“Ho has written his story with full sensory impact. We smell the difference between classes on the ship that brings Cheung and his son Wing to Canada and between wealthy and poor neighbourhoods in Victoria. Rich people get more room and proper sanitation. He also contrasts the exquisite cooking odours of Chinese cuisine with the smell of cabbage and boiled beef and the beautiful tremolo of the erhu and the pleasant clicking of mah-jong tiles in Fantan Alley…” Linda Rogers reviews Hopes Dreams Lies by Edward H. K. Ho (second edition) (Kindle, 2025) $4.30
Vancouver-set YA novel relates the dangers of sex traffickers and Snapchat: “The subject material is heavy and dark. If readers are hoping to ignite consciousness and conversations about teen safety on the Internet, however, this is a comprehensive option. The story features authentic characters, vivid examples of how not to use social media, and an unforgiving portrayal of a worst case scenario.” —Isabella Ranallo reviews At Least I’m Trying, by Tara Hodgson (Sturgeon County: Tara Hodgson, 2025) $26.42 / 9781069617705
“Our interviewees have been many and varied: from seasoned poet George Bowering to newcomer, Giller Prize-shortlisted author, Eddy Boudel Tan, from bestselling history author Nancy Marguerite Anderson, to acclaimed memoirist Marion McKinnon Crook. It has been a privilege for me to shake the hands of all of the interviewees of 2025, sometimes in their own homes and workspaces, and ask them about their creative process.” Interview segment producer Trevor Marc Hughes looks back on a year of The British Columbia Review Interview Series.
For the youngest of readers, this alphabet book, which is strikingly composed and a visual treat, introduces the ABCs in the form of everyday scenes in a BC valley that’s remote to most Canadians. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Elk Valley Alphabet Adventures, by Charné Baird (Fernie: Charné Baird Photography, 2025) $28.95 / 9781069751409
A charming and upbeat picture book takes a brisk and enthused tour through sports history to discuss women who broke with convention. A heavy skirt that’s too cumbersome for swimming? Grab some scissors! —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews This Skirt Won’t Work: How Women Athletes Changed Their Clothes and Changed the Game, by Jennifer Cooper (illustrated by Eva Byrne) (Naperville: Sourcebooks Explore, 2025) $28.99 / 9781728267845
Finding inspiration in a haiku by Matsuo Bashō, an author leads young readers on a strikingly-coloured and capricious journey into Edo-era Japan… and their own creativity. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests, by Caroline Adderson (illustrated by Lauren Tamaki) (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2025) $21.99 / 9781773068930
Family, friendship, prejudice, and loss are thoughtfully explored in a pair of chapter books for young readers. “There’s such valuing of connection in these pages, and an honesty to the whole,” writes our reviewer. —Alison Acheson reviews A Promise to Protect, by Nikki Bergstresser (Victoria: Heritage House, 2025) $14.95 / 9781772035438 and I Won’t Feel This Way Forever, by Kim Spencer (Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2025) $14.95 / 9781459838208
Distressed after an eye-opening story time at school, young Miyasisiwn returns home with questions for her mom. Capably tackling big, difficult topics, an accomplished picture book exhibits deep caring, generosity, and wisdom on every page. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Miya Wears Orange, by Wanda John-Kehewin (illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina)(Winnipeg: HighWater Press, 2025) $21.95 / 9781774921258
Keeping a specific audience in mind, a debut author “offers a good starting point for teens to navigate the challenges they come across. Ultimately, [her book] aims to create empathetic humans who will treat each conflict as an opportunity to grow and mature. And in that, I think Henningson and the book succeed.” —Sophia Wasylinko reviews White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans: Stories of Getting Along (or Not), by Donna M. Henningson (Altona: Friesen Press, 2024) $25.99 / 9781038303325
In a “brutally frank, but also hopeful” novel that “nail[s] the adolescent voice—there’s plenty of profanity, a touch of irreverence, and no small amount of self-deprecation,” a teenage girl struggles to manage her compulsions and find equilibrium. —Jessica Poon reviews A Drop in the Ocean, by Léa Taranto (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025) $19.95 / 9781551519813
