Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

Lewis Clowns Around

Poor Lewis hates being a puffin. His brother Harris is great at catching fish, flying and doing puffin things, but Lewis just doesn’t fit in. He longs for a different life, far away from the crashing waves and tall cliffs of the Firth of Forth. Lewis finds the answer, and heads off to the circus to become a clown. He meets many incredible creatures: Carla Koala, Zorro the Highwire Cat, the Flying Blue Monkeys and Daredevil Pat. But when his act goes terribly wrong, can Lewis overcome his fears, find some confidence and save the day? A charming and hilarious rhyming picture book about a young misfit puffin who learns that it’s okay to be different.

Treasured Classics

Acclaimed illustrator Michael Hague brings his hallmark artistry to 15 classic stories that have delighted children for generations. From Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to The Gingerbread Man and The Three Billy Goats Gruff, each story is lush with detail and loaded with magic. A wealth of fable and fantasy, truly to be treasured.

Winter in Wartime

Near the end of World War II, 14-year-old Michiel becomes involved with the Resistance after coming to the aid of a wounded British soldier. With the conflict coming to an end, Michiel comes of age and learns the start difference between adventure fantasy and the ugly realities of war.

Magic Wool Fairies

Unspun sheep’s wool, also known as magic wool, is a warm vibrant material, perfect for making these beautiful soft figures. Christine Schafer includes detailed instructions on making fairies and angels for every occasion: flower fairies for a seasonal nature table, fairies for birthday celebrations, guardian angels to watch over a crib and, of course, a range of Christmas angels. This book includes step-by-step instructions, colour photographs and diagrams which clearly show the reader the basics for making simple figures, progressing to detailed instructions for making more elaborate versions.

City of Wind

In the third installment of the Century Quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario continues the mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.

PARIS, JUNE 20

When new information turns up about the Star of Stone, the object they found in New York, Mistral, Elettra, Harvey, and Sheng meet again in Paris. Harvey brings the stone to show to his dad’s archaeologist friend. And it turns out that the friend knows much more about the kids’ quest than they could have imagined. She gives them a clock that once belonged to Napoléon, and she tells them that if they can figure out how it works, it will lead them to another object of power. The clock sends the kids all over Paris, through old churches and forgotten museum exhibits, in search of an artifact linked to the Egyptian goddess Isis. But a woman with a penchant for venomous snakes and carnivorous plants—and her vast network of spies—is watching their every move.

Milon and the Lion

Young slave Milon starts his journey at home in Athens. When he sets sail on a ship bound for Italy his adventures really begin. He narrowly escapes with his life in Pompei as the great volcano Vesuvius erupts and destroys the town; he experiences the colourful life of the metropolis of Alexandria in Egypt, and he faces a battle for life and death in the Colosseum in Rome. When he meets a small community of Christians in Rome, he finally gains his freedom and finds a purpose in life. At the centre of the story is Milon’s relationship with a wounded lion who he bravely helps. Will the lion remember him and return the favour when Milon faces death at the hands of the mighty Roman emperors?

An Elephant in the Garden

Lizzie and Karl’s mother is a zoo keeper; the family has become attached to an orphaned elephant named Marlene, who will be destroyed as a precautionary measure so she and the other animals don’t run wild should the zoo be hit by bombs. The family persuades the zoo director to let Marlene stay in their garden instead. When the city is bombed, the family flees with thousands of others, but how can they walk the same route when they have an elephant in tow, and keep themselves safe? Along the way, they meet Peter, a Canadian navigator who risks his own capture to save the family. As Michael Morpurgo writes in an author’s note, An Elephant in the Garden is inspired by historical truths, and by his admiration for elephants, “the noblest and wisest and most sensitive of all creatures.” Here is a story that brings together an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and love proves the best weapon of all.

Technology of the Ancients: The Romans

This book provides readers with an up-close look at the ingenuity of forward-thinking inventors and engineers from the early civilizatrions