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Billy and the Bearman
by David A. PoulsenA dramatic turn of events unites twelve-year-old Billy Gavin and seventeen-year-old John "Bearman" Redell, two boys from seemingly different backgrounds who discover that they in fact have a great deal in common - they are both runaways. Together, alone against nature in the rugged Alberta wilderness, they begin to deal with the demons of their pasts. When the news of a downed plane and a missing rodeo cowboy in the woods and mountains nearby reaches them, Bearman, an expert tracker who knows the woods like the back of his hand, becomes obsessed with the thought of finding the lost man. The boys find themselves faced with the greatest challenge of their lives. Do they have the courage to find the missing man? More importantly, will this adventure give them the self-confidence they need both to outrun the past and to embrace the future?
The Busybody Buddha
by Margie RutledgeIn the sequel to The Great Laundry Adventure, the three Lawrence children, Abigail, Jacob and Ernest (from oldest to youngest) are again embarked on a mysterious adventure, but this time, the adventure is initiated, it appears, by a small blue stone buddha which Ernest has discovered in a mysterious shop. The little buddha has a way of showing Ernest the unhappiness of others, and his brother and sister have expressly forbidden him to bring the buddha along on their summer holiday. With their parents, they arrive by motorboat on the wonderfully primitive island where they always spend their holidays, ready for a carefree summer. At first they are delighted to rediscover their favorite haunts and activities, but soon five-year-old Ernest is oppressed by a sense of foreboding. He is afraid to tell Abigail and Jacob that he has brought the buddha to the island, but they soon discover its presence and take measures to try to prevent the buddhas powerful and unhappy messages from spoiling their holiday. Then the children discover a battered replica of the tourist boat, the Segwun, which has plied these shores for decades, and which then leads them to a small mist shrouded island, called Serene Island. They also discover a mysterious cave with ancient drawings and a tunnel through which pours the sound of sobbing. They follow the tunnel and it leads them back to the same small island. This time they find someone who is indeed unhappy and needs their help. And so their adventure with Charlotte, a young girl from another time, begins. A junior novel with a classic feel, illustrated with black and white illustrations, which will delight children eight and up. Rutledge has mined the mysterious elements of an untamed island to produce a story which is both whimsical and enchanting.
Running Scared: A Jennifer Bannon Mystery
by Brenda ChapmanFeeling somehow to blame for her father’s absence, thirteen-year-old Jennifer Bannon struggles to hang on to her dream that he will return and they can be a family again - a dream that doesnt include her mother’s new boyfriend, nights of looking after her little sister or a ninth grade year that is rapidly going down the toilet. Finally after two years of waiting Jennifer learns that her father is back in town, and suddenly the dream seems within reach. However, hope quickly turns to horror when Jennifer witnesses an event that threatens to tear apart her family and perhaps destroy the life of someone she loves. Will Jennifer be able to unravel the mystery in time, or will keeping a secret turn deadly?
Vivian Untangled
by Sarah Hartt-SnowbellNew Year’s 1955 is coming up fast, and eleven-year-old Vivian is determined to buy a snazzy new diary. The diary is soon put to good use, as Vivian must untangle the web of problems in her life, including a stolen keepsake of her grandfathers and her constantly arguing parents. Does her grandfather suspect her when he realizes one of his greatest treasures is missing? Does her father really mean it when he says hes leaving? Compelled to do everything in her power to keep her family together, Vivian, a natural trouble-magnet and her own worst enemy, must work through these humongous problems.
Hubcaps and Puppies
by Rosemary NelsonIt’s not easy having your own father for a teacher, but that’s only one of twelve-year-old Nikki’s problems. Her beloved dog has died, leaving a gaping hole in her life, which is thrown into further turmoil by the arrival of her long-lost eccentric grandmother from Australia. Life is pretty tense around Nikki’s house, but Nikki relaxes by taking long rides on her horse and visiting a nearby secluded pond inhabited by a rare species of turtle. Things do begin to get brighter when she receives an unwanted, runt puppy as a birthday present. She names the ugly little Border Collie Lucky and he flourishes under her care. As she and her grandmother begin working together, first of all at preparing a garden and then at training Lucky for the local agility trials, they eventually become friends and the grandmother begins telling Nikki about her crusades for the environment in Australia. When Nikki finds out that developers are planning to fill in her special pond to build a housing estate, wiping out the turtles’ habitat, she decides to take a dangerous stand on the animals’ behalf. But can she really take on a big developer and win? Hubcaps and Puppies is not only a story about a girl, her dog and her horse, but also about the protection of the environment and the lessons that the older generation may have to teach the younger if they are willing to listen. Nelson writes in a fast-moving and energetic style, but her characters and situations are always realistic and believable.
