You try, for the most part, to not worry about people enjoying the company of your children. It's certainly enough to worry about just presenting them safely—fed, watered, dressed, cleaned, rested. Going further—is the world going to be kind?—will make you crazy. Because you can't control the world. You can only put the woodstove on, get the marble run out, and make a nice supper.

This is books. It's such an unfathomable labour to get a story shelf-ready, and then, they say, you've got to let go or you'll drive yourself bananas. All you can do is release it, and then turn back to the shed for whatever labour is next.

But every now and then, your publicist sends you an email in all-caps and you remember that you've forgotten how much it matters, how much you care. And how much, even though you try to be cool, having a book out in the world is one heckuva knuckle-biter.

It's almost Christmas, and you should buy books. Not just mine. Every year I go to Woozles and spend half a mortgage payment. You can't go wrong with books. Buy Maddy Kettle. Buy Mabel Murple. Buy Wereduck. Buy the young readers' edition of I Am Malala. Buy basically anything from this guy, even though he hardly needs you to. And there are so many more! There should be a stack under your tree. You should not be able to lift it without a little wagon. Kobo schmobo. When you're shopping, make sure you spend an afternoon drifting through shelves.

THAT SAID. IF YOU LIKE PIRATES AND/OR ADVENTURE AND/OR WORRY ABOUT PIPELINES. Flight of the Griffons is at Woozles, at Chapters, on Amazon. Even straight from Nimbus, the publisher—and all of those outlets ship to the States. The book is YA, which means it's perfect for 12 years old and up (10+ if you've got one of those voracious types), 'up' including adults just as much as kids. If you want to be proper and start with book one (available from all the same places), go right ahead, but plenty of folks have jumped in with book two and been just fine.

To the point, look! Jump past Missy, fresh on-board with the Griffons after spending days on the prairie, watching the sky. It's an excellent review from the super-credible amazing CM Magazine, and it made me feel a million of all the best things. Because as heart-busting as it is to admit it, it matters. It matters so, so much that the world likes your baby. Especially a corner of the world that really, really *knows babies*.

"Flight of the Griffons is much more than an adventure story ... the character of Missy and her fellow pirates gives readers faith in the tenacity and goodness of human nature.

If you like technical detail and invention, you will like this book. If you enjoy books about human interaction, this is the book for you. If you like to see men and women going about their lives with no boundaries as to roles, this book is great. If you love the vastness and variation of the Canadian landscape captured in short sharp brush-strokes, don’t miss this book!

The writing style is taut, crisp and, in places, overpoweringly beautiful. Inglis is able to convey words of wisdom and deep emotion at the same time as she is able to move the story along at a good pace.

Flight of the Griffons could be read as a stand-alone, but to have read the first one in the series would make it even more satisfying! So buy both volumes!!" —CM Magazine

A CM review