CANR
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WEBSITE: http://www.ericwalters.net/
CITY: Guelph
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COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 352
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born March 3, 1957, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; son of Eric (a woodworker) and Christina (a homemaker) Walters; married December 28, 1984; wife’s name Anita (a social worker); children: Christina, Nicholas, Julia.
EDUCATION:York University, B.A. (with honors), 1979, B.S.W., 1983, M.S.W., 1985; University of Toronto, B.Ed., 1989.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Social worker affiliated with Children’s Aid Society, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, 1979-81, Region of Peel, 1981-85; Strothers Treatment Centre, social worker, 1986-89; Emergency Department, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, crisis social worker, 1989-2008; Peel Region Board of Education, teacher, 1989-2005; writer, beginning 1992. Creation of Hope (charitable foundation), founder.
AVOCATIONS:Playing and coaching basketball and soccer, music, traveling, and spending time in Kenya.
MEMBER:Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers, Writers’ Union of Canada.
AWARDS:Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, 1997, Blue Heron Book Award, 1997, and Children’s Choice Award, Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), all for STARS; Silver Birch Award, CCBC Choice Award, and Ruth Schwartz Award nomination, all 1997, all for Trapped in Ice; Ruth Schwartz Award, CCBC Choice Award, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age designation, and Canadian Library Book of the Year Honor selection, all 1998, all for War of the Eagles; CCBC Choice Award, and Red Cedar Award nomination, both 1998, both for Diamonds in the Rough; Canadian Library Association (CLA) Honour Book designation, 1998, for The Hydrofoil Mystery; CLA Book of the Year shortlist, 2000, and UNESCO Honor designation, 2003, both for Caged Eagles; Red Maple Award, and Snow Willow Award, both 2002, both for Rebound; CCBC Choice Award, and Red Maple Award finalist, both 2002, both for The Bully Boys; Silver Birch Award, and Arthur Ellis Award shortlist, both 2003, both for Camp X; Tiny Torgi Award, 2004, and Red Cedar Award nomination, 2005, both for Run; Red Cedar Award, 2004, for Northern Exposures; Red Maple Award nomination, 2004, for Ricky; White Pine Award, 2007, for Shattered; Red Maple Award, and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award, both 2008, both for We All Fall Down; Red Maple Award, and Rocky Mountain Award, both 2008, both for Safe as Houses; Outdoor Education Award, 2008, for The Pole; Red Maple Award, 2015, for The Rule of Three; Sakura Medal (Japan), for The Christopher, 2015; young people’s literature-text prize, Governor General’s Literary Awards, 2020, for The King of Jam Sandwiches
POLITICS: “Liberal.” RELIGION: United Church of Canada.WRITINGS
Author’s works have been translated into French, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, Swedish, Spanish, Norwegian, and Chinese.
SIDELIGHTS
The novels of Canadian author Eric Walters have been compared by critics to the work of well-known young-adult writers Gary Paulsen and Will Hobbs. As Resource Links contributor Gillian Richardson noted in a review of Walters’s novel Royal Ransom, the author “excels at seizing the reader’s attention with rapid-fire action scenes, often involving survival against nature.” Walters’s first novel, Stand Your Ground, sold out instantly, while STARS won both the Silver Birch Award and the Blue Heron Book Award. Books nominated for these awards are selected by juries of young adults, a testament to Walters’s success at writing stories with which his audience can identify. His books have also proved popular because his teen protagonists invariably succeed despite the hurdles they face. This message—that obstacles can be overcome—is, in fact, what initially attracted Walters to writing for young adults. “I prefer writing children’s novels because they are like morality plays,” the prolific novelist once asserted. “There is much more right and wrong in them. In adult novels, it’s almost as if you have to emphasize the bad or wrong, and I don’t want the wrong people to win. I like happy endings.”
Walters originally pursued a career as a social worker but went on to become a teacher while continuing to work part-time as a crisis social worker in an emergency department. In 1991, inspired by the books he read aloud to his fifth-grade students, he decided to try writing his own books for children. His creative writing classes now became a sharing process for both Walters and his students; they took turns reading one another’s writing, and he expected the students to give his work the same critical appraisal he gave theirs. In fact, it was his students’ enthusiasm after hearing the first draft of Stand Your Ground that convinced Walters to send the completed draft to a publisher.
Stand Your Ground and STARS
“The underlying theme of many of my books is about a sense of belonging,” Walters once commented, “and about how you sometimes have to work to get to that place.” His protagonists are frequently gifted teens to whom life has dealt a severe blow. Their stories revolve around the challenges they experience when they are suddenly offered an opportunity they had previously lacked. In both Stand Your Ground and STARS, seizing an opportunity involves rejecting the thrill of living outside the law and recognizing the value of the ordinary. In Stand Your Ground, for example, the protagonist comes to realize that he prefers living with his old-fashioned Dutch grandparents to wheeling deals with his con-artist father. In STARS, a city boy spends his time planning his escape from a Northern Ontario camp for young offenders before he realizes how much he has come to love the wilderness.
Walters’s street-smart but sensitive protagonists are based on children he remembers from growing up with in a troubled neighborhood in West End Toronto. His mother died when he was four years old, and he and his older sister ended up raising themselves. For much of his youth, Walters ran wild, playing in neighboring stockyards, running through sewers, and fleeing the police. His world was populated by “smart people pushed in the wrong directions,” as he once recalled, and these same people provide his stories with much of their drama. Like his protagonists, Walters managed to escape this world, a cultural move he once compared to immigrating to a new country: “You leave things behind and there’s a sense of loss.”
Run
Walters’s novel Run focuses on a true story: the 1980 effort of Canadian athlete Terry Fox to run across Canada following a leg amputation. The novel weaves Fox’s story into the fictional story of Winston MacDonald, Jr., a student whose drinking and truancy have caused him to be sent to live with his journalist father. When Winston’s father is sent to cover Fox’s Marathon of Hope, the teen has the chance to travel in Fox’s support van and even runs alongside Fox, learning a lesson about perseverance and character.
“It is a testament to Walters’ talents that he manages to depict Terry as both a hero and a human,” noted Resource Links reviewer Nadine d’Entremont, praising Run as an “excellent novel” that “skillfully explores a range of themes, including family, friendship, determination, and heroism.” In writing Run Walters had the support of Fox’s family, and he donated all royalties from the sale of the book to the Terry Fox Foundation to fund cancer research.
Bifocal and Stuffed
Taking place against a more contemporary backdrop, Bifocal is a collaborative novel by Walters and Deborah Ellis. Geared for younger teens, the story focuses on two boys whose lives are changed when their school is locked down during a hunt for a Muslim student suspected of terrorist activities. Jay, a football star, joins his team members as they brutishly vandalize property in the town’s Muslim neighborhood in retaliation. Their activities extend to the home of Haroon, a bookish student, and the relationship between the two teens prompts both to stand up for what they believe is right. In Kliatt, Clair Rosser praised Bifocal as a “suspenseful story” that “brings current issues to the forefront.”
Another novel featuring contemporary teen issues, Stuffed focuses on a boy whose leadership role in boycotting a local fast-food restaurant results in legal threats. In School Library Journal, Michele Capozzella dubbed Stuffed “well written and thoughtful,” and Philip Mills asserted in Resource Links that Walters’s novel “contains a message to ponder over.”
Northern Exposures and Juice
In Northern Exposures, a teen ignored by his parents gets the chance to gain self-assurance and survival skills during a trip to northern Canada to photograph wildlife. “Walters knows about writing adventure stories for reluctant readers,” according to Rosser, “and Northern Exposures … should attract many younger YAs” due to its suspense.
The subject of performance-enhancing drugs in school athletics is the focus of Juice, as an easygoing football player nicknamed Moose begins to wonder what is in the energy drinks his new coach has been serving. Heather Empey wrote in the same periodical that Juice features a “likeable” protagonist and treats readers to an “engaging read,” while Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper predicted that the novel’s “simplicity will probably grab” the attention of reluctant readers. While noting that the story “could have been longer,” Stephanie Squicciarini concluded in Kliatt that in Juice Walters serves up “a quick, well written and realistic read.”
War of the Eagles and Caged Eagles
Several of Walters’s novels are set during World War II. In War of the Eagles, Jed, a Native American teen of the Tsimshian nation, learns about prejudice firsthand as he watches the attitudes of his fellow townspeople change toward their Japanese neighbors as the war progresses and tensions mount in Jed’s small Canadian fishing village. In the sequel to War of the Eagles, Caged Eagles, Walters focuses on the experiences of Jed’s friend, fourteen-year-old Tadashi Fukushima, who, together with his Japanese Canadian family and others of similar heritage from the village, is forced into an internment camp for the duration of the war. The boy does not understand his parents’ fatalistic attitude in dealing with this humiliation; he grows angry as their possessions are taken from them and he must live with the women in a makeshift hovel while his father lives elsewhere in the camp with the men. Together with a new friend, Tadashi finds a way to leave the camp undetected, and in an act of defiance he sinks the family’s fishing boat—the source of their livelihood—to prevent it from being sold.
Praising Caged Eagles, Booklist reviewer Chris Sherman noted that Walters “admirably succeeds” in helping readers understand the “humiliation, anger, and depression” of Tadashi’s family, while also weaving an element of adventure into the boy’s story. In a School Library Journal review, Kathleen Isaacs called the book “a disturbing and convincing story that needs to be told,” while in Booklist John Peters hailed War of the Eagles as “a multifaceted, well-knit story” that is enhanced by Walters’s “fluent storytelling.”
Camp X
In Camp X, twelve-year-old George Braun and his older brother Jack are left alone when their father leaves to fight in World War II and their mother gets a job in a munitions factory. Exploring their new town of Whitby, Ontario, the boys stumble upon a secret military installation: a British-run camp to train Allied spies. As they learn more about the camp, they gain the confidence of the presiding director, and are ultimately asked to assist camp command in making deliveries to the munitions factory nearby. During their delivery run, George and Jack discover a plot to undermine the camp, and they realize that not everyone they know can be trusted.
Noting that Camp X is based on an actual military installation, Resource Links contributor Victoria Pennell praised the novel for containing “fast-moving action” that will appeal to upper-elementary-aged readers who enjoy military history.
Camp 30 and Camp X: Fools' Gold
Reviewers felt that fans of Camp X will also appreciate Camp 30 and Camp X: Fools’ Gold. In Camp 30, George and Jack move from Whitby to nearby Bowmanville, where they discover a different type of camp: a prisoner of war camp that houses German soldiers. Like Camp X, Camp 30 is also based on Canadian history; the camp in Bowmanville served as a temporary home for some of the highest-ranking German officers to be captured by Allied troops during the war.
In Camp X: Fools’ Gold, the brothers find themselves in the center of a scheme by thieves to uncover the location of the fortune in gold that is supposedly hidden at Camp X. While noting that it recalls the popular “Hardy Boys” books of the early twentieth century, Resource Links critic David Ward added that Camp 30 “promotes a part of Canadian history not often discussed or remembered,” and Evette Berry noted in the same periodical that Walters’s plot in Camp X: Fools’ Gold “flows smoothly and … action sequences maintain the readers’ interest throughout.”
