Page Mé June 27, 1990. This Week LITERATURE — ¥ Bad Boy tackles formerly-taboo topic he reviews are going to be brisk and straightforward this week as Books West tackles no less than eight books for children and one for young adults. The latter is Bad Boy, the controversial winner of the Governor-General’s Award for Children’s Literature written by Prairie author Diana Wieler. Bad Boy (Groundwood- Douglas & McIntyre; 191 pp.; $6.95 in paperback) rings far truer than the vast majority of young adult (14-17 years) fic- tion as it explores the themes of teenage sexual identity, violence in team sports and what it’s like, as an adolescent, to discover that your best friend is gay. If your parental knee-jerk reaction just came into play, you can relax. Bad Boy promotes and espouses noth- ing but responsible behavior and attitudes. The only nega- tive reaction to Bad Boy to sur- face anywhere in the country was a vicious attack by some dinosaur writing for Sas- katchewan Business Week magazine. Everyone else has applauded Wieler’s ability to tastefully tackle these difficult teen topics. * kK Parents, grandparents and others with a young person in their lives have a hard time (FREE 99 POINT STEE INSPE Steering and suspension problems often appear gradually and go unnoticed. Left long enough, seemingly innocent symptoms like pulling to one side, steering wheel shimmy and excessive vibration can seriously compromise your driving safety. Not to mention your wallet. That’s why you shouldn't hesitate to take advantage of Midas’ Free 59-Point Steering and Suspension Inspection. Good on most cars and light trucks, its thorough, and it's free. And if there’s a problem, we'll fix it right the first time. There's just one commitment, and that's to ensuring every Midas customer's safety. See a participating Midas dealer. = CTION 2700 Government St. Victoria 386-8345 Nobody tops the Top Guns. 1830 Island Highway Colwood 474-2148 This Week An Island Publishers Newsmagazine V8W 1M9 #30-727 Johnson Street, Victoria, British Columbia Jim Cunningham, Publisher Tony Kant, Editor _ 381-3484 Books West By MIKE STEELE choosing pictorial books for youngsters given the number of such titles available. So here are eight new kids’ books chosen from the latest batch of spring titles to help you with those book buying blues. Lion Dancer - Ernie Wah’s Chinese New Year (Scholastic; 31 pp.; $14.95; ages 4-7) by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low tells the true story of Ernie Wah, a six-year- old boy about to perform in his first Chinese New Year’s parade as a lion dancer, Full ’ color photographs by Martha Cooper and explanations throughout of this important ethnic event make Lion Dan- cer interesting and education- al for young children. Another Scholastic title with a Chinese theme is by the two- time Carnegie Medal winner, Margaret Mahy: The Seven Chinese Brothers (36 pp.; $14.95; ages 4-8). This is a popular Chinese folk tale of seven brothers who use their magical powers to outwit an evil emperor. Artwork by the illustration team of Jean and Mou-sien Tseng (who won the National Picture Book Contest of the Republic of China) is a delightful highlight of this tale of trickery and the super- natural. There are counting books and then there are counting books; Happy Birthday Mouse (Thomas Allen & Son; $9.95) is bound to grab the attention of numerically-concerned pre- schoolers. Each successive page is slightly wider than the one preceding it, allowing Mouse’s animal friends to each add a candle to the birthday cake until the candles (and pages) number 10 in all. This is a great idea to convey the order and relationship of num- bers. Kim Fernandes is both talented and lucky: still a stu- dent at the Ontario College of Art, she’s now a published author with her innovative and marvellously illustrated CALL TEL: 386-3432 FAX: 386-3376 Visiting Granny (An- nick/Firefly; 27 pp.; $12.95 hardcover, $4.95 paperback: pre-school). Little Jenney and Stevey discover the joys of Visiting Granny for cookie baking and storytelling, fun captures by Fernandes with colorful clay-figure images no book buyer will be able to resist. If finding something suitable in the way of bedtime reading is a problem, Kazuko G. Stone’s Good Night 406), the hapless Mr. McGill realizes that he'll need help at his mill if he’s to finish in time to got to town. So he asks Mr, McRae, who agrees to assist Mr. McGillif hel help him cut his hay. But they realize that theyll need help to finish the hay in time so they ask Mr. McCall - and so on. And what would a review of children’s books be without the ir- respressible, madcap humor of Canada’s best-known and a Wiel BAD BOT SOCKIN’ IT TO THEM is Diana Wieler, author of a book which tastefully handles teenage sexual identity (including homosexuality) and violence in team sports. Twinklegator (Scholastic: 29 pp.; $14.95; ages 3-6) is the solution. When Aligay the al- ligator connects the stars in the night sky, he creates a “Twinklegator’ playmate in this wonderful before-bed story that sets the sleepy-time mood perfectly. Another book that may ease the tuck-in terrors for tots’ mums and dads is Jeremiah and Mrs. Ming (Annick/Firef- ly; 20 pp.; $14.95 in hardcover, $6.95 in paperback; pre- school) by Sharon Jennings and Mireille Levert. Mrs. Ming the babysitter proves herself to be more than a match for wide:awake Jeremiah with her gentle un- derstanding of the young boy’s reluctance to go to bed. (Also available in French as Jeremie et Mme. Ming). Jim Aylesworth and Thomas Graham’s latest kids’ book employs a ‘progressive’ techni- que that never fails to amuse readers no matter how many different situations it’s used in. In Mr; McGill Goes To Town (Henry Holt/Fitzhenry & Whiteside; 30 pp.; $19.50; ages GET ON BOARD | NO TRAINING NO GAIN! Word We offer Diploma Programs in Accounting & Computers Business Administration Fashion Merchandising Hotel & Restaurant Computer Programming _ MicroComputer Applications Travel & Tourism Computerized Banking Bookkeeper-Typist : Executive Secretary , General Secretary : ft lh. legal Secretary ~~ fay URN. ~ Medical Secretary ~ \ Processing mS 2 Financial Assistance may be available fj Job Placement Assistance = og, prolific team of Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko? And to prove that they have some- thing good for us, they've even called their newest book Some- thing Good - and they’re right. In Something Good (An- nick/Firefly; 21 pp.: $12.95 hardcover, $4.95 paperback), Munsch and his own ‘Munschkins’ (Tyya, Andrew and Julie) go to the super- market where an exasperated’ dad makes the mistake of tell- ing the youngest, Tyya, to stand still and (fateful words) “don’t move.” She doesn’t. And is mistaken for a doll that costs her father $29.95 to ‘buy’ back. Something Good should have ‘Family Friendly’ stamped all over it. Next Week: Calling all Tom Robbins fans - it’s the First And Maybe Last Annual Tom Robbins Festival, featuring the current bestseller Skinny Legs and All along with a cast of four more Robbins frolics in brand-new formats: Siill Life - With Woodpecker, Another Roadside Attraction, Jitterbug Perfume and Even Cowgirls Get The Blues.