• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 8

The bewitching story of Aggie, a 17-year-old Scottish girl who comes to Canada in 1928 to work as a domestic servant in a wealthy Toronto home, won numerous literary awards when it was first published almost 10 years ago. To Dance at the Palais Royale captured the following honours:

• The Violet Downey Book Award, IODE National Chapter
• The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction
• Ann Connor Brimer Award
• Mr. Christie’s Book Award Finalist
• Canadian Library Association Honour Book

This wonderful portrayal of a young woman’s coming of age, set against life in Toronto’s jazz era, is now poised to capture the hearts of a new generation of young girls.

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.

Janet McNaughton's profile page