It goes without saying that the last 12 months and change have been challenging, but SaskBooks is proud of how our library friends have worked so hard to do the work they do and continue to serve their communities. We missed seeing our colleagues in 2020, so we’re glad you’re coming to visit us (albeit digitally!) this year.
We love helping get Saskatchewan books to the people who want them, and we’re grateful for the role libraries play in that process. To make it easier for you to do that, we are offering a 20% discount and free shipping for all SLA/MLA conference attendees!
Use purchase code SLAMLA21 at https://www.skbooks.com/bookstore/ to qualify for 20% off your entire order and free shipping. If you have any problems using the code, please feel free to reach out to us at dparr [@] saskbooks.com.
Here are some books you might be interested in having a look at:
The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List: Revised Edition by Robin and Arlene Karpan, published by Parkland Publishing, ISBN 9780995087521, $24.95, Non-Fiction/Travel
Put the Best of the Best on YOUR Bucket List! The Great Saskatchewan Bucket Listnot only shows you 50 top natural wonders but also helps you get there.
Gather: On the Joy of Storytelling by Richard Van Camp, published by University of Regina Press, ISBN 9780889777700, $19.95, Non-Fiction
Stories are medicine. During a time of heightened isolation, bestselling author Richard Van Camp shares what he knows about the power of storytelling—and offers some of his own favourite stories from Elders, friends, and family.
Gathering around a campfire, or the dinner table, we humans have always told stories. Through them, we define our identities and shape our understanding of the world.
Master storyteller and bestselling author Richard Van Camp writes of the power of storytelling and its potential to transform speakers and audiences alike.
In Gather, Van Camp shares what elements make a compelling story and offers insights into basic storytelling techniques, such as how to read a room and how to capture the attention of listeners. And he delves further into the impact storytelling can have, helping readers understand how to create community and how to banish loneliness through their tales. A member of the Tlicho Dene First Nation, Van Camp also includes stories from Elders whose wisdom influenced him.
During a time of uncertainty and disconnection, stories reach across vast distances to offer connection. Gather is a joyful reminder of this for storytellers: all of us.
Kitotam by John McDonald, published by Radiant Press, ISBN 9781989274507, $20.00, Poetry
The Neyhiyawak (Plains Cree) word “Kitotam” translates into English as “he speaks to it.” John McDonald writes raw poetry that captures the essence of his life and experiences as an urban Indigenous youth during the 1980s. A glimpse of the people, events, and trauma that influenced the person he has become: storyteller, spoken-word artist, and a meticulous caretaker o fthe history of his ancestors.
How’s Peanut? by Brenda Redman, illustrated by Wendi Nordell, Published ISBN 9781988783666, $14.95, Children’s Book/Health
Everyone is excited when there’s a baby on the way!
Share the story of how babies grow before they’re born with your own “little peanut”!
Shapers of Worlds by Edward Willett, John Scalzi, Seanan McGuire, et at., Published by Shadowpaw Press, ISBN 9781989398067, $22.95, Science Fiction
Within these pages lie eighteen stories, from eighteen worlds shaped by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its first year. Some are international bestsellers. Among them are winners of and nominees for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, Aurealis, Ditmar, British Science Fiction Association, and Dragon Awards. Some have been writing for decades, others are at the beginning of their careers. All have honed their craft to razor-sharpness.
A teenage girl finds something strange in the middle of the Canadian prairie. An exobiologist tries to liberate a giant alien enslaved on its homeworld by humans. The music of the spheres becomes literal for an Earth ship far from home. A superhero league interviews for new members. Strangers share a drink on a world where giant starships fall. Two boys, one a werewolf, one a mage, get more than they bargained for when they volunteer to fight an evil Empire. A man with amnesia accepts a most unusual offer. A young woman finds unexpected allies as she tries to win a flying-machine race in steampunk London . . .
Ranging from boisterous to bleak, from humorous to harrowing, from action-filled to quiet and meditative; taking place in alternate pasts, the present day, the far, far future, and times that never were; set on Earth, in the distant reaches of space, in fantasy worlds, and in metaphysical realms, each of these stories is as unique as its creator. And yet, they all showcase one thing: the irrepressible need of human beings to create, to imagine, to tell stories.
