By Ardo Omer
This month we’re reading a fantastical book by a queer Canadian author. These titles will transport you to other worlds whether it’s saving a friend from inside a video game, being transformed into a mermaid in an aquatic adventure or fighting monsters in a giant robot suit in historical China. Written by queer Canadian authors, we hope that you can grow your library with new voices!
1) Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao (Young Adult)
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.
After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself on the seat of power in Huaxia, but she has also learned that her world is not as it seems. Revelations about an enemy who dangles one of her loved ones as a hostage force Zetian to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite their mutual dislike and distrust, the two must work together to take down their common enemy and stoke a revolution against the systems of exploitation that plague their world.
However, power is not so easy to wield once seized, and a revolution is not so easy to control once unleashed. As Huaxia’s former elites strike back and the common people’s fervor for justice turns bloody and paranoid, can Zetian remain a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance and liberation?
2) Leon Levels Up by Paul Coccia (Middle Grade)
In the real world, Leon isn’t built to be a hero, but he must become one when he gets trapped in a cutting-edge virtual-reality game.
Twelve-year-old Leon loves video games. When he plays, he feels confident and amazing for just a little while. The rest of the time he feels like a loser. So Leon is shocked when Nico, the coolest kid ever and the son of a video-game developer, invites him over to test out the newest game at his dad’s high-tech lab.
To play, they must submerge themselves in giant tanks filled with nanobots, which are programmed to interact with the players and form the physical gaming world. It sounds perfectly safe. But a glitch causes the tiny robots to start behaving oddly, putting the boys in real-life danger. Now it’s up to Leon to slay a dragon, to beat the game and save Nico and himself…before the timer runs out.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
3) Friends by Geraldo Valério (Picture Books)
In Geraldo Valério’s newest vibrant and beautiful wordless picture book, a trip to the beach turns into a magical journey under the sea—exploring themes of friendship and the power of imagination.
When a girl and a frog go to the beach to fish, they are frustrated to find that the fish aren’t biting. Instead, they stare into the water and make faces at their reflections. Then, something spectacular happens. The reflections take on lives of their own, transforming into a mermaid with her own pet frog. Surprise gives way to delight as they invite the girl and the frog to enter a stunning underwater world. The new friends swim and play amongst colorful sea creatures until they discover a pair of glowing pearls and turn them into matching necklaces.
Readers are brought along on a joyful aquatic adventure in this third wordless picture book from Geraldo Valério. Each page is a visual treasure trove full of fish and bubbles and other underwater details. Young readers will especially enjoy following the frogs’ adventures in this celebration of friendship and imagination.
