- B4 terrace Review — Wednesday, February 14, 1990

- Books for Young — Readers —

by Andrea Deakin

With the children midway through the school year, it is time to look at some informational books for young readers. Truly outstanding are the Eyewitness Books, published in Canada by . Stoddart at $15.95 each. They are suitable for a keen eight-year- old and up.

The books combine accuracy, a great deal of information and a superb use of photography with an enthusiasm and delight in their subject that cannot fail to entice the reader. Of the 16 books available so far, six have already been designated as Out- standing Science Trade Books for Children in the U.S. Originally published in Britain, they have drawn on expert advice, Con- sultants for the ‘‘Plant’? volume are the staff of the Natural _ History Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The titles range the natural and made world from “‘Skeleton’”’ to “Arms and Armour’’.

Bonnie Shemie is an artist who has specialized in architectural painting. Her skill, plus an ability to explain complex ideas clear- ly and effectively, makes the first volume in Tundra’s new series of architecture books for children, ‘‘Houses of Snow, Skin and Bones”, a worthy new addition to Canadian non-fiction writing for children. Ms. Shemie examines the snow house, the Alaska sod house, shelters of stone, skin and whalebone, and the tents which provide summer shelter.

The illustrations not only present each type of dwelling clearly, but suggest the season and the type of living possible within each shelter. ‘‘Houses of Snow, Skin and Bone’’ is published by Tundra at $12.95. °

Much of the charm of E. Nesbit’s stories lies in the way she combines the down-to-earth and the fantastic so skillfully. Her magic has rules, her spells have considered results, and if you do or say the wrong thing — watch out! Mixed with this is a touch of gentle satire, the whole an engaging mixture.

‘*Melisande’’ is one of her magic stories. The King and Queen, afraid of what comes of having fairies at christenings, invite none of their daughter’s. That turns out to be every bit as bad a deci- sion as leaving one fairy out, They are a// upset. The poor infant is cursed with baldness.

’ However, the King remembers that he has an unused wish in

his wedding gifts, so-when his daughter grows-up, good and. -:, +

beautiful, he t*ansfers his wish. Poor Melisande is so excited she does not think quite carefully enough before she wishes. She finds herself with hair that grows like lightening. How the situa- tion is resolved makes for very amusing reading. ‘‘Melisande’’, published by Groundwood at $19.95, has been beautifully il- lustrated by Mother Goose award winner P.J. Lunch.

The story of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” is well-known and loved. A notable new edition from Prentice Hall has a simple and elegant text by Walter McVitty, but the beauty of the edition lies in the superb illustrations and decorative borders by Australian artist Margaret Early. The work is done in the style of Persian miniatures contemporary with the Arabian Nights (Tenth Century A.D.) and the result is a version to delight artistic child and aduit collector alike. ‘‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’? is published at $19.95.

This week’s best sellers in B. C.

Fiction (Figures in brackets indicate last week’s position)

Kinsella Richler Steele King Eddings Eco

_ Clancy Mitchell Jong Deighton

.( 4) The Miss Hobbema Pageant .( 7) Solomon Gursky Was Here .( 6)Daddy .( 1) The Dark Half .( 9) Sorceress of Darshiva .( -) Foucaults Pendulum. .( 5) Clear and Present Danger . (10) According to Jake and the Kid .( -)Any Woman Blues © (

Non fiction

Canadian Green Consumers Guide Troyer/Moss Birds of Vancouver Bovey/Campbell -) Co-Dependent No More Beatty -) Toxic Parents Forward -) Wonderful Life Gould 8) Diet fora New America Robbins -) Dance of Anger Lerner 3) Canadian World Almanac Filion 7)Carmanah Western Canada Wilderness Cmte. §) Home Game Dryden/MacGregor

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Compiled by United Communications Research Inc.

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cal writers

-won’t publish

The Terrace Writers’ Guild will not be publishing their Northwest Sketches this year.