To shape worlds.
Let’s Fly! A Dragon’s Quest in Saskatoon by Kathie Kram, illustrated by Kas Rea, Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing, ISBN 9781988783697, $14.95, Children’s
Discover the wonders of Saskatoon!
Share the adventures of two new friends as they explore places important to the city’s culture and heritage.
The Day I Discovered a Dinosaur Bone?! Adventures of the Barnyard Boys by M Larson, illustrated by D Ghosh, Published by M Larson Books, ISBN 9781999268305, $13.99, Children’s
Have you ever discovered a dinosaur? Three brothers, Owen, Finn and Dez really want to find a dinosaur bone. After searching everywhere, Finn finally finds a fossil! Is it a Tyrannosaurus rex, a hadrosaur or is it something just as old? Let’s find out!
Backyard Bird Feeding: A Saskatchewan Guide by Trevor Herriot, Published by Nature Saskatchewan, ISBN 9780921104353, $19.95, Nature
This beautiful new guide to bird feeding in Saskatchewan will help you bring the colour and music of birds into your yard whether you live in town or country.
Packed with advice on how to attract birds with food, shelter, and water year round, it includes detailed accounts of the species most likely to visit.
Illustrated with beautiful photographs taken by backyard bird enthusiasts from across the Prairies,Backyard Bird Feeding: A Saskatchewan Guideis the ideal resource for backyard bird feeding in Saskatchewan.
This book covers a range of topics, including which birds you might attract, what and how to feed, and how to handle challenges should they arise. Sidebars with fascinating tidbits and trivia add interest and insight into the remarkable lives of wild birds.
Whether you are just getting started or are a veteran bird feeding buff, this book will inform and inspire!
Trois Plumes by Richard Van Camp, translated by K. Mateus, Published by Les Editions De La Nouvelle Plume, ISBN 9782924237489, $18.95, Young Adult Graphic Novel (French)
Trois jeunes hommes – Flinch, Bryce et Rupert – ont vandalisé leur communauté. Ils sont envoyés par les Ainés vivre pendant neuf mois dans la brousse comme le veut le cercle de justice réparatrice. Là, les jeunes hommes apprennent à devenir responsables pour leurs actions et acquièrent l’humilité requise pour retourner à la maison.
Une bande dessinée autochtone, Trois plumes explore la puissance et la grâce de la justice réparatrice dans une communauté nordique et le legs culturel capable d’outiller les futures générations.
The Way of the Gardener: Lost in the Weeds Along the Camino De Santiago by Lyndon Penner, Published by University of Regina Press, ISBN 9780889778061, $24.95, Non-Fiction/Travel/Gardening
Pilgrims have been making the journey along “The Way” of northern Spain for more than 1,000 years, testing their spirit, faith, and physical endurance. Lyndon Penner’s attention lies elsewhere. A renowned gardener, he revels in the plants, trees, and flowers that tell the history of the people and ecology of this distinct region of Spain.
Brimming with try observations – of nature, himself, and other pilgrims on the road – The Way of the Gardener makes for blissful armchair, or garden, reading.
Tunnels of Time: A Moose Jaw Time Travel Adventure by Mary Harelkin Bishop, Published by DriverWorks Ink, ISBN 9781927570579, $15.95, Juvenile Fiction
Instead of having fun on a school field trip, thirteen-year-old Andrea has to spend the weekend with her family at a boring wedding in boring Moose Jaw. Stories of gangsters, gamblers and greed don’t even sound that interesting.
Then Andrea accidentally falls into a mysterious tunnel and discovers she’s travelled back in time to the 1920s – those dangerous days of the city’s underground.
How will Andrea outsmart the gangsters who are demanding that she work for them? And will she ever see her family again?
Power Plays by Maureen Ulrich, Published by Wood Dragon Books, ISBN 9781989078, $18.99, Young Adult Fiction
Fourteen year old Jessie McIntyre is new to Estevan Junior High, and she’s having trouble fitting in. By signing her up with the local girls’ hockey team, her parents hope to give her a fresh start and help her make new friends, but bullies can be found everywhere—including the dressing room. Will Jessie be able to protect herself and find acceptance?
