LeRoy Payne Peach, Inlets of the Heart (UCCB Press) $12.95

At turns poignant and ironic, LeRoy Payne Peach's poetry describes a cyclical journey away from Cape Breton and back again. The three sections of the book deal with the insular, pure Cape Breton he remembers from childhood, the sophisticated but alienating urban landscape of Toronto, and the changed Cape Breton he observes now. Although this journey is ostensibly geographical, LeRoy raises it to the spiritual.

For thirty years, LeRoy was an educator in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Now retired and living in Cape Breton, he divides his time between golf and writing. Inlets of the Heart is his third book of poetry.

Budge Wilson, The Cat That Barked (Pottersfield Press) $7.95

Stephanie Henderson feels pretty crummy about having to say goodbye to everybody she knows to move from Peterborough to Halifax. To help her adjust, her parents give her a cat. She thinks her new cat is perfect -- but won't everyone think she's pretty weird for having a cat that barks? Terry Roscoe's line drawings are the perfect foil to this story about fitting in, and standing out.

Budge is the author of over 20 books of fiction, including many for children. She has won the City of Dartmouth Book Award, Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award, Marianna Dempster Award, and Ann Connor Brimer Award as well as several Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" awards. She began writing later in life, after teaching, working as a commercial artist and photographer; and, for over 20 years, as a fitness instructor.

David McGimpsey, dogboy (ECW Press) $13.95

Hotdogs, diet pills, butter-flavored cigarettes, baseball, and just about any television personality you care to name infuse David McGimpsey's new book of poetry with his unique brand of wonky profundity. Notable as the first poet to pose the question, "What rhymes with Kevorkian?", David has produced a delicious collection.

A poet, fiction writer, journalist and popular culture critic, David was born and raised in Montreal, where he now lives. He received a PhD from Dalhousie University on American Baseball Literature. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Lardcake.

Anne Louise MacDonald, The Memory Stone (Ragweed Press) $5.95

No night-light, no cornflakes, no television -- Laura's first sleepover is not going well. Then her Aunt Pat shows her the secret of memory stones. Sensitive watercolour illustrations by Joanne Ouellet are a perfect complement to Anne Louise MacDonald's deceptively simple text about a girl's day at the beach.

Anne Louise is St. Francis Xavier's animal and plant care technician. She has been a dog trainer and groomer, dairy goat breeder and veterinary assistant. She also has experience as a puppeteer and commercial artist. Anne Louise is also the author of Nanny Mac's Cat.

Alice Walsh, Uncle Farley's False Teeth (Annick Press) $5.95

D'Arcy sneaks her uncle's false teeth out of his room while he naps because she wants to show them to her friends, but when she drops them in the ocean and a fabulous fish decides to keep them, she knows she has to get them back before Farley wakes up. Walsh's humour is wicked: "Fish," her policeman calls, "this is the police. Come back to shore with your teeth out." This dental catastrophe is hilariously illustrated by Michael Martchenko.

A freelance writer and creative writing instructor, Alice is currently pursuing a Master's degree in English at Acadia University. As well as writing, she has worked as a volunteer probation officer, instructor for creative writing continuing education courses, pre-school teacher, and hospital ward clerk. She has written often for periodicals like Atlantic Advocate, Atlantic Insight and The Nova Scotian. Born in a small Newfoundland outport, she now lives in Lower Sackville with her husband and two daughters.

Mike Parker, Historic Dartmouth (Nimbus Publishing) $17.95

Historic photographs often reveal a gripping story in a direct and unfettered way; Mike Parker's newest book is an excellent example. Dartmouth was a summer residence for Nova Scotia's aboriginal people; first settled by white immigrants in 1750, it welcomed waves of new settlers including Quakers and the Black refugees of 1814. This book provides an amazing glimpse into Dartmouth's past.

Best selling author and historian Mike Parker's research about his adopted hometown joins his five other books of oral history. In addition to writing, Mike has worked as a residence counselor for the visually impaired, correctional officer, dock yard worker, volunteer probation officer and wilderness canoe outfitting business owner.