128 research outputs found
Awards, Announcements, and News
No full textHere’s hoping your summer has started off marvelously and you have plenty of stimulating reads already gathered. If there is still room for a few more, here are some ideas. As noted in the previous Deakin Review, the Rocky Mountain Book Award winners were announced in April with The Case of the Missing Deed by Ellen Schwartz getting the most votes from readers in grades 4-7. Mark your calendars now for late August 2013 to register a reading group to participate in the next round. The 2014 short list is available at http://rmba.lethsd.ab.ca (see the United Library Services or Univ. of Lethbridge Book Store links). In late June, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announced new appointments to the Order of Canada with at least two appointees having a children’s literature connection. Barbara Reid was appointed as a Member (C.M.) and specifically cited for “for her contributions as a children’s book illustrator and author, widely known for her creative use of the medium of Plasticine.” Fred Wah was appointed as an Officer (O.C.) and cited for groundbreaking work as a poet. Although not specifically known as a children’s writer, his writing shows up in high school classrooms and, when interviewed by UBC’s Ubysseyy newspaper in January 2012 on being appointed Canada’s new Parliamentary Poet Laureate, he said, “I’d like to see more Canadian literature -particularly poetry - in our classrooms, in primary and secondary schools. I’m going to try to create, I hope, energy in that area.” I’m sure any book from either author would be worth a look. In June, the UK’s Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (aka CILIP) announced its 2013 award winners. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner won the Carnegie Medal for an outstanding book for children while Black Dog illustrated by Levi Pinfold took the Kate Greenaway Medal for distinguished illustration in a children’s book. http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2013awards/ Another book award to keep an eye might be the IODE Violet Downey award that was established in 1985. It is an annual award for books aimed at the under-13 set that was written and published in Canada. This year’s winner was The Green Man by Michael Bedard (Tundra) about a teenage girl spending a mysterious summer with her antiquarian book owning aunt. http://www.iode.ca/iode-violet-downey-book-award.html Happy summer reading. David Sulz, Communications Edito
PEDAGOGIKA MUZYCZNA: KRĘTE DROGI PRZEZ CZAS. TRADYCJE – TENDENCJE – NIEBEZPIECZEŃSTWA. UWAGI KRYTYCZNE DO PREKURSORSKICH KONCEPCJI NAUKI O MUZYCE W XX WIEKU
No full textAutor rozprawy rozpoczyna od omówienia związków muzyki ze społeczeństwem po to,
aby pokazując multifunkcjonalność muzyki, przedstawić jej funkcjonowanie w XX wieku
w społeczeństwach podporządkowanych narodowemu socjalizmowi, faszyzmowi i marksizmowi.
Sulz podkreśla, iŜ pedagogika muzyczna podlegała zawsze naciskom „sił kształcenia”,
które usiłowały do niej przenieść obszar ideologii, światopoglądów. Wartość muzyczna
wówczas przestaje być „sama w sobie”, stając się środkiem instrumentalizacji wychowawczej.
Sulz uwaŜa, Ŝe muzyka powinna wyzwolić się z tych ograniczeń, gdyŜ ma ona zupełnie
„inny program” – poprzez swoją emocjonalną siłę oddziałuje na grupy społeczne i jednostki
ludzkie.
