Several times in the last couple of weeks, I have been asked what my favourite book as a child was. Although I could easily answer: All of them! (because I was an avid reader who devoured almost everything to be had in book form), there are a couple of books that stand out.

One is a novel titled: The Nine Questions by Edward Fenton. I still have my copy of this wonderful book, given to me by my grandparents on my 10th birthday.

It’s the story of Willie Boy who wakes up one morning and is told he must leave the old woman who has cared for him most of his life. She gives him an ancient watch, a tattered hunting cap, a tarnished silver whistle and a warm feather bag — items she has kept for him since he was brought to her door as an infant, years ago, by a frightened young woman.

The old woman tells him it is time for him to seek his father and his fortune in the Weaver’s Country, far away. Willie Boy sets off on a journey that takes him through many magical and fantastical places, where he always encounters a dark and troubling underside. At each place, he faces an evil villan who changes identity throughout the story and relentlessly tries to take Willie Boy’s possessions from him.

Willie Boy makes friends with lovely Gabriella and a group of kind animals who come to his rescue when he is in danger. They travel with him to a foreboding castle in Weaver’s Country, where Willy Boy must answer the Interrogator’s Nine Questions that will decide his fate.

Wow! What a great story. It’s a compelling mix of magic, realism and suspense — a perfect book for a 10 year old avid reader. A big thank you to my grandparents, who always knew the right gifts to give me.

Now that I’ve taken the book off the shelf to look at, I plan to read it again. Fingers crossed the story has held up over time.

I’ve written a couple of books recently that are about the weighty subjects of where our food comes and how to eat in an ethical and sustainable way, and it’s been an interesting journey, both in a literary and culinary sense. Many of my food habits, so long taken for granted, have changed as a result of my research. So have some of my reading habits. I now stop off at Barbara Jo’s Book to Cooks on a regular basis to find out what else I can consume (literarily) on the subject.

I just finished a fascinating book by Tara Austen Weaver titled, “The Butcher and the Vegetarian: One Woman’s Romp Through a World of Men, Meat and Moral Crisis.” Ms. Austen, who was raised as a strict vegetarian, is suffering from health problems and decides to try eating meat to see if her ailments can be cured. Her story is a first-person account of how she bridged the gap from vegetarian to carnivore. I won’t give the ending away, or reveal what she concludes about her health, but I will tell you it is a rivetting read. Will you be eating meat by the end of it? That’s for you to decide.

Recently I came across a funny and insightful article in the Globe and Mail, written by Canadian humourist, Will Ferguson. It was titled, “How’s the book coming? Well, let me tell you…” and it described what it’s like to be up against a deadline, and the many ways that authors procrastinate.

What I liked best about his piece was his comparison of writing fiction and nonfiction, and how they are different. I quote him here:

“I’ve always said that fiction and travel writing are comparable to two types of sculpturing. Fiction is like working with clay; you build something up from a single character, an image, a scent. It’s the art of addition. Nonfiction, and travel writing in particular, is like working in stone, cutting away everything that doesn’t fit. You start big and pare down, reducing the mass of possibilities, trying to decide what matters, what doesn’t.”

Me again. When I talk about writing nonfiction for children, I like to say that the author’s job is to know (or find out) as much about a subject as possible, then determine what the essence is, and decide what to leave out — in order to shape the information into a form that is meaningful for our youngest readers.

It’s an art to be simple and concise, while retaining the essence of a topic, and yet convey enough information in a way that delights, delivers, matters, and holds a child’s interest.

An American children’s nonfiction author I admire, and who does this so well, is Gail Gibbons. (She even illustrates her own books. Wow! Multi-talented.)

I wish I could have explained the process as well as Will Ferguson did (smart man!) — but alas, I cannot. However, I may borrow his quote from time to time. If you’d like to read the entire text of his article, you can find it here.