Materials from Canada
Set in the year 2021, this fantastic YA novel explores the tension between a young woman’s future building infrastructure for Augmented Reality, and the commitment she makes to her dying grandmother to honour ancient Chinese magic. The Geomancer’s Compass imagines a world in the near future while exploring the Chinese immigrant experience and the expanding, elastic and shifting nature of reality.
The Screech Owls have come to Ottawa to play in the Little Stanley Cup peewee tournament. This relaxed summer event honours Lord Stanley himself – the man who donated the Stanley Cup to hockey – and gives young players a chance to see the wonders of Canada’s capital city, travel into the wilds of Algonquin Park, and even go river rafting.
Mr. Dillinger is also taking them to visit some of the region’s famous ghosts: the ghost of a dead prime minister; the ghost of a man hanged for murder; the ghost of the famous painter Tom Thomson. At first the Owls think this is Mr. Dillinger’s best idea ever, until Travis and his friends begin to suspect that one of these ghosts could be for real.
Who is this phantom? Why has he come to haunt the Screech Owls? And what is his connection to the mysterious young stranger who offers to coach the team?
Black, white, and everything in between . . . Through poems, interviews, and short essays, a group of young people describe being biracial, multiracial, or of mixed race. These poignant firsthand accounts reflect the unique and varied voices of the writers, whose backgrounds range from Caribbean, Vietnamese, and Latin American to Native American, Spanish, and Irish, among others. With devastating honesty, these youth tell what it’s been like to make their way in the world with their roots in many places and in many cultures. Themes include navigating mixed-race relationships, dealing with prejudice and the assumptions people make based on appearances, and working through identity confusion to arrive at a strong and positive sense of self. Includes a section with suggestions for parents and caregivers who are raising children of mixed race.
Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown before and after 1906, this novel portrays a young Jackson Leong coping with the ghost of his brother who died in the earthquake, as well as the mysterious ghost of a young woman. Jackson must find out the reasons why the ghosts are haunting the world of the living. If he fails, his family will face disgrace and ruin.
Thirteen-year-old Rabia, along with her mother and younger brother, flees Afghanistan and the brutal Taliban for Pakistan. Some months later, they take part in a program that is relocating refugee widows and orphans to America. However, their flight falls on the fateful morning of 9/11. After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, their plane is diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Also on the plane is a boy named Colin, who struggles with his prejudices against Rabia and her family after they are all stuck in Gander. The people in the small community open their hearts and their homes to the stranded passengers, and their kindness might be the bridge to bring Rabia and Colin’s families together.
Before two-leggeds walked on Mother Earth there was a great cold. The animals formed a council; someone had to seek help from the Creator. Rainbow Crow, a most colorful bird, was selected because he had a beautiful voice that would surely impress the Creator. He flew into the heavens and won fire from above. But on the way back the fire began to burn his plumage black and destroy his beautiful voice. But Rainbow Crow persevered, bringing the life-saving fire safely back to his friends.
Students in grade 5/6 at Springvale Elementary, Halifax, have written and illustrated a book to address a variety of world issues in a positive manner. They wished to raise awareness about problems faced by kids all over the world by imagining what it would be like if the problems didn’t exist. All messages and illustrations depict positive images that send a message of hope and provide concrete ways for readers to take action to celebrate and improve our world wordby word.
From our earliest beginnings, we have shared our lives with animals. Explore the ties that people and their pets have formed from prehistoric times to present day. With fun and fascinating facts, learn whether you are a Dog Person or a Cat Person, how to pick and care for your pet, and which animals are most closely linked to their wild roots. Discover purebreds and hybrids, rare and unusual pets, horses, birds, fish, guinea pigs, reptiles, and rodents. Part social history, part owner manual, Ann Love and Jane Drake present irresistible and heartwarming stories of pets through the ages, complemented by the captivating pen-and-inkwith- watercolor illustrations of artist Bill Slavin.
The war between Great Britain and the United States was a bitter one. For two years, from the summer of 1812 to the winter of 1814, fierce and bloody battles were fought. Laura Secord never thought of herself as brave. She was gentle, shy, and soft-spoken. But she was brave. When American officers took over her home, demanding food, she heard them boasting about a plan that would give them an easy victory over the British troops. Laura’s husband, James, would have gladly warned the British, but he had been badly injured. It fell to Laura to make the grueling trip. Janet Lunn, one of the country’s finest writers of historical fiction, recounts the tale of Laura’s dreadful journey with fresh detail and masterly prose. Her writing is perfectly complemented by Maxwell Newhouse’s astounding paintings.