Muzyka nauczana w szkołach wyrosła z tradycji nauczania w nich śpiewu. W Austrii
podstawowa nauka szkolna była obowiązkowa od 1774 roku, a nauka śpiewu stanowiła
jeden z elementów edukacji. Z czasem opracowane zostały metody pedagogiki muzycznej
obowiązujące faktycznie w Europie Środkowej. Wschodnia Europa wzmocniła kanon pedagogiki
europejskiej tradycją śpiewu.Zarys rozmaitych koncepcji pedagogiki muzycznej w Europie Sulz rozpoczyna od podstawy
normatywnej, której opozycję przedstawia jako tendencję konsensualną. Normy są
waŜne, jedne naleŜy uznawać za prawa uniwersalne, inne negocjować, co wynika z rozwoju
demokracji równieŜ w omawianej dziedzinie. W rozprawie uwypuklono waŜne postacie
niemieckiej pedagogiki muzycznej i ich poglądy. Pierwszym z nich był Leo Kerstenberg
(1882-1962), który stworzył podwaliny usystematyzownia tej dziedziny zarówno w kontekście
przedmiotu szkolnego „muzyka”, jak i rozwoju dyscypliny naukowej. Reforma Leo
Kastenberga objęła swym zasięgiem całe szkolnictwo niemieckie, poczynając od przedszkola,
a kończąc na wyŜszych uczelniach. Przyświecała jej idea tworzenia muzycznych
grup społecznych, budowanych współpracą triady: artysty – naukowca – pedagoga. Omówione
są teŜ rozwaŜania innego niemieckiego filozofa, który wyznaczał ścieŜki powojennej
edukacji muzycznej – Theodora W. Adorno. Ten wybitny filozof postulował, aby młodzieŜ
uczona była tak, aby umiała odkrywać wartości muzyki wysokiej i nie obcowała tylko
z muzyką nieartystyczną („kunstlose Spielmusik”). W pewnej części autor niniejszego
opracowania poddaje krytyce koncepcję Adorno oparcia przedmiotu muzyka głównie na
słuchaniu „nowej muzyki”, zaś niemal całkowitego wyeliminowania pieśni i ich śpiewania.
Adorno wychodził bowiem z załoŜenia, Ŝe śpiew moŜe być niebezpiecznym narzędziem
instrumentalizacji wychowania ideologicznego, co było w okresie nazistowskim wykorzystywane
do „urabiania” postaw młodzieŜy, charakteryzującej się ślepym posłuszeństwem
wobec zbrodniczej dyktatury. Adorno w czasach powojennych szukał moŜliwości zaangaŜowania
młodzieŜy w refleksję sztuki, która mogłaby dokonać swoistego katharsis, oczyścić
Niemcy ze stanu depresji po holocauście i ludobójstwie. Współczesne koncepcje muzyczno-
pedagogiczne starają się odrzucić ten „adornowski akt pokuty”, a zwrócić się
w stronę rozmaitych dydaktyk, które ulegają wpływom nowoczesnych mediów.
Ttwórcami naukowej pedagogiki muzycznej w Niemczech są: Michael Alt (1905) i Sigrid
Abel-Struth. W ostatnich dziesięcioleciach na wyŜszych uczelniach muzycznych powstały
katedry pedagogiki czuwające nad programową i merytoryczną stroną edukacji muzycznej.
Wszechobecny świat kultury masowej lansuje rodzaj śpiewu niemający wiele wspólnego
z kulturą wysoką. Coraz silniejszy staje się nurt edukacyjny oparty na nauczaniu „przez
muzykę” lub „ku muzyce” i kierujący się wyczuleniem na hierarchię wartości.
Rozprawę zamyka podsumowanie znamiennie zatytułowane „Czy muzyka szkolna jest
w kryzysie?”. Tytuł ten został przyjęty za tytułem wystąpienia Wilfrieda Gruhna w czasopiśmie
„Musik und Unterricht”. Gruhn postuluje zmianę myślenia muzycznego, tak aby
z jednej strony obejmowałoby ono zjawiska zaliczane do świata muzyki doby obecnej,
a z drugiej nie zatracało się jedynie w takich tematach jak np. „Muzyka i przemoc” oraz
„Muzyka i pieniądze”
A negative impact of recent weight loss on in-hospital mortality is not modified by overweight and obesity
No full textBACKGROUND: Obesity [Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2] is a risk factor for disease conditions enhancing hospitalization and mortality risks, but higher BMI was paradoxically reported to reduce mortality in several acute and chronic diseases. Unintentional weight loss (WL) is conversely associated with disease development and may worsen patient outcome, but the impact of weight loss and its interaction with obesity in modulating risk of death in hospitalized patients remain undefined. METHODS: We investigated the ESPEN nutritionDay database of non-critically ill hospitalized patients to assess the impact of self-reported 3-month WL (WL1:2.5-6.6%; WL2: 6.6-12.6%, WL3: >12.6%) and its interaction with BMI in modulating 30-day in-hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR), with stable weight (WL0) as reference category. RESULTS: In 110835 nDay patients, 30-day mortality increased with increasing WL. Male gender, increasing disease severity index PANDORA score (age, nutrient intake, mobility, fluid status, cancer and main patient group) and not having had surgery also predicted 30-day mortality. HR for 30-day mortality remained significantly higher compared to WL0 for WL2 and WL3 after multiple adjustment. Adjusted HR and its increments through increasing weight loss categories were comparable in lean (BMI30 kg/m2). Impact of gender, PANDORA score and surgery on 30-day mortality were conversely comparable in the three BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that self-reported WL could represent a relevant prognostic factor in every hospitalized patient. Overweight and obesity per se have no protective impact against WL-associated mortality
