The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2001, Side 44

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 56 #2
Divorced Kids Club
by W.D. Valgardson
$7.95, ISBN 0888993706
Reviewed by Linda Goodman
The Divorced Kids Club, by award-win-
ning author W.D. Valgardson, is a collection
of short stories written for young teens that
reflect what many youth experience today as
they live with blended families, complete
with instant brothers and sisters. The stories
ring true and readers will easily relate to the
mix of Valgardson’s interesting characters.
The author always manages to extract humor
from the mundane and very skillfully gets his
message across without preaching.
Valgardson’s characters see life from their
own unique perspective, realizing all the
while that the adults in their lives are not
always using a compass that works.
“I am a woman. I can do anything,”
reflects Tracy in The Entertainer and The
Entrepreneur. She learns it isn’t so easy to
make money, which is tricky since she
believes that “life is a game and the one with
the most toys wins.”
The last story in the collection has kids
coming together to help each other cope with
the constant upheaval that comes with living
in a new family situation. Divorce is a reality
that brings together a group of kids who con-
sider franchising a Divorced Kids Club so all
kids may benefit. Joey is even inspired to
become a “lawyer for kids,” to help even the
score.
In The Sand Sifter, Gisli is angry at being
cruelly rejected by his parents who have split.
After a scrape with the law, the main charac-
ter takes on a laborious community service
job. He learns that there are “no burgers for
some, nothing but burgers for others whether
they want them or not, and a whole menu for
the few.” Valgardson’s characters are all
enrolled in the school of life, a place that is
anything but comfortable and predictable.
Valgardson was raised in Gimli but has
lived for many years in B.C. where he teach-
es creative writing in Victoria. He has won
awards for his stories, four of which have
been produced as films. Valgardson returns to
his Interlake home each year; the lake with its
rambling beaches, busy harbors and rural
lifestyles appear in his work and are instantly
recognizable. The Divorced Kids Club is a
must for all young readers.
Rev. Stefan Jonas son
ARBORG UNITARIAN CHURCH
GIMLI UNITARIAN CHURCH
9 Rowand Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 2N4
Telephone: (204) 889-4746
E-mail: sjonasson@uua.org