- Table View
- List View
Once Upon a Time Long, Long Ago
by Henry Shykoff Marilyn MetsShort-listed for the 2001 Silver Birch Award, How did we get to be US? Who are WE? This story for the younger reader, set in the period some 50,000 years ago when an almost explosive change in people’s behaviour occurred, addresses these questions. From this period on, people, the Cro-Magnon or Homo sapiens sapiens who are considered to be our ancestors, became what we term human. This recreated story presents a sister and brother in a sequence of events that fits what little is known about that time. Learn to create fire, shape tools, partner with wolves and develop into thinking, creative persons who can influence the world around them. Discover what effect a few curious and reasoning people can have on their society A devoted grandfather and reader of stories to grandchildren, Henry Shykoff has created a classic adventure for the younger reader, answering the question, "How did we get to be human?" "This is an intriguing story that vividly brings to life an exciting moment in human evolution. Full of struggle and adventure, this highly readable tale is as entertaining as it is informative."- Linda McQuaig, Author and Journalist
One More Mountain (Breadwinner Series #5)
by Deborah EllisIt’s 2021, and the Taliban have regained power in Afghanistan. Parvana and Shauzia, the brave protagonists of The Breadwinner, must now flee to escape new dangers from an old enemy. In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is found by a police officer named Shauzia, who takes her to Green Valley, a shelter and school for women and girls run by Parvana. It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child. She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer. But Shauzia is still Parvana’s best friend. And Parvana is still headstrong, bringing her in conflict with her spoiled sister Maryam. While Asif tries to get Maryam and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains. All royalties will be donated to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Key Text Features dialogue literary references multiple POV alternating narrative Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Operatic
by Kyo MaclearA story of friendship, first crushes, opera and the high drama of middle school told by award-winning Kyo Maclear in her debut graphic novel.Somewhere in the universe, there is the perfect tune for you.It’s almost the end of middle school, and Charlie has to find her perfect song for a music class assignment. But it’s hard for Charlie to concentrate when she can’t stop noticing her classmate Emile, or wondering about Luka, who hasn’t been to school in weeks. Then, the class learns about opera, and Charlie discovers the music of Maria Callas. The more she learns about Maria’s life, the more Charlie admires her passion for singing and her ability to express herself fully through her music. Can Charlie follow the example of the ultimate diva, Maria Callas, when it comes to her own life?Key Text Featuresspeech bubblescaptionsbibliographyCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Operation Josh Taylor: Hannah Smart
by Melody FitzpatrickTo see teen idol Josh Taylor in concert, Hannah Smart is prepared to face bullies, learn terrible secrets, and discover hidden talents. When thirteen-year-old Hannah Smart finds out that teen idol Josh Taylor (only the most talented singer in the entire world) is coming to her hometown to kick off his first-ever concert tour, she nearly goes into shock. Even more shocking is the fact that her parents one-hundred-percent refuse to buy her a ticket — if Hannah wants to go, she has to figure out a way on her own. With the help of her genius best friend, Rachel, Hannah hatches a scheme that will surely get the girls to the concert. But when evil Scarlett Hastings sticks her nasty nose in, messing up their plan, all hope seems lost. Will Hannah and Rachel ever get to the concert? And will Hannah even want to go when she discovers the horrible secret her parents have been hiding?
The Oracle of Avaris (Secrets of the Sands #3)
by Alisha SevignyA search for answers from a mysterious Oracle has Sesha and her friends navigating intrigue and danger in this thrilling conclusion to the Secrets of the Sands series.Leaving the oasis, Sesha and her friends set sail for Avaris, intent on stopping the Hyksos Chieftain from claiming the throne and declaring war on Thebes. On the journey, Sesha learns that she and the scroll are at the centre of a pair of prophecies made by a famed Oracle — prophecies with staggering implications for both her and the Hyksos people. But when the crew arrives in the bustling port city, they are stunned to learn the Oracle is missing. With the prophecies now in doubt and their lives in danger, Sesha, Paser, and Reb must race to find a mysterious Priestess sect and witness the third and final prophecy before the upcoming lunar eclipse.As the young scribes seek answers, Sesha must untangle her past and future while keeping war from erupting in the present. For there is one person she cannot bear to face across the Hyksos battlefield: her brother.Be sure to read Sesha’s earlier adventures, The Lost Scroll of the Physician and The Desert Prince.