Elixir
Turning to an even earlier era, Elixir takes place in the early 1920s, as a Canadian preteen named Ruth Williams witnesses something amazing in the college research building where her mother works as a cleaning woman. At the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biological Research, two scientists are attempting to find a serum that will cure diabetes mellitus. Unfortunately, their experiments result in the death of many of the dogs used to test their serum, and animal rights activists now protest vehemently outside the doors of the institute. While Ruth becomes friends with the two scientists, she also makes a friend of one of the animal-rights activists. When she is asked to betray the scientists and help free the dogs, Ruth is confronted by a moral dilemma that has the potential to derail scientific advances.
Noting that Elixir “will expose students to the incredible accomplishments” of two Canadian scientists, Teresa Hughes added in Resource Links that Walters’s novel “brings [the men’s] … personalities alive” for young readers.
Off Season and Road Trip
In addition to problem novels featuring older teens, Walters is the author of a popular series of books for young basketball fans. Beginning with Three on Three, the “Basketball” series includes the chapter books Full Court Press, Long Shot, Hoop Crazy, Off Season, Road Trip, Laggan Lard Butts, House Party, In a Flash, and Splat! among its titles. Off Season focuses on third-grade friends and basketball team members Nick and Kia, who travel to British Columbia to visit Nick’s cousin Ned during summer vacation. Although the three spend some time shooting hoops on a rustic basketball court Ned’s father has built, the city pair also come to appreciate learning about the ways of the wild when they become trapped, ringed in by forest fires.
In Road Trip the boys hit the road, traveling to compete in a high-pressure tournament where the stakes are even higher for their coach. Praising the series’ writing style as “easy and fast paced,” Resource Links reviewer Stephanie Olson added that “basketball fans will love the excitement” generated by the young team’s competitive spirit.
Triple Threat and Boot Camp
The eighth book in the “Basketball” series, Triple Threat, was written with NBA star Jerome “Junk Yard Dog” Williams. Williams is also a character in the book and helps Nick and Kia overcome bullies.
Walters and Williams team up again to write Boot Camp, this time joined by Williams’s brother Johnnie Williams III. In this story, the friends tough it out at basketball camp during the summer of their sixth-grade year. Noting that “the authors’ combined experience with the game is extraordinary,” Ward wrote in a Resource Links review of Boot Camp that readers are treated to “an honest, realistic experience of an intensive … camp” experience.
Catboy
Catboy features Taylor, a teenager who is adjusting to life in the big city of Toronto after moving from a Canadian suburb. After school one day, Taylor and his friend Simon discover and become fond of a feral cat colony in an alleyway. When it is announced that the alleyway will be bulldozed, Taylor and Simon decide that it is up to them to save the cats.
Reviewing the work on the Quill and Quire Web site, contributor Elisabeth de Mariaffi opined: “Taylor’s voice is the novel’s greatest strength, and his relationship with the cat colony, and one cat in particular, is where the story really engages.” Joan Marshall, a contributor to the Winnipeg Review, stated: “The dialogue in this novel, both internal and actual is up-to-date and realistic, moving the action along well. Only occasionally is the dialogue a little stiff when characters tell each other facts that could have arisen naturally from action. The intended readership will accept the naming of the cats by each student according to their heritage and the breed of the cats.” CM Web site contributor Mark Mueller noted: “ Catboy does contain enough interesting information about feral cat colonies and Toronto’s cultural diversity to provide for interesting classroom discussions.”
Between Heaven and Earth and Sleeper
Walters’s next work, Between Heaven and Earth, is part of an adventure series published by Orca. Seven different authors each penned a tale about a grandson posthumously going on an extended journey at the bequest of his late grandfather, via a set of written instructions. This is Walters’s contribution to that series. When D.J. opens a letter from his grandfather, he is a bit intimidated by the task his grandfather has left him: to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and spread his ashes. The challenge proves to be a difficult one almost immediately. After arriving in Tanzania, D.J. immediately discovers that his luggage did not make it. Luckily, an acquaintance named Sarah helps him out. Once they start the hike, D.J. is constantly getting himself into trouble by trying to go too fast and making rash choices. Thankfully there are a few people on the excursion who have his best interest at heart, and they keep him in check.
Reviewing the work on the CM Web site, contributor Rob Bittner wrote: “Some of the plot is slightly unbelievable, at least to me. … Of course, with suspension of disbelief, the story works beautifully, especially within the context of the series. Walters has written a fantastic story that will capture the attention of young readers and keep them engaged until the last page.” A contributor to the Robertson Book Reviews Web site claimed that a reader might “have known that Walters had climbed Kilimanjaro, because there is a sense of authenticity in his descriptions of the climb.”
Walters also contributed another installment to the Orca series, Sleeper, which again features D.J., who must now travel to England. There he experiences a “part Holmes-ian mystery and part James Bond adventure,” according to a Kirkus Reviews critic, who further dubbed Sleeper a “fast-paced, enjoyable entree to this mystery/adventure series.”
End of Days and Tagged
End of Days is a science fiction novel that posits the supposed death of all the world’s top scientists and mathematicians within one year. Actually, these people are being held hostage by aliens, and it is up to a sixteen-year-old boy, Billy, with unique powers to free them and ensure the safety of Earth, which is in the path of a giant asteroid. A Children’s Bookwatch reviewer termed this a “deftly crafted science fiction action/adventure by a master of the genre.” A Kirkus Reviews critic also had praise for this novel, calling it a “theme-packed pre-apocalyptic story for ideas-loving readers.”
Walters joins the debate about graffiti being an act of vandalism or art in his novel Tagged. Here teens Ian and Julia discover that their friend Oswald is the mysterious graffiti artist who tags his work Wiz in an attempt to build a portfolio for art school and to correct the excesses of the town’s mayor. A Publishers Weekly reviewer termed this a “high-energy tale.” Booklist reviewer John Peters noted of the novel: “Street art trumps local politics in this uncomplicated face-off between teens and city hall.” Similarly, Resource Links writer Corinne Mathews dubbed it a “quick, light read.”
My Name Is Blessing, Hope Springs, and Today Is the Day
Walters has helped to create an orphanage and school in Kenya through his Creation of Hope charity and has written several picture books in connection with those projects, illustrated by Eugene Fernandes. My Name Is Blessing is based on a real family and deals with issues of disability. Young Muthini, whose name means “suffering,” was born with only two fingers on his right hand and none on his left. Finally his grandmother takes him to a residential school where he can be helped and where he receives a new name, Baraka, meaning “blessing.” “This moving story invites readers to journey with a young Kenyan boy,” noted Toby Rajput in School Library Journal. Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews contributor commented: “With dignity and quiet acceptance, this story illustrates that blessings, like family, can take unexpected forms.”
Children at a Kenyan orphanage face a water shortage and come up with a novel idea with the local villagers in Hope Springs, a story of “strength and kindness in the face of fear,” according to School Library Journal reviewer Mary Elam. A Children’s Bookwatch writer also had praise for this picture book, calling it a “read-aloud treasure.” The third picture book, Today Is the Day, features young Mutanu, who is thinking about the coming day, for it is the day that has been designated by the orphanage as her birthday. Her extended family will come to visit and there will be cake and small gifts. A Children’s Bookwatch reviewer declared this a “winning fictional account of a real situation.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor was also impressed with this picture book, calling it “both deeply important and purely joyful.”
Walking Home and Regenesis
In Walking Home, Walters tells another tale—though in novel form—dealing with his Creation of Hope charity in Kenya. Here thirteen-year-old Muchoki must become the man of his family after armed assailants attack his village. His father is killed, the village is destroyed, and in a refugee camp his mother sickens and dies. Now it is up to him to save himself and his little sister Jata when the camp administrators threaten to send them to different foster families. He sets out with his sister on a perilous walk across war-torn Kenya to his mother’s ancestral home more than ninety miles distant. “ Walking Home is more than the story of Muchoki and Jata’s journey,” noted Resource Links writer Karyn Huenemann. “In keeping with this sort of survival story, it is about what Muchoki learns, how he grows, as they travel towards their destination.” Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Shanna Miles also had praise for the novel, noting that it “will give insight into the plight of young people in camps across the world.” A Kirkus Reviews critic termed it a “solid story of hope prevailing over despair.” The critic added: “This story should resonate with North American middle-grade readers.”
With Regenesis, Walters provides a sequel to his earlier novel, End of Days, about an asteroid on a collision course for Earth. Here Billy, the youth with special powers, is put in charge of taking a hundred children and teens on five spaceships to safety in outer space while Earth recovers from the effects of the asteroid. These children have been carefully selected for their special abilities. Meanwhile, living underground on Earth are another 1,600 young people, all expected to rebuild Earth. Resource Links writer Sarah Nelson noted of this novel: “Those looking for a book which focuses on the positive aspects of life and working together will find this a satisfying read.” Similarly, School Library Journal reviewer Carrie Shaurette commented: “This exciting adventure will please sci-fi fans, specifically those who enjoy reading about rebuilding a society after a catastrophic event.”
The Rule of Three and Fight for Power
Walters opens an adventure and speculative fiction trilogy with The Rule of Three, in which the power for all electronic and computerized devices suddenly goes out. Now only machines with simple engines or analog devices function. As the world begins to descend into chaos, teenage Adam’s mother, a police captain, and their next-door neighbor, Herb, who is retired, seem to be the only ones with the correct skills to help restore order. As danger threatens, Adam also matures and rises to the challenge. “This is a coming-of-age story wrapped in an action/adventure disguise,” noted Amy Fiske in Voice of Youth Advocates. Booklist writer Paula Willey felt that the book makes for “nuanced reading,” and a Kirkus Reviews critic found it “perfect for aspiring doomsday preppers and survivalists.”
“The Rule of Three” series continues with Fight for Power, in which Adam’s community has finally established some basic guidelines for survival, but now their community is threatened by others. Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Karen Jensen felt this book “will appeal to those who are interested in postapocalyptic scenarios.” A School Library Journal writer thought that “plot twists and double alliances will keep readers guessing,” and a Kirkus Reviews critic noted that the “philosophical questions and killer ending will prime readers for the next book.”
“I do a lot of personal research,” Walters once explained, crediting the popularity of his fiction to his realistic plots and vivid details. He continued: “I’ve hung out at a tough biker bar, white water rafted, rock climbed, played with people’s pet lions and tigers and bears, spent days in a wheelchair, and stood outside in a blizzard in a T-shirt and shorts to find out what it was like to freeze to death.”
Walters’s own experiences as a youth, combined with things he has seen while working as a social worker, family therapist, and teacher, have convinced him that many good people caught in a dead end “don’t get out alive.” As a result, he has found writing about characters who do manage to escape to be a form of catharsis. He identifies so closely with his characters that he worries about them even after a book is finished. Recalling what people said of him when he was a youth, he once acknowledged: “A lot of my life has been dedicated to proving people wrong.”
