Cheeky, fun, funny, and sweet, a puzzle-turned-mystery transforms an irritable, short-tempered feline (in a whimsical-drawn world) into an entertaining, albeit crabby, sleuth. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews One Mad Cat: And the Missing Book, by Vicky Fang (Toronto: Candlewick, 2026) $19.99 / 9781536239133
Delightful PNW-set early chapter book takes a self-described bookworm and aficionado of ‘the great indoors’ to Sunnyside Summer Camp. Farting, vomiting, and serious peril ensue. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Surviving Summer Camp, by Paul Breau (Vancouver: TKI Productions, 2026) $13.99 / 9781777976637
“Scholar George M. Johnson just took early retirement from Thompson Rivers University, and has he been productive. Not only is he a Children’s author, but he’s also a screenwriter and playwright. But recently, as he updates The British Columbia Review from the banks of the North Thompson River in Kamloops, it has been his social activism through his songwriting and performing that has defined him, tackling such timely topics as the debt faced by developing nations and the climate crisis facing us all.” Trevor Marc Hughes presents an interview with Kamloops scholar, screenwriter, playwright, Children’s writer….and songwriter…George M. Johnson.
Vancouver Island-set early chapter book tells an “engrossing initiation story”: “Young readers can not only empathize with the protagonist’s sorrow, alienation, and confusion; they can also learn about the collaboration, flexibility, and patience requisite for the growth from innocence to maturity.” —Ginny Ratsoy reviews Eleven Out of Ten, by Stacey Matson (Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2026) $12.99 / 9781039708792
For younger kids and the adults (or siblings/sitters) who read to them, two books charm, amuse, and entice as they tell of serious emotions and a change of scenery. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Camping is a Terrible Idea, by Kirsten Pendreigh (illustrated by Tiffany Everett) (Ann Arbor: Sleeping Bear Press, 2026) $27.99 / 9781534113442 and I Sure Do, by Charles Demers (illustrated by Dorothy Leung) (Vancouver: Tradewind Books, 2026) $24.95 / 9781990598449
With characters that “can be awful, but authentic,” a debut YA novel “offers a well-written and brutally realistic rendering of divorce in a short number of pages.” —Isabella Ranallo reviews Our Square of Sky, by Robin Lamarche (Gibsons: Prose-Star Communications, 2026) $19.95 / 9781068981890
In a fast-paced pair of early chapter books, authors examine social politics and community-building, though in discrete historical eras—contemporary Canada and BC in the 1880s. —Alison Acheson reviews A Home For Lucy, by Mike Levitt (Toronto: Lorimer Books, 2026) $19.95 / 9781459420595 and Peril at Hell’s Gate, by Bill Freeman (Toronto: Lorimer Books, 2026) $19.95 / 9781459420625
Full of saturated colours and painterly style, a children’s picture book inspired in part by a Grimm fable traces the arc of Tsa’kwi’ah. She’s shy and lacking in confidence… until she spies a smiling green frog. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Pipa:m̓: The Touch of the Frog, by Joseph Dandurand (illustrated by Elinor Atkins) (Gibsons: Nightwood Editions, 2026) $15.95 / 9780889715004
“The momentary victory didn’t seem complete, though, as my marble season was forever marred. I couldn’t play my winnings without some kid declaring that any marble with defining features was once theirs and trying to lay claim.” Marcella Kyrein explores the game of marbles battlefield during her Prince George elementary school years in her essay Marbles and the Art of War.
Accompanied by vibrant illustrations, an early chapter book tells of new girl Feebee as she joins a figure skating club. It’s a sweet, well-told tale. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Feebee’s Magical Figure Skaters’ Tea, by Cathalynn Cindy Labonté-Smith (illustrated by Serena J. Trinder) (Gibsons: independently published, 2026) $15.00 / 9798257852671
Charming, educative, and attractive, an eclectic trio of picture books focus on an array of topics that will keeps young readers coming back for more. “If you are looking to expose a young reader in your life to a text that is informative but not didactic, deep but lively, and fun but not frivolous…,” read on. —Ginny Ratsoy reviews Just A Minute: Why Humans Tell Time, by Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak (illustrated by Paige Stampatori) (Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2025) $29.95 / 9781459840621; Gander: The Town That Welcomed the World, by Nikki Bergstresser (illustrated by Reilly Fitzgerald) (Oakville, Plumleaf Press, 2026) $24.95 / 9781997872047; and Monarch, by S.E. Hume (illustrated by Jessica Bromley Bartram) (Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2026) $24.95 / 978155455069
A graphic novel for younger readers tells the tale of twin sisters who cannot wait to start a summer school programme for junior illustrators. Be careful what you wish for, they soon learn. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Inbetweens, by Faith Erin Hicks (New York: First Second, 2026) $20.99 / 9781250838742
“[E]xcellent” debut YA novel reflects an author who “put his heart and soul into this book.” Plus: “Coming to this book in middle age, and as a fairly non-sentimental reader, the novel surprised me when I actually almost cried at one point, so invested was I in this wonderfully well-developed character of Ramin Abbas.” —Trish Bowering reviews Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions, by Ahmad Saber (Toronto: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2026) $29.99 /9781665960694
In the eighth volume in an impressive series, an author turns rhapsodic and philosophical about a 300-year-old cedar tree and its value and meaning within his culture. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews The Cedar Mother, by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson), illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Nanaimo: Strong Nations, 2026) $24.95 / 9781774921586
Fifth book in a graphic novel series for 8-12-year-olds is light on levity and quite detailed about a serious rivalry between former friends. Our reviewer found the tone altogether too sour for his taste. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews PAWS: The Trouble with Leo, by Nathan Fairbairn (illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn) (Toronto: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2026) $17.99 / 9780593695852
With plots of vaporous evil released from bottle captivity and a murderer seemingly on the loose, these terrific books make good on their promise of suitably ‘Boo!-level’ frights and mildly unsettling thrills. —Alison Acheson reviews The Bottle Witch of Brimley, by Linda DeMeulemeester (illustrated by Meaghan Carter) (Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2026) $14.95 / 9781459843523 and Do Not Go Out At Night, by François Gravel and Martine Latulippe (translated by David Warriner) (Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2026) $12.95 / 9781459843028
Rich with appealingly illustrated pages, a pair of smart picture books introduce young readers to changes—both the kind that the world can spring at us all and internal change. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Sometimes I Feel That Way Too, by Hannah Beach (illustrated by Rebecca Bender) (Toronto: Plumleaf Press, 2026) $24.95 / 9781069093561 and Hello, Baby, It’s Me, Alfie, by Maggie Hutchings (illustrated by Dawn Lo) (Toronto: Tundra Books, 2026) $24.95 9781774886366
“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.