A very New Brunswick book list: 2021 edition

With holiday gift-giving season and long wintry nights upon us, you may find yourself in need of a few book suggestions.

If local interest grabs your interest, you're in luck. It was another prolific year for people writing in or about New Brunswick.

Here's a rundown of more than 30 new publications we heard about on CBC New Brunswick airwaves.

Check out every title or scan for your favourite genre. We've sorted them into sections you might find in a bookstore: Children, Adult fiction, Sci-fi, Poetry, Non-fiction, Outdoor Life, History, Arts, Self-help and Spirituality. Happy reading!

The Manatee Presents: That's Not True: An Inaccurate Journey Through New Brunswick — Written and illustrated by Brandon Hicks and Shauna Chase, independently published

There are many misconceptions about this province — that it's a paradise where rich Ontarians can afford to buy mansions and retire, that it's a backwater full of rednecks, that all New Brunswickers like fiddleheads and dulse. St. Stephen based illustrator and writer Brandon Hicks knows the truth. He and co-author Shauna Chase have released a children's book meant to teach kids about the importance of not taking everything at face value and to showcase some actual, cool facts about the province. The truth is often stranger than fiction on this fun, illustrated road trip to landmarks like Magnetic Hill and Reversing Falls. 

When Pigs Fly — By Michelle McLean, illustrated by Sophie Arseneau, published by Chapel Street Editions

Described by the publisher as "a fanciful romp around the neighbourhood where the words are at play and things can get a little punny." Beloved children's writer and former Frederictonian Sheree Fitch called it "absolutely delightful, well-crafted nonsense verse." Here's a small sample: "Beware the Frumps who Criticize, the Grumps who Scowl with Beady Eyes." McLean is a clinical social worker, educator and mom. The illustrator was one of her daughters. She's also an award-winning poet. Her work has appeared in a number of publications including Quills and Other Voices. She lives with her family in the village of Bath.

We Wear Masks — Written and illustrated by Marla Lesage, published by Orca

This rhyming picture book features all kinds of people — from scuba divers to welders — who wear masks as part of their work or for fun. It's the third book Lesage has been involved with. But she says this one has special resonance with her, as a writer who is also a nurse in Fredericton. "A fun tool to help children make sense of this new reality and make wearing masks less scary and more relatable." 

Africville — By Shauntay Grant, Illustrated by Eva Campbell, translated to French by Josephine Watson, published by Bouton d'or Acadie

Josephine Watson, a spoken word artist and singer in Moncton, says it was a dream come true to work on this translation. She always wanted to be involved with children's books and says it felt extremely personal to see the depiction of a young black girl in the Maritimes in Shauntay Grant's story. The history of Halifax's historical Black community is serious and heavy, says Watson, but is approached in this book with joy and a sense of adventure, as a young girl visits a park commemorating the former home of some of her ancestors.

Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement — By Lindsay Ruck, illustrated by James Bentley, published by Nimbus, for ages 8 and up

Lindsay Ruck's grandfather, the late Nova Scotia senator Calvin W. Ruck, turned her into a storyteller and introduced her to Black history that wasn't being taught in schools. Her new book takes us back in time and into the present. You're likely familiar with the stories of people such as Viola Desmond and Measha Brueggergosman. But there is more to learn about their lives and achievements, and about many other Atlantic Black Canadians whose stories aren't quite as well known — people like Marie Marguerite Rose, who was born on the west coast of Africa, came to Louisburg, N.S., was freed in her 30s, opened a tavern and married a Mi'kmaw hunter. Other featured historical figures include Saint John radio host and civil rights activist Lena O'Ree and Saint Andrews landscape artist Edward Bannister. Ruck set out to write a children's book about the all-Black No. 2 Construction Battalion of the First World War and ended up with this illustrated collection of 50 stories. (Also new in this series: Amazing Atlantic Canadian Women: Fascinating Stories of Excellence and Determination)