Road Allowance Kitten: Broken Promises by Wilfred Burton, illustrated by Christina Johns, Published by Gabriel Dumont Institute Press, ISBN 9781926795942, $15.00, Children’s
Road Allowance Kitten: Broken Promises shares more of the adventures of the main characters, Rosie and Madeline, and their pet kitten. Their adventure began in the Road Allowance Kitten, which has become a very popular and widely-acclaimed book within the canon of Métis children’s literature. Readers urged author Wilfred Burton to share what happens next. The stories shared in these books blend the experiences of Métis families who were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to an unfamiliar part of the province, where they found so little of what was promised to them. Award-winning children’s author Wilfred Burton skillfully shares this story through the eyes of the children involved. Christine John’s vibrant illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this authentic vignette of a little-known part of Prairie history.
Badge #124: Stories from the Field by Janice Howden, Published by Benchmark Press, ISBN 9781927352205, $14.99, Non-Fiction
As an animal protection officer (APO) with the SPCA, Lloyd Howden saw abused animals, angry pet owners, and more. One man even went to court and was charged with assault. But through it all, Lloyd never lost his love of the job. After he died of cancer, his wife, Janice Howden, decided to write a book as a memorial to her husband.
Cold Case North: The Search for James Brady and Absalom Halkett by Michael Nest with Deanna Reder and Eric Bell, Published by University of Regina Press, ISBN 9780889777491, $24.95, Non-Fiction/True Crime
In 1967, Métis leader James Brady and Cree Band Councillor Absolom Halkett vanished from their remote lakeside camp. Both were activists; both had enemies. For fifty years, rumours swirled of secret mining interests, political scandal, and murder. Despite the intrigue, their bodies–and answers–were never found.
Cold Case North is the story of how a small team exposed police failure in the original investigation and discovered new clues and testimony with the help of the Indigenous community.
The Cartwright Men Marry (Large Print Edition) by Monique Desrosiers, Published by Wood Dragon Books, ISBN 9781989078396, $29.99, Fiction/Romance
Have you ever wondered what happened to those Cartwright men of the Ponderosa plains? Did they fall in love? Marry? This book explores the possible connection between the Cartwrights of today and those four men of the past as Cartwright descendants try to solve a family mystery, and in the process, introduce us to the women the four Cartwright men met and fell in love with. These women seem perfect for Ben, Adam, Hoss and Joe–but will avalanches, cattle rustlers, criminals, and wily women keep them apart from true love?
Presented in Large Print for readers with sight difficulties. Also available in standard print: The Cartwright Men Marry, $19.99
Tiny Ruins by Nicole Haldoupis, Published by Radiant Press, ISBN 9781989274385, $20.00, Short Fiction
A funny and touch coming-of-age and coming out story that follows Alana as she grows up, and navigates a perplexing and sometimes hostile world. Her sister is both her constant companion and tormentor, and Alana is desperate for approval. This book is for anyone who ever stood alone at the edge of the playground and longed to be included.
Flight: Volume 1 and Flight: Volume 2, edited by Deana Driver, Published by DriverWorks Ink, ISBN 9781927570494/9781927570500, $19.99, Non-Fiction/Aviation
Wartime bombings, engine failures, a rudimentary air traffic control tower, and flights with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatics team are among the engaging true stories in this fascinating first book of the Flight series. In their own words or with the help of author Deana Driver or other Prairie writers, Western Canadian pilots and aviation enthusiasts share stories of adventure, assistance, humour, tragedy, and success in this salute to the Canadian aviation industry and its people.
Genocidal Love by Bevann Fox, Published by University of Regina Press, ISBN 9780889777415, $21.95, Non-Fiction/Memoir
How can we heal in the face of continued retraumatization? How can we transform intergenerational pain into a passion for community and healing?
Presenting herself as “Myrtle,” Bevann Fox explores these essential questions by recounting her life through fiction. She shares memories of an early childhood filled with love on the reserve with her grandparents– until she is sent to residential school at the age of seven. The trauma she experienced left her without a voice and continues to influence her adult life. Genocidal Love takes its place among the residential school survivor literature and is a powerful confirmation of the long-lasting consequences of sexual violence and its devastating effects on relationships and health. With searing honesty and insight, Fox shares the complexity of her experience in this moving story of her path towards community leadership.
