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2004
finalists.

2004 Hackmatack

Children's Choice Book Award/Prix littéraire - le choix de jeunes

When the fish plant closes in her home community, nine-year-old Katie Johnson watches all her friends move away. As Katie's mother and grandmother struggle to stay in their home, Katie learns to appreciate the help of neighbours, and begins to find ways to help out herself. The discovery of an unexpected talent gives Katie's mother hope of a new vocation, but can she support her family as a craft worker? Katie has an idea that might just make that possible. This realistic story of life in rural Newfoundland after the 1992 moratorium on northern cod stocks is written to appeal to newly independent readers.

Janet McNaughton was fifteen when she began to write her first book - a historical novel for young readers. She did not finish it, but did learn she loved finding out how people lived and thought in the past. This led her to study folklore in university and eventually brought her to Newfoundland. After completing a Ph.D in Folklore, she returned to her first love, writing for young readers.

Ms. McGrath is the winner of the Violet Downey National Chapter of the IODE Book Award (best Canadian English Language Children's Book), Ann Conner Brimer Award for Children's Literature in Atlantic Canada, and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. She has also been short-listed for the Mr. Christie Book Award, the Blue Heron Book Award and the CLA Young Adult Book Award. Most recently she has been nominated for the 1998 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature, 1998 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction and the 1998 Red Maple Reading Award.

Janet also reviews books for Quill & Quire and Atlantic Books Today. She has also contributed to Canadian Bookseller, Books in Canada, and Canadian Author. Janet writes essays for adult literacy education and sometimes does radio commentary. She currently resides in St. John's with her husband and daughter.

Thematic Links

• Newfoundland fishing villages
• Cod moratorium
• Self-reliance, learning new skills
• Community spirit
• Meaning of 'home'
• Friendship

Suggested Activities

• Using The Dictionary of Newfoundland English, find the word "Quinter." What does it mean? Is there more than one meaning?
• If you had to make up a new name for the place where you live, what would it be? Why?
• How many different kinds of houses can you find in your community? Ask people who live in the houses if there is a namefor the type of house they live in. When were different types of houses built? Were certain types more popular at different times? Have houses gotten bigger or smaller in your community over the years? At the same time, did families get bigger or smaller? How did the way that houses are heated change?

On Janet McNaughton's web site, there are several pages of information and activities, a content quiz and a resource page for teachers. These pages can be found at http://avalon.nf.ca/~janetmcn/saltboxinfo.html