Monsoon

In the bustle of street and marketplace, everyone is watching, waiting for those magical clouds to bring their gift of rain to the land. A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.

The Time Thief

When an attempt to bring Peter and Kate back to their own time is bungled, Peter finds himself stranded in 1763 while The Tar Man, a villainous eighteenth-century criminal, returns with Kate to twenty-first-century London.

The Baboon King

Morengaru, a strong young hunter, has been cast out by both his mother’s people, the Kikuyu, and his father’s people, the Masai. Every day he misses human companionship, and soon he feels as though he’s becoming more like the animals around him. When Morengaru has the chance to belong again, he seizes the opportunity. Then he faces the greatest challenge of his life: living among the baboons, still clinging to his humanity, hoping someday to return to his people.

Tales from within the Clouds: Nakhi Stories of China

South of the clouds, in the land of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, dwell the descendants of a once pastoral people, the Nakhi. In ancient times, family names were passed from mother to child, there were no marriages, and women alone raised children. In the Nakhi language, there is no word for “father.” Today there are still Nakhi who follow these traditions, and Nakhi folktales reflect these beliefs. In the legends presented here we are introduced to a fantastic cast of characters: plants, insects, animals – all of them female! (Nakhi people, Naxi language)

Sketches

After fleeing her home, suburban-bred Dana struggles to survive in the alleys, squats and subway stations of downtown Toronto. Dana’s graffiti on an underpass catches the eye of a counselor at Sketches, a drop-in center where homeless teens can express themselves through art. As Dana works on a painting, she begins to confront the reason she left home. The truth of what her stepfather did to her is trying to break free, but will it come out through her paintbrush or the blade of a knife?

The Pirate Queen

Grania O’Malley was born with the mark of a sailor and the light of the sea in her eye. As she grew, tales of her courage and heroic deeds traveled across Ireland. But when she came up against a ruthless governor, even fearless Grania was stymied. So she turns to a woman more powerful than she in this heart-stopping tale that’s as big as the Irish Sea.

Being Muslim (Groundwork Guides)

Since 9/11, the world has been confronted with the most volatile facets of Islam with little explanation of how or why these controversial elements developed. Written by one of North America’s most honored journalists, Being Muslim presents an up-front and clear explanation of this complex and emotion-laden subject. Although the varying branches of Islam are analyzed and their history outlined, the real focus of the book is on the present. In speaking about and crossing political, cultural, and religious divisions, the author offers a unique perspective based on life in Canada, a country in which diverse groups of people have found a way to live in peace. Aimed at young adults, the book offers invaluable insight to readers of all ages, cultures, and religious traditions.

Plots and Players

Robin, Philip, and Frances, exiled Portuguese Jews secretly practicing their faith in intolerant sixteenth-century London, fight against the poison of prejudice in trying to save the life of Queen Elizabeth’s Jewish doctor.

Beyond Paradise

This unusual first novel is based on true accounts of the imprisonment of American citizens in Japanese detention camps in the Philippines during World War II. Louise Keller travels with her missionary family to the Philippines on the eve of Pearl Harbor. At first the country seems like paradise, but soon Louise and her family are captured by the Japanese and forced to live in internment camps. An exciting and thought-provoking novel about human strength and weakness in wartime Jane Hertenstein will donate a portion of her royalties for this book to help build houses for residents of Smokey Mountain, a large garbage dump in Manila where hundreds of people live under scraps of metal and cardboard.