I Saw Santa
by Thelma Carey-ThompsonLittle Dwayne grew up in rural Jamaica in the loving care of Granny. Like other little girls and boys he loved to play. Santa Claus, he learned, was somehow part of toys and games and very important at Christmas. Dwayne even had a treasured picture of Santa’s face. One day some special visitors from Canada came to his Basic School. Imagine Dwayne’s surprise when a tall white man with a white beard got off the bus. Dwayne just knew this was Santa. This publication is in support of The Adopt-A-Basic-School Project of Women for P.A.C.E. (Canada).
Warbird
by Jennifer MarunoEtienne is called on an adventure in the new world… In 1647, ten-year-old Etienne yearns for a life of adventure far from his family farm in Quebec. He meets an orphan destined to apprentice among the Jesuits at Fort Sainte-Marie. Making the most impulsive decision of his life, Etienne replaces the orphan and paddles off with the voyageurs into the north country. At Sainte-Marie, Etienne must learn to live a life of piety. Meanwhile, he also makes friends with a Huron youth, Tsiko, who teaches him the ways of his people. When the Iroquois attack and destroy the nearby village, Etienne must put his new skills into practice. Will he survive? Will he ever see his family again?
Trail of Secrets: A Jennifer Bannon Mystery
by Brenda ChapmanIn the fourth and final instalment in the Jennifer Bannon mystery series, Jennifer begins Grade Eleven at Springhills High, where her life is far from settled. Her mother has moved to L.A. with her new husband, Jennifers boyfriend moves to McGill to study pre-med and Jennifer fears their relationship will not survive the separation. She’s worried about her best friend Ambie who has been secretly e-mailing the biological father she has never met. This story deals with themes of belonging, friendship and loss. While Jennifer struggles to find her place in a family separated by divorce and with friendships marked by change, she must learn how to rely on herself.
Yesterday's Santa and the Chanukah Miracle
by Sarah Hartt-Snowbell Patty GallingerAnnie can’t believe her eyes! The "Santa" in the mall looks so much like her grandfather’s friend, Simon. A Jewish Santa? Annie lines up to get a closer look - and ends up "placing an order". Simon Greenbaum, flat broke, has taken the job at the Winter Castle to earn a few dollars between jobs. And after all, with his long white beard, he looks just like Santa already. "Don’t breathe a word to your Zaideh that you saw me here," he says. "If you don’t tell him that I’m a Santa Claus, I won’t tell him what you asked for. It’s a deal?" When Annie’s parents find out, however, that she has placed an order with Santa for a Christmas tree, they are disappointed and tell her that she must learn to be her own person and stand up for her beliefs in order to earn the respect of others. Meanwhile, Annie wants to help Mr. Greenbaum and comes up with a plan. But to carry out her plan, she must reveal his secret. What will she do?
Hiding in Hawk's Creek: A Jennifer Bannon Mystery
by Brenda ChapmanFourteen-year-old Jennifer Bannon cannot face another boring summer in Springhills. She convinces her mother to let her spend July at her grandmother’s cottage in Hawk’s Creek. She does not reveal that her plan is to live with her grandmother forever in order to avoid the problems back home. But Hawk’s Creek holds dark secrets, and Jennifer is soon drawn into the troubled world of Audrey Musquash, a Native girl accused of stealing and being out of control. In this tale of suspense and haunting friendship, Jennifer must face truths that will change her perspective on life forever.
Sky Lake Summer
by Peggy Dymond LeaveyThirteen-year-old Jane Covington doesn’t want to go to Sky Lake to visit her grandmother for the summer holidays - she wants to visit her father in the north. But when she returns to the cottage on the lake with the tall cliff, she is happy to be back in the golden country sunshine. However, Jane soon involves herself in a mystery when she finds a seventy-year-old cry for help in the form of a very old letter. She traces it to the story of a suspicious fire that took place long ago. With the help of her friend Corrie and the troubled, handsome Jess, Jane researches the age-old mystery to an exciting conclusion. This suspenseful tale will appeal to all pre-teens who love the fun of the outdoors and a good mystery.