Out of Darkness: The Jeff Healey Story
by Cindy Watson<P>Short-listed for the 2011 Golden Oak Award <P>From the moment three-year-old Jeff Healey first laid a guitar across his lap in what was to become his signature style, it was clear he was no ordinary kid. <P>Losing both eyes to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer, opened a door to another world for Jeff, a newly adopted infant. <P>Out of darkness he created music, becoming one of the most influential blues-rock and jazz performers of our time, beginning with his first hit album, See the Light. <P> In this up-close and personal account, loaded with never-before-seen photographs, memorabilia, and intimate recollections of family, friends, and fellow musicians, we discover this unique music icon’s dynamic career, which saw him collaborate with everyone from George Harrison and Eric Clapton to B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. <P>From Jeff’s lonely start one snowy night at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto to his untimely end in the same building, we come away with a potent message of empowerment and a renewed sense of hope.
Out of the Blue
by Sarah EllisWinner of the Mr. Christie's Book Award and the Violet Downey Book Award When Megan finds out why her mother is acting so odd, she is shocked and overwhelmed. Suddenly she is expected to welcome a new half-sister as part of the family. This is a beautiful, compassionate novel that is both poignant and funny.
Outside In
by Sarah EllisLynn’s life is full — choir practice, school, shopping for the perfect jeans, and dealing with her free-spirited mother. Then one day her life is saved by a mysterious girl named Blossom, who introduces Lynn to her own world and family — both more bizarre, yet somehow more sane, than Lynn’s own.Blossom’s family is a small band of outcasts and eccentrics who live secretly in an ingenious bunker beneath a city reservoir. The Underlanders forage and trade for the things they need (“Is it useful or lovely?”), living off the things “Citizens” throw away. Lynn is enchanted and amazed. But when she inadvertently reveals their secret, she is forced to take measure of her own motives and lifestyle, as she figures out what it really means to be a family, and a friend.Classic Sarah Ellis, this novel is smart, rich, engaging and insightful.
Paint
by Jennifer DanceCCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2015) - Commended The life story of a painted mustang set against the backdrop of America’s Great Plains in the late 1800s. It’s the late 1800s. A Lakota boy finds an orphaned mustang foal and brings her back to his family’s camp, naming her Paint for her black-and-white markings. Boy and horse soon become inseparable. Together they learn to hunt buffalo, their fear of the massive beasts tempered by a growing trust in each other. When the U.S. Cavalry attacks the camp, the pair is forced onto separate paths. Paint’s fate becomes entwined with that of settlers, who bring irreversible change to the grassland, setting the stage for environmental disaster. Bought and sold several times, Paint finally finds a home with English pioneers on the Canadian Prairie. With a great dust storm looming on the horizon, man and horse will need to work together if they hope to survive.
El pan de la guerra (Breadwinner Series #1)
by Deborah EllisParvana tiene 11 años y vive en Afganistán bajo el mandato de los talibanes. Cuando detienen a su padre buscará una solución desesperada: convertirse en un chico. Parvana es una chica de once años que vive en Kabul, Afganistán, durante la época del gobierno de los talibanes. Cuando su padre es detenido, su familia –sin recursos para poder vivir-, buscará una solución desesperada: Parvana, que por ser mujer tiene prohibido ganar dinero, deberá transformarse en un chico. El pan de la guerra es un libro duro y realista que habla, con humanidad y fuerza, de la supervivencia, la familia, la amistad, la intolerancia y la guerra.
