everything on a Waffle successfully continues with the "foodie" theme in an funny and entertaining way.