• Age: 4 to 9
• Grade: p to 4

Emma lives on the grey, cold side of the wall, where people speak in whispers and no flowers grow. On the other side there is happiness and colour, but she can never go there. One day, Emma's parents disappear and she is sent to live with her miserable Aunt Lily. She disapproves of Emma's drawing and dashes her niece's dream of becoming an artist. That is, until a strange boat arrives and Emma leaves her world behind forever.

Following Emma's arrival in a strange land where she cannot speak (Halifax's Pier 21), she discovers her voice through art. The Land Beyond the Wall is a beautifully rendered allegory that uses magic realism to confront the harsh realities of immigration and the universal struggle of finding one's place in the world.

Veronika Martenova Charles grew up in Prague, Czechoslovakia. When her grandmother put a stop to her drawing classes, she became a singer instead. After her dramatic arrival in Canada, she studied art at university and became an award-winning author and illustrator. Her books include Maiden of the Mist, The Birdman, and her series for beginning readers: Easy-To-Read Spooky Tales and Easy-To-Read Wonder Tales. Veronika is currently researching the future of children's storytelling in doctoral studies.

Veronika Charles' profile page