34 — Friday, April 17, 1998 — North Shore News

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Youth adventure stays on course

@ DogStar by Beverley and Chris . Wood, Polestar 1997

THE husband and

wife writing team

of Chris and

Beverley Wood

combine several

interests in their

new time-travel adventure DogStar.

In the story, thirreen-vear-old Jetf Beacon is transported back to 1930s Juneau, Alaska while on a cruise with his parents. The typical Net-literate “90s kid is mourning the loss of his pet bull-terrier bur quickly has other things to occupy his mind. Like being chased by the police for passing funny money. It’s tough enough being a kid withour having the cops on vour tail,

From the outset let it be said

fied as “juvenile tic tion” readers of all ages will be drawn into the narrative. The book is first and foremost a homage to a real-life bull-terrier, Patsy Ann, who roamed the Juneau waterfront in the 1930s. Although deaf from birth, the dog “heard” ship whistles and was on hand to meet harbor arrivals. A bronze stat- ue of the “Official Greeter of Junean, Alaska” was put up to com- memorate the 50th anniversary of Patsy Ann’s death in 1992.

While visiting Juneau the Woods became fascinated with the legend of Patsy Ann and continued to

the story when rhey returned to Vancouver and their boat home on the Fraser River.

Patsy Ann plays a central role in DogStar as a guide tor the teen trav-

the Alaskan port, Orth: main char- acters include Captain rfsrper, cap- un of the Dogstar, and Kose, a young Juneau girl who befriends Jetf Beacon.

A surprising amount of informa- tion has bees unearthed about Patsy Ann and what the Woods don't know they make up without missing

a beat. Where the dog slept, the rit- tal greeting of the ships in the Gastineau Channel, how the tawn reacted to the dog on its daily rounds — the authors expertly bring to life a time and place for their readers with fully-developed characters and lots of background detail.

The book is far more than a sim- ple monograph however as they sit- uate the teen (and dog) in a lite and death drama involving the DagStar's captain. More plot twists than a Hardy Boys adventure in cyberspace means “90s kids will stay with the story to the fi

Highly recommended.

that while the Woods’ work is classi-

" NEWS photo Terry Peters

IAN and Karen McAllister’s The Great Bear Rainforest is up for the Bill Duthie Bocksellers Choice Award at this year’s B.C. Book Prizes. Winners will be announced Saturday, April 18.

eler as he makes his way through

PS Rf - ” Beverley Wood : \ . & Chris Wood

Cover art Ken Campbell, imagecratt Studio

BEVERLEY and Chris Wocd will read from SugStar at the Vancouver Public Library, 10 a.m.on . Thursday, April 23, Canada Book Day.

Gala evening honors B.C.'s best ROE

@ The B.C. Book Prizes, Saturday, April 18 at the Ocean Point Resort,

THE B.C. Book Prizes were established in 1985 to cele- brate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. Following is the complete Jist of nominees chosen from more than 200 entries for this vear's awards: — Bill Duthic Booksellers’ Choice Award; Dangerous Waters bv Keith Keller (Harbour); The Great Bear Rainforest by Ian and Karen McAllister with Cameron Young (Harbour); Haida Gwazti by Ian Gill and David Nunuk (Raincoast)

—~ Sheila A. Egoff Children’s

Literature Prize: Across Frozen Seas by John Wilson (Beach Holme); Ema and the Silk Train by Julic Lawson and Paul

Mombourquette (Kids Can);

Wish Me Luck (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux).

— Hubert Evans Non-fiction

Prize: Mighty River by Richard Bocking (D&M); The Perfection of Hope by

sunclay April 19", 7-9pm Followed by

playing on Estonia Grands

Donna Fishwick presents Fiona Yamashita, Aya Sato, Kevin Banno, Chris Chok, Simon Bodlack, Hirokazu Sato

l

HERITAGE GERMAN PIANOS LD

1480 Marine Drive, — os ._ North Vancouver, . vee ee

980-3896.

Victoria, Vancouver Island.

Elizabeth Simpson (MacFarlane, Walter & Ross}; Stolen from Our Embrace by Suzanne Fournier and Ernie Crev.

— Roderick Haig- Brown Regional Prize: Mighty River ty Richard Bucking (D&M); The Pullet Surprise by Michael Kluckner {Raincoast); Western Journeys by Daniel Wood and Beverley Sinclair.

— Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize: Heaven Cake by Linda Rogers (Sono Nis); Ivanhoe Station by Lyle Netf (Anvil); What I Remember from My Time on Earth by Patricia Young (Anansi).

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize:

At First I Hope for Rescue by

Holley Rubinsky; Fox's Nose by Sally Ireland (Cormorant); Visible Worlds by Marilen Bowering (HarperCollins).

Canada Book. Day, . Thursday, April 23 events include at the Vancouver Public Library, Alma VanDusen and Peter Kaye rooms, 350 West Georgia St. . — 10 a.m. DogStar

thors Beverley ‘and Chris:

Wood will be reading from: 4

their work. -~ 7:30 p.m. “The Strange

Sce more page 38:

Seasonal tips to keep you motoring.

‘Wednesday April 22

north shore’