About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
★ “Tug at the heartstrings and tickle the funny bone…This warm tale is definitely one for the keeper shelves. Highly recommended.”—School Library Journal, starred review
Thirteen-year-old Robbie leads a double life. It's just Robbie and his dad, but no one knows that his dad isn't like most parents. Sometimes he wakes Robbie up in the middle of the night to talk about dying. Sometimes he just leaves without telling Robbie where he’s going. Once when Robbie was younger, he was gone for more than a week. Robbie was terrified of being left alone but even more scared of telling anyone in case he was put into foster care. No one can know. Until one day when Robbie has to show the tough new girl, Harmony, around school. Their first meeting ends horribly and she punches Robbie in the face. But eventually, they come to realize that they have a lot more in common than they thought. Can Robbie's new friend be trusted to keep his secret?
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Contributor Notes
Eric Walters is the award-winning author of more than 100 novels and picture books. He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per year in schools across the country. A Member of the Order of Canada, Eric lives in Guelph, Ontario.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 8
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Awards
- Winner, Forest of Reading Red Maple Award
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
- Winner, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Snow Willow
- , Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards - Young Adult / Middle Reader
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
- Winner, The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Young People’s Literature Text
Editorial Reviews
“Realistic, compelling and often heartbreaking, and told with compassion. It's a keeper!”
— Sal's Fiction Addiction
“A character-driven story that will teach you to never judge a person by their appearance, but instead remind you to keep an open mind and more importantly, an open heart.”
— Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News
“Narration unfolds with wry, self-deprecating humor...An entertaining journey.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“This book is perfect for middle and high school libraries. It is one of Walters’ best as much for its topic, characters, plot and theme as for its portrayal of mental disorders and alcoholism.”
— Must Read Literature
★ “Tug at the heartstrings and tickle the funny bone…This warm tale is definitely one for the keeper shelves. Highly recommended.”
— School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review
“A superb middle grade novel that focuses on the effects of poverty and mental illness on children and their families. Not only is it a realistic portrayal, but its being written in a nonjudgmental and compassionate way allows children to better understand a very serious topic. Highly Recommended.”
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“The King of Jam Sandwiches pulls us into the unforgettable friendship of hard-working Robbie and tough-as-nails Harmony in an exceptionally honest survival story that is also compulsively readable and emotionally gripping. Walters has written a heart-wrenching novel about what it is like to grow up amidst poverty and mental illness, one that speaks to contemporary young readers and offers them hope.”
— Governor General's Literary Award Peer assessment committee: Catherine Austen, Cary Fagan, Shenaaz Nanji
