Suspended from school for cussing at a mean teacher, John “Spud”’ Sweetgrass at least still has his job selling french fries from a curbside “chip wagon.” But he notices that something stinks — literally. It’s the smell of rancid cooking oil at a polluted Ottawa beach. His suspicions aroused, Spud follows Dumper Stubbs, a creepy delivery man who services local restaurants and chip wagons. Spud gets angry when he sees Dumper living up to his name, dumping oil into a storm drain and causing terrible pollution in the river. When Spud blows the whistle, he loses his job. Enlisting the help of his buddy Dink the Thinker, and Connie Pan — whom he calls his girlfriend though she isn’t exactly that — Spud thinks he has a chance of regaining his job and stopping the Dumper’s harmful activities. In the background of this offbeat farce are serious issues that Spud must also deal with, including his father’s death, his mother’s withdrawal into grief, and his own awkward transition through adolescence. Brian Doyle expertly interweaves comedy and important contemporary concerns of young people in this vivid story with a message.
Americas
Materials from the Americas
Mr. And Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire!
In this hilarious chapter book mystery, meet a girl whose parents have been kidnapped by disreputable foxes, and a pair of detectives that also happen to be bunnies! When Madeline gets home from school one afternoon to discover that her parents have gone missing, she sets off to find them. So begins a once-in-a-lifetime adventure involving a cast of quirky and unforgettable characters. There’s Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, who drive a smart car, wear fedoras, and hate marmots; the Marmot, who loves garlic bread and is a brilliant translator; and many others.
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDreonald No Combina
Marisol McDonald, a biracial, nonconformist, soccer-playing pirate-princess with brown skin and red hair, celebrates her uniqueness.
Grandfather Counts
When Helen’s grandfather, Gong Gong, comes from China to live with her family, he’s shocked to find that none of his grandchildren speak Chinese. How will he communicate with them? At first he keeps to himself. Then one day he joins Helen to watch the trains. He starts counting the train cars in Chinese, and she repeats the words. Then Helen says the numbers in English. They continue to teach each other, and Helen even learns her Chinese name, which means “flower.” In this luminously illustrated intergenerational story, the devotion between a young girl and her grandfather helps them overcome barriers of age and language.
To The Post Office With Mama
The text, told with simple and poetic language, exudes a sense of warmth and comfort. Two-year-old Shea tells about getting dressed up in her winter clothing and going to the post office with her mother to mail a letter to Nanny. Full color.
What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?
This delightfully illustrated book introduces children to the concept of time through the mishaps and misdaventures of Mr. Wolf. The Story traces the escapades of the bumbling Mr. Wolf as he pursues Mouse and Squirrel through their daily activities. A large clock accompanies each activity, representing the passage of time. Bob Beeson’s vivid pen and marker illustrations captivate the eye and capture the imagination with ever-changing details. With its wonderfully entertaining story and pictures, What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf? is the perfect book for children just beginning to learn about clocks and telling time.
What’s He Doing Now?
When a young boy named Lewis finds out that his mother is going to have a baby, he is full of questions: What is the baby doing now? How does his mom feel with a baby growing inside her? When he touches her tummy, it feels like she swallowed a bunch of butterflies! When the baby has hiccups, it sounds like popcorn! Month by month, he becomes more and more curious about what the baby is doing inside his mother’s tummy.Lewis thinks that having a new baby around could be kind of neat… but a bit worrisome at the same time. He begins to wonder if the baby will like him, and becomes a little afraid that he is not special to his parents anymore. However, he soon discovers he has an important place in his family — and being a big brother is actually kind of fun! An ideal book for parents and children to share.
Good Families Don’t
Good Families Don’t is Munsch’s funniest book yet, about a risqué subject that is guaranteed to have children–and adults–rolling in the aisles.When Carmen tries to tell her parents that there is a big fart lying on her bed, they don’t believe her. “Good families like ours,” they tell her, “do not have farts.” But when they go upstairs to see, the fart attacks them–as it does the similarly disbelieving police when they arrive. Carmen is left to deal with the situation on her own, which she does with the help of a rose.
Count Your Way Through Canada
These beautifully illustrated, interactive picture books introduce children to foreign cultures and languages.
Book Of Big Brothers
In this episodic tale that’s rich with Cary Fagan’s characteristically dry humor, a boy tells the story of his life with two older brothers. When he is only a week old, his brothers argue over who can hold him first and drop him onto the porch. But they aren’t all bad: they chase away the mean girls who call him names, and they perform a play starring the neighbor’s dog to cheer him up when he has the measles. Later on these troublesome boys set fire to neighbor’s tree, play football in the living room, and even attempt to ride their banana bikes all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Inspired by Cary Fagan’s childhood experiences, this story is a spot-on portrayal of the crazy, mishap-filled, yet undeniably fun and affectionate life in a family with three boys. Luc Melanson’s wonderfully lively and extremely funny retro-style illustrations are a perfect complement to the text.