Barry Squires, Full Tilt

It's 1995. Twelve-year-old Finbar (Barry) Squires wants desperately to join the Full Tilt dance troupe. Led by Father O'Flaherty, the Irish Step Dancers are the most sought-after act in St. John's, Newfoundland. Having watched Riverdance twice, Barry figures he'll nail the audition. With questionable talent and an unpredictable temper, Barry's journey to stardom is jeopardized by his parents' refusal to take his dreams seriously. Thankfully, Barry has the support of a lively cast of characters to help him along the way.

Short-listed for Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People 2021 Long-listed for BMO Winterset Award 2020 Long-listed for DUBLIN Literary Award 2022 Nominated for Snow Willow Award 2022

“One of the Globe and Mail 's Globe 100 Favorite Books of 2020 One of CBC Books' Best Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books of 2020 One of Canadian Children's Book News' Best Books of 2020 One of the Ontario Library Association's 2020 Best Bets selection, Young Adult Fiction category PRAISE FOR Barry Squires, Full Tilt : "Barry's quest for footloose fame instead takes him on a grand tour of humanity. . . . Offbeat, quirky, and full of heart." -- Kirkus Reviews "[T]his is one foot-stompingly enjoyable, while also heart-rending, read." -- Quill & Quire”

One of the Globe and Mail’s Globe 100 Favorite Books of 2020
One of CBC Books' Best Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books of 2020
One of Canadian Children's Book News’ Best Books of 2020
One of the Ontario Library Association's 2020 Best Bets selection, Young Adult Fiction category

PRAISE FOR Barry Squires, Full Tilt:

“Barry’s quest for footloose fame instead takes him on a grand tour of humanity. . . . Offbeat, quirky, and full of heart.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[T]his is one foot-stompingly enjoyable, while also heart-rending, read.” —Quill & Quire

HEATHER SMITH is originally from Newfoundland, and now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her east coast roots inspire much of her writing. Her novel, The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, won the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award and the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award, and was shortlisted for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. It also received starred reviews from Kirkus and Quill & Quire and was named a best book by Kirkus, Bank Street College of Education, Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire (honorable mention), as well as selected as an Outstanding International Book by USBBY.

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