Walters has a natural affinity for the underdog, which is one of the reasons he has become involved with numerous charitable organizations. Along with donating his royalties from Run to the Terry Fox Foundation, he was the architect of the twenty-fifth National Run Day, in which over 10,000 schools across Canada participated in a Terry Fox Run and raised money for cancer research. He has traveled to Kenya with Free the Children to build schools and has donated the majority of the royalties from Tell Me Why: How Young People Can Change the World to this organization. Half the royalties from When Elephants Fight: The Lives of Children in Conflict in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda are donated in support of Guluwalk and the children of Uganda. Walters’s own charity, the Creation of Hope, provides outreach programs for orphans and their extended families, supports the Exodus Children’s Home, and has constructed a children’s home, Hope Home—Rolling Hills Residence, in Kikima, Kenya.
Books about Africa
On his travels throughout Africa, Walters gathered lore and wisdom that he shared in some of his books. From the Heart of Africa: A Book of Wisdom features 15 proverbs from African people, languages, customs, and cultures. One practical proverb says: “When in the middle of a river, do not insult the crocodile.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that presenting the vast African continent as a canvas “allows for an array of creative pictorial interpretations of the adages, with styles that run the gamut.” Jill Lorenzini commented in BookPage: “While each illustration is unique, shared traditions and cultural pride create continuity from page to page.”
In another book, Walters presents an ABC book highlighting African fauna for young readers. An African Alphabet accompanies each letter of the alphabet with wildlife found on the continent, such as well-known animals like Elephant, Lion, and Zebra, but also exotic and unfamiliar animals, such as Dik-Dik, Nandine, and Pangolin. Accompanying each letter are etchings from illustrator Sue Todd. “This eye-catching compendium of African fauna should delight young readers and instill an awareness of the Earth’s diversity of habitat and species,” noted a writer in Kirkus Reviews. Commenting in Resource Links, Carmelia Cechetto-Shea observed: “It takes the child on an African safari of sorts, bringing animals alive in the text and illustrations, especially animals that are new or unfamiliar to the child/reader.”
Another book for the young reader is Walters’s Bedtime 123 that teaches children numbers 1 to 10 counting down to bedtime with soothing words and pictures. In numerical form and written out, the numbers show the moon, stars, nighttime animals like owls, and farm animals going to sleep. “An exceptional bedtime delight that instructs as it composes restless little ones for slumber,” according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor. “The illustrations are delightfully whimsical and the colour palette used conjures a soothing twilight,” said Erin Hansen in Resource Links.
Young Love
Walters exposes the heartache of young love in his 2016 The Art of Picking up Girls (And Other Dangerous Things) as two high school boys play a competitive game of dating girls. Bad boy Ethan, a former basketball player, is the undisputed champion of getting girls to go out with him, and new kid Graham wants to learn from the best, until he falls for one of Ethan’s marks, the vegan Raine. Lesley Little commented in Resource Links on Walters’s believability and ease of writing, saying: “Walters manages to convey loyalty and forgiveness in his characters without diminishing their verisimilitude.”
Walters’s 2020 The King of Jam Sandwiches received the Governor General’s Award for English-language children’s literature. In the story, thirteen-year-old Robbie is an advanced student and member of the basketball team, but at home he has to deal with his widower father’s violent outbursts and strange behavior. Robbie is afraid the authorities will put him in foster care. At school he meets the tough Harmony with whom he bonds after she punches him. The two teenagers confront challenges at home and at school. A writer in Kirkus Reviews said that although “Robert’s narration unfolds with wry, self-deprecating humor, showcasing his stoic patience (though little emotion) and masterful achievements,” sympathies are wasted on him because he is so accomplished and self-reliant.
Fiction for Teens
In the emotional Broken Strings, Walters explores a traumatic past. Set in 2002 after the September 11th tragedy, high school student Shirli Berman is upset that she did not get the lead in her school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. As she prepares for the musical, she discovers her grandfather’s violin in her attic and the terrible secret of his musical past and imprisonment at Auschwitz. Mavis Holder remarked at Resource Links how Walters weaves many threads, such as the Holocaust, the terrorism of 9/11, “reaction to immigrants and racial prejudices, and teenage anxieties into the story, each with a gentle touch.”
In a parable about the bond of family, Walters wrote On the Rocks, about a teenage boy who rescues a beached orca whale. Removed from the home of his alcoholic mother, fourteen-year-old Dylan moves in with his grandfather on a remote island. They barely know each other and remain emotionally distant. Then Dylan discovers the orca and desperately tries to save it by pouring water on it and protecting it from the sun. When his grandfather helps him, they form a bond. In Resource Links, Nicole Rowlinson noted the unique plot, with “both the survival of the stranded orca and the complicated family dynamics playing important parts.” In Kirkus Reviews, a writer reported: “there’s an effective maturity to the relationship built here that is the book’s big draw.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 15, 1998, John Peters, review of War of the Eagles, p. 752; June 1, 2000, Tim Arnold, review of Three on Three, p. 1898; December 1, 2000, Chris Sherman, review of Caged Eagles, p. 702; April 1, 2001, Roger Leslie, review of Full Court Press, p. 1473; September 1, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Juice, p. 115; January 1, 2008, Frances Bradburn, review of Sketches, p. 63; September 15, 2011, Snow Wildsmith, review of Catboy, p. 65; June 1, 2013, John Peters, review of Tagged, p. 101; January 1, 2014, Paula Willey, review of The Rule of Three, p. 108; November 1, 2014, Kathleen McBroom, review of Skye Above, p. 58.
BookPage, January 2018, Jill Lorenzini, review of From the Heart of Africa, p. 30.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, October, 2008, Deborah Stevenson, review of In a Flash, p. 98.
Children’s Bookwatch, November, 2014, review of Hope Springs; December, 2015, review of End of Days; January, 2016, review of Today Is the Day.
Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2008, review of Sketches; October 15, 2008, review of Northern Exposures; September 1, 2011, review of Between Heaven and Earth; November 1, 2012, review of Prince for a Princess; September 1, 2013, review of My Name Is Blessing; December 15, 2013, review of The Rule of Three; August 1, 2014, review of Walking Home; August 15, 2014, review of Sleeper; November 15, 2014, review of Fight for Power; July 1, 2015, review of End of Days; July 15, 2015, review of Innocent; August 15, 2015, review of Today Is the Day; July 1, 2017, review of An African Alphabet; January 1, 2018, review of Bedtime 123; June 1, 2020, review of The King of Jam Sandwiches; October 1, 2019, review of On the Rocks.
Kliatt, January, 2005, Claire Rosser, review of Grind, p. 18; July, 2005, Stephanie Squicciarini, review of Juice, p. 26; July, 2006, Stephanie Squicciarini, review of Stuffed, p. 22; November, 2007, Claire Rosser, review of Bifocal, p. 10; March, 2008, Ashleigh Larsen, review of Splat!, and Myrna Marler, review of Sketches, p. 21; November, 2008, Claire Rosser, review of Northern Exposures, p. 28; April 15, 2012, review of Hunter.
Publishers Weekly, April 22, 2013, review of Tagged, p. 57; October 28, 2013, review of The Rule of Three, p. 61.
Resource Links, February, 1998, review of Trapped in Ice, p. 113; October, 1998, review of War of the Eagles, p. 21; February, 2000, review of Three on Three, pp. 11-12, and review of Stranded, pp. 29-30; April, 2000, review of The Bully Boys, p. 12; October, 2000, review of Caged Eagles, p. 31; February, 2001, review of Rebound, p. 20; October, 2001, Shannon Danylko, review of Hoop Crazy, and Johal Jinder, review of Tiger in Trouble, p. 20; December, 2001, Shannon Danylko, review of Long Shot, p. 23; April, 2002, Victoria Pennell, review of Camp X, p. 42; October, 2002, Stephanie Olson, review of Road Trip, p. 18; February, 2003, Gillian Richardson, review of Royal Ransom, p. 19; April, 2003, review of Tiger Town, p. 54; June, 2003, Teresa Hughes, review of Ricky, p. 36, and Elaine Rosepad, review of Off Season, p. 47; October, 2003, Nadine d’Entremont, review of Run, p. 37; October, 2004, Antonia Gisler, review of Underdog, p. 21; December, 2004, David Ward, review of Camp 30, p. 24; February, 2005, Susan Miller, review of Death by Exposure: An Interactive Mystery, p. 61; April, 2005, Teresa Hughes, review of Elixir, p. 18; June, 2005, Deb Nielsen, review of Triple Threat, p. 23; June, 2006, Victoria Pennell, review of We All Fall Down, p. 28; October, 2006, Evette Berry, review of Camp X: Fool’s Gold, p. 18, and Philip Mills, review of Stuffed, p. 55; April, 2007, David Ward, review of Boot Camp, p. 20; February, 2008, Margaret Mackey, review of Bifocal, p. 30; April, 2013, Corinne Mathews, review of Tagged, p. 46; October, 2013, Tanya Boudreau, review of My Name Is Blessing, p. 7; October, 2014, Lesley Lillie, review of Sleeper, p. 37; December, 2014, Moira Kirkpatrick, review of Skye Above, p. 22; December, 2014, Tanya Boudreau, review of Hope Springs, p. 31; December, 2014, Joan Marshall, review of Fight for Power, p. 43; December, 2014, Karyn Huenemann, review of Walking Home, p. 44; October, 2015, Karyn Huenemann, review of Innocent, p. 43; December, 2015, Tanya Boudreau, review of Today Is the Day, p. 8; February, 2016, Sarah Nelson, review of Regenesis, p. 29; October 2016, Lesley Little, review of The Art of Picking up Girls (And Other Dangerous Things), p. 39; February 2017, Carmelia Cechetto-Shea, review of An African Alphabet, p. 11; ; October 2017, Erin Hansen, review of Bedtime 123; October 2019, Mavis Holder, Review of Broken Strings; December 2019, Nicole Rowlinson, review of On the Rocks, p. 23.
School Library Journal, November, 2000, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Caged Eagles, p. 164; October, 2001, Janice C. Hayes, review of Rebound, p. 174; July, 2002, Kate Kohlbeck, review of Long Shot, p. 127; June, 2004, Margaret Mackey, review of Overdrive, p. 27; February, 2005, Heather Empey, review of Grind, p. 41; March, 2005, Kelly Czarnecki, review of Triple Threat, p. 220; August, 2005, Julie Webb, review of Juice, p. 138; October, 2005, Heather Empey, review of Juice, p. 38; February, 2006, Myra Junyk, review of Shattered, p. 53; October, 2006, Anne Hatcher, review of Laggan Lard Butts, p. 54, and Michele Capozzella, review of Stuffed, p. 163; June, 2007, Joanne de Groot, review of Sketches, p. 36; December, 2007, Gail Lennon, review of House Party, p. 44; March, 2008, Fawzia Gilani-Williams, review of Bifocal, p. 197; April, 2008, Diane P. Tuccillo, review of Sketches, p. 152; March, 2013, Amy Commers, review of Prince for a Princess, p. 132; November, 2013, Toby Rajput, review of My Name Is Blessing, p. 92; January, 2014, Kristyn Dorfman, review of The Rule of Three, p. 106; November, 2014, Mary Elam, review of Hope Springs, p. 94; November, 2014, Megan Egbert, review of Walking Home, p. 108; April, 2015, review of The Rule of Three, p. 175; December, 2015, Carrie Shaurette, review of Regenesis, p. 116.