My Mannequins
by Sydell Waxman Patty GallingerDora’s father owns a dressmaking shop in the bustling garment district of Toronto in the 1940s. Every day after school, ten-year-old Dora runs to help her father in the shop. As she works, she dreams of being a designer herself and dressing the soberly attired mannequins in her own beautiful creations. In Dora’s imaginings, the mannequins seem to urge her on in her fantasy as Dora’s busy father pays scant attention to daughter’s activities. One late afternoon after the shop has closed and while her father is working at his desk, Dora begins dressing up the mannequins. She uses remnants of bright cloth, ribbons and buttons that she finds lying around the shop floor, adding a bright scarf here and a sequin covered hat there. When her father suddenly decides they’ve stayed long enough, Dora is forced to leave her gaily dressed mannequins in the window, with very unexpected results.
The Great Laundry Adventure
by Margie RutledgeThe Lawrence family (three children, one dog, one cat and two parents) has a crisis on its hands - too much laundry and no place to put it. Are the thirteen baskets they buy in the mysterious shop in the market the end of their problems? Or is it just the beginning of a grand and maybe dangerous adventure for Abigail, Jacob and Ernest? When the baskets become the gateway to another time, the children encounter mysteries which they must solve…before their parents disappear altogether.
The Last Superhero
by Kristin ButcherCommended for the 2011 Best Books for Kids and Teens When doing the right thing turns all wrong Sometimes a guy just cant mind his own business, no matter how hard he tries, and sometimes that guy gets mired in predicaments which are not of his making. Thats what happens to Jas, a Grade Seven boy who is putting all his energy into completing the artwork for an adventure comic he hopes will be his ticket into an elite summer art program. But when he meets Wren, an eccentric, crusading classmate, his efforts are derailed. Initially, Jas has no interest in getting involved, but circumstances and Wrens overpowering personality keep drawing him in until there is no going back. Wren is a person of values. She believes that if youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem. When she sees things that are wrong, she sets out to correct them. Eventually she becomes the target of bullies, then, because of Jass inadvertent interference, the bullies turn their attention to him. They destroy his comic and his chances of getting into art school. What can Jas and Wren do to end the bullies’ reign of terror?
Sarah's Secret
by Robert Mcconnell June LawrasonIn this Christmas classic, six-year-old Sarah is determined to make the very best snowman possible, without the help of her older brother. When she sees her snowman, Max, come to life in a Christmas Eve frolic, her family refuses to believe her story. Although Sarah thinks she has proof that it was not all a dream, she decides in the end to keep the knowlege of her snowman friend as her very own special secret.
A Little Something
by Sarah Hartt-Snowbell June BradfordWhen Sandy’s daddy leaves for work in the morning, he blows Sandy a kiss. What follows is a wild adventure through the town, the countryside, the bogs and the marshes of the Land of Everywhere… to try to catch up to Daddy’s kiss!
Galena's Gift
by Rosemary NelsonIn The Golden Grasshopper, ten-year-old Lisa’s and her cousin Paul’s lives were changed forever when they met Gagar, from the planet Ylepithon. In Galena’s Gift, Gagar returns with his precocious young daughter, asking Lisa, now a twelve-year-old grade sixer, to babysit her and teach her about life on Earth. How will Lisa and Paul accomplish this without arousing the suspicion of their fellow earthlings? Using her remarkable abilities, Galena is able to save a young alpaca close to Lisa’s heart from a serious medical emergency. In return, Lisa unwittingly teaches Galena not only about life on earth, but about the most precious human emotion of all - love.
Dream Dad
by Holly HaggartyWilla has never known her father. In fact, her mother has refused to tell the eight-year-old anything at all about him. Willa dreams about what he might look like and who he might be. She often asks herself why her hair, which is "afro-crinkly", and her skin, which is dark, are so different from her mother’s brown hair and pale skin. A substitute teacher’s request that the class draw pictures of their dads for a Father’s Day card launches Willa on an odyssey to discover the truth. Her head filled with fantasies of kings and princesses, Willa gathers the clues and, with the help of her good friend Marina, begins the alternately amusing and touching search for her father.
Wizzo and the Cookie Babies
by Gina CallejaThis gentle and humorous story gives youngsters the reassuring message that the world cherishes children. Wizzo the Wizard, who lives on the moon, becomes bored while his wife is away on a trip, so he decides to bake a batch of cookies. But he makes a mistake in the recipe and, when Ms. Wizzo returns, she finds the house full of real, live babies - one hundred and forty-four, to be exact! Of course, she loves them all!
