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Start giftingBarry Squires, Full Tilt
Bookseller recommendation
“Barry Squires is a funny, foul-mouthed 12 year old who dreams of being a full-tilt dancer (think Riverdance but on a much smaller scale—as in a step dance group headed up by a priest in St. John’s Newfoundland in 1995). The challenge is, Barry may be an enthusiastic dancer but he’s an angry kid, in part, because he’s bullied. Does Barry have the anger management skills to make it through even one Full-Tilt rehearsal when he can barely make it through a day of school without a visit to the principal? You have to read this book to find out—or listen to it on Libro.fm. The narration on this audio book is excellent and adds a lot to the story. But don't just read this book to find out about the full-tilt dancing—there's so much more going on in this amazing YA novel. There's the book’s cast of characters with Barry’s motley crew of a family (except for his perfect baby brother whom Barry adores) and a best friend in Saibal who, with Barry, excels at getting up to no good. Enter in a bunch of residents at a local nursing home, a homeless man who may or may not have played for several major British bands, and a hugely unexpected and devastating turn of events and you have a book like none other. Barry Squires, Full Tilt is my favorite Young Adult novel of recent years for sure and very possibly my favorite YA novel ever! Bonus: This book is set in Newfoundland in the mid 90s—I've got to say, this has to be the first book I've read that is set in Newfoundland so it was a treat to read a story that takes place in a community so different from my own.”
— Myrna • Content
Bookseller recommendation
“ Barry Squires, Full Tilt is the perfect combination of laugh-out-loud funny and tearful sad. Barry dreams of being a Full Tilt dancer, famous and held in high esteem. He sees it as a way to escape being bullied and almost constantly angry. Barry is witty and irreverent, and his antics fluctuate between hilarious and destructive. The person he loves most is his baby brother Gord, whom he takes everywhere. He pushes his stroller around the neighborhood, all around town, and to the harbor. His moments with Gord are his favorite moments of every day. Barry has a loving family, but it is a real family, with sibling rivalry, postpartum depression, and other imperfections and troubles. And it becomes a family of great tragedy. Now angrier than ever, Barry must learn how to navigate his emotions and make his way toward peace. An excellent listen”
— Nancy • Raven Book Store
Barry Squires, Full Tilt takes readers on a romp through the streets of St. John's and into the Squires household, a place where tragedy strikes but love prevails. Derry Girls meets Billy Elliot with an East coast twist.
It's 1995. When the Full Tilt Dancers give an inspiring performance at the opening of the new bingo hall, twelve-year-old Finbar (Barry) Squires wants desperately to join the troupe. Led by Father O'Flaherty, the Full Tilt Irish Step Dancers are the most sought-after act in St. John's, Newfoundland (closely followed by popular bagpiper, Alfie Bragg and his Agony Bag). Having watched Riverdance twice, Barry figures he'll nail the audition. And good thing too -- it'd be nice to be known for something other than the port wine stain on his cheek. With questionable talent and an unpredictable temper, Barry's journey to stardom is jeopardized by his parents' refusal to take his dreams seriously. Thankfully, Barry has the support of a lively cast of characters: his ever-present grandmother, Nanny Squires; his adorable baby brother, Gord; an old British rocker named Uneven Steven; a group of geriatrics from the One Step Closer to God Nursing Home; and Saibal, a friend with whom Barry gets up to no good.
Told with humor and a healthy dose of irreverence, Barry Squires, Full Tilt is the latest novel by Heather Smith, the award-winning author of The Agony of Bun O’Keefe and Chicken Girl.
HEATHER SMITH is originally from Newfoundland, and now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her east coast roots inspire much of her writing. Her novel, The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, won the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award and the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award, and was shortlisted for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. It also received starred reviews from Kirkus and Quill & Quire and was named a best book of 2017 by Kirkus, Bank Street College of Education, The Globe & Mail and Quill & Quire (honorable mention), as well as selected as an Outstanding International Book by USBBY (United States Board on Books for Young People).
www.heathertsmith.com
Reviews
One of the Globe and Mail’s Globe 100 Favorite Books of 2020One of CBC Books' Best Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books of 2020
One of Canadian Children's Book News’ Best Books of 2020
One of the Ontario Library Association's 2020 Best Bets selection, Young Adult Fiction category
PRAISE FOR Barry Squires, Full Tilt:
“Barry’s quest for footloose fame instead takes him on a grand tour of humanity. . . . Offbeat, quirky, and full of heart.” —Kirkus Reviews
“[T]his is one foot-stompingly enjoyable, while also heart-rending, read.” —Quill & Quire Expand reviews