Parvana's Journey (Breadwinner Series #2)
by Deborah EllisThe second book in the internationally-bestselling series that includes The Breadwinner, Mud City and My Name Is ParvanaA war is raging in Afghanistan as a coalition of Western forces tries to oust the Taliban by bombing the country. Parvana’s father has died, and her mother, sister and brother have gone to a faraway wedding, not knowing what has happened to the father. Parvana doesn’t know where they are. She just knows she has to find them.She sets out alone, masquerading as a boy, her journey becoming more perilous as the bombs begin to fall. Making her way across the desolate Afghan countryside, she meets other children who are strays from the war — an infant boy in a bombed-out village, a nine-year-old girl who believes she has magical powers over land mines, and a boy with one leg who is so obnoxious that Parvana can hardly stand him. The children travel together because it is easier than being alone. And, as they forge their own family in the war zone that Afghanistan has become, their resilience, imagination and luck help them to survive.The reissue includes a new cover and map, an updated author’s note and a glossary to provide young readers with background and context. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Parvana’s Fund supports education projects for Afghan women and children.Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
The Path Through the Trees
by Peggy Dymond LeaveyThirteen-year-old Norah Bingham and her mother plan to spend Christmas in the country with Caroline Stoppard, Norah’s great-aunt. When her mother is called away on business, Norah goes on her own to stay with the aunt, someone she has never even met. From the start, the woman makes it plain that she does not welcome Norahs company, nor that of Norah’s cousins, Andrew and Becca, who arrive two days later. The isolated Stoppard mansion is as dismal as the Ontario winter. But the cousins soon discover there are puzzles to solve. Great-aunt Caroline has many secrets. Among them is the identity of the boy Norah sees in the backyard. Who is he? And why is he watching the house?
Payback
by James HeneghanThirteen-year-old Charley Callaghan is coping with some difficult changes. His family has recently moved to Vancouver from Ireland, and his mother has died of cancer. Now he is desperately trying to fit in - in a new school, a new city, a new country - while holding a part-time job and keeping an eye on his little sister, Annie. Charley's red hair and Irish accent at first make him a target of the class bullies, but he is tough enough - just - to keep them at bay. So it is almost a relief to him when the bullies find a new target, Benny Mason. Charley keeps hoping that Benny will defend himself, but he fails to intervene when the bullying worsens. When Benny commits suicide, Charley is overcome with remorse and guilt. He visits Benny's single mom, Joanna, but instead of confessing, finds himself trying to make amends by doing chores, running errands and befriending Benny's little brother. Can Charley find atonement for failing to act? James Heneghan's trademark narrative drive, vivid characters and strong social message make this a striking study of loss and renewal.
The Perfect Guy
by Ann HerrickCan Rebecca turn her new stepbrother into her new love? When Rebecca's mother marries Pres's father, Rebecca is sure that living in the same house with the guy of her dreams will have its perks and it will be just a matter of time before Pres sees her as more than a kid sister. Even though her best friend, Celeste, warns her to face reality, Rebecca doesn't listen. She thinks Pres is the perfect guy for her. But Celeste's brother, Josh, has been friends with Pres for years, and Celeste thinks she knows what she's talking about. Rebecca's not so sure about her relationship with her new step-father. She knows he can't replace her real dad, but she thinks she can break through his cool surface by helping him with the school play. But things don't go as planned, and as friendships start to change, Rebecca faces surprising truths about herself and her friends. Will she find happiness in her new family and find The Perfect Guy?
Perilous Passage
by B. J. BayleShortlisted for the 2009 Red Maple Award and commended in Best Books for Kids & Teens After a shipwreck in 1809, Peter finds himself the victim of amnesia. The sea captain who finds the teenager gives him the only name he knows, while others derisively dub him Peter No-Name. Eventually, Peter finds employment in a Montreal tavern where he meets a French voyageur called Boulard who changes his life irrevocably. Boulard works for fur trader David Thompson, soon to become one of the world’s most famous explorers and mapmakers. Thompson is impressed with the teenager and enlists him in his obsessive quest to establish an overland "northwest" passage to the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River. With Thompson, Peter embarks on an amazing series of adventures that brings him face to face with hostile Natives and exposes him to the hardships and life-threatening challenges of formidable mountains and primeval forests as the intrepid outdoorsmen canoe, ride, and sled across a continent still largely untouched by European civilization.
Picturing Alyssa
by Alison LohansShort-listed for the 2011 Saskatchewan Book Awards: Children’s Literature Award and Regina Book Award Who is the girl staring out of the old photograph? Every time Alyssa Dixon looks at it, even by accident, she finds herself on an Iowa farm in 1931. The past is nothing like Alyssas unhappy life her mother severely depressed after the stillbirth of Alyssas baby sister; escalating bullying by Brooklynne, a popular girl; and a teacher who is unsympathetic toward Alyssas familys pacifist beliefs. Why cant Alyssa live in the past with her new friend, Deborah? Yet Alyssa is always pulled back to the present, where things only get worse. Maybe the farm isnt so idyllic, though. Deborahs mother is ill with a difficult pregnancy, and theres so much work. A series of old family photos shows Alyssa unsettling things about Deborahs family things Deborah seems not to know. Can Alyssa help the baby be born safely, and at the same time work through the overwhelming problems at home?
