Canada

Materials from Canada

One More River

Lesley lives in Canada and thinks life is just great, she has got friends, she likes school and they are very comfortably off. But then her father makes a fateful decision, the whole family is going to emigrate to Israel and live a more fully Jewish life. Lesley is horrified and very resistant. However, once she gets to her new country and a very different life, she begins to find it stimulating and enjoyable. A strange relationship with Palestinian boy Mustafa, who lives on the other side of the Jordan river, is a big part of the new Lesley.

Dog Lost

11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole world: Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull. His dad won the runt after a long night of drinking and gambling–ever since Mac’s mom died, that’s all he seems to do, and soon he erupts in a rage at the innocent pup, takes her away in the trunk of his car, and dumps her in the middle of nowhere. Mac vows to find Cash and bring her back home–he has to: All strays are about to be outlawed! Little does he know that while he searches for Cash, she’s surviving her own adventures and proving in the process that all dogs–even pit bulls–are born good.

How To Heal A Broken Wing

In a spare urban fable, Bob Graham brings us one small boy, one loving family, and one miraculous story of hope and healing.”No one saw the bird fall.”In a city full of hurried people, only young Will notices the bird lying hurt on the ground. With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. In classic Bob Graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single feather as a good-luck charm for the bird’s return to the sky. Wistful and uplifting, here is a tale of possibility – and of the souls who never doubt its power.

This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

The Imaginary Garden

Theodora loved her grandfather’s old garden. His new apartment’s balcony is too windy and small for a garden. But what appears to be a drawback soon leads to a shared burst of creativity as Theo and her Poppa decide to paint a new garden. As they work side by side — sowing seeds with brushes and paint — a masterpiece begins to take shape that transforms the balcony into an abundant garden. When Poppa goes away on holiday, Theo helps nurture the garden and it begins to take on a life of its own. This garden grows not from soil but from love, imagination and creativity. Readers will marvel at each stage of this fertile garden as it grows from seed to full flower, revealing the power of art to enrich our lives.

Alego

It’s almost time for supper, and Alego goes with her grandmother to the shore to collect clams. Along the way, the girl discovers tide pools brimming with life — a bright orange starfish, a creepy crawly ugjurnaq, sea snails, and a sculpin. A rising star of the famed Cape Breton Inuit art scene, author and illustrator Ningeokuluk Teevee draws on her own childhood experiences in the Arctic for this enchanting introduction to the life of an Inuit girl and her world. Printed in both Inuktitut and English, the book includes an illustrated glossary of the sea creatures in the story as well as a map of Baffin Island.

Crusades: Kids At The Crossroads

What if kids kept blogs during pivotal moments in world history? The Internet offers modern kids amazing ways to express themselves and learn about the world. Imagine if the same technology had been available to children during dramatic episodes in history. Welcome to the Kids at the Crossroads series. Each book is written as an Internet journal, including illustrated snapshots of the action and “links” to sidebar windows providing facts about and images of the era. This innovative blend of history and high-tech storytelling is sure to capture the attention of web junkies and history buffs alike. Crusades: Kids at the Crossroads logs you on to the blog of 12-year-old Hans, who is destined to march in the 13th-century Children’s Crusade. Restless with his duties in his father’s wheelwright shop, Hans longs to follow his older brother, Otto, who joined a crusade to the Holy Land two years earlier and hasn’t been heard from since. When a mysterious stranger appears in the night and describes new troubles stirring, Hans sees his chance to go after his brother. Soon Hans has joined thousands of young people, led by the charismatic Nicholas, on a march across Europe. But the journey is more perilous than anyone realized. As the dangers rise, morale plummets, and the crusade breaks apart. Hans perseveres to the Holy Land and to a bittersweet reunion with his wounded brother. With its innovative blog style, nail-biting storyline and info-packed sidebars about the actual Children’s Crusade, Crusades: Kids at the Crossroads is historical fiction at its high-tech best.

The War To End All Wars: The Story Of World War I

A brilliant, concise history of The War to End All Wars.In the decade leading up to 1914, Europe had never known such prosperity. But the times were not good enough for the continent’s most powerful nations: Germany wanted a navy that matched England’s; Russia wanted an army as large and as disciplined as Germany’s; the Austro-Hungarian Empire wanted more respect; and England felt compelled to teach the others about civilized relations. Meet the soldiers who fought the deadly battles along the Western Front. Follow the trail of flying ace Billy Bishop as he tangles in the air with the Red Baron. Learn the strategy of Britain’s Grand Fleet of warships as it heads into the biggest sea battle in history.

Clever Beatrice And The Best Little Pony

cleverEveryone knows that Beatrice of the north woods is clever. In this disarming companion to the award-winning Clever Beatrice, our heroine proves that she’s a pint-sized force to be reckoned with when she discovers that someone has been sneaking into the barn at night to ride her beloved pony. The village bread maker, who specializes in solving “things not easily explained,” claims he can help Beatrice, given enough time. But Beatrice doesn’t have time, so starts thinking herself.

Chester

Chester is more than a picture book. It is a story told, and retold, by dueling author-illustrators. Melanie Watt starts out with the story of a mouse in a house. Then Melanie’s cat, Chester, sends the mouse packing and proceeds to cover the pages with rewrites from his red marker, and the gloves are off. Melanie and her mouse won’t take Chester’s antics lying down. And Chester is obviously a creative powerhouse with confidence to spare. Where will this war of the picture-book makers lead?

Take a closer look at Chester as examined in WOW Review.