Local landmarks in novel set along Petitcodiac River pull young readers in

CBC New Brunswick's summer series Books and Backroadsvisitedthe Hillsborough Community Library, where a book club of mothers and daughters met to discuss an adventurouschapter book for children set in their own backyard.

Chocolate River Rescue by Moncton-based author Jennifer McGrath received several awards, including a Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award in 2008.

Based on a true story, the book is about10-year-old friends Shawn and Tony, and Shawn's younger brother, Craig, who are trapped on an ice floe racing down the Petitcodiac River which often appears brown in the dead of winter.

Books and Backroads is a partnership between CBC andNew Brunswick Public Libraries that sees book clubsin six rural communities read books with a connection to New Brunswick.

Alyssa Blagdon read Chocolate River Rescue with her seven-year-old daughter, Sawyer, and her four-year-old daughter Maisie and said recognizingthe river and the communities in the story immediately drew them all in.

"It painted a perfect picture for us locals," she said. "Every step of the way, the landmarks that the boys were seeing and the descriptions that they were giving along their journeydown the river I could pinpoint exactly every spot."

For Audrey Hatfield, who is 11, recognizing the places in the book made it an exciting read.

"The sense of, 'It's not fantasy, it's real life,' and the sense of, 'That is a real place those are all real places and it's based on true events.'"

Childhood has changed

When asked if she'd ever been kicked out of the house by her parents to play outdoors, like the children in the book, Audrey quickly replied, "Never."

"It's almost like old-fashioned," she said of the notion."Just going off on their own I wouldn'tever choose to do that."

For Blagdon, the story was a reminder of how much the lives of children have changed since the book was published 15 years ago.

She said reading about the characters who were able to survive on an ice floe going down the river made her wonder how her own children would fare on their own.

"Maybe it's something that's lost in a lot of children now is the survival instincts and just knowledgewhen you get lost out in the woods, what do you do? If you need to start a fire, how do you do this? And I feel like a lot of kids could look at you and say, 'I don't know how to do any of that.'"

7.5 out of 10

Audrey said the book was a great read, and she rated it a 7.5 out of 10, in part because of the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.

She also joked that she learned a valuable lesson:

"If you see a shiny thing on an ice block, don't go running after it like a maniac."

Lessons aside, both moms loved the experience of reading with their children.

"It gives us that time, that one on one time together every day," Jessica Hatfield said. "Audrey has shown a huge interest in reading. Getting to watch her reading heavier novels and stuff is really exciting for me."

Blagdon agreed that the time she spends reading with her daughters is valuable.

"It was special to me because I love to read which I directly correlate with how much my parents read to me, so I feel that I'm passing that on," she said.

Information Morning - Moncton12:49Books and Backroads - Hillsborough

Summer host Khalil Akhtar and Cindy Grant visited Hillsborough public library for a bookclub discussion. The group read "Tigger & Jaspers New Home" by Cheryl Gillespie, and"Chocolate River Rescue" by Jennifer McGrath.

The youngest members of the Hillsborough book club discussed the picture book Tigger and Jasper's New Home by Fredericton-based author Cheryl Gillespie with illustrations by Michael LeBlanc.

This is the story of two kittens, Tigger and Jasper, who are adopted by a girl named Christie. The two kittens get into some scrapes including falling into a bathtub and getting trapped in a refrigerator, before they realize that Christie is blind.

Gillispie's story draws from her own experience as someone with complete loss of sight.

The story is "relatable for kids and adults," said Hatfield, who loved the heartfelt message.

"If you're a little bit different, it's okay and you'll find your people who accept you and love you," she said.