Teacher Librarian, March-April, 1999, review of War of the Eagles, p. 22.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 2012, Ursula Adams, review of Hunter, p. 495; February, 2014, Amy Fiske, review of The Rule of Three, p. 67; December, 2014, Shanna Miles, review of Walking Home, p. 70; February, 2015, Karen Jensen, review of Fight for Power, p. 85; October, 2015, Ed Goldberg and Shirley Yan, review of Innocent, p. 64.
ONLINE
Book Addicts Guide, http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/ (February 2, 2014), review of The Rule of Three.
Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/ (April 6, 2016), “Eric Walters.”
CM, http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/ (September 26, 1998), Dave Jenkinson, interview with Walters; (September 9, 2011), Mark Mueller, review of Catboy; (September 7, 2012), Mark Mueller, review of Hunter; Rob Bittner, review of Between Heaven and Earth; (October 31, 2014), Michelle Superle, review of Walking Home.
Creation of Hope Web site, http://www.creationofhope.com (November 3, 2009).
Eric Walters Home Page, http://www.ericwalters.net (April 6, 2016).
Manitoba Library Association, http://www.umanitoba.ca/ (November 2, 2012), author profile.
Orca Book Publishers Web site, http://www.orcabook.com/ (November 2, 2012), author profile.
Quill and Quire, http://www.quillandquire.com/ (November 12, 2012), Elisabeth de Mariaffi, review of Catboy; Kenneth Oppel, “Walters Has a Tiger by the Tail.”
Robertson Book Review, http://www.robertsonbookreviews.org/ (July 30, 2012), review of Between Heaven and Earth.
Thoughts and Afterthoughts, https://anotherafterthought.wordpress.com/ (July 18, 2014), review of The Rule of Three.
Winnipeg Review, http://www.thewinnipegreview.com/ (January 23, 2012), Joan Marshall, review of Catboy.
Writers in Electronic Residence, http://www.wier.ca/ (November 2, 2012), author profile.*
It all began in 1993 when Eric was teaching a Grade 5 class. His students were reluctant readers and writers, and Eric began to write to encourage them to become more involved in literature. His first novel, Stand Your Ground, was created for this class. It is set in the school where Eric was teaching, Vista Heights Public School, and some of the features of the community of Streetsville and many of the names of his students were incorporated into the story.
Since his first novel Eric has exploded on the children’s and young adult scene. Over the past two decades he has published 104 more novels and picture books with eight more scheduled in the coming years.
These novels have been enthusiastically received by children and young adults and critically acclaimed by teachers, reviewers and parents. Eric’s novels have won more than 100 awards including eleven separate children’s choice awards. He is the only three-time winner of both the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch and four-time winner of the Red Maple Award – in which over 250,000 students participate and vote the winner. In November 2013 he received the prestigious Children’s Africana Book Award – Best Book for young children – for his book The Matatu. This American award was presented to Eric in a ceremony at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. In 2017 he won the prestigious Sakura Medal give to the favorite book of International students in Japan.
Eric’s novels are now available in places as far award as New Zealand, Australia, India and Nepal and have been translated into more than a dozen languages including French, German, Japanese, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Portuguese.
Eric has presented to more than 1,500,000 students across North America and internationally in Japan, Kenya and Germany. His presentations blend drama, storytelling, audience participation and interaction. He presents to students from K – Grade 12 as well as adult groups and has been a keynote speaker at a variety of conferences.
Additional Background
Eric was born in Toronto in 1957 which makes him ‘real old’. Eric says ‘just because I have to grow old doesn’t mean I have to grow up.’ In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, sports coach and writer he has been in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences to help capture the realistic actions, thoughts, interactions, stresses, conflicts and tensions that fuel his characters.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story he starts with research. ‘The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write,’ Eric says. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, interviewing experts, or trying to experience the things that the characters are going through. This has included rock climbing or riding white water (for STARS), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing with and walking tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard in a t-shirt and shorts to experience freezing to death (Trapped in Ice), walking across the Maasai Mara (Alexandria of Africa), hiking across the Sahara Desert (Just Deserts), climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (Between Heaven and Earth), and walking across Kenya (Walking Home).
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it’s a few minutes between presentations, lost in a desert, or on a break in climbing a mountain, to write.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker – B.A.(Hons) specialized major in psychology, B.S.W., M.S.W. He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health treatment centre, and for eighteen years part time in an emergency department while teaching. He stopped teaching in 2006 and working in the E.R. in 2009.
In June 2013 Eric became ‘Dr. Walters’ when he was granted the honorary degree of Literarum Doctorem by Wilfred Laurier University. He gave the address to graduating B.Ed., B.A. students in the spring convocation.
Eric has won more than 100 awards for his work. Those that he is most proud of are the children’s choice awards. These are contests where children vote for their favourite books. Eric has won these awards across the country and is the only person to ever win three separate Silver Birch and three separate Red Maple awards.
Children's Choice Awards
The Red Maple - 2015
Rocky Mountain Award - 2009
Red Maple Award - 2008
Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award - 2008
Red Maple Award - 2007
White Pine Award - 2007
Tiny Torgi Award - Canadian National Institute for the Blind - 2004
Silver Birch Award - 2003
Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award - 2002
Red Maple Award - 2001
Silver Birch Award - 1999
Silver Birch Award - 19971997
Blue Heron Award -
International Awards
The Christopher - 2015
Sakura Medal (Children's choice award in Japan)
UNSESCO International Prize - 2003
Awarded for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the Service of Tolerance
Honorable Mention, awarded in Paris France international ceremony
Aesop Accolades - American Folklore Society - 2012
Children’s Africana Book Award - Best Book For Young Children - 2013
Awarded at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
Personal Achievement Awards
The Order of Canada - 2015
Bryden Alumni Award - York University - 2011
Redefine the Possible
President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement, Ontario Library Association - 2010
For outstanding contribution of historic significance that has in a major way enhanced librarianship in Ontario.
Mississauga Arts Award - 2005
Awarded in Established Literary Arts category
Eric Walters
Canada (b.1957)
Eric Walters was born and raised in Toronto and resides in Mississauga, Ontario, with his wife Anita and his dogs Lola and Winnie the Poodle, while his three grown children, Christina, Nick, and Julia, reside in the area.
Walters often experiences the subjects he plans to write about. In April 2010 he walked 200 kilometres (120 mi) across the Sahara Desert before writing Just Deserts and in the summer, along with his son, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Between Heaven and Earth.
In addition Walters founded and runs the Creation of Hope, an organization providing care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. Presently over 400 orphans are being provided with a services which include food, school fees, uniforms, tools, beds, livestock and the construction of two childrens residences in the town of Kikima.
He also went to Hillside Senior Public School.
Genres: Children's Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Romance
New Books
September 2021
(paperback)
Houston, Is There A Problem?
(Teen Astronauts, book 1)
Series
War of the Eagles
1. War of the Eagles (1998)
2. Caged Eagles (2000)
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Eric Walters' Basketball Books
1. Three on Three (1999)
2. Full Court Press (2001)
3. Hoop Crazy! (2001)
4. Long Shot (2002)
5. Road Trip (2002)
6. Off Season (2003)
7. Underdog (2004)
8. Triple Threat (2004) (with Jerome Williams)
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Tiger
1. Tiger by the Tail (1999)
2. Tiger in Trouble (2001)
3. Tiger Town (2003)
4. Tiger Trap (2007)
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Camp X
1. Camp X (2001)
2. Camp 30 (2005)
3. Fool's Gold (2006)
4. Shell Shocked (2009)
5. Trouble In Paradise (2010)
6. Enigma (2013)
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We All Fall Down
1. We All Fall Down (2006)
2. United We Stand (2009)
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Alexandria of Africa
1. Alexandria of Africa (2008)
2. Beverly Hills Maasai (2010)
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Catboy
Catboy (2011)
Hunter (2012)
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End of Days
1. End of Days (2011)
2. Regenesis (2015)
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The Rule of Three
1. The Rule of Three (2014)
2. Fight for Power (2015)
3. Will to Survive (2016)
4. Fourth Dimension (2018)
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Teen Astronauts
1. Houston, Is There A Problem? (2021)
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Novels
Stand Your Ground (1992)
Stars (1996)
Trapped in Ice (1997)
Diamonds in the Rough (1998)
Stranded (1998)
Visions (1999)
The Hydrofoil Mystery (1999)
The Bully Boys (2000)
The Money Pit Mystery (2000)
Northern Exposures (2001)
Rebound (2001)
Royal Ransom (2003)
Death by Exposure (2004) (with Kevin Spreekmeester)
Overdrive (2004)
Grind (2004)
I've Got an Idea (2004)
Juice (2005)
The True Story of Santa Claus (2005)
Laggan Lard Butts (2006)
Stuffed (2006)
Boot Camp (2007) (with Jerome Williams and Johnnie Williams III)
Sketches (2007)
Safe As Houses (2007)
Bifocal (2007) (with Deborah Ellis)
House Party (2007)
The Pole (2008)
Splat! (2008)
The Falls (2008)
Voyageur (2008)
In a Flash (2008)
Black And White (2009)
Special Edward (2009)
Wounded (2009)
Wave (2009)
Branded (2010)
Home Team (2010)
Fly Boy (2010)
Ricky (2011)
Shaken (2011)
Just Deserts (2011) (with Ray Zahab)
The Taming (2012) (with Teresa Toten)
Tagged (2013)
Walking Home (2014)
Say You Will (2015)
Power Play (2015)
The Art of Picking Up Girls (2016)
90 Days of Different (2017)
Elephant Secret (2018)
Broken Strings (2019) (with Kathy Kacer)
On the Rocks (2020)
The King of Jam Sandwiches (2020)
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Omnibus
The Seven Sequels (2014) (with Sigmund Brouwer, Norah McClintock, Shane Peacock, Richard Scrimger, Ted Staunton and John Morgan Wilson)
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Collections
The Eric Walters Seven 2-Pack (2016)
From the Heart of Africa (2018)
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Picture Books
The Matatu (2012)
My Name Is Blessing (2013)
Hope Springs (2014)
Skye Above (2014)
Today Is the Day (2015)
An African Alphabet (2017)
Bedtime 123 (2017)
Surfer Dog (2018)
The Wild Beast (2018)
Bath Time! (2020)
The Boy Who Moved Christmas (2020) (with Nicole Wellwood)
Good Night, Noah (2021)
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Novellas
Nothing to Fear (2014)
Batcat and the Seven Squirrels (2016)
Light a Candle (2019) (with Godfrey Nkongolo)
High and Dry (2020)
Don't Stand So Close to Me (2020)
Hockey Night in Kenya (2020) (with Danson Mutinda)
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Chapter Books
Prince for a Princess (2012)
Saving Sammy (2014)
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Series contributed to
Seven
1. Between Heaven and Earth (2012)
Seven: The series bundle (omnibus) (2012) (with Sigmund Brouwer, Wilson John, Norah McClintock, Shane Peacock, Richard Scrimger, Ted Staunton and John Morgan Wilson)
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Seven Sequels
Sleeper (2014)
Jungle Land (2016)
The Seven Prequels (omnibus) (2016) (with Sigmund Brouwer, Norah McClintock, Shane Peacock, Richard Scrimger, Ted Staunton and John Morgan Wilson)
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Secrets
Innocent (2015)
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Non fiction
Run (2003)
Elixir (2005)
Shattered (2006)
When Elephants Fight (2008) (with Adrian Bradbury)
ERIC WALTERS is one of Canada's best-known and most prolific writers of fiction for children and young adults. His books have won over 120 awards, including thirteen separate children's choice awards, and have been translated into thirteen languages. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, and is the co-founder of Creation of Hope, a charity that provides care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. In 2014, Eric was named a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contribution as an author of literature for children and young adults whose stories help young readers grapple with complex social issues." For more information, go to www.ericwalters.net.
Eric Walters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the Australian journalist, see Eric Walters (newsreader).
Eric Walters
CM
Eric Walters at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival in 2016
Walters at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival in 2016
Born Eric Robert Walters
March 3, 1957 (age 64)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Occupation Writer
Known for The Rule Of Three, Camp X, Shattered, Bifocal
Eric Robert Walters, CM (born March 3, 1957) is a Canadian author of young adult fiction and picture books.[1] As of 2020, Eric Walters has written over 100 books.[2]
Contents
1 Background
2 Personal life
3 Awards
4 Published works
4.1 Fiction
4.2 Non-fiction
5 References
6 External links
Background
Walters was an elementary school teacher at Vista Heights Public School in Streetsville, Ontario. In 1993, he was teaching a grade 5 class in which many of the students were reluctant readers and writers. To encourage them, Walters wrote his first novel, Stand Your Ground. The novel was set in the school and included features from the community and the names of many of his students. He has since written more than 70 novels for young adults.
He is a three-time winner of both the Ontario Association Silver Birch and Red Maple Awards – voted on by over 100,000 students throughout the province of Ontario. His books have been translated and published in many countries.
Personal life
Eric Walters was born and raised in Toronto and resides in Guelph, Ontario, with his wife Anita. They have three adult children, Christina, Nick and Julia.[3]
Walters tries to experience the subjects he plans to write about. In April 2010 he walked across the Sahara Desert before writing Just Deserts. With his son, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Between Heaven and Earth. He played with tigers before writing Tiger by the Tail.[4]
In addition, Walters founded the Creation of Hope,[5] an organization providing care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. Presently more than 400 orphans are being provided with services that include food, school fees, uniforms, tools, beds, livestock, and the construction of two children's residences in the town of Kikima.
Awards
Walters's works have won or been nominated for the following awards:[6]
Book Award(s)
Stars
Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, 1997
Blue Heron Book Award, Blue Heron Books, 1997
Children's Choice Award, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CBC)
Trapped in Ice
Silver Birch Award, 1997
CBC Choice Award, 1997
Ruth Schwartz Award nomination, 1997
War of the Eagles
Ruth Schwartz Award, 1998
CBC Choice Award, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age designation, 1998
Canadian Library Book of the Year Honour selection, 1998
Diamonds in the Rough
CBC Choice Award, 1998
Red Cedar Award nomination, 1998
The Hydrofoil Mystery
Canadian Library Association (CLA) Honour Book designation, 1998
Caged EagIes
CLA Book of the Year shortlist, 2000
UNESCO Honour Selection designation, 2003
Rebound
Red Maple Award, 2002
Snow Willow Award, 2002
The Bully Boys
CBC Choice Award, 2002
Red Maple Award finalist, 2002
Camp X
Silver Birch Award, 2003
Arthur Ellis Award shortlist, 2003
Run
Torgi Award, 2003
We All Fall Down
Red Maple Winner, 2006
Shattered
White Maple Winner, 2006
Safe as Houses
Red Maple Winner, 2007
The Pole
National Outdoor Book Award (Children's Category), 2008
The King of Jam Sandwiches
Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature, 2020
Published works
Fiction
Stand Your Ground (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 1994)
Stars (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 1996)
Trapped in Ice (Penguin 1997)
War of the Eagles (Orca 1998)
Diamonds in the Rough (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 1998)
The Hydrofoil Mystery (Penguin 1999)
Caged Eagles (Orca 2000)
Rebound (Stoddart 2000)
The Bully Boys (Penguin 2000)
Northern Exposures (HarperCollins 2001)
Camp X (Penguin 2002)
Ricky (HarperCollins 2002)
Tiger Town (Dundurn 2003)
Run (Penguin 2003)
Overdrive (Orca 2004)
Grind (Orca 2004)
Death by Exposure (Dundurn 2004)
Underdog (Orca 2004)
I've Got An Idea (HarperCollins 2004)
The True Story of Santa Claus (2005)
Juice (Orca 2005)
Elixir (Penguin 2005)
Triple Threat (Orca 2005)
Stuffed (Orca 2006)
Laggan Lard Butts (Orca 2006)
We All Fall Down (Doubleday 2006)
Shattered (Penguin 2006)
House Party (Orca 2007)
Bifocal (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2007)
Safe as Houses (Doubleday 2007)
Tiger Trap (Dundurn 2007)
Sketches (Penguin 2007)
Boot Camp (Orca 2007)
The Falls (Penguin 2008)
In A Flash (Orca 2008)
When Elephants Fight (Orca, 2008)
Voyageur (Penguin, 2008)
The Pole (Penguin 2008)
Splat! (Orca 2008)
Alexandria of Africa (Doubleday 2008)
Special Edward (Orca, 2009)
Black & White (Penguin, 2009)
Tell Me Why (Doubleday, 2009)
Wounded (Penguin, 2009)
United We Stand (Doubleday, 2009)
Shell Shocked (Penguin, 2009)
Wave (Doubleday, 2009)
Beverly Hills Maasai (Doubleday, 2010)
Branded (Orca, 2010)
Trouble in Paradise (Penguin, 2010)
Home Team (Orca, 2010)
Fly Boy (Penguin, 2010)
Shaken (Doubleday, January 2011)
Catboy (Orca, September 2011)
Just Deserts (Penguin, September 2011)
Between Heaven and Earth (2012)
The Matato Ride (Spring 2012)
The Taming (Spring 2012) with Teresa Toten
End of Days (Doubleday, September 2012)
Power Play (Spring 2013)
Tagged (Fall 2013)
My Name is Blessing (Fall 2013)
The Rule of Three (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, January 2014)
Walking Home (Doubleday, 2014)
Saving Sammy (Orca 2014)
The Power of Three (Razorbill 2014)
Sleeper (Orca 2014)
Hope Springs (Tundra, September 2014)
Regenesis (Doubleday Canada 2015)
The Fight of Power (Razorbill 2015)
The Will to Survive (Razorbill 2016)
90 Days of Different (Orca 2017)
Always With You (Nimbus Publishing, 2019)
The Boy Who Moved Christmas (Nimbus Publishing, 2020)
Non-fiction
Improve Your Child's Spelling 1 (1991) (with Norm Rippon)
Improve Your Child's Spelling 2 (1993) (with Norm Rippon)
When Elephants Fight (2008) (with Adrian Bradbury)
Tell Me Why (2009)
From the Heart of Africa: a Book of Wisdom (2018)
Prolific Canadian writer Eric Walters (115 novels and picture books to his name) finally relented after numerous email requests from educators to write a book helping children come to grips with the pandemic. The book, “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” was released today in digital format. “What I was trying to do,” says Walters, “is not just entertain, but educate.”
BOOKS
How prolific Canadian author Eric Walters published a pandemic book for school kids in just 41 days
Deborah Dundas
By Deborah DundasBooks Editor
Tue., June 2, 2020timer5 min. read
Eric Walters had an idea on April 22. Forty-one days later, that idea is a book.
This is not the way things usually work in publishing; between writing and editing and designing and printing, it can be years before copies — digital or physical — are on the shelves of your local or virtual bookstore. But necessity is the mother of invention — the necessity in this case being a desire to help kids during a pandemic and give a boost to a small publisher whose sales, like other publishers, have dropped during a pandemic. Here’s how it happened:
As COVID-19 closed schools for a few weeks, and then months, Walters says he began to get emails from teachers, students, librarians. They wanted to know when he was going to write a pandemic book.
“I was just saying I don’t think I’m going to be doing that at this point,” says Walters. He’s known for being prolific: he’s got 115 novels and picture books to his name, and almost as many awards. But the emails kept coming, and teachers kept saying kids they knew didn’t understand elements of what was going on. They were confused.
So, on April 22, he figured out a way to tell it, in a book aimed at middle grade kids aged 9 to 12.
“What I was trying to do,” says Walters, “is not just entertain, but educate.”
On April 23 he phoned up Andrew Wooldridge at children’s book publisher Orca Books.
“My first thought with Eric is almost always yes,” says Wooldridge. “He has lots of ideas and he really does know the market. So when he had this thought, I thought, definitely, we’ll give it a go and see what happens.”
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And on April 24, says Walters, “I started writing.” After a week of 14-hour days at his computer, standing to eat while he walked around the room, he turned in a first draft of around 18,000 words.
Here’s the story: The kids at Switzerland Point Middle School find out school is closing because of COVID-19. Their teacher, Miss Fernandez, takes great pains to explain how social distancing works, how the virus spreads, and so on. The kids, with main character Quinn, live through social distancing, holding Zoom classes, making masks and trying to figure out how to deal with the looming cancellation of the spring dance.
He handed it in and handed it out to a group of beta readers at the same time. Normally, a book can take several rounds of editing to get a book to where it should be.
“In this case, it was a much more severe edit right away,” says Wooldridge. The editor made her suggestions, Walters made the changes.
The beta readers, too — teachers, students, librarians — were getting back with their feedback on the book: what they thought the kids were doing and saying, what videos they were watching and music they were listening to.
One of those readers was Kristen Badger. She’s a library media specialist in Florida, at Switzerland Point Middle School. Sharp readers will notice the name of her school is the same as the school in the book.
“I know after other big events that have occurred like Hurricane Katrina or even 9/11 it took several years for there to be fiction books about those events,” she said in an interview. “And to have a book so recent and current, it’s amazing. I’m wondering if it’s going to change the writing and publishing industry ... because people realize that they can actually help kids at the time instead of looking back.”
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Badger’s daughter, Maddie, is in Grade 8, just like the kids in the book and was also one of Walters’ beta readers.
“There was one comment she had,” notes Badger. “One of the characters talked about her future career and how she wanted to become a (doctor) and my daughter commented that she didn’t really think that was necessary.”
That bit stayed in, but Walters said he did change dialogue and a few names based on some of the feedback he received.
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Keep in mind: this all happened with the first eight or nine days of the book being turned in.
“The team was also working at home — so there weren’t a lot of group meetings,” Wooldridge says. It was mostly by email although the marketing team, designers and editors did meet on Zoom a few times.
The idea of this being a digital-first book (a print version will be released in the fall) also speaks to some of the challenges facing publishers right now. With booksellers closed to all but online sales, revenues are down.
“As print sales have largely collapsed, we have seen renewed interest in ebooks and digital content,” says Wooldridge.
And so, this becomes an interesting project — an interesting experiment in nimbleness, pivoting and offering something in a way that wasn’t possible before.
“This is an interesting project,” says Wooldridge. “It began because we have such difficulty right now actually reaching the market with print books. Our timeline can (normally) be so long because we send out review copies, we’re trying to get the review attention before the book comes out. You need to get the data together, which is a much bigger process than it used to be in terms of all the information that has to go out to all of our partners so they’re able to list the book and make it available for sale.”
While not all writers are able to do this, Walters decided not to ask for an advance, and he’s asked Orca to delay when they actually pay him any royalties. When he does get paid, he’s donating a portion of the proceeds to Lakeside Hope House in Guelph.
“I want this book to help support the company ... I want this book to help them through a difficult time and for them to be able to pay other writers during this time,” he says.
Now, 41 days after inspiration first hit, “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” is for sale in digital form in virtual bookstores across North America with a pricing structure that allows for individual ($7.99), classroom license ($29.99) and school license ($59.99) purchases.
And, in this process, what Walters might also have done is given kids hope. Knowing that they’re going through the same thing as the characters in the book. And knowing that, Badger points out “makes them feel that they’re not alone.”
If we’re all in this together, that’s a good place for a book to be.
Walters, Eric THE KING OF JAM SANDWICHES Orca (Children's None) $12.95 9, 15 ISBN: 978-1-4598-2556-7
Two teen survivors of dysfunctional parenting build a supportive friendship.
Robert, 13, who’s endured his widower father’s violent mood swings and erratic behavior for years, barely remembers his mother. Robert’s dog is his companion and protector. Robert likens his dad’s temperament to an elevator that rises high and drops low, with intermittent bouts of normalcy. He either ignores Robert or demands perfection. Robert’s meager lunches are jam sandwiches; his father’s hoard of nonperishable foods is off-limits. When new student Harmony, 14, in foster care while her alcoholic mother’s in rehab, lashes out at Robert, he wins her trust by covering for her. As their friendship progresses, Robert repeatedly rescues Harmony from sabotaging her chances for a stable, successful future. Robert himself, a top student who’s skipped a grade, is well liked and athletic. Recruited for the basketball team, Robert’s so valuable he’s allowed to miss practices and keep his part-time job. He feeds and cares for his father, whose severe mental illness (readers may identify bipolar disorder) goes unnamed and apparently untreated. While Harmony bears psychic scars from her upbringing, accomplished, self-reliant Robert’s already a winner; readers’ sympathies are wasted on him. Robert’s narration unfolds with wry, self-deprecating humor, showcasing his stoic patience (though little emotion) and masterful achievements. What readers don’t see is the struggle to achieve his goals. His hero’s journey ended before this story begins.
An entertaining journey frustratingly underexposed. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: THE KING OF JAM SANDWICHES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2020, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A625183140/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cb0a0d36. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
The Art of Picking up Girls (And Other Dangerous Things)
Razorbill Canada, 2016.
272p. Gr. 7-12.978-0-143194972. Pbk. $14.99
The ease with which one reads an Eric Walters novel is a true testament to his skill as a writer. It is also a gift to his readers.
For the most part, this insightful and thoroughly engaging story of Graham and Ethan and Raine is spot-on. Displaced Graham, whose family has moved from a small town to the big city in his last year of high school has also found himself dumped by his long-time girlfriend who has taken up with his (former) best friend.
Enter Ethan, newly demoted from the big city high school basketball team for bringing girls and alcohol into the team's hotel room during an out of town tournament. His "punishment" is expulsion from the team and assignment to showing new boy Graham the ropes.
The two hit it off and embark on a socializing spree while Ethan philosophizes between events. The philosophy discussions are entertaining, showing the reader the aspects of each character not usually on display.
The playful banter begins to wane when Graham encounters Raine, an attractive young vegan unlike the other girls the two have been pursuing. Part of the method the two follow is to use false names and Graham is introduced to Raine using the name Dakota. The crisis comes when Ethan tells Raine Dakota's real name behind his back.
The resolution to the crisis is both believable and wise. Walters manages to convey loyalty and forgiveness in his characters without diminishing their verisimilitude.
The same, however, cannot be said for another part of the book. Raine is involved in an ongoing protest on a traffic island near a pork slaughterhouse and Graham/Dakota decides to join her. He experiences an epiphany when a pig on one of the trucks looks him straight in the eye. I found this component of the story contrived and forced, unusual for an Eric Walters novel. The whole episode seems tacked on to the rest of the vegetarian interlude which was actually quite natural in its introduction and evolution. In spite of his genuine affection for Raine and his appreciation for her principles, it seems unnatural for a young man to give up bacon so easily. Just sayin'.
Thematic Links: High School; Dating; Personal Conduct; Family Life; Vegetarianism; Friendship; Loyalty
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Resource Links
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Little, Lesley. "Walters, Eric: The Art of Picking up Girls (And Other Dangerous Things)." Resource Links, vol. 22, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 39. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A469756171/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=306706a2. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
An African Alphabet
Illustrated by Sue Todd. Orca
Book Publishers, 2017. 28p. Illus. Gr.
Preschool--1. 978-1-459810709. Bdbk. $9.95
(Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy)
An African Alphabet is a bright and colourful ABC book that introduces the alphabet to children of all ages, using dynamic animals found in Africa for the A-Z format. Some animals are more easily known (e.g. Lion) while new animals are included which may not be as well known to the reader (e.g.. Topi). The letters of the alphabet are displayed in both upper and lower case. The text is bold and large enough for easy recognition of the letters and words accompanying each letter; this mimics everyday written language giving a true picture of what language really looks like. Textual literacy is one of the competencies children must master before learning to read and includes goals such as the ability to distinguish upper and lowercase letters, knowledge of the direction of print in English, and the concept of word, sentence, and paragraph (Camp, Donna. "The Adecedarius: Soldier of Literacy." Childhood Education 66 (1990): p. 300). Sentences are short, easy and uncomplicated, often consisting of only 3 words after each letter is introduced (e.g. "LI is for lion").
In most alphabet books, it is the illustrations that often make the text more appealing to the reader, playing a major role in the success of the book. Text and illustrations must work together in order for the reader to gain any benefit from the reading adventure. That is definitely the case in An African Alphabet. Sue Todd uses linocut-influenced drawings to provide wonderful pictures of each animal. First used by the German Expressionists in the early 20th century, linocut is a type of relief printing that involves chiselling a design into a linoleum surface that is then inked with a brayer and produces an image. Due to ease of use, linocut is widely used in schools to introduce children to the art of printmaking. Todd has used this technique excellently in showing each animal with more dimension, detail, and accuracy creating animal images that are fun, engaging, and stimulating to the reader's eyes.
An African Alphabet has much more to teach a child than just the ABCs. It takes the child on an African safari of sorts, bringing animals alive in the text and illustrations, especially animals that are new or unfamiliar to the child/reader. Many ABC books provide a multicultural awareness to the reader, as is the case with An African Alphabet. It exposes new ideas, words, concepts, and culture. The inclusion of "new" animals (e.g.. Serval) broadens the reader's vocabulary, as it brings Africa to life. Children take on a more global perspective as they discover some animals as they learn their ABCs and journey to a new land.
Learning about animals in this vibrant and delightful book will take readers on an adventure to Africa from the comfort of their chair! No passport required! African critters come to life in An African Alphabet, and children will delight in the discovery without maybe even realizing they are learning in the process. A delightful book for children of all ages, and maybe some adults too!
Thematic Links: Alphabet; Africa; Animals; Language; Artwork
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
[G] Good, even great at times, generally useful!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Resource Links
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Cechetto-Shea, Carmelita. "Walters, Eric: An African Alphabet." Resource Links, vol. 22, no. 3, Feb. 2017, p. 11+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A492222382/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7e1c7219. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric 90 DAYS OF DIFFERENT Orca (Children's Fiction) $19.95 8, 29 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1673-2
After her boyfriend breaks up with her, claiming she is too predictable, 18-year-old Sophie agrees to a plan that is sure to get her out of her comfort zone. For Sophie, control is everything. Whether it is getting the highest grades possible, keeping her things organized, or hovering over her father and little brother (she's taken care of them ever since her mother died), she needs to have a plan. But when her best friend, Ella, challenges her to do something new every day for 90 days, Sophie reluctantly accepts. While picking a different ice cream or creating a greater social media presence are easy, however, Ella's other plans are far more difficult. As Sophie begins to open up to risk and change, she uncovers the real reason for her structured life. While Sophie's evolution is engaging, the too-restrictive plot device stunts the emotional effect of her transformation. The result is a 91-chapter effort that reads more as a how-to book for creating the ultimate summer than as a story of one girl's emotional journey from pain to healing. Improbable dialogue, a lack of diversity (white is the strong default), and rushed pacing combine to form a story that is anything but different. Overly structured and flat. (Fiction. 12-16)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: 90 DAYS OF DIFFERENT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A495427723/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=76e2aa68. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric AN AFRICAN ALPHABET Orca (Children's Informational) $9.95 3, 14 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1070-9
An elegant African bestiary, from the familiar to the exotic. This eye-catching compendium of African fauna should delight young readers and instill an awareness of the Earth's diversity of habitat and species. Animals featured range from such standard favorites as the Aardvark, Elephant, Hippo, Lion, and Zebra to the more exotic, unfamiliar, or strange. Dd (each letter is represented in both upper- and lowercase) is for Dik-Dik, for example, Nn for Nandine, Oo for Okapi, and Pp for Pangolin. Because caregivers may encounter creatures of which they have never heard mention, a trip to the dictionary or a little Googling might help with pronunciation and information on the book's more esoteric entries, as there is no glossary or other backmatter. As there are multiple notable animals for certain letters of the alphabet, author Walters sometimes gets creative. Since Gg is for Giraffe, readers learn later that Uu is for Upland Gorilla. Xavier's Greenbul and the Yellow-Spotted Rock Hyrax are Xx and Yy respectively. Of course, the real star of this show is the gorgeous, brightly colored artwork that brings these creatures to life. Expressive faces and motion lines convey presence and power; rich colors and striking landscapes evoke the vigor of the continent. The bold lines of illustrator Todd's linoleum etchings have the classic power of woodblock prints. Images are clear and easily grasped; each is a striking work of art in itself. Even the alphabetic characters have the etched, stylized calligraphic look of block printing. A gorgeous alphabet for young adventurers. (Board book. 1-4)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: AN AFRICAN ALPHABET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A497199786/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=88f5c048. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
90 Days of Different
Orca Book Publishers, 2017. 303p. Gr. 7-12. 978-1459-81673-2. Hdbk. $19.95 [G]
90 Days of Different is a story about friendship, stepping outside one's comfort zone, and self-discovery. The book centres around Sophie Evans and her best friend Ella. The first chapter opens up to the girls graduating high school. Sophie is dumped by her boyfriend, Luke, who waited months to do so because, in his words, "it was never the right time". Adding insult to injury, he tells her she's too predictable, boring, and mature; he wants someone that is spontaneous and fun, something she is not because she's either too busy studying so she can get high enough marks to qualify for a scholarship for university or taking care of her father and brother. Even her best friend, Ella, agrees (in spite of her never liking Luke). Ella reiterates Sophie's predictability and predilection for routine. She points out that Sophie is beautiful, smart, popular, never without a boyfriend, and well-liked by parents for being so mature; Sophie has little time to do the usual things teens her age do because she's too busy being responsible (this could be because Sophie's mom died several years before and she has assumed responsibility for her father and younger brother in her place). Wanting to help her friend, Ella comes up with a brilliant plan to help her out: there are 90 days between high school graduation and the start of university; 90 days for Sophie to try new things, push her boundaries, and leave her comfort zone behind.
