Boys' Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

As Tim Wynne-Jones points out in his introduction, a good story has
nothing to do with whether or not it is written by or intended for males
or females. Rather, “the elements that make a story really hum and
crackle are believable and appealing characters, an intriguing plot, and
the right words to do the job.” Both Sarah Ellis and Tim Wynne-Jones
have selected wisely and well in these outstanding books, for though
their stories take place in many different times, places and
circumstances, they all “hum and crackle.”

Each anthology contains 20 stories by contemporary Canadian authors,
most published within the last 10 years. Both contain works by Julie
Johnston, Joan Clark, Sarah Ellis, and Tim Wynne-Jones. Other well-known
authors include Jean Little, Kit Pearson, Mitzi Dale, and Linda Holeman
in Girls’ Own and Richard Scrimger, William Bell, Brian Doyle, and
Monica Hughes in Boys’ Own. The stories run the gamut from serious, to
spooky, to silly, to rib-ticklingly funny. The collections are evenly
matched, but Tim Wynne-Jones’s wonderfully conversational
introductions to the stories in Boys’ Own add a personal touch that
makes it particularly appealing.

Parents, librarians, and middle-school teachers wanting to introduce
young people to the very best in Canadian children’s literature will
find these anthologies excellent choices. Highly recommended.