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Children's Fiction Marriage & Divorce

Where's Burgess?

by (author) Laurie Elmquist

illustrated by David Parkins

Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Initial publish date
Feb 2018
Category
Marriage & Divorce, Frogs & Toads, Chapter Books
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781459814783
    Publish Date
    Feb 2018
    List Price
    $6.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459814806
    Publish Date
    Feb 2018
    List Price
    $8.99

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 6 to 8
  • Grade: 1 to 3
  • Reading age: 6 to 8

Description

Reece Hansen is missing two things: his father and his frog.

Reece's parents are newly separated, and his dad is now living in another city, fighting forest fires. Reece struggles to get used to daily life without him. When he loses his pet frog, Burgess, Reece puts posters up around the neighborhood. But frogs are difficult to find. It takes an unusual classmate, the boy who wears a bathrobe to school, to pull Reece's attention away from Burgess. Through his new friend and a camping trip with his mom, Reece learns that friends can come in human form and families are resilient even when things change.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

About the authors

Laurie Elmquist holds an MA in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor in Ontario and has been published in several magazines and anthologies. A teacher at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia, and online instructor at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Laurie has served as a judge for several competitions, including the Canadian Author’s Association Book Prize. When she’s not writing, Laurie enjoys exploring the beaches of the west coast, from California to Vancouver Island. Beach Baby is her first book. For more information, visit www.laurieelmquist.blogspot.ca.

Laurie Elmquist's profile page

Phyllis Root is the author of BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD and many other award-winning books for children. She says, " Aunt Nancy is my grandmothers and aunts — women who never let the world get the better of them — all rolled into one." She lives in Minneapolis.
David Parkins has illustrated numerous books for children, including WEBSTER J. DUCK by Martin Waddell and Egyptian Diary by Richard Platt. He lives in Lincoln, England. C

David Parkins' profile page

Awards

  • Nominated, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Award
  • Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards - Chapter Books / Early Novels
  • Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection

Editorial Reviews

&quotAny reader who has lost a loved one will enjoy this poignant story with its upbeat characters and supportive family members. Its brief text and simple line drawings make it ideal for beginning chapter book readers.&quot

Resource Links

"A gentle, realistic early chapter book. "

Kirkus Reviews

"Understated…Elmquist writes movingly about Reece's struggle with his parents' 'trial separation,' and his emotions are also evident in Parkins's moody b&w illustrations."

Publishers Weekly

"Where's Burgess? paints a world that children can relate to…The illustrations in the book are excellent and put on the page exactly what was in my mind…Enduring and memorable. [Where's Burgess?] has the perfect amount of complexity. It is a wonderfully modern story of how connection can combat devastation. Elmquist is a true children's writer. She doesn't just ease children into literature with this book; she eases them the world."

Nexus Newspaper

"Where's Burgess? fits perfectly within the 'Orca Echoes' series which features character-building stories. The vocabulary level is well within an acceptable range for burgeoning readers to read on their own; however, this book also has the potential to be shared between parents and children at bedtime or by a teacher as a classroom read-aloud…For any child who has felt a sense of loss, unlike a frog desiring to blend in, this story is sure to stand out. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

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