Each day, Ella comes up with a new, unique challenge designed to make Sophie do something she's never dreamed about doing before. Each challenge is a mystery, designed to ease Sophie's "control freak" ways. The first challenge sees Sophie signing up for social media, including Twitter, Instagram, and a blog. Ella even ordered her to post a status update and accept the 50-or-so friend requests on her rarely used Facebook. Her blog was to be updated frequently to document her summer adventures. These adventures include riding rides at an amusement park, not making her bed for 24 hours, rock climbing, getting fired from a job, and much more! Sophie learns some things about herself, as does Ella. Sophie learns to let go of perfection and Ella confronts her jealousy of her best friend. Each chapter is just a few pages long and chronicles each day's challenge.
This book is ultimately about friendship. Sophie gets dumped by a jerk and Ella is there for support. She challenges Sophie to realise her full potential and to try new things and in turn, Sophie trusts her friend enough to accept each day's challenge. While the reader may have to suspend their belief a bit to get through the book (some of the challenges are a bit unbelievable and the ultimate perfection of Sophie's character is a bit hard to accept because why would someone that great and perfect want to change?), it is truly a fun read with a good message: that it is ok to push boundaries and do things one would not normally do. This book is an easy read and is suitable for preteens and teens. It would be a perfect project for the classroom or for a teen program at the library; teens could be challenged to do something new each week for a certain period of time and start a blog to write about their adventures.
As an added bonus, for the 90 days leading up to the release of the book, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WordPress, "Sophie Evans" will be posting supplemental material as a companion to the book!
Thematic Links: Friendship; Adventure; Summer; Dating; Social Media; Blogging; Death of a Parent; Going off to College; Relationships
[G] Good, even great at times, generally useful!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Resource Links
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Bellamy, Catherine. "WALTERS, Eric: 90 Days of Different." Resource Links, vol. 23, no. 1, Oct. 2017, p. 46. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A514884137/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=af12b164. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
Bedtime 123
Illustrated by Josee Bisaillon. Orca Book Publishers, 2017. Unp. Illus. Gr. Preschool. 978-1-459810730. Bdbk. $9.95
[E]
This counting primer board book is a delightful celebration of babies settling down to sleep. The context is a farm, and begins with "When the sun goes down ..." and continues with numbers 1 through 10 (1 moon rises, 2 stars come out ...). The text is lyrical and soothing. Soft letter sounds are emphasised and there is gentle rhyming and intentional consonant matching sounds throughout. It reads to be reminiscent of a lullaby.
The illustrations are delightfully whimsical and the colour palette used conjures a soothing twilight without being too dark and moody. As the book finishes, we see the baby (human) tucked up for sleep in its bed with the final words "It's time for all babies to sleep ".
This book would be very soothing as a final bedtime read, as well as a counting/animal recognition book during waking hours. Highly recommended as a resource for young Preschool children.
Thematic Links: Counting Primer; Numeracy; Baby Animals; Bedtime; Farm
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Resource Links
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Hansen, Erin. "WALTERS, Eric Bedtime 123." Resource Links, vol. 23, no. 1, Oct. 2017, p. 14. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A514884064/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9efa5ed6. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA Tundra (Children's Informational) $17.99 1, 2 ISBN: 978-1-77049-719-1
A book of African proverbs illustrated by a variety of artists.
The 15 proverbs highlighted in this book come from different African peoples and regions, and each features a captivating full-page illustration. The aphorisms range from the well-known--"It takes a village to raise a child"--to those that may be new to most readers. Walters offers origin information for each proverb, as well as its meaning, making the book accessible to a variety of ages. The saying "When in the middle of a river, do not insult the crocodile," from the Baoul? people of C?te d'Ivoire, is glossed as, "You probably don't have to battle crocodiles, but you can apply this to any situation: always think before you act." The fact that the texts are linked only by continent of origin allows for an array of creative pictorial interpretations of the adages, with styles that run the gamut. Ghanaian artist Eva Campbell provides a bright oil painting of a happy village scene; Cuban-American illustrator Tom Gonzalez offers a striking image of a fire at nighttime; South African artist Sindiso "R!OT" Nyoni contributes a cartoonlike image of a black woman in a spacesuit standing on the moon, with the Earth over her shoulder.
This beautifully illustrated book of wisdom serves as a good introduction to maxims and also acts against the many prevalent negative stereotypes of African cultures and people--lovely and illuminating. (introduction, foreword, artist bios) (Picture book. 5-10)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A512028700/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bed60e71. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric SURFER DOG Orca (Children's Fiction) $19.95 2, 27 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1435-6
Set in an unnamed tropical nation by the sea, this picture book follows a boy and the dog he's befriended as they enjoy one of their regular outings to surf at the beach.
Sammy greets the dog who waits faithfully for him to return home from school every day, and the two ride a scooter to the beach, where they surf together until sunset, a routine they have had "for many months." This particular evening the boy's mother offers to feed both of them dinner, which startles the boy, who says, "But he's not our dog." A refrain throughout the book is that the boy and dog are friends who care for each other, so it is confusing that he would respond in such a way to this turn of events. Visual clues--a tropical jungle inhabited by squirrel monkeys, ocelots, and toucans--point to Central America as the setting. Additionally, all the people shown are brown-haired and brown-skinned like Sammy, but the text does not ground the story in a particular cultural context, losing an opportunity for richness and texture as a result. The story arc is weak, lacking any tension, and the text is flat and stilted.
Tales of boy-meets-dog are perennially popular for good reason: they can tug powerfully at the heartstrings. Unfortunately, there is little here to distinguish this story from the pack. (Picture book. 3-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: SURFER DOG." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A516024583/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3cde61d6. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric BEDTIME 123 Orca (Children's Fiction) $9.95 9, 12 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1073-0
Lull them to sleep as you teach them to count.
Exquisite artwork and charming baby animals teach children to count from one to 10 while easing them toward sleep. Parents and caregivers may find this a perfect union of engaging, soothing words, images, and numeric instruction. The simple series of beautifully rendered two-page tableaux begins with the transition from day to night: "When the sun goes down, / one moon rises, / two stars come out, / three owlets rest high in the treetops," and so on. After "ten ducklings tuck beneath a warm wing," the enticingly somniferous action concludes with the suggestion that "It's time for all babies to sleep. Good night, babies." The denouement is a scene of a happy, sleeping brown-skinned baby tucked in and sleeping peacefully. In addition to the owlets, the book features fawns, fox cubs, puppies, kittens, chicks, bunnies, and ducklings. Numbers are indicated in numeric form as well as spelled out in the text. There is an elegant flow to author Walters' text that is gracefully complemented in the lovely renderings by artist Bisaillon. The images blend cut paper, pastels, watercolors, pencils, and digital imaging to an effect at once striking and soothing.
An exceptional bedtime delight that instruct as it composes restless little ones for slumber. (Board book. 1-3)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: BEDTIME 123." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A520735688/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9c266500. Accessed 8 July 2021.
FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA
Edited by Eric Walters
Tundra $17.99, 40 pages ISBN 9781770497191 Ages 6 to 9
PICTURE BOOK
Most American readers have never set foot in Africa; its customs and languages may seem distant and even foreign. But the words handed down by its people contain the same wisdom handed down throughout the world. In From the Heart of Africa, Canadian author Eric Walters presents 15 proverbs, gathered during his travels throughout Africa.
Representing many African countries and cultures, the proverbs are short and simple. A place of origin and a brief description (written at a child's level) supplement each proverb, but the accompanying artwork is what truly elevates this book. The artists are from all walks of life--a street artist, a horticulturalist, art teachers and designers all lend their creativity--and they use a variety of mediums and styles. While each illustration is unique, shared traditions and cultural pride create continuity from page to page. Collectively, the images are vibrant, celebratory and full of texture.
A foreword informs readers on the importance of oral tradition, making this an important addition to school libraries. From the Heart of Africa reminds us that while Africa is at a great distance, the soul of the continent--and humanity--is never far.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 BookPage
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Lorenzini, Jill. "FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA." BookPage, Jan. 2018, p. 30. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A520055928/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6f98b30c. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
Surfer Dog
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes.
Orca Book Publishers, 2018. 32p. Gr.
Preschool--2. 978-1-459814356. Hdbk.
$19.95
Every day, a dog waits for his friend to come home from school. When the boy gets home, the dog and boy hop on a scooter and head for the beach to go surfing! The two friends ride the waves together until dinner time. Even though the boy doesn't own the dog, they share dinner before the dog runs off for the night.
Surfer Dog is a simple story about a boy and a dog who share a friendship and a love of the waves. Eugenie Fernandes' lush illustrations bring life to the tropical setting and convey the excitement of surfing. The two characters have an unusual relationship because, as the story explains, the boy doesn't own the dog and the dog doesn't own the boy. Their friendship is centred around their daily ritual and shared hobby. The story is simply a snapshot of the relationship between the boy and the dog, without a real conflict to resolve or a challenge to overcome. While the story itself lacks drive, the relationship portrayed in the book is special and touching.
Thematic Links: Surfing; Dogs; Friendship
Alice Albarda
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Resource Links
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Albarda, Alice. "WALTERS, Eric: Surfer Dog." Resource Links, vol. 23, no. 3, Feb. 2018, p. 46. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A530467660/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0a5b324c. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
Elephant Secret
Penguin Random House, 2018. 352p. Gr. 4-7. 978-0-735262-81-2. Hdbk. $21.99
[E]
Twelve-year-old Samantha Gray lives with her Dad and a family of eleven elephants in an elephant sanctuaiy. Since her mother died soon after she was born, her Dad and the elephants are the only family she knows. It's a close-knit community and Sam can communicate with elephants as easily as with people. Not only can she understand their communications to each other, they can understand and often obey her.