“Two Pigs did make me smile, I noticed; while reading the slim volume, I guffawed at least once. In contrast, ‘The Three Pigs’ is sturdy and practically-minded. It sharpens my awareness of brick as an advantageous building material.” —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Two Pigs, by David Bouchard (illustrated by Christine Battuz) (Vancouver, Midtown Press, 2025) $21.95 / 9781988242606
Sharing a focus on Chinese Canadian war efforts, a pair of strikingly illustrated picture books tell layered stories that would serve well at home and in the classroom. —Alison Acheson reviews Endgame: The Secret Force 136, by Catherine Little (illustrated by Sean Huang) (Oakville: Plumleaf, 2023) $22.95 / 9781738898244 and Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown, by Evelyn Sue Wong (illustrated by Sarah Ang) (Oakville: Plumleaf, 2025) $22.95 / 9781738898244
“In fact, gratitude is something I believe was on display in this enclave in the Coastal Room at the Gibson Public Market, an appreciation for the array of literary talent on the Sunshine Coast and across the province. That was certainly the message relayed by several literary award judges at this fifth annual event.” Trevor Marc Hughes reports on the recent Art & Words Festival events held in Gibsons this past weekend.
This accomplished trio of “chapter books emphasize the importance of kindness and community, introduce a variety of environmental issues, provide subtle but shrewd insights into politics and capitalism, and deliver road maps to empowering activism.” —Ginny Ratsoy reviews Book Uncle and Me, by Uma Krishnaswami (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2016)$14.99 / 9781554988082, Birds on the Brain, by Uma Krishnaswami (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2024) $16.99 / 9781773069449, and The Sunshine Project, by Uma Krishnaswami (illustrated by Julianna Swaney) (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2025) $16.99 / 9781773067797
In a soft-spoken and subtle debut YA novel, a pre-teen boy learns to understand and care for a pair of ducks. It’s a ‘still waters’ sort of book that runs surprisingly deep. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Project Wild One, by Louise Sidley (Leaside: Red Deer Press, 2025) $14.95 / 9780889957633
The sleuthing elements of this YA novel have their appeal, but the real stand outs include the interplay between teammates and the “multi-generational openness and connections.” —Alison Acheson reviews Rhapsody Smith, Ice Angel, by Lorna Schultz Nicholson (Winnipeg: Yellow Dog/Great Plains Press, 2025) $18.95 / 9781773371306
An appealing trio of picture books for young readers take journeys to forests and seas. Among the vivid colours and striking images: invaluable lessons about cooperation, language, and ecosystems. —Ginny Ratsoy reviews What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean, by Kirsten Pendreigh (illustrated by Katie Melrose) (Naperville: Sourcebooks, 2025) $28.99 / 9781464218965; Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate, by Annette LeBox (illustrated by Crystal Smith) (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2024) $22.99 / 9781773069357; and The Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom, by Leigh Joseph (illustrated by Natalie Schnitter) (Dover: Quarto Publishing, 2025) $25.99 / 9780760392911
“Though marketed as a middle-grade novel, Oasis will resonate with many adult audiences, too. Not only is the art style captivating, but the story has a level of simple sophistication that lingers like an affecting dream.” —Zoe McKenna reviews Oasis, by Guojing (New York: Godwin/Henry Holt, 2025) $19.99 / 9781250818379
In a vibrant picture book for kids, a sleeping girl’s dreamscape grows uncomfortable and threatening. With the help of a radiant and wise elephant god (who sings too), she learns practical lessons about perspective that she can apply to real life.—Brett Josef Grubisic reviews I Dream of Ganesha, by Sonali Zohra (Boulder: Shambhala Publications, 2024) $18.95 / 9781645472957
The wonderstruck child narrator of a striking picture book for youngsters recalls four seasons worth of meals, adventures, and sights—and feels grateful for each and every one. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Wôpanâak / Seasons, by Carrie Anne Vanderhoop / illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Vancouver: Tradewinds Books, 2025) $24.95 / 9781926890418