The Prisoner and the Writer
by Heather CamlotWhen a Jewish army captain is falsely accused of treason and sent to prison, a writer uses his pen to fight for justice. In 1895 a prisoner watches the ocean through the bars of his cell. Accused of betraying France, Captain Alfred Dreyfus is exiled to a prison on Devil’s Island, far from his wife and children. It’s a horrible fate — but what if he’s innocent? Seven thousand miles away, the famous writer Emile Zola wonders: Is Alfred a traitor to France? Or a victim of anti-Semitism? Convinced that Alfred is innocent, Emile knows that it is his DUTY to help. He pens the famous letter “J’Accuse …!”, explaining that Alfred was blamed, charged, tried and convicted … only because he is Jewish. This powerful middle-grade story written in verse with full-page illustrations is told from the perspectives of both Alfred Dreyfus and Emile Zola, two men whose courage changed the world. The true story, published in time for the 125th anniversary of “J’Accuse …!”, acts as a reminder that a person committed to truth, justice and equality must stand up and speak out against prejudice for themselves — and for others. Includes an author’s note and further historical context. Key Text Features author's note illustrations sources references informational note historical context historical note further information afterword headings Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Queen and Consort: 60 Years of Marriage
by Lynne Bell Arthur Bousfield Garry Toffoli"Princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact" – so said the nineteenth-century writer Walter Bagehot. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary. This love story of the world’s most famous couple presents a thematic look at the most outstandingly successful marriage of recent times. This illustrated study explores the pressures and stresses of living life in the glare of public scrutiny. It is an early case of a married couple leading independent lives of extraordinary public service and indicating a path for others to follow. The historical experience of queens and their consorts and Elizabeth and Philip’s Canadian and Commonwealth roles add scope to this biography.
Quinn and the Quiet, Quiet: Weird Stories Gone Wrong (Weird Stories Gone Wrong #6)
by Philippa DowdingQuinn might get used to the food, Work Bots, and creating the Blue Brick™ … but why are children all around him turning blue? Quinn Fleet, twelve, Packager (QF12P) has only been at the Work Centre for three days, but he’s already seen a Caver run away, faced interrogation, and been made to stand in front of a crowd of children in the Grand Hall to apologize for breaking a Blue Brick™. That's when he notices that all the children at the Work Centre look so thin, ragged, and blue. Why are the children turning blue? Why can they make the strange blue spark when they snap their fingers? What’s the blue shimmer in the air? And why do a renegade Work Bot and an Officer want Quinn to lead the NewBlues to the sanctuary of the Quiet, Quiet? But more than all that, what is the Quiet, Quiet, anyway?
Red Land, Yellow River
by Ange ZhangThe amazing, dramatic, and painful autobiographical story of Ange Zhang as he came of age during the Cultural Revolution in China. When Mao’s Cultural Revolution took hold in China in June 1966, Ange Zhang was thirteen years old. His father was a famous writer. Shortly after the revolution began, many of Ange’s classmates joined the Red Guard, Mao’s youth movement, and they drove their teachers out of the classrooms. But in the weeks that followed, Ange discovered that his father’s fame as a writer now meant that he was a target of the new regime. When his father was arrested, he began to question everything that was happening in his country. Finally, Ange was forced to join many other young urban Chinese students in the countryside for re-education where he found the emotional space to develop his own artistic talent and to find that he, like his father, was an artist — except that Ange’s talent lay in painting and drawing. This dramatic, painful autobiographical story is complemented by photographs, many drawn from Ange’s personal collection, as well as a non-fiction section that explains the historical period and is also illustrated with archival images. Key Text Features author’s note glossary Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Rescue at Fort Edmonton: Disaster Strikes! 1 (Disaster Strikes! Ser. #1)
by Rita FeutlJaney doesn't want to spend the summer away from her friends in Toronto--and certainly not in Edmonton with the grandmother she hardly knows. But her parents will be away--her mother in Turkey designing housing for earthquake victims, her dad on business trips. Her first surprise is her feisty grandma, who meets her at the airport in her vintage Cadillac, Marilyn. The second comes when she visits the Fort Edmonton historic park and time travels to 1907. The third is learning the real reason she's in Edmonton. Her grandma is going through cancer treatment and needs someone to be with her. Janey makes four trips, each to a different period of Fort Edmonton's history. What draws her into the past? Only on the last trip does she discover the meaning of her adventures--and their crucial connection to her own family. Rita Feutl's first novel features a deftly handled plot and a wealth of fascinating characters from prairie history.