Bühnen des Bewusstseins - Die Pessso-Therapie : Anwendung, Entwicklung, Wirksamkeit. Komplett überarbeitete und erweiterte Neuauflage
No full textDie von Albert Pesso und seiner Frau Diane Boyden-Pesso erdachte Behandlungsmethode Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP) – kurz Pesso-Therapie – war ursprünglich eine Körpertherapie, die von der Einheit von Körper und Psyche ausgehend Körpererfahrungen zum Bewusstsein bringen und neue Körpererfahrungen vermitteln sollte. Sie entwickelte sich zu einer psychodramatischen Methode weiter, die die interaktionelle Szene im Rollenspiel nutzt, um Erinnerungen der Kindheit in großer emotionaler Dichte zutage kommen zu lassen. Sie schafft und nutzt Ressourcen auf einzigartige Weise, sodass ein starker Kontrast im Erleben der Patient*innen von tiefstem Schmerz, von größter Ungerechtigkeit zu unmittelbar erfahrenem Glück, Zufriedenheit und zum Erleben von Gerechtigkeit erzeugt wird.
Die Beiträger*innen zeigen Prinzipien und Wege auf, wie entwicklungstraumatisierten Menschen in einem kontrollierten und körperorientierten psychotherapeutischen Vorgehen durch die Kreation von synthetischen bindungsorientierten und körperbasierten Erinnerungen ein Gefühl der Sicherheit, Beruhigung und Hoffnung zurückgegeben werden kann.
Mit Beiträgen von Michael Bachg, Stefanie Grüter, Eva Hille-Kluczewski, Lowijs Perquin, Albert Pesso, Leonhard Schrenker und Serge K.D. Sul
Awards, Announcements, and News
No full textThe Canada Council for the Arts announced the various winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards. On the English side, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen won for Children’s Text and Virginia Wolf by Isabelle Arsenault won for Children’s Illustration. For French works, Un été d’amour et de cendres by Aline Apostolka won for Children’s Text while La clé à molette won for Children’s Illustration. See the details here: http://ggbooks.canadacouncil.ca/en If you have not heard of 49th Shelf, it is worth taking a gander at http://49thshelf.com. It is a joint project of the Association of Canadian Publishers and Canadian Publisher’s Council with some funding and sponsorship from government and industry. Its goal is to help find Canadian books and bookstores that sell them. Aside from being able to search by category (including several sub-categories of children’s fiction and non-fiction) or author, it features an intriguing map search to locate books related to geographic areas to help with your own “100-mile book diet”: http://49thshelf.com/map. In addition, 49th shelf has an invitation out for librarians and educators to get access to some specialized content http://49thshelf.com/librarians. Some award announcements since the last issue include: National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature (books published in USA by US citizens) won by William Alexander for Goblin (see the 2012 finalists at http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2012.html#.UOcvSW9wV8E)Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize won by Frank Cottrell Boyce for The Unforgotten Coat (see the 2012 longlist at http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/gallery/2012/jun/08/childrens-fiction-prize-longlist-gallery)Costa Children’s Book Award for writers based in the U.K. and Ireland won by Sally Gardner for Maggot Moon (see the 2012 longlist at http://www.costabookawards.com/media/6956/shortlistrelease-forthewebsite.pdf) Upcoming in January should be the announcements for the various awards from the Association for Library Service to Children division of the American Library Association which include the Newbery, Caldecott, and several others. Finally, we do like to note University of Alberta and Edmonton connections when possible. Thomas Wharton, the author of The Fathomless Fire (reviewed in this issue) is an associate professor here and also recently gave a wonderful, engaging guest talk for a Greater Edmonton Library Association evening event. David Sulz, Communications Edito
Mentalization Supporting Therapy MST
No full textE D I TO R I A L
European Psychotherapy is published in the 15th year now. It arose from surveys of psychotherapy organisations of nearly all European states. The advisory board is one of the results of this cooperation.
