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Past
Featured Books 13 - 15, A to H
A
B C D
E F G H
Books
are listed Alphabetically by Title:
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47 |
| Life on the Corinthian Plantation in Georgia in 1832 is brutal for the slaves brought from African to work the fields. Among them is 47, a fourteen-old boy who is inspired by the runaway slave Tall John, a man who says he comes from “beyond Africa”, from across the galaxies and across time in pursuit of the Calash, an evil that must be confronted and defeated. Gradually, Tall John shows 47 how he can break the chains of slavery, and be free. The provocative elements of this story include time travel, shape-shifting and cosmic conflict that pale in comparison to the travesty of slavery. | |
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6-321
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| Set in 1963, this story concerns the students whose grade six classes are academically streamed. There is a steadily escalating trend of abuse and bullying that culminates with the ringleader being moved into the strongest class. The students learn that what they take for granted may not be so, especially in the aftermath of the assassination of John Kennedy. | |
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Abhorsen
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| The third volume in The Abhorsen Trilogy, this concludes the story begun first in Sabriel and followed in Lirael. Lirael and her nephew Prince Sameth along with Disreputable Dog and Mogget the cat have been ensorchelled in Abhorsen House by Clorr of the Mask, a Dead Creature, associate of Hedge, an evil necromancer determined to join all that is foul in two hemispheres. Should he succeed, the joining will annihilate all life. Played out against a theme of the peril and promise of technology, the power of the friendships among the characters provides the drive to engage the forces of evil. Although a satisfying conclusion, there is enough left incomplete to allow the author to continue the story from another perspective. | |
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After
Hamelin |
| Remember the Pied Piper, who piped all the children out of the town of Hamelin? What would happen if one of the children was deaf, and did not hear the Piper? After Hamelin carries this thought forward, by weaving an intriguing tale of destiny, magic, and questing adventure. Penelope, the deaf child, is now 101 years old, and decides to tell her story before the end of her life. Enter the world of deep dreaming where danger and adventure come together with dragons that carry scotch mints and sewing kits, and the sage Cuthbert who will remind you of Yoda. A delightful escape from reality. | |
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Aftermath |
| In 2026, the Alpha Centauri supernova explodes, sending a catastrophic shockwave through the galaxy. When it reaches Earth, it destroys much of the southern hemisphere, creating immediate environmental devastation. Also decimated are all unshielded microchips and computer systems on the planet. As the survivors struggle to cope, it is transparent how perilously reliant upon technology civilization has become. | |
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After the Last Dog Died: The True-Life,
Hair-Raising Adventure of Douglas Mawson and his 1911-1914 Antarctic
Expedition |
| Before the ordeal of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of Endurance in the Antarctic, there was Sir Douglas Mawson who lead a team of scientists to gather data about the Southern continent. With two companions, Lt. Belgrave Ninnis and Dr. Xavier Mertz, sled dogs and supplies, he set out to study the great ice shelf. After several difficult weeks, Ninnis was lost in a deep crevasse, along with most of the remaining food supplies. Over the next few days, the sled dogs were shot and butchered for their meat. Starving and frostbitten, Mawson and Mertz laboured toward base camp. Mertz died en route, and Mawson barely survived, arriving in terrible condition at base camp. This harrowing journey is well-documented with maps, charts, diagrams, and interviews. It is a riveting account of survival in the harshest conditions. | |
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Airborn |
| From the author of Silverwing comes this thrilling adventure story about Matt, a 15 yr. old cabin boy on the giant luxury airship Aurora. One night Matt helps rescue an elderly man from a crippled hot air balloon and, before dying, the man tells Matt about fantastic. creatures he has seen flying through the clouds. A year later, a young woman, named Kate, arrives on board the Aurora. She and Matt become friends, much to the distate of Kate’s chaperone, and Matt learns that Kate is the grandaughter of the man from the hot air balloon. Kate has read about the winged creatures in her grandfather’s log book and is determined to find them. Before Matt can help Kate in her quest the Aurora is attacked by pirates and shipwrecked on a tropical island. As the crew works on repairing the airship Kate and Matt explore the island. They make an amazing discovery and encounter terrible danger from predators both human and non-human. This is a gripping, fast-paced novel that will keep you totally absorbed until the final pages. Be sure to check out the web site. | |
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Aldabra, or the tortoise who loved Shakespeare |
| Elisa loves her Nonna Eia, but is puzzled why her own mother does not visit Nonna. Eventually Elisa leans that years before, her mother had Nonna Eia committed to a psychiatric facility. The rift that caused has not yet healed, and Elisa wants to avoid hospitalizing her grandmother again. But it is difficult when Nonna begins to change, really change. Her skin becomes rougher, and gradually she loses the ability to stand upright and speak intelligibly as she transforms into a giant tortoise whose extended life span cheats a human death. This story challenges the meaning of identity and sanity, between what we see and what we hear. | |
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Alice, I Think |
| Dressed as a hobbit for her first day of grade one, Alice Macleod endures escalating bullying until her dysfunctional parents pull her from public school and home-school her in the town of Smithers, British Columbia. As high school approaches, Alice has promised to attend public school again, but worries that she will be bullied, have no friends and stand out as totally unacceptable. Through her diary entries, she is spot-on in her observations of her hippy mother’s feminist friends and her romance-novelist father’s slacker buddies. In an often hilarious and caustic style, Alice copes with the trials of her life with the help and often in spite of those who love her. | |
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All
the Answers |
| Jason Hodge is a bright, witty middle school athlete who is smitten with Phelicia Nevimore. Phelicia is the twin sister of his nemesis, Philip, star athlete and math wizard, who jealously guards his gorgeous but vapid sibling from Jason’s attention. Complicating Jason’s problems at school is a strained relationship with his stressed out accountant-father, whose boss is the twins’ father. How Jason uses his head to resolve his issues is clever and entertaining. | |
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Amah,
The
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| Amy Chin and her four siblings are being raised by their mother after her father's death five years earlier. Money is very tight, but Mrs. Chin has a promising new job as a nanny to the daughter of a wealthy widower. This means that Amy is able to continue her ballet lessons and have a role as a stepsister in Cinderella. Robin, Amy's best friend offers her grandmother's services as a babysitter when Mrs. Chin's job threatens to make it impossible for Amy to continue with her ballet. In contrast to Amy, Stephanie Sinclair appears to have eveything anyone could want. Yet something is missing. This is a realistic portrait of the lives of young people from different cultural communities. | |
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Amber
Spyglass, The
|
| The concluding book of the trilogy "His Dark Materials", this follows The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife. It begins immediately where its predecessor ended. Will must find and free Lyra that they may continue their quest to save their world. This is a complex and demanding story that echoes Paradise Lost. A knowledge of the first two volumes is essential, but singularly rewarding to the diligent and thoughtful reader. | |
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Among