Maiko has left his village in Tanzania far behind, moving to Canada with his aunt and uncle. When he thinks of home, he thinks of the beautiful big baobab tree at the center of the village. In his new home, Maiko feels a connection to the small spruce tree in the front yard—it’s seven years old, the same age as he is. The tree sings to him and shares his secrets. When he learns that the roots of the tree are growing too close to the house, putting the little spruce in danger of being cut down, Maiko tries to save it. He knows all too well what it’s like to be small and planted in the wrong place.
Canada
Materials from Canada
Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders
Neil Flambé is a world-renowned chef and restaurant owner. He’s also a kid. And, in his spare time, Neil uses his super-sensitive nose to help the local police solve mysteries. Now, though, the city’s crime scene has taken a turn for the personal: some of the best chefs in town are turning up dead. The cops are stumped; the only real clues are a mysterious smell and some equally mysterious notes that seem to have something to do with Marco Polo. As more chefs fall prey to the killer, Neil can’t imagine how things can get any worse–until he becomes the prime suspect!
Time Snatchers
The year is 2061, and Caleb’s world is crashing down around him. The small group of orphans who were also “adopted” by Uncle used to feel like family, but both the competition to be the top time snatcher and the punishment for failure have gotten fierce. Time traveling to steal priceless objects can be a thrill, but with bully Frank trying to steal his snatches, his partner Abbie falling for Frank’s slimy charms, and Uncle planning to kidnap innocent kids to grow his business, Caleb starts thinking about getting out.
But there is not place on earth, past or present, that is safe from Uncle’s tentacles, and runaways get the harshest punishment of all. Will Caleb risk everything to fight for the future he dreams about?
Margaret and the Moth Tree
Lemony Snicket meets Charlotte’s Web in this spellbinding story about a quiet, brown-haired orphan named Margaret trapped in a dreadful orphanage run by the sinister, beautiful Miss Switch. After an unsuccessful attempt to alert authorities to Miss Switch’s tyranny, Margaret is forced to endure a life of complete silence. But the new state of affairs proves to be more blessing than curse. You see, Margaret can hear things other people cannot. And on one incredible day, Margaret hears tiny voices coming from a strange, thorny tree and discovers a community of playful moths. Together Margaret and the moths prepare a plan to end Miss Switch’s reign of terror and provide a better life for everyone.
Man Overboard!
When sixteen-year-old Scott and his friend Adam find summer jobs as deckhands on the Rapids Prince, little do they know what lies in store. It is July 1943, and a German agent is rumored to have landed in Canada from U-boat. Curtis Parkinson uses this true historical event to take the reader on a rollicking ride down the St. Lawrence River, through the Long Sault Rapids, to the streets of Old Montreal. When the boys get wind of a possible bomb aboard the Rapids Prince, they go into high gear to search the ship and save the innocent passangers. But is there time?
Curtis Parkinson has written an impossible-to-put-down novel that combines history with high adventure.
Jasper John Dooley
At last, it’s Jasper John Dooley’s turn to be Star of the Week at school. Unfortunately, nothing turns out as planned. His Show and Tell falls flat. A new baby at his friend Ori’s house steals his spotlight. And worst of all, the new baby has only-child Jasper wondering if his own family is too small. When Jasper decides to build himself a brother (named Earl) out of wood, Earl’s schoolyard shenanigans send Jasper to the principal’s office! But with a little help from family and friends, things turn around for Jasper. And by the time Friday arrives, he is once again sure that he has what it takes to be a star. Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week is the first in a series of chapter books featuring a charismatic and funny central character. An only child with active, loving parents (and a most impressive lint collection), Jasper John Dooley is a true original.
Various Positions
When talented, dedicated fourteen-year-old Georgia Slade becomes a student in an elite Toronto ballet academy, her confusing feelings toward one of her teachers lead to disaster.
Friends with Boys
A coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist! Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe it even means making a new friend—one who isn’t one of her brothers. Funny, surprising, and tender, Friends with Boys is a pitch perfect YA graphic novel full of spooky supernatural fun.
The Green Man
Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. A proud, independent woman, Emily’s been made frail by a heart attack. O will be a help to her. Just how crucial that help will be unfolds as O first tackles Emily’s badly neglected home, then the chaotic shop. But soon she discovers that there are mysteries and long-buried dark forces that she cannot sweep away, though they threaten to awaken once more. At once an exploration of poetry, a story of family relationships, and an intriguing mystery, The Green Man is Michael Bedard at his finest.
Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction
Fresh off his success in solving the Marco Polo murders, Neil FlambÉ heads to Mexico City to take part in the Azteca Cocina — a two-week battle of the chefs. But things start to go wrong at the very first battle: Neil’s box of secret ingredients contains a note inside, telling him that Isabella has been kidnapped. He must lose in the final, or else she’ll be killed! To save Isabella, Neil will need Larry’s knowledge of Mexican history and Spanish, Sean Nakamura’s portable forensic lab, and Angel Jicama’s mentorship. He’ll have to delve into Aztec history, symbolism, and even into the real ruins that are buried under the modern city.