In the first issue in 2000 we introduced the most recent psychotherapeutic developments of that time (Dialectic Behavior Therapy DBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT, Functional Behavior Therapy FBT). It was followed by the consistent and radical accentuation of Davanloo’s Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy. In 2003 we dealt extensively with presenting the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as it was developed in the work with war victims in the former Yugoslavia by Willi Butollo and coworkers. After this followed the Existential Analysis of Viktor Frankl, published by Alfried Längle, and Pesso Therapy PBSP which is on its way to become better-known in Europe only for a short time. Also not so well-known has been that since the beginnings of the 90th a third wave therapy has developed in Europe: Strategic Brief Therapy SBT which puts the work with emotions and the development of personality in the foreground. From here it is only a small step to the Emotion Focussed Therapy of Leslie Greenberg (2007) as a scientific further development of Gestalt Therapy and Client Centered Psychotherapy.
Next we had the pleasure to introduce Jeremy Holmes as a guest publisher. He is a topclass representative of Psychoanalysis himself and he succeeded in getting contributions of real value about the presence and the future of Psychoanalysis from authors who instigate a lively development of Psychoanalysis. In his Editorial ‘towards a secure theoretical and evidential base for psychoanalytic psychotherapy’ he gives an introduction and an outline of this collection of psychoanalytic writings which are not written for psychoanalysts but for all psychotherapists who want to know more about today’s Psychoanalysis, who want to do notional steps towards it, maybe for to break with old prejudices, to become more open again for psychodynamic ideas or to ascertain similarities that are much bigger then assumed until now. We as the publishers of this periodical had to see thereby that not only communication between the schools of therapy are essential but also communication between the national groups of psychotherapists in Europe. And that exactly is our European project.
2010-2011, psychotherapists from all over Europe reported on psychotherapy training in their country:
Gerhard Lenz, Rafael Rabenstein, Vivian Görgen Austria
Martine Bouvard France
Serge Sulz and Stefan Hagspiel Germany
Evrinomy Avdi Greece
Bernardo Nardi and Emidio Arimatea Italy
Susan van Hooren Netherlands
Andrzej Kokoszka Poland
Celia Avila Fernández Spain
Bo Erik Sigrell & Rolf Sandell Sweden and
Jan McGregor Hepburn Great Britain.
2012-2013, body psychotherapy became a topic. Concentrative Movement Therapy CMT (KBT) was used for this purpose - an evaluated Body Psychotherapy for psychosomatic and psychic disorders.
2014-2015 topic, Austria – Home of the World’s Psychotherapy – most
of the great psychotherapists in the early 20th century lived in Vienna or their career began there: Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Michael Balint, Wilhelm Reich, Alfred Adler, Victor Frankl, Paul Watzlawick and Fred Kanfer.
2016-2017, Embodiment in Psychotherapy was topic (edited by Gernot Hauke) with absolutely innovative contributions – looking in the future of psychotherapy:
Wolfgang Tschacher, Mario Pfammatter: Embodiment in psychotherapy – A necessary complement to the canon of common factors?
Marianne Eberhard-Kaechele: Emotion is motion: Improving emotion regulation through movement intervention
Rosemarie Samaritter and Helen Payne: Being moved: Kinaesthetic reciprocities in psychotherapeutic interaction and the development of enactive intersubjectivity
Tania Pietrzak, Gernot Hauke, Christina Lohr: Connecting Couples Intervention: Improving couples’ empathy and emotional regulation using embodied empathy mechanisms.
