Winterhouse

Gutterson, Ben. Winterhouse. 2018. 370p. ISBN 978-1-250-12388-6. Available at FIC GUT on the library shelves.

Elizabeth Somers has been living with her aunt and uncle ever since her parents died in a fiery explosion when she was very little. Now eleven, Elizabeth has spent a lifetime dealing with two people who really don’t want her there and would rather not spend any money or energy dealing with her. When an anonymous benefactor pays to send Elizabeth to the Winterhouse Hotel for three weeks during Christmas vacation, her aunt and uncle are thrilled. Elizabeth is concerned, but at the same time she looks forward to time away from her mean-spirited aunt and her lazy uncle.

Traveling to Winterhouse on a bus, Elizabeth finds herself attracting the unwanted attention of two strange passengers, a thin man and his equally thin wife. Shaking it off, Elizabeth returns to reading her book, one of the seven she owns. Arriving at Winterhouse, Elizabeth discovers that the hotel possesses a massive library with more books than she could ever read. There are large puzzles, skating, sledding, swimming, lectures and concerts after dinner, and a myriad of other activities. The owner, Norbridge Falls, is peculiar, and Winterhouse contains memories from three generations of Falls. Finally, there’s Freddy, another teen spending his vacation at the hotel. The two hit it off immediately.

Searching the reference section of the library for a book to read, Elizabeth discovers a book called A Guide for Children: Games, Secrets, Pastimes, and More, and on impulse she steals it from the library. Soon she discovers that this book is The Book, a legendary volume left behind by Norbridge’s grandfather that can be used to solve a mystery that has plagued the hotel since its construction. Connected to the Falls family somehow, Elizabeth is eager to discover the solution to this mystery, but malevolent forces have other plans for her in mind. As Elizabeth gets closer, the stakes get higher, and Winterhouse will never be the same.

A grand setting and a fast-moving plot keep the reader engrossed in Elizabeth’s adventure. The cast of characters is unique, and illustrations help provide context to the story. Fans of mystery and light magic will enjoy and cheer Elizabeth on as she takes necessary risks to solve the curse of Winterhouse.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. 2011. 227 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

The age of exploration seemingly came to an end when the South Pole was reached in December 1911. Sir Ernest Shackleton had dreamt of being the first one there, but with Roald Amundsen’s team getting there, followed soon after by the Scott expedition, there seemed nothing left to do. Shackleton and his backers decided then to be the first ones to cross Antarctica on food and with dog sleds. With England at war with Germany, the expedition almost did not happen, but the prestige of the country demanded it. Aboard Endurance, a ship specially designed to sail the ice-covered waters of the southernmost continent, 28 sailors, researchers, and scientists embarked on what became a story of survival and triumph over nature.

Despite being summer in Antarctica, ice prevented Endurance from reaching the continent, and before long the ship became encased in ice. With nothing to do, the crew endured and panned on patiently waiting until the following summer. When the ice began pushing against the ship, however, it became clear it would not survive the winter. With only three small boats, the crew had to make a hard decision. Should they attempt reaching the continent, or should they sail back to the closest land, Elephant Island, some 600 miles across the most treacherous and dangerous seas? Shackleton and his crew abandoned the expedition and managed to arrive on Elephant Island. Shackleton himself and five crew members then boarded the sturdiest of their three small craft and sailed 800 miles across open seas to South Georgia, to reach a human settlement and organize a rescue of the people left on Elephant Island.

An amazing and true story of survival and heroics, Shackleton’s expedition did not complete its goal of crossing the Antarctic, but they demonstrated that humans can survive the worst that Earth can offer if they work together. Filled with pictures taken during the expedition, this book will be appreciated by fans of harrowing true stories.

Snow Soccer

Trifunov, David. Snow Soccer. 2017. 125p. ISBN 978-1-45941224-8. Available at FIC TRI on the library shelves.

The civil war in Syria has upended many lives. Samirah and her parents lived in Aleppo before it became a battleground for the various factions. Fortunately, her father recognized the danger and they were one of the first families to flee to a refugee camp in Turkey. Passionate about soccer, Samirah plays as much as she can, and she’s very good. When she discovers that the family has been accepted as refugees by Canada, Samirah is anxious, but looks forward to a new life.

Arriving in Saskatchewan, Samirah quickly discovers the rude winters that blast Arctic-cold winds on the Canadian prairies. The locals are not all welcoming of the Syrian refugees, but Samirah still quickly integrates in her school and local community. The kids play soccer at recess all of the time, and her new best friend plays on an elite girls’ team as well. Samirah joins in, much to the dismay of Tamsen, another girl and the captain of the girls’ team. When snow finally arrives, Samirah is shocked to learn that the kids continue to play outside, in full snow gear. Wearing a thick winter coat and heavy boots is tough on her game, but she quickly realizes that it’s not much different than playing in the sands of Syria or Turkey.

Observed by the coach on the girls’ team, Samirah is given a position. Tamsen remains opposed to her presence, however. It will take more than skills for Samirah to win over Tamsen’s respect and to prove that her participation in the biggest city tournament of the year is not because of Canadian charity towards Syrian, but because her skills and talents for the game she loves are good enough to play at the elite level.

Yellow Dog

Korner, Miriam. Yellow Dog. 2017. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8899-5546-2. Available at FIC KOR on the library shelves.

Winters in Northern Saskatchewan are cold, and there isn’t much to do. Jeremy spends a lot of time with Justin, playing hockey and video games, but Justin’s home life has been sliding lately, and he’s more into hurting animals. When Justin dares Jeremy to pull the tail on a yellow dog who lives at the end of the road, he does so but instantly regrets it the moment he sees the dog’s hurt eyes and fear.

Returning to the site of his mean prank, Jeremy feeds the dog and slowly builds a rapport with him. The old man who lives in the shack notices Jeremy playing with his dog, but he doesn’t say anything. One day he invites Jeremy inside. The old man’s shack is a single room, with no bathroom, running water, or electricity, but it is full of memories. The old man was a musher, and ran his own teams of dogs. Now all that remains of this is the yellow dog in the yard and a few dog houses by his broken-down barn.

As Jeremy learns more about the old man and the way of life before the snowmobile, he realizes that he would like to run dogs too. His mother warns him not to, however, because his father died of an accident in the bush. Jeremy is convinced this is what he needs to do, so he finds other dogs, and begins to train them to pull a sled. With the old man’s help, Jeremy manages to get his team of four dogs and even takes them out on the lake.

His relationship with Justin has suffered, however, since all he wants to do is torture the dogs. When dog culling day comes and Jeremy hears gunshots, he’s sad but not worried about his dogs, which are tied in the old man’s yard. However Justin gives him a note that makes him reconsider his earlier assessment, and he rushes out to discover that his dogs were untied and let loose in the town. Jeremy manages to track all of his dogs, but Lightning was hurt during the hunt. To atone, Justin joins Jeremy to help him with the dogs, and the two develop a truce. The two of them head out on the lake with three dogs, but a snowstorm soon strikes and they become lost. Will the two of them survive the night out with their dogs?

Fans of animal stories will like how Jeremy gets to know his dogs and how he trains them. For another take on dog racing and survival, take a look at Ice Dogs.