I Will Never Break by Jesse A. Murray, Published by Off the Field Publishing, ISBN 9781775194637, $14.99, Poetry
If there was ever a prequel to Jesse A. Murray’s writing career, this would be it. I Will Never Break is a collection of poems written from the period 2007 to 2010 when the author, Jesse A. Murray, was between 18 and 22 years old.
This poetry collection was collected unchanged and displayed in chronological order, and as a result, a natural story unfolds. In many ways, the reader will connect and relate to all the ups and downs that one experiences in life.
Through this collection, it becomes clear, that when someone writes what they feel, it’s not hard to feel what they write. As a whole, it’s exciting to see the roots of a young author emerging, through these early writings found in this telling poetry collection.
Jesse A. Murray is a Canadian author, poet, and high school teacher. He is most known for his debut novel Love or Baseball? that was released in 2018. Jesse is currently working on putting together several other poetry collections from his early writings, and he is working on finishing his second novel, Left On Base.
Sleeping Brilliant by Jessica Williams, Published by All Write Here Publishing, ISBN , $16.99, Children’s
When Princess Niamh is cursed to sleep for one hundred years, the kingdom is devastated. What they don’t realize is their princess is brimming with determination and creativity.
A familiar fairy tale quickly turns into a surprising story fit for a generation of princesses and princes who don’t need to be rescued.
Black Writers Matter, edited by Whitney French, Published by University of Regina Press, ISBN 9780889776166, Non-Fiction
An anthology of African-Canadian writing, Black Writers Matter offers a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As Whitney French says in her introduction, Black Writers Matter “injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black people dignity.” An “invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone,” this collection feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.
Spirit Sight by Marie Powell, Published by Wood Dragon Books, ISBN 9781989078280, $18.99, Young Adult Fantasy
A Welsh warrior-in-training can control the minds of animals; his sister can see the future in a drop of water. Now Hyw and Catrin must stretch their gifts to stand between their prince and the invading English army. Can they protect those they love, or will their world shatter around them? This medieval fantasy combines magic, mythology, and forgotten legends with the historical realities of a world at war. Book one in the Last of the Gifted series.
Conspiracy by Ruth Chorney, Published by 7 Springs Books, ISBN 9780993975776, $20.00, Fiction
From an Auction Sale in April to a Fall Supper in October, this novel spans one summer in Northeast Saskatchewan. Joel Weston and his wife Krissy moved to the farm five years ago, each to fulfill a different dream. They now struggle with the consequences of their choices.
When Joel meets 80-year-old Grace picking mushrooms in the forest, they form an unlikely alliance, supporting each other through difficult times.
You will enjoy relatable characters, real situations, the joys and pains of farm life, written by one who lives it.
And, by the way, “You can eat all mushrooms, some only once.”
Raft Baby by Bonnie Dunlop, Published by Thistledown Press, ISBN 9781771872027, $20.00, Historical Fiction
Raft Baby is set in the Peace River country in the early 1900’s and begins an exploration into the lives of historical people who have done extraordinary things, but also conjures fictional people who have been created to enrich the historical records. Is is the combination of characters that allows the story of Raft Baby to life off the page. In the novel narrators abound, there are leaps in time and place, actions twist and turn, and delightful side stories are embedded within the larger story of indomitable human will to survive and prosper.
Birds of Saskatchewan by Alan Smith, Stuart Houston, and Frank Roy, Published by Nature Saskatchewan, ISBN 9780921104346, Hardcover, Non-fiction/Nature
Birds of Saskatchewan arises from the work of hundreds of men and women who, since the 1820s Franklin expedition, have observed and kept records of the birds encountered in the province. Under the guiding hands of Alan Smith, Stuart Houston and Frank Roy, a large flock of volunteers has compiled and sifted through records to present an accounting of the past 200 years and the current status of 437 bird species, complemented by personal stories and colour photographs. This story of change and adaptation will interest anyone who wants to know more about Saskatchewan’s birds, and provides a benchmark for future generations.
(Note: This title usually requires additional shipping, so this is a great opportunity to add it to your collection!)