The Deep End Gang
by Peggy Dymond LeaveyTwelve-year-old Martin Jessup, teller of tall tales and other untruths, cannot understand his sister’s objections to the family’s move from Winnipeg to small-town Ontario. With Dad in the military, moving is a fact of life. Settling into his new home, Martin is intrigued by a deserted house across the street and by an unfriendly neighbour, who seems to be waiting for something to happen. Martin and new friends Granger and Holly form a club that meets in the deep end of an empty swimming pool. The friends tell Martin that the deserted house is all that remains of the Govier estate and about an unsolved mystery — the disappearance years ago of Victor Govier. One night, Martin sees a light in the deserted house and the adventures of the Deep End Gang begin. This gentle small-town mystery will appeal to admirers of Peggy Dymond Leavey’s Silver Birch Award-nominated Sky Lake Summer.
Jak's Story
by Aaron BellThirteen-year-old Jak Loren is a typical boy with the usual problems a family with older sisters and younger brothers presents. Never mind the troubles at school - bullies and girls! When Jak goes to the ravine near his home in Brantford to get away from Steven Burke, a bully who’s been tormenting him, he discovers the ravine has a history that’s much older than he thought. He meets Grandfather Rock, who shares with him the story of the people who have lived near the ravine for thousands of years. Soon Jak’s eyes are opened to a new world of beings and respect. He learns about First Nations people and how their teachings inhabit the spirits of all living things that surround us even today. The tales of the First Nations help Jak to understand that the gift of life is something to be cherished. And when a construction crew arrives in his neighbourhood and threatens his beloved ravine, Jak knows he has to act to save it.
To Stand and Fight Together: Richard Pierpoint and the Coloured Corps of Upper Canada
by Steve PittIn 1812, a 67-year-old black United Empire Loyalist named Richard Pierpoint helped raise "a corps of Coloured Men to stand and fight together" against the Americans who were threatening to invade the tiny British colony of Upper Canada. Pierpoint’s unique fighting unit would not only see service throughout the War of 1812, it would also be the first colonial military unit reactiviated to quash the Rebellion of 1837. It would go on to serve as a police force, keeping the peace among the competing Irish immigrant gangs during the construction of the Welland Canal. Pierpoint and the Coloured Corps are the central focus, but the sidebars featuring fascinating facts about the rise and fall of slavery in North America and the state of African-Canadians in early Canada provide an entertaining and informative supplement. Among other tidbits, readers will find out why "Good Queen Bess" launched the British slave industry and how Scottish pineapples are connected to the American Declaration of Independence.
The Beginner's Guide to Canadian Honours
by Christopher MccreeryCommended for the 2009 Best Books for Kids & Teens For more than 40 years Canadian orders, decorations, and medals have been used to recognize exemplary citizens for their outstanding contributions to our country and to the world. Although Canada is a relatively young country, we are fortunate to have one of the most comprehensive honours systems in the world. With the Order of Canada at its centre, the Canadian honours system includes the Victoria Cross, Star of Courage, Order of St. John, General Campaign Star, Canadian Forces Decoration, and a wide variety of other awards. From the honours of New France to the many British medals awarded to Canadians prior to 1967, the various elements of the modern Canadian honours system are explained. This short book, rich with illustrations and photos, provides an easy-to-understand overview of Canadian honours, who has received them, and how they are bestowed. The book also includes a wearing guide.
Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox
by Steve PittCommended for the 2009 Best Books for Kids & Teens Canadian World War II pilot Charley Fox, now in his late eighties, has had a thrilling life, especially on the day in July 1944 in France when he spotted a black staff car, the kind usually employed to drive high-ranking Third Reich dignitaries. Already noted for his skill in dive-bombing and strafing the enemy, Fox went in to attack the automobile. As it turned out, the car contained famed German General Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, and Charley succeeded in wounding him. Rommel, who at the time was the Germans’ supreme military commander in France orchestrating the Nazis’ resistance to the D-day invasion, was never the same after that. Author Steve Pitt focuses on this seminal event in Charley Fox’s life and in the war, but he also provides fascinating aspects of the period, including profiles of noted ace pilots Buzz Beurling and Billy Bishop, Jr., and Great Escape architect Walter Floody, as well as sidebars about Hurricanes, Spitfires, and Messerschmitts.
On Remembrance Day
by Eleanor CreaseyAn exploration of Canadian Remembrance Day history, customs, and traditions. Who are the people who offered their lives in war? Why do we remember them? How do we honour their memory? For children learning about remembrance and the human toll of war, there can be hard questions to answer. This book is meant to answer the questions kids ask about Remembrance Day and to explain how and why we honour the men and women who have served our country. Canada has developed unique ways of honouring and demonstrating respect for its war dead and veterans. Through every generation there are Canadian families who have lost loved ones to international conflict and war. On Remembrance Day presents the origins, traditions, and customs of Canada’s Remembrance Day in a fashion that is engaging and easy to read.