Books
Paul Joins the Scouts
- Conundrum Press
- 172 pages, 7.5x10 inches, black and white
- $20.00
Following on the heels of the The Song of Roland, Montrealer Michel Rabagliati returns to the childhood story of his famous semi-autobiographical character. It’s 1970 and Paul’s family watches the news with anxiety as bombs are going off around Montreal. But Paul is more interested in flying his kite, comics, and his first kiss. Soon Paul joins the Scouts and heads off to camp. Away from his parents and extended family he discovers self worth in a troop of like-minded and enthusiastic boys. Things take a turn, however, when the troop gets mixed up in the terrifying events of the FLQ crisis. Paul Joins the Scouts is a coming of age story which takes an historical approach to both the Baden Powell scouting movement and the October Crisis, but humanizes these incidents for both a YA and adult audience. It is original, sincere, captivating, and a little bit retro.
The French edition, Paul au Parc, sold incredibly well and was critically hailed, nominated for the youth award at the Angouleme Festival 2012, a Shuster Award, and for a Friends of the Library Award in Montreal. Paul Joins the Scouts will debut at TCAF 2013.
