Hope Dalvay - Author

 Butter Tart Island

Twelve-year-old Jane Smith is shocked when her parents rely on a dart thrown at a map of Canada to determine their next move. Just where is Fare Thee Well, Prince Edward Island, anyway? And it's the middle of the school year--not exactly the best time to make new friends.

Everything changes when Jane becomes pen pals with Random Radcliff. He hails from the micro nation of Butter Tart Island, and he has the goofiest sense of humour. It shouldn't bother her that he's cagey about revealing anything about his life, right? Maybe Jane isn't the only one with secrets...

Middle-grade fiction; 312 pages; ages 9 to 13 (published by The Acorn Press, November 2024)

 The ANNEthology: A Collection of Kindred Spirits Inspired by the Canadian Icon

Ten talented young adult fiction authors across Canada have embarked on a new literary journey featuring the iconic character, Anne Shirley, created by L. M. Montgomery.

Short story contributors: Paul Coccia, Hope Dalvay, Matthew Dawkins, Natasha Deen, Judith Graves, Shari Green, Mere Joyce,  Deirdre Kessler, Susie Moloney, and Susan White

Young adult fiction; ages 14 and up (published by The Acorn Press, June 2024)

 The Multiplication Rap 

Do multiplication facts look like a jumble of numbers to you?

Does the thought of memorizing all those answers make you blue?

Well, there's no need to fret.

This book will teach you a song you won't soon forget.

It's called "The Multiplication Rap"

And it makes multiplying a snap!

The catchy rhymes and vibrant, comical illustrations of The Multiplication Rap are sure to delight and entertain readers as they learn the times tables.

Picture book; 32 pages

(published by The Acorn Press, June 2023)

My Year as a SPACE Cadet 

(the follow-up to Welcome to Camp Fill-in-the Blank)

Page is in unfamiliar territory as the new kid at school. To make matters worse, Shale Pit Academy of Creativity and Excellence (or "SPACE" as it is more commonly known) is no ordinary school. Students there have the dubious distinction of being nicknamed "SPACE cadets." No, not the astronaut-in-training meaning. Think of the other kind of space cadet--you know, someone who is out of touch with reality.

When a bitter prank war erupts with a rival school, Page and her classmates must ask themselves some difficult questions: Are they more than a nickname? Are they more than just SPACE cadets?

Middle-grade fiction; 254 pages; ages 9 to 13 (published by The Acorn Press, July 2021)

Welcome to Camp Fill-in-the-Blank

Page's perfectly organized life turns upside down when her parents send her to Prince Edward Island to babysit her cousins Crusoe and Danger (those are their real names) for the summer. Her cousins are resistant to having a babysitter and would rather be at summer camp. So Page gives her cousins exactly what they want: a camp in their own backyard called Camp Fill-in-the-Blank. However, Page quickly learns that life with her cousins rarely goes according to plan.

Welcome to Camp Fill-in-the-Blank was short-listed for the 2020 PEI Book Awards (Children's Literature category).

Middle-grade fiction; 266 pages; ages 9 to 13 (published by The Acorn Press, June 2019)

Praise for Welcome to Camp Fill-in-the-Blank: 

"a charming, light-hearted romp that is filled with likeable characters and summer fun" (Lisa Doucet, Atlantic Books Today, No. 90 Fall 2019).

"a heart-warming tale of family and friendship" (Ildiko Sumegi, Canadian Children's Booknews, Vol. 42 No. 4)

Praise for My Year as a SPACE Cadet:

 "depicts junior high in a small town with humour and authenticity" (Lisa Doucet, Atlantic Books Today No. 93 Spring 2021).

"feel-good read that would appeal to kids interested in social studies or books about friendship" (CM Reviews). 

Praise for Butter Tart Island: 

"I wish there had been local books as fun to read as this one when I was a middle-grader" (Sue Slade, The Miramichi Reader, November 9, 2024).