Americas

Materials from the Americas

Old Bird

One day Papa buys Bird, an old horse that can carry Archie and his brother to school every day. And the two boys are delighted with the gentle mare, which follows them around as they do their chores on the farm. It isn’t long, however, before Bird reveals another side to her personality. Despite Papa’s efforts to keep her out of the barn, Bird manages to open the latch and let herself in every time. And when she doesn’t get her own way, Bird develops a habit of bucking off the boys along the trail to and from school. A despairing Papa finally decides that Bird has to be returned. There’s no place on a farm for an animal that doesn’t earn its keep. But Bird isn’t ready to leave. The stubborn old mare does have a place on the farm despite her age. All she has to do is seize the opportunity and show everyone what she’s been capable of all along. Based on a true story, Irene Morck’s new picture book is a delightful tale that children will love. But it is the subtle, deeper message – old does not mean useless – which will have a lasting impact on readers of all ages. Artist Muriel Wood accompanies the text with exquisite paintings that are deeply coloured and full of character, leaving their own heartfelt signature on this moving story.

When It’s Six O’clock in San Francisco: A Trip through Time Zones

A lyrical multicultural picture book that introduces the concept of time zones. As one little boy is eating breakfast in San Francisco, another kid in London is playing football with his mates, a girl in Harare is eating dinner with her family, and another child in Sydney is calling for a drink of water in the middle of the night. Poetic language and charming vignettes simplify the concept of time zones by providing glimpses into the everyday lives of children around the world.

Dancing Through The Snow

After four different foster placements, Min is back at Children’s Aid a week before Christmas. She has no family, no birthday, no idea of where she came from. Then Jess Hart, a former Children’s Aid doctor who sees past Min’s hardened shell, decides to take Min home for the holidays. Has Min found her place at last?

More Than You Can Chew

Marty Black has retreated from a difficult family situation into the area she can best control, her own appetites. She may not be able to control her parents’ behavior, but she can decide what she will and will not eat. Eventually, she stops eating altogether. Marty is close to death when she finally asks for help and finds herself in a psychiatric institution. But recognizing her need for help is only the first tenuous step on a long road to recovery. Marty’s ability to find a way to live, despite the powerful lure of anorexia, is the core of this novel.

Hate You

A young adult novel explores the path from hatred of an abusive father to healing as Alice learns to sing with her own true voice. Alice Silvers writes songs she can never sing, because she has a broken, “Frankenstein” voice. Her father choked her years before when she got in his way while he was fighting with her mother. After that night, her mother threw him out. Alice has never seen him again. Now she’s 17. Alice has her songs, her words, her mother, her boyfriend, her life. Everything but her voice. Years have passed since that terrifying night, but Alice burns with a hate stronger than anything she’s ever known.

Fiendish Deeds (Joy Of Spooking)

Do you dare set foot in Spooking?

It’s the terrible town on the hideous hill — and Joy Wells is a proud resident. A fan of classic horror stories, Joy is convinced that famous author E. A. Peugeot based his spine-tingling tales on Spooking. Take the eerie similarities between the nearby swamp and the setting of his masterpiece, “The Bawl of the Bog Fiend.” Could the story be true? Could the bog fiend be on the loose?

Things become truly horrifying when Joy learns that Darlington, the despicable suburban city where she is forced to go to school, is planning to build a water park over her beloved bog. It is up to her to safeguard the endangered area and its secrets. Little does she know that there is someone determined to destroy not only the bog but the town of Spooking itself — and anyone who dares stand in his way.

P. J. Bracegirdle spins a yarn of delicious devilry and macabre mayhem in the very first book of The Joy of Spooking trilogy.

Lord of the Sky

A breathtakingly illustrated tribute to the art and mythology of West Coast native culture. In this exquisitely illustrated picture book, based on the animated short film of the same name, Linda Zeman-Spaleny transports young readers to a bygone time when nothing lived in the universe, when “out of the darkness came the Great Raven, who brought the Sun to the children of the North Pacific Coast.” Legend tells of a boy, living by the sea, who befriends the ravens, sharing his food with them. But some of the ravens are greedy, and the village boys decide to teach them a lesson by sending a swift and fatal arrow. When darkness descends upon the land, the wise elder tells the villagers that only the Lord of the Sky can restore the Sun, so the boy begins an arduous journey in search of him. . . .In this riveting folktale, Linda Zeman-Spaleny pays tribute to her emigration from Eastern Europe and her arrival in British Columbia, where she saw beautiful totem poles for the first time. Award-winning artist Ludmila Zeman’s lush, vibrant artwork complements this timeless tale with modern themes and the message that we need to care for our world in order to preserve it.

Rhymes Round the World

Sweet and full of wonder, from catchy to quiet, children’s poems captivate readers of all ages. Here, familiar nursery rhymes and folk songs join poetry selections from many traditions. Recall old favorites and discover new poems, from Poland to Mozambique, Japan to Mexico, and every corner in between. Cheerful illustrations capture the beauty of diversity the world over.

Kira (Shadow Of The Dragon)

Under no circumstances are girls EVER to be allowed anywhere near dragons. THE PENALTY FOR ANY GIRL CAUGHT BREAKING THE FIRST LAW IS DEATH. Kira is twelve, and strong willed. The daughter of a retired dragon knight, she yearns for adventure and dreams of following in her father’s footsteps astride her own magnificent mount. But this can never happen. According to the ‘stupid laws’ of the kingdom, she must be married by thirteen. Kira hates it, but being a girl she has no choice. Then Lord Dorcon arrives, in a whirl of destruction and fire and Kira knows the real fight is just beginning. To stand a chance of seeing her family again, and to protect the life of her younger sister, she will need every bit of willpower she can find. Let the battle commence.

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures In One Volume, Vol. 1)

As all Tintin fans know, once you’ve read one of his terrific adventures, you’ve got to read another and then another. Each of these collections contains three classic and fully complete Tintin adventures. Packed with all the color, wit, and derring-do that has made Tintin one of the world’s most beloved comic characters, these books are easy to carry and fun to read. each.