Rescue in the Rockies
by Rita FeutlCan 14-year-old Janey disentangle her time-hopping dilemma and save not just her own life, but the past lives of others, before it’s too late? Rescue in the Rockies follows Janey as she is forced to spend the holidays with her grandma – and her grandma’s new beau, Charlie, who has invited along his German grandson, Max – in Banff, Alberta. Janey can’t believe her parents might potentially miss one of the most important holidays of the year and resigns herself to spending her time away from home wandering around the hotel with, of all people, Max, who she bickers with constantly. Getting frustrated with their constant fighting, Janey turns to run away and finds herself, all of a sudden, standing in snow drifts; the hotel has disappeared, and in its place is, well… nothing. As Janey travels back and forth in time - first to 1883, then, with an unwitting Max along, to an internment camp during World War I and finally the Banff area after the war - she struggles to not only escape the chaotic situations she finds herself in, but to try and figure out what is causing her mysterious disappearances. What do the three places have in common, and can she solve the mystery before the enemy she’s made in the past captures her and Max for good?
Rex Zero and the End of the World (Rex Zero)
by Tim Wynne-JonesIt's the summer of 1962, and to twelve-year-old Rex the world is starting to look like a pretty scary place. On TV there are reports about the Russians and a nuclear war. Some people in his new neighborhood are even building bomb shelters in their backyards. Rex learns that there's trouble closer to home as well. A black panther has escaped from a zoo and he and his friends are sure they have spotted the creature in their local park -- and it is Rex who comes up with a plan to trap it. In this smart, vivid and touching novel, Tim Wynne-Jones explores the time and place of his own childhood when a kid could spend an entire summer below the radar of adults. But it was also a time of great uncertainty and menace, when memories of an old war were still fresh, and fears of a new one were looming.
Rex Zero, King of Nothing (Rex Zero)
by Tim Wynne-JonesRex and his friends begin grade six against the backdrop of the 1962 Ban the Bomb protests on Parliament Hill. But once again it is trouble on the home front that has Rex's attention. Why is his father so insistent that Rex go with him to the November Remembrance Day services, and why does Dad become so sad at this time every year? Why does he have a stash of secret photographs and letters -- written in German? How can Rex deal with the new teacher, Miss Garr, a manipulative bully? Yet all these problems pale when Rex finds an abandoned address book in a phone booth and sets out to find its owner. When the owner turns out to be the beautiful but desperate Natasha, the victim of an abusive husband, Rex finds himself wishing he had heroic powers so he could rescue this damsel in distress. Storybook solutions, it turns out, are no match for real-life adult problems, and once again Rex finds the answer in his own ingenuity and with the help of good friends.
The Rex Zero Series Bundle (Rex Zero)
by Tim Wynne-JonesRex Zero and the End of the WorldIt's the summer of 1962, and to twelve-year-old Rex the world is starting to look like a pretty scary place. On TV there are reports about the Russians and a nuclear war. Some people in his new neighborhood are even building bomb shelters in their backyards. Rex learns that there's trouble closer to home as well. A black panther has escaped from a zoo and he and his friends are sure they have spotted the creature in their local park -- and it is Rex who comes up with a plan to trap it.Rex Zero, King of NothingRex and his friends begin grade six against the backdrop of the 1962 Ban the Bomb protests on Parliament Hill. But once again it is trouble on the home front that has Rex's attention. Why is his father so insistent that Rex go with him to the November Remembrance Day services, and why does Dad become so sad at this time every year? Why does he have a stash of secret photographs and letters -- written in German? How can Rex deal with the new teacher, Miss Garr, a manipulative bully?Rex Zero and the Great PretenderIt's September 1963 when Rex is blindsided by some unexpected news. His family is moving again -- just to the other side of the city, as it turns out, but it might as well be the other side of the moon as far as Rex is concerned. In desperation, he secretly starts taking public transit back to his old school -- a plan that works just fine until he runs out of money.