Andrea Behrends, Sybille Müller, Isabel Dziobek: Dancing supports empathy: The potential of interactional movement and dance for psychotherapy
Susanne Bender: The meaning of movement rhythm in psychotherapy
Gernot Hauke, Christina Lohr, Tania Pietrzak: Moving the mind: Embodied cognition in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Lily Martin, Valerie Pohlmann, Sabine C. Koch, Thomas Fuchs: Back into life: Effects of Embodied therapies on patients with Schizophrenia.
And now 2023-2024, the latest integrative psychotherapeutic development - first published in 2021 - has not yet entered the evidence-based evaluation phase: Mentalization Supporting Therapy MST. That's exactly what it's about with EP: new important impulses, which of course only become evidence-based a few years after the approach was developed. Nevertheless, MST can build on a surprisingly broad empirical basis.
We can draw on more than thirty years of research tradition on the behavioral diagnostic system, strategic brief therapy and strategic-behavioral therapy. Because MST is actually not a new therapeutic approach. Similar to Fred Kanfer's self-management approach, it is a variant of cognitive-behavioral therapy, consisting of the evidence-based intervention strategies of behavioral therapy. However, the cognitive aspect focuses much more than Aaron T. Beck on metacognitions (thinking about thoughts, feelings and needs), so one can speak of metacognitive behavioral therapy. In addition, emotions have come to the fore. It's about the ability to regulate emotions - to be able to control one's emotions in such a way that they lead to stable and satisfying relationships. The third focus is needs orientation, based on John Bowlby's attachment theory. Insecure attachment in childhood as an elementary disposition for mental and psychosomatic illnesses. And therefore the bond between patient and therapist is an indispensable condition for successful psychotherapy.
The impetus for the development of MST came from Peter Fonagy and his working group with their Mentalization Based Therapy MBT, whose perspective Daniel Barth presents in the first article. This is followed by two articles by Lars Theßen and Serge Sulz, in which they describe the theoretical background, therapeutic conception and practical approach. The special type of emotion exposure in MST (Emotion Tracking), which was adopted by Albert Pesso, is described very clearly and impressively by Serge Sulz and Maria Schreiner.
This is followed by reports on previous research in the MST research laboratory by Lars Theßen, Serge Sulz and colleagues. Finally, there is an article by Annette Richter-Benedikt in which the use of MST in young people is described. All articles are peer reviewed.
MST was only one example of innovative therapeutic development that others will follow.
Annette Richter-Benedikt & Maria Schreiner - Editor
Awards, Announcements, and News
No full textThe Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) recently released the finalists for the 2012 Governor General’s Literary Awards. Twenty books were nominated between the Children’s Text and Children’s Illustration categories with five nominees each in English and French. Barbara Reid’s Picture a Tree appears in the children’s illustration (English) category and was previously reviewed in our pages here: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/deakinreview/article/view/17101. The CCA website also notes a new annual award named the Burt Award for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Literature. It consists of three prizes totaling $25,000 and a guaranteed purchase of at least 2500 copies for distribution across Canada. English literary works for young adults written or translated by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors/translators are eligible. Applications are due May 1, 2013. We look forward to reviewing some of these titles in the future. (http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/Prizes/dw129905679931884714.htm). An interesting website to explore is CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers). Two sections of particular note relate to booking members for presentations/workshops and hosting the travelling art collection (CANSCAIP collection). The “school/library visits” section includes a searchable directory of members available to book: http://www.canscaip.org . At the massive-scale end of the children’s literature spectrum, Scholastic has announced Infinity Ring as a “multi-platform time travel adventure series” that apparently creates a “fully immersive reading experience” incorporating books, an interactive map, and online game episodes. It will encompass seven books and game episodes where readers travel back in time to help fix “great breaks” in history created by a nefarious and mysterious group. Each book will be written by a different author starting and ending with James Dashner at roughly 3-4 month intervals stretching until 2014. A quick look at the website suggests this might be a project to explore during the coldest days of our upcoming winter (www.infinityring.com). Finally, the winners of the seven children’s book awards from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (www.bookcentre.ca/award ) mentioned in the last Deakin Review (2:1) will be announced on November 21, 2012. Happy winter reading (but don’t forget to get out and enjoy all the season has to offer).David Sulz, Communications Editor