Daisy Mae, one of the elephants, is pregnant and Sam is looking forward to the birth of her baby. Although she helps to feed and care for the giant creatures, she has never seen a baby born. The birth of that baby and the arrival of a rogue male elephant that has killed one man and injured two other people puts Sam and the sanctuary on a surprising path that threatens everything she has ever known and puts the entire herd at risk.
Although Sam quickly learns to understand and communicate with the dangerous older elephant, no one else trusts it. When Daisy Mae dies during child birth, Sam feels particularly drawn to this motherless infant. But why does the baby, with its long woolly coat, look so different from any elephant she's ever seen?
And why does the benefactor that has provided needed money for the sanctuary insist that the baby's existence be kept secret?
Readers will be fascinated to learn the answers to these questions. This highly recommended book can be read with enjoyment by junior students looking for a good read. Older students will appreciate the various ethical dis cussions and considerations brought up by the content.
Thematic Links: Family; Relationships; Elephants; Wildlife Conservation; Cloning; DNA; De-extinction; Woolly Mammoths
Helen Mason
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Resource Links
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Mason, Helen. "WALTERS, Eric: Elephant Secret." Resource Links, vol. 23, no. 5, June 2018, p. 9+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A547267504/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b492b8c3. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric ELEPHANT SECRET Clarion (Children's Fiction) $16.99 8, 28 ISBN: 978-1-328-79617-2
Sam, nearly 14, has spent her life living and working with her father on a North American elephant sanctuary. Elephantine changes are brewing.
Sam knows how to drive a truck, toss bales of hay, and communicate effectively with elephants. Everything has been wonderful except for the sanctuary's financial struggles, but now an anonymous sponsor has donated a huge sum of money to artificially inseminate three female elephants, and Daisy Mae is carrying a baby. Meanwhile, Sam is uncomfortable to the point of rudeness around impeccably dressed Joyce, her father's lawyer and love interest. Each plotline has something in it to challenge readers. Animal lovers may wince at the Caesarian section that kills Daisy Mae; for feminists, some of the ways in which Sam and Joyce bond may elicit cringes. (Isn't it enough that both of them care deeply about both Jack and the elephants?) Motherless Sam's nurturing of the new elephant orphan adds poignancy. Fascinating elephant information is sometimes awkwardly inserted into dialogue but at other times is gracefully delivered by Sam's direct address to readers. After a stunning revelation almost 200 pages into the book--which nudges the genre toward science fiction--the plot becomes more intriguing. Will the rich, eccentric James Mercury help or hinder Sam and Jack? What will be the fate of Burma, a newly arrived elephant with a history of dangerous behavior? Characters are default white except for one dark-skinned vet.
Cliffhangers and elephants will keep readers engaged. (Fiction. 10-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Walters, Eric: ELEPHANT SECRET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A540723184/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=071a5312. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
The Wild Beast
Illustrated by Sue Todd. Orca Book Publishing, 2018. 32p. Illus. Gr. Preschool--2. 978-1-459815896. Hdbk. $19.95
The story about how wildebeests came to be was inspired by part of a legend the author heard while in Kenya on a safari. In this 2018 picture book rendition, the Creator (the main character) repeats the phrase, "Take what you need to live. Take no more. Waste nothing." After she makes the sea, sky and land and fills them with a variety of animals, she realizes she has leftovers. "She still had stripes meant for zebras and bumps meant for camels." When she assembles these parts and the extra horns, tails, and different length legs, she makes her favourite animal, the wildebeest. With the world complete, the Creator rests.
Todd's printmaking illustrators add interesting detail to the numerous double page spreads in the story. Her choice in colour and technique reflect a story from long ago. They have a sanded, almost wooden appearance. The thick black outlines around the artwork make the animals and landscape pop out against their natural surroundings. This African story is short in length, but abundant with beautiful art and meaning. Back material includes two pages of information from the author about his time in Africa.
Thematic Links: African Oral Story; Wildebeest; Creation Story; Zero Waste; African Animals; Satisfaction; Unselfishness
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Resource Links
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Boudreau, Tanya. "WALTERS, Eric: The Wild Beast." Resource Links, vol. 24, no. 1, Oct. 2018, p. 9+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A561344197/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d7a15726. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric BROKEN STRINGS Puffin/Penguin Random House Canada (Children's Fiction) $16.99 9, 10 ISBN: 978-0-73526-624-7
Zayde's memories profoundly affect his young granddaughter.
In the aftermath of 9/11, the school's annual musical is to be Fiddler on the Roof, because its themes resonate. Eighth grader Shirli is a very talented singer and actor who is disappointed to be given the lead part of Tevye's wife, Golde, who has no solo. She believes that her beloved grandfather can help her research background for the play, although she knows almost nothing of his past. Zayde has never allowed any form of music in his home, and when Shirli finds an old, damaged violin in the attic, it causes him great pain. As the play begins to take over Shirli's life, she shares it all with Zayde, who finds he is able to recount bits of their family history. His mother barely survived the pogroms in Russia. When he was a child, he played violin in his family's klezmer band. And then came the Holocaust and the hell that was Auschwitz, where he lost them all and was forced to play music as his fellow Jews went to the gas chambers. Shirli's voice is true and strong as she narrates her own tale of rehearsals, her very ethnically diverse friendships, her deep distress as she witnesses Zayde's pain, and her joy as he reconnects with his music.
A beautiful, painful, heartfelt reminder that the past is with us still. (authors' note, acknowledgements) (Fiction. 10-14)
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"Walters, Eric: BROKEN STRINGS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A591278958/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4eb4ab41. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric and Kathy Kacer
Broken Strings
Penguin Random House, 2019. 288p.
Gr. 5-9. 978-0-73526-624-7. Hdbk.
$21.99
When Shirli is included in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof, she asks her grandfather if she can use some props from his attic. While searching through trunks of clothes she finds an old violin and a poster of a musical group. Her enquiries upset her grandfather, who has kept his life story private from the family. As the production of the play continues, the story of the Jewish experience in Poland also becomes exposed to Shirli, her family and the other students in the play.
The Holocaust may not be familiar to younger readers and this book contains a moving retelling of an individual's experience in Auschwitz. The conditions are explicitly described and I could not imagine reading this aloud to a class of students. The author has interwoven threads of the response to the terrorism of the Twin Towers, reaction to immigrants and racial prejudices, and teenage anxieties into the story, each with a gentle touch. There is much food for thought provided by this book.
Thematic Links: Music and War; Musical Productions in School; Grandparents; Families
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
[G] Good, even great at times, generally useful!
[A] Average, all right, has its applications
[P] Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Resource Links
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Holder, Mavis. "WALTERS, Eric and Kathy Kacer: Broken Strings." Resource Links, vol. 25, no. 1, Oct. 2019, p. 31. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609853493/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9dbe284d. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Walters, Eric ON THE ROCKS Orca (Children's Fiction) $14.99 1, 28 ISBN: 978-1-4598-2364-8
A teen connects with his grandfather on a remote island.
Fourteen-year-old Dylan has been sent to live with his maternal grandfather, Angus. Angus resides on a remote island, content to live quietly holed up in his tiny cabin and cut off from everyone else in the world. Dylan is disgruntled by the lack of 21st-century amenities on the small island, but he slowly comes around to the solitary lifestyle. When a young orca is beached upon the island's rocky shoreline, Angus and Dylan must cement their bond by getting it back in the water. The novel gets right to the point, traversing its slim page count quickly and sketching a grandfather-grandson relationship with efficiency and ease. Angus and Dylan are both hurting, but they don't jump right at each other's throats in some form of manufactured drama. There's a soft masculinity here, an old-school "gotta keep those feelings deep down inside" way of thinking that gives the book a steady and quiet pace. Those looking for screaming matches and flipped tables will be left disappointed, but there's an effective maturity to the relationship built here that is the book's big draw. Dylan and Angus both present white; one of the book's few secondary characters is Sikh.
A short and simple but nevertheless effective tale of intergenerational understanding. (Fiction. 10-14)
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"Walters, Eric: ON THE ROCKS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601050491/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=803febb9. Accessed 8 July 2021.
Broken Strings. By Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer. 2019. 288p. Puffin Canada, $16.99 (9780735266247). Gr. 5-7.
It's 2002 and seventh grader Shirli Berman is disappointed to have been cast as the mother (rather than the ingenue daughter) in her school production of Fiddler on the Roof. While searching her grandfather Zayde's attic for costumes and props, she discovers an old violin, somewhat surprising since Zayde has never shown any interest in music. Gradually, the play begins to coalesce, Shirli's friendship with her crush/stage husband, Ben, develops, and Zayde opens up about his past as a violinist and prisoner at Auschwitz. Walters and Kacer's richly emotional text manages to feel both contemporary and historical. The book is set in New Jersey in the aftermath of the September 11 th attacks, and the authors successfully connect 9/11 and the Holocaust in terms of persecution, intolerance, and loss. At the same time, lighter scenes featuring juniorhigh lunchroom banter, rehearsal drama, and does-he-like-me uncertainty ensure that younger readers, who are perhaps less aware of the Holocaust, will stay engaged. When the play's sponsor is sidelined, Zayde steps in as director, successfully resolving the story's many threads.--Kay Weisman
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
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Weisman, Kay. "Broken Strings." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 6, 15 Nov. 2019, p. 48+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A608183770/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5751f452. Accessed 8 July 2021.
WALTERS, Eric
On the Rocks (Orca Currents Series)
Orca Book Publishers, 2020. 119p.
Gr. 5-8. 978-1-459823648. Pbk. $9.95
(Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy)
Living with his young alcoholic mother, fourteen-year-old Dylan has been through some difficult family situations, but none that rivels being uprooted from his home and sent to live on a remote island with his estranged grandfather. Grandfather, like his daughter--Dylan's mom--is a talented artist, but not so friendly and welcoming to Dylan. Without wifi, and with virtually no relationship to his new ward, Dylan takes to exploring the island on his own, and one day comes across a beached whale. With his grandfather's help, Dylan is able to save the whale before it dies from exposure, and in the process begins to form a familial bond with his grandfather.
On the Rocks is the latest Orca Currents offering, a hi-interest, low-vocabulary novel that is primarily written with short sentences and fast pacing. The plot is unique and interesting, with both the survival of the stranded orca and the complicated family dynamics playing important parts. This should appeal to reluctant readers who are looking for an intense adventure story.
Thematic Links: Orca Whales; Grandfathers; British Columbia; Family Relationships; Alcohol Abuse
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
[G] Good, even great at times, generally useful!
[A] Average, all right, has its applications
[P] Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Resource Links
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Rowlinson, Nicole. "WALTERS, Eric: On the Rocks (Orca Currents Series)." Resource Links, vol. 25, no. 2, Dec. 2019, p. 23+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A613340344/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bc45cc93. Accessed 8 July 2021.