Waking Ben Doldrums
About this ebook
Frida Bellows lives in a big house made up of four apartments. Every morning, she gets on her father’s shoulders and taps on the ceiling with a broomstick. This wakes her neighbor, a student named Ben Doldrums who knocks on the wall to wake the Mercredis, who in turn knock on the floor to wake the Reynolds. Frida likes this morning tradition. It makes her feel like she’s part of something big. Things change, however, when Ben stops getting out of bed to wake the Mercredis, which throws off the whole routine. Frida notices that Ben Doldrums is not himself and she wants to help. But how?
Waking Ben Doldrums is a story of community, compassion and hope. It is a reminder that, while we can’t always fix another person’s problems, a simple act of kindness can go a long way.
About the author
Heather Smith is the author of several picture books, including the award-winning The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden. Her middle-grade novel The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale has been named a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year and her picture book Waking Ben Doldrums was shortlisted for the IBBY Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and won the IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities award. Originally from Newfoundland, Heather now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her family.
Byron Eggenschwiler is an award-winning illustrator whose recent books include Song for the Snow, The Strangest Thing in the Sea, The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt and Operatic. Byron's work has also appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Walrus and GQ. He lives in Calgary.