News, Awards, and Announcements
No full textThis issue’s installment of News, Awards, and Announcements is shorter than usual for a few reasons. Firstly, many of the world’s book awards were announced in the previous issue and there seems to be a bit of a lull between the excitement of awards, the concentrated reading time of summer, and the calls for award submissions in the early fall. Secondly, we have to admit that Canada’s beautiful springtimes may be the only season where even avid book readers are distracted by the weather - summer, fall, and winter are definitely reading seasons but spring beckons us outdoors (hmm, I wonder if anyone has researched “reading seasons”...).Illustrator-in-residence at Edmonton Public Library - Apply now!www.ibby-canada.orgCall for submissions - Illustrator-in-residence at Edmonton Public Library.Although the deadline is nigh, there might still be time to get your application together to spend October 2016 engaging library patrons in art activities. The residency is funded by the family of Joanne Fitzgerald (1956-2011) and administered by IBBY Canada (INternational Board on Books for Young Peoplewww.ibby-canada.org/2016-joanne-fitzgerald-illustrator-in-residence-program/Canadian Children’s Book Centre Author-Illustrator Directorybookcentre.caDo you know about the CCBC’s “Author & Illustrator” directory? It allows you to search artists by a number of criteria such as craft, genre, curriculum links, province, booking availability, and grade level. For example, a search of Alberta YA authors in the vicinity of my postal code brings up profiles of Jim Sellers and Marty Chan with their publications, genres, websites, and a description of the workshops they offer. Strangely, however, there are mysteries in the search results. Although the full index shows more than 150 entries, choosing categories in the profile browser seems to display a maximum of six even when choosing “all” from the drop down menus. If you are an artist, becoming a CCBC Professional Creator Member allows you to add your profile.Festival of Trees 2016 - Ontario Library Associationhttp://forestfestivaloftrees.ca/If you are a spur-of-the-moment type person, you might have time to get to the Festival of Trees - a “rock concert” for readers. The culminating event for Ontario’s Forest of Trees reading program, the activities take place in London (May 13), Toronto (May 17&18 for English, May 19 for French), and Sault St. Marie (May 27). Happy Spring,David Sulz, Communications Editor (outgoing)David is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta. He is liaison librarian to Religious Studies, Economics, and Social Work as well as international liaison for China. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Education, Asian Studies, Japanese language, and Economics which he’s used in various settings including teaching in schools and museums. His interests include several forms of physical activity, music, home improvements, and things Japanese
The Prince of Two Tribes by S. Cullen
No full textCullen, Sean. The Prince of Two Tribes. Toronto: Puffin Canada. 2010. Print. Brendan is an ordinary teenager. Or at least he thought he was until he discovered he was a Faerie adopted as an infant into a human family with powers he can barely control and expectations to participate in life-and-death skirmishes between the forces of good and evil. Fortunately he has a few close friends to help him – some his own age and some the very elite of Faerie world who believe he has the power to bring the world back to rights if nurtured properly but without actually knowing too much until the right time. Of course, his is ultimately a lonely path with mysterious connections to the other side he won’t share even with his friends and mentors. He also has an annoying half-sister. Oh, and it turns out the Faerie world overlaps significantly with the human world although we are blissfully unaware most of the time. The above was largely revealed in Book One of the Chronicles of the Misplaced Prince (a.k.a The Prince of Neither Here Nor There) and grudgingly summarised (official complaint to the “Narrators’ Grievance Committee” pending) in an introductory note to this volume (i.e. Book Two). It is not-so-gently suggested, in said introductory note, that the first book should be required reading before continuing. However, as the cover gives little indication this is Book Two of something, a reader might be excused for unwittingly starting in the middle. Fortunately, the author seems inherently unable to resist the additional role of narrator so the story is littered (or, more generously, “strategically sprinkled”) with additional information in the form of introductory notes, footnotes, and chapter introductions. Getting back to the actual story…, it sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it? A little Harry Potter-ish, perhaps? Indeed, there are many similarities, but enough difference to set it apart. One obvious difference is a Canadian comedian as author. This is significant. The author’s voice comes through strongly not only the thorough footnotes and explanatory additions but also the almost overly-obvious Toronto setting; the language, conversations, and daily concerns