The four members of the Guild who published last year’s edition are finding it ‘‘just too much’? — to select the works of local writers, arrange for art

_ work, type the book and do all

the other administrative tasks without added assistance. Northwest Sketches has been published for the past two years as an avenue through which local writers could collectively have some of their best works published. The ‘‘Magnetic North’? edition was published in the summer of 1988. It featured some poems and short stories by Terrace Guild members, with sketches by area artists, The 1989 edition, ‘Signatures of the North”, included contributions from a collage of B.C. authors. Sketches for that edition are by Terrace and Kitimat artists.

The Terrace Writers’ Guild began as a result of a creative writing class at Northwest Com- munity College taught by George Stanley. The Guild formed with the intention of producing a booklet of works by local authors. They also wanted to workshop together to assist one another in pursuit of literary goals.

The Writers’ Guild has done writing for a tourism guide booklet. This summer, they wrote the script for a CFTK television documentary of Skeena Junior Secondary School’s play ‘‘Juice’”’. The play was presented last year by the students of Skeena to dramatize the effects of drugs and alcohol. The CFTK documentary and video of the play will be shown in June 1990.

This fall, in cooperation with the Writers’ Guild, the B.C. Federation of Writers sponsored

a program called ‘‘Writers Bridging Cultures’, featuring. two published B.C. authors.

Last Thursday evening, in rec- ognition of Pull the Plug Week, the Writers’ Guild presented a few of their works to a small but attentive audience in the Terrace Art Gallery. The Guild will re- main active in the Northwest, and they definitely plan another edition of Northwest Sketches for 1991. Call Stephanie at 635-776! or Terri at 638-1522 for more information on the Terrace Writers’ Guild.

Please welcome your Heart Volunteer in February.

B.C. Heart Foundation

R.E.M. Lee Theatre —

Terrace Art Gallery —

Terrace Hotel —

Inn of the West —

celebration.

Feb. 16 and 17 —

-Festival Committee.

| Northwest arts and entertainment calendar

Feb. 16, 8 p.m. — The Theatre Beyond Words presents “Potato . People”, sponsored by the Concert. Society. Feb. 24, 7 p.m. — Skeena Theatre Arts presents “Ghostbusters”.

Cindy Materi’s painting exhibition “Let There Be Light”, with weekend demonstrations by students of the Northwest Academy of Performing Arts. Saturday 12 noon to 3 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.

Northern Motor inn — George’s Pub, Tom Moore, country singer.

“Radio Zebra”, light top 40’s — Gigi's Pub. Terrilyn Ryan, guitarist — Augie’s Lounge.

“‘Wine and dine your Valentine” dinner in Hector’s. Hanky’s Valentine’s

Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 13 — “Slap Jack” Zahodnik.

Northwest Community Colege Students’ Association — | Feb. 16, “Corky & the Juice Pigs”, Canada’s hottest comedy act, NWGCC cafeteria at 8 p.m. $7 public admission, $5 NWCC students.

Terrace and District Multicultural Association — Sixth annual International Potluck Dinner, Saturday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m.

Kitimat Mount Elizabeth Theatre —

Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 14 and 15, Theatre Beyond Words per- forms for primary and elementary students.

Sunday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m., Multicultural Festival Committee presents Kahurangi. — Maori Dancers of New Zealand. “No passports, visas or airline tickets are required for this exciting glimpse of the South Pacific.” Tickets at Mount Elizabeth Theatre or from members of Multicultural

Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 19 and 20, Kahurangi performs for elemen- tary and secondary students. |

Prince Rupert Performing Arts Centre — Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. Tracy Masson. Tickets $10. A PAC production: Sunday, Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Society. Admission $5. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 4:30 and 7 p.m. — Fred Penner, presented by the Family Support institute. Tickets $8. Saturday, Feb. 24,8 p.m. — Fraser MacPherson Quartet. Presented by the PAC Society. Tickets $12.

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— “An Evening with Janis Joplin” featuring

— ‘Makioka Sisters”, Prince Rupert Film

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