Book Description

Martin O'Boy's life is not easy. His beloved Granny has just died, his pregnant mother and father fight all the time, and his twin, Phil, is completely incapacitated. For Martin, however, life in Ottawa's Lowertown is not all bad: there's his best friend, Billy Batson, the movies, his one-eared cat Cheap, and then there's Buz, his glamorous next door neighbor, who's off at the war.As the war comes to an end with the bombing of Hiroshima, Ottawa is in a state of turmoil - returning soldiers, parties, fights, and drunks fill the streets. All very exciting, except for one thing: Martin and Billy joined the church choir to earn some money, and the organist, Mr. T. D. S. George, is very interested in Martin. As the reader knows, though Martin doesn't, this interest is a very dangerous thing. But Martin has a pure soul, Billy's friendship, his cat's affection, Buz's imminent return, and his Granny's love - which all help him to deliver justice to Mr. George and heal himself and others. Boy O'Boy is a sensitively written story of a young boy's triumph over sexual abuse. ... Read more

Book Description

In this brilliant and poetic new novel, Brian Doyle takes readers back to the Gatineau River near Ottawa, the world of his previous works, Uncle Ronald and Up to Low. Mary Ann Alice McCrank, named after the pretty church bell in the steeple of St. Martin’s Church in Martindale, is passionately interested in the geology of her part of the world. Her teacher, the wonderful Patchy Drizzle, shares her fondness for rocks and fossils, many of which can be found along the river and in caves under the famous Paugan Falls. But a new project to dam the river places rocks, fossils, and the falls in danger and threatens many farms — including those of Mean Hughie and the strange Cork family. But the dam must be built. And, as with much technological change, it brings both benefits and hardships to the community. “[Brian Doyle’s] stories are funny beyond words and not occasionally heartbreaking in the same way.” — The Globe and Mail ... Read more

Book Description

Humor and tragedy merge in this story of a family, and a culture, in crisis. At 112, Mickey McGuire is Canada's oldest citizen, but he remembers with perfect clarity the events beginning in Ottawa in 1895. That year, without investigating the cause of his daily fainting spells, school authorities decide that 12-year-old Mickey should stay home. But home is a problematic place, the site of frequent beatings of Mickey and his mother by his violent alcoholic father. Determined to spare her son further trauma, Mickey's mother sends him to stay on her family's farm run by her brother and twin sisters. Strong and tender, Uncle Ronald is wise in the ways of horses, geese, and men. When Mickey's mother arrives after a particularly savage beating, she is sure that her husband will follow. Meanwhile, armed federal troops have arrived at the farm to collect back taxes that no one can pay. Mickey's mother's sisters, the legendary O'Malley girls, are stalwart and shrewd in subverting the authorities' efforts.Uncle Ronald showcases Brian Doyle's firm grasp of time and place, and his distinctive storytelling voice weaves sound, sight, and disparate plot elements into a compelling whole. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Extremely enjoyable! Would recommend.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I picked it up for my son to read, but I wanted to read it first before I let him have it, and what a pleasant surprise it was. I don't generally expect too much from books geared for 10 year olds. This book is too good for a ten year old: only an adult will fully appreciate the humor. You'll read it in 2 hours, and it will be two hours well spent. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on September 1, 2000. The length of the article is 4608 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Room 8.(teaching Sunday school)
Author: Brian Doyle
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2000
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: 65Issue: 9Page: 36

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description

Young Tommy hasn't been to the town of Low for two years - not since his mother's death. And it's been two years since he's seen little Baby Bridget, the girl with the trillium-shaped eyes. But now Tommy, his father, and his father's friend Frank are driving in a shiny new Buick up the through the Gatineau Hills to reach the small Quebecois town - a place steeped in the culture of its Irish settlers. A host of colorful characters await him in Low - Crazy Mickey, Tommy's 100-old Irish great-grandfather; Grandma Minnie, Mickey's 99-year-old wife; and dear Aunt Dottie, who carries a huge bottle of Lysol for washing raspberries and socks. Then there's Mean Hughie, Baby Bridget's abusive father who is ill with cancer. For Tommy, it's a summer when love and death are all mixed up - and healing comes in unexpected ways. ... Read more

Book Description

Ryan's dad is going through C.O.L., also known as "change of life syndrome," as the adults like to call it.He went away for the summer to try to work through his problems, leaving his family behind. Ryan's mother decides to send Ryan to Peggy's Cove, the most beautiful cove in the world, for the summer to stay with his Aunt Fay, who owns and operates a store there. Peggy's Cove is all right, Ryan thinks, if it weren't so small and crowded with tourists.

Still, he manages to make friends. First, he befriends Drummer, a misfit. But hanging out with Drummer proves disastrous because it makes him behave in ways he never has before and gets him into trouble. Next, he finds friendship with fishermen Eddie and Wing Ding, who teach him how to fish. The time he spends with the two fishermen is the best of his visit. Even so, he still thinks of his father a lot and writes him a letter in hopes of getting his attention. After spending a summer apart, will their relationship ever be the same? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Descriptive, yet Sad
This book was very descriptive but also very sad. A story that I recommend for people who in their early years had fathers. Others may be very emotional in the long or short process of reading it.

One of the most memorable books from childhood!
This book is one of the most memorable books I had as a child.The descriptive telling of everyday life in the famous village of Peggy's Cove and the struggle of the locals to deal with the tourists is great.The young boy in the story realizes what is important in life thorugh a litany of realistic and off the wall characters.Definitly one for the shopping basket ... Read more

Book Description

Centered on the theme of cherishing the past, Covered Bridge pits earnest Hubbo O'Driscoll against two determined, cynical land developers. Hubbo is beginning to enjoy the pleasures of country life while staying with his guardian aunt and uncle, and he even has a job as curator of the area's rustic covered bridge. When the old bridge - home to a wayward ghost and her lovelorn postman - is suddenly threatened by builders Ovide and Prootoo Proulx, Hubbo searches for a way to save it. Accompanied by his personable dog, Nerves, Hubbo tries to reconcile the charms of days gone by with the profit-driven demands of the present. At the last minute, help arrives in unexpected form: Foolish Father Foley from Farrelton, the two ghosts, and a crazy goat. But will it be enough to keep the old bridge of Mushrat Creek from demolition? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Covered Bridge: It's Where my Grade Sevens are at!
This is the first I've read by Brian Doyle. "Covered Bridge" is written as a series of lighthearted anecdotes and reflections of a teenage boy who is trying to come to terms with the several strange and delightful characters of a small town in Quebec's Gatineau Hills, while at the same time trying to solve a mystery.

The book also serves to introduce covered bridges as architectural and historical treasures, and illustrates very well how covered bridges become focal points for community identity and goodwill.

I like the book for teaching purposes, because it is not overwhelming to Grade Sevens. The chapters are very short, and the language is accessible to the mind of a twelve-year-old. Doyle includes a fair amount of humor and a tinge of romance, but leaves the latter as a tantalizing backdrop to the entire story. Examples of character sketches and humorous anecdotes abound within the unfolding story, keeping the reader wondering just how strange this little town really is!

Also available in paperback: Scholastic Books. ... Read more

Book Description

It's 1945 and Tommy lives in the tough multi-ethnic neighborhood of Lowertown, Ottawa, where someone who hates Jewish people has attacked his best friend's father. Adopting the persona of his favorite radio hero, Tommy, aka. "The Shadow," teams up with friends "Killer" Bodnoff and CoCo Laframboise to find out who did it, but soon realizes that the quest will lead them straight to Angel Square - a fearsome battleground where Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish kids fight each other daily. Still, if Tommy can find the culprit, he's convinced Mr. Rosenberg will recover and his pal Sammy will return from the faraway town where his dad is hospitalized. And could it be that, in the process, Tommy will also manage to impress the girl of his dreams, Margot Lane? In the course of his search, Tommy learns about the forces that divide communities, as well as those that unite them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An interesting book
Tommy, aka the Shadow, is the main character of this book. A middle class kid growing up in post world war two, tommy and his friend Gerald try to find out who beat up their friend's father.I found this book to br fairly interesting, writen in the style of any young boy who thinks of himself as a great detective or whatnot. The characters are very human, all with their own habits, ect. The plot could have had some more dillema in it , though. ... Read more

Book Description

With a Dickensian cast of characters and an improbable soap opera-style ending, this novel for young readers is delightfully droll, even as it deals with the difficult theme of social classes and pits the rich against the poor. It is set in post-World War II Canada, providing an interesting historic context, and as always Doyle's realistic dialogue and teen-oriented situations appeal to this age group. Hubbo O'Driscoll's first year in high school is off to a bad start, as he finds traumatic true love with the lovely but poor Fleurette Featherstone Fitchell, and is tormented by the elitist Hi-Y Club. Working for the elegant, elderly, and very rich Miss Collar-Cuff makes life even more confusing for poor Hubbo. Is he turning into a snob? While Hubbo gradually comes to realize the value of his fun (albeit poor) friends and his loving guardian aunt, he has no idea what surprise is waiting for him at the end of the school year. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Scholar, published by Phi Beta Kappa Society on March 22, 1999. The length of the article is 3490 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: A man who first read Jim Kjelgaard's 'Big Red' as a 10-year-old describes the pleasure he found in rereading it 30 years later. On this second reading he found new themes in Kjelgaard's story and its two sequels, including a love of hunting action and the maturation of Danny's character.

Citation Details
Title: REREADING: A Small Note About Big Red.
Author: Brian Doyle
Publication: American Scholar (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1999
Publisher: Phi Beta Kappa Society
Volume: 68Issue: 2Page: 134

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description

Young readers will delight in this beautiful collector's edition containing five classic novels from Brian Doyle, the recipient of numerous literary awards. In Angel Square, young Tommy confronts the issue of racism after his best friend’s father is beaten up because he’s a Jew. In Up to Low, young Tommy and Baby Bridget, the girl with the trillium-shaped eyes, discover that living, healing, and dying are not always what they seem. Easy Avenue, based on Great Expectations, finds Hubbo O’Driscoll torn between his poor but fun friends and the rich but shallow kids. In Covered Bridge, the local covered bridge — home to a wayward ghost and her lovelorn postman — is threatened by development, and Hubbo must devise a strategy to save it. Finally, Uncle Ronald tells the story of Old Mickey, who is 112 years old. He can’t remember what he ate for lunch today, but he can remember every detail of what happened one hundred years ago, when he and his mother ran away from his violent father to take refuge in the hills north of Ottawa. "[Brian Doyle’s] stories are funny beyond words and not occasionally heartbreaking in the same way." — The Globe and Mail ... Read more