of young teenagers in Canada; the underlying comedic sense; and, one might surmise but without any real evidence other than the author’s age, the youthful influences of Gordon Korman novels, Barenaked Ladies songs (e.g. Grade 9), and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. But I digress (although not unlike the novel itself)[1]. In this instalment, Brendan must prepare physically and mentally for a “proving” ceremony; he has no idea what this entails except that it could prove deadly to himself. In addition, he must deal with the teenage angst of having secrets he thinks no one else could possibly understand as well as an ever-looming Social Studies group presentation assignment. Exciting throughout and lump-in-the-throat emotional at the end. I hate to play along with the “boys don’t like to read so you have to trick them into it” stereotype but, if it were true, this one would likely “trick” them (having never been a teenage girl, I’m no expert, but I suspect many girls might like it, too).Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: David Sulz[1] I’ve tried to capture somewhat the tone of the novel in this review; if you like this style of writing, you might like the book (and vice versa).David is a librarian at the University of Alberta working mostly with scholars in Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. His university studies included: Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics. On the education front, he taught various grades and subjects for several years in schools as well as museums. His interest in Japan and things Japanese stands above his other diverse interests
Awards, Announcements, and News
No full textFirst, we would like to follow up on news about award shortlists reported in the last issue of the Deakin Review. The UK’s Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (www.cilip.org.uk ) announced the winners for the 2012 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards. Interestingly, both the Carnegie Medal for outstanding book for children and the Kate Greenaway Medal for distinguished illustration in a book for children were awarded for the same book - A Monster Calls published by Walker Books. Patrick Ness received the Carnegie award as author and Jim Kay the Kate Greenaway award as illustrator. In fact, Patrick Ness also won the award in 2011 for Monsters of Men. It sounds like a book not to be missed! www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/ and www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway/ For its part, the Canadian Library Association (CLA) announced the winners of its three children’s literature awards at the CLA conference in Ottawa at the end of May. The Whole Truth by Kit Pearson (HarperCollins Canada) won the Book of the Year for Children Award, My Name is Elizabeth illustrated by Matthew Forsythe (Kids Can Press) was awarded the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, and All Good Children by Catherine Austen (Orca) was chosen for the Young Adult Book Award. http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Book_Awards&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12660 As for upcoming awards, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (www.bookcentre.ca/award ) recently released the finalists for each of its seven children’s book award with winners to be announced at the TD Canadian Children`s Literature Awards and Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse events in Toronto and Montreal later this Fall. Notably, this year marks the inaugural year for the new Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Reviews of a few of the finalists have appeared in the Deakin Review. Pussycat, Pussycat, Where have you been? is up for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award (see Deakin review here: ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/deakinreview/article/view/17078) while This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein is in contention for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People (see Deakin review here: ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/deakinreview/article/view/17096) On a local note since we are based out of the University of Alberta, Edmonton writer Nicole Luiken is a finalist for the inaugural Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy for her book Dreamline. Also, we note that Gail de Vos, a professor at our very own School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta is the chair of the jury for this award. Finally, we would like to note a few changes here at The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. Sarah Mead-Willis who was the communication editor for the first four issues (and rare book cataloguer at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at the University of Alberta has, as she remarks, “moved to the other end of occupational spectrum” and is enrolled in a professional cooking program at the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. We wish her well and thank her for her contributions.Also, Maria Tan has joined the team filling in for Kim Frail who is off on maternity leave and Nicole Dalmer has stepped in as intern editor.Have a wonderful summer filled with great reads.David Sulz, Communications Editor
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