Dinner at the Dog Pound, by Sylvia Adams, with illustrationg by Ben Chung, is a charming story for children featuring Wagstaff O’Gogg, a little mongrel dog. Wagstaff tires of eating his owner’s diet food and runs away. Taken to the City Pound, he discovers to his surprise that all stray dogs are treated to a daily banquet. Deciding to stay, he finds a wonderful, surprising new life. Order from the author, or from Trafford.

Sylvia is an award-winning poet and novelist, so check out her other books on her website. 

Colin Morton is another Ottawa award-winner. His newest book is The Hundred Cuts: Sitting Bull and the Major. You'll find links to his poetry, novels, essays and reviews on his website, including a CBC prize-winning series. 

Hanns Skoutajan  fled from the Nazi takeover of Czechoslovakia with his parents in 1938 - 39 .
A new documentary film based on his book,  Uprooted and Transplanted, revisits some of the milestones on that journey in search of a new home, first to Scotland then to western Canada.
          Sudeten German refugees from Hitler were settled on abandoned homesteads. Hanns’ parents were city people who had had no experience with farming, let alone living far from the basic amenities to which they had been accustomed, e.g.. electricity, plumbing, water. Three years after the outbreak of war they left the farm and came east where his father was retrained and found work in a war plant in eastern Ontario established by Thomas Bata who had also fled from Czechoslovakia.
         Hanns’ choice of vocation, the ministry in the United Church of Canada, was strongly influenced by that odyssey from tragedy to freedom. He often likened it to the flight of the Israelites from Egypt, indeed, a segment of the film using animation retells that biblical story.
      The account also returns to Europe after the war and tells of the fate of the 3.5 million ethnic Germans who were “cleansed” from the Sudeten area of Czechoslovakia.
       The 50 minute documentary  is called Hitler's German Foes, begins on Parliament Hill as Hanns in his clerical robes quotes the well known words of the German cleric Martin Niehmuller in which he condemns inaction against the abuse of human rights, “. ....finally they came after me and there was no one left to defend me.” Unfortunately the story told by Hanns continues to be timely many years after the events he describes.
      Hitler’s German Foes is a Norflicks Production, directed by Tom Gregor and filmed by Czech Television. It is available from Ashland Video Corporation : Stage 13 , 629 Eastern Ave., Toronto , M4M 1E4.  Both the DVD and Hanns' book are available from him via e-mail.

The Neglected Garden, by Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair, Ottawa area author and novelist.  See cover and read mini-review on the FICTION page.

Mary Harrington Bryant's memoir of teaching in the NWT from 1944-48 includes being diagnosed with polio during her time in the north. Four Years and Then Some is available from the author.  E-mail her at: jbryant7@rogers.com. 

Paul Mackan's new book is called Dream Girl, Dream. Saralee is full of questions. But when she asks, Why is God invisible? no one can provide an answer. So she issues God a challenge: I will never pray to you again until you tell me why!  This is a charming story for all ages.  Published by Publish America.