Tuesday, October 4, 2022

A Bend in the Breeze

 

The people of TeJÉ have never had a visitor. Not once. Not ever.

But they have been expecting one. For a long time, they’ve believed the story of the Long Awaited, a person who will arrive on their island and tell them what their fate will be.

So when eleven-year-old Pascale’s lifeboat comes ashore, they wonder if she is the one they have been waiting for all these years.

But Pascale cannot answer their questions. She doesn’t even know how she got there.

Until strange things begin to happen and Pascale is forced to wonder: Could she be the Long-Awaited?

Read the opening chapter by going here and clicking on the EXCERPT link! 


 

 

 

 

Imagine how thrilling it was to learn that Sheree Fitch selected A Bend in the Breeze as her favourite NB book! (Yes, there were tears!)






 

Awards and Accolades for A Bend in the Breeze:

Shortlisted for the Mrs. Dunster's Fiction Award  Remarks from Judge Leslie Greentree: Valerie Sherrard hits all the right notes in this beautiful story for young readers, set in an island utopia filled with gentle magic. Like all of the best children’s stories, A Bend in the Breeze is a joy for adult readers, as well. Themes of human frailty, and the importance of community are laced with compassion and humour, and brought to life through an irresistible cast of characters. Sherrard’s writing is confident, polished, and infused with warmth; the deeply satisfying twist ending deftly melds wit with redemption. This charming chapter book written for early readers is a delight for any age. 

 

Shortlisted for the 2023/24 Hackmatack Award in the English Fiction category. This marvellous program is operated throughout the Maritime provinces. Awards are given by readers' choice in four categories: Fiction: English and French, and Non-Fiction: English and French. Visit the Hackmatack website here!

 CanLit for Little Canadians: "You never know where a bend in the breeze can take you: here or there, away or to. And the bend in the breeze that transports 11-year-old Pascale Chardon to the island of TeJÉ might have done all those things. Think of A Bend in the Breeze as The Little Prince meets Island of the Blue Dolphin."

The Miramichi Reader: "While I was reading this book, it was as if I was on a roller coaster. I felt happy, I felt sad, and for some moments, I felt as if I had drifted away from my home and was actually on the island of TeJÉ. Then, towards the end I was hit with a message so powerful, I went back and read it again. It was then I realized that the message had been there the whole book. It was everything I think a book should be and more. Every aspect of this book was incredible, from the cover to the very last page. - Ella Breau" 

CM Magazine: Highly Recommended. There are a number of interesting topics to discuss: survival, education, community, mythology, empathy, marriage, death, friendship, envy, mindfulness, love, peace, conflict, honesty, and prophecy. Pascale leaves readers of A Bend in the Breeze with several strong messages about our society:

Chris Benjamin: My daughter and I really enjoyed reading this. The characters were quirky, fun, and interesting. The world Sherrard creates is believable, curious and joyful, yet full of human imperfection and emotion. There was magic throughout without it ever overshadowing the humanity and the ability to put ourselves in young Pascale's place. 

 

MY FIRST BOOK TRAILER!

Please have a look!

A Bend in the Breeze