Author McLane will present his book "Where Joy is Born" during a visit to the local library. (Photo supplied) 

By Angela Brown

"Where Joy is Born"

Author McLane to give reading of his new children’s book in North Battleford

Oct 19, 2023 | 8:13 AM

A Battlefords author will visit North Battleford Library soon to read from his new book “Where Joy is Born.”

Jim McLane, who is also a semi-retired veterinarian, said he has always had a love of English literature, so now that he has more time he is excited to be able to pursue a second career as a novelist.

The book, under the name J.R.P. McLane, is aimed at young people ages nine and up.

“It’s a children’s adventure story,” McLane told battlefordsNOW. “It’s about kids growing up in the 1960s. They encounter bullies, and different [issues] in school they have to deal with.”

He said the story is quite humorous in many ways but also has some important life lessons as well.

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“Because I’m a veterinarian, I wanted the human-animal bond to come through in the book,” McLane added. “The kids are dealing with pets and different animals. That’s all part of it as well.”

He describes the book as a story about friendship and camaraderie.

McLane notes he plans to write a collection of books as part of the “McBride Family Adventure Series,” so people can look forward to more stories to follow in the future.

For the first in the series: “Where Joy is Born,” McLane says, it has an important message as well.

“I picked that title because I think every kid’s life should be full of joy,” he said. “I know it isn’t that way for many kids, for some kids for sure. But it should be a time when you learn about friendship and loyalty, you learn what’s right from wrong, and all those kinds of things that should make you happy and joyful.”

McLane will give his reading and talk at the library on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Theatre.

Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow