Martha Brooks Martha Brooks is an award-winning, Canadian writer

of plays, novels, and short fiction. She is also a jazz singer and her album Change of Heart won the Prairie Music Award for outstanding jazz album in 2002 .

Her books have received numerous awards including the Governor General's Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award, Mr.Christie Book Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award, and the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award.

Queen of hearts

Author: Brooks, MarthaPublisher: Ground wood BooksLibrary Call Number: Y English BRO

The story is about a girl call Marie Claire , she is the eldest of the farm children, who are all delighted when their uncle comes to stay for the summer . In truth, she has been inflected by tuberculosis, and all three children are discovered to be infected a few months after he dies .

She is forced into strange, uncomfortable treatments, such as sleeping outdoors in winter to fill her lungs with fresh, cold air. Her only companion is her roommate , who has been sick for four years.

To treat her stubborn condition doctors perform extreme surgery in which several ribs are removed and the infected lung is permanently collapsed. But she seems to be cheerful and her parents always send her gifts .

They eventually discover the sense of family that both of them are missing, giving them a reason to fight against their illness .

Why the world should read this book?

I personally feel queen of hearts is a novel about friendship . Marie-Claire and Signy are side by side in their hospital beds, far away from home . They are strangers at first but slowly they get to know one another . At the end it is about the determination they have against tuberculosis .

During that time TB still kills more people aged 15 to 49 than any other infection. It’s a must read for everyone that loves stories about friendship and motivation.

Source of photographs http://librisnotes.blogspot.com/2010/10/queen-of-hearts-by-martha-brooks.html

Source of informationhttp://newarrivals.nlb.gov.sg/itemdetail.aspx?bid=13691126http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Brooks

DONE BY

Jonathan Pang 3B