• Reading age: 9 to 13

From the turn-of-the-century streets of London to a welcoming home in Brantford, Ontario, twelve-year-old Gwen has many adventures along the way. Whether it's stowaways, bears, or a raging forest fire, Gwen rises to the challenge in this exuberant story of bravery and resourcefulness.

Carolyn Pogue is the author of 14 books of fiction and non-fiction and also writes poetry and drama. Her writing appears in periodicals such as Canadian Living, Synchronicity, The United Church Observer and Peace Magazine. She is a freelance writer and workshop presenter for all ages. Pogue regularly offers workshops at YouthWrite, a Rocky Mountain camp for teen writers, at the University of Alberta Extension Department and the Alexandra Writers Centre in Calgary, and has served several times as Peace-Writer-in-Residence in Alberta schools. She has judged children's literature for competitions hosted by The Writers' Union of Canada and The Writers' Guild of Alberta. Pogue grew up on a small farm in the village of Vandorf, Ontario. She has also lived in Toronto, Montreal, Yellowknife and Edmonton. She loves travelling and has visited India, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, El Salvador, Cuba, Guatemala, England, Wales, Europe, USA and all but one territory in Canada. She lives in Calgary, Alberta. Visit her website at www.carolynpogue.ca

Carolyn Pogue's profile page

• Short-listed, W.O. Mitchell Book Prize