Peanut Butter and Chaos: The Mythic Adventures of Samuel Templeton

by Anita Daher

Overview

Nominated for a 2023/24 Red Cedar Award

Nominated for the 2024 MYRCA Sundogs!

When twelve-year-old Sam is struck by a bolt of lightning out of a clear blue sky, he suddenly sees everything in pixels. His life is further upended by Flum, a non-binary being from a parallel world, a missing neighbour, and astonishing powers that may not last long. Science and magic collide as Sam races to solve a mystery and help Flum return home. But what happens when solving one mystery sparks another?

Peanut Butter and Chaos is a middle grade fantasy grounded in science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773370774
Publisher:	Great Plains Press
Publication date:	04/22/2022
Series:	The Mythic Adventures of Samuel Templeto
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Anita Daher is an author and actor based in Winnipeg. She has been entrenched in the book publishing industry since 1995 and has sixteen books published in print, audio, and e-book format in Canada and the United States. Anita is the former Chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada. When not writing, hiking, or puttering in her garden she can occasionally be found inhabiting characters on stage and screen.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for You Don’t Have to Die in the End:

“the characters – therapists and troubled youth alike – have an inviting combination of snarkiness and depth” —Quill & Quire

 

“…many serious themes are woven into the story, but there is also the wonderful appreciation of what can be achieved if only people are given the time, encouragement and incentive to work out their problems and improve their lives.” —Highly Recommended by CM Magazine

 

“Daher paints a vivid and convincing picture here of a young person with a complicated and tragic history attempting to straighten out her life.” —Winnipeg Free Press

 

“Whether reading for pleasure, escape or insight, like me, you’ll be pleased with this purchase.” —The Miramichi Reader

 

“A provocative and compelling story that will leave you both emotionally raw, and satisfied.” —Eric Walters, author of Walking Home, The Rule of Three

 

“…an important read that awards girls the right and space to feel and process anger.” —Ali Bryan, 49th Shelf

 

Praise for Forgetting How to Breathe:

“Forgetting How to Breathe is a strong, engaging story of a young girl and her quest for stability in life. Tia’s journey is real and challenging. She is aware and sensitive to the path she is on, but has no way of foreseeing the series of events that will help her find focus and balance. As I read the story I thought about my own teen years and a part of me somehow felt that I could identify with Tia” —Fred Penner

 

“real and true to life … As the story moves along, [Anita Daher] does a good job of slowly revealing more and more background information about Tia and Tag’s relationship with their mother and their life situation with her. Tia’s relationship, hot and cold, with her foster mom also rings true to life as Tia wrestles with all of her emotions.” —Recommended by CM Magazine

 

From the Publisher

03/25/2022

Gr 4–7—Sam lives with his father who was a scientist but is now the owner of a video arcade. His mother left when he was young, and Sam thinks he is invisible to his father—so he does an experiment to see if it is true. Later he goes for a walk and is struck by what is thought to be lightening on a clear day. He wakes up seeing the world in pixels. He also finds out that a neighbor has disappeared and he is the only person who can see the mysterious Flum. Daher's prose is great for younger middle grade and struggling readers. The author uses words that children might not know and clearly explains their meaning. The intriguing plot will grab the reader—tweens will be invested in what happens and why Sam only sees in cubes. They will also want to know what happens with Flum, Sam's father, and the missing neighbor. VERDICT With well-developed characters and plenty of mystery, this page-turning novel will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. A great purchase for any library.—Elizabeth Willoughby

School Library Journal