The Girl Who Loved Poutine

Release Date: March 2024

Zoey loves poutine with its French fries, gravy, and squeaky squeaky cheese curds. It’s her favourite dish to make with her father. And it’s their annual tradition to make it for their shared July 1 birthday. Zoey is excited. Tomorrow is her fifth birthday! It’s also a holiday in Canada. This year, family members–grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins–from across Canada are coming to celebrate Zoey’s birthday. But as a surprise to Zoey, everyone is bringing their own special poutine dish. There are recipes from all over Canada, including Alberta, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island. All so unique and all so delicious! It will be a poutine contest and Zoey will be the judge. How will Zoey ever decide whose dish is the winner? Back matter includes information about the history of this classic dish, as well as a recipe.

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Reviews

CM Magazine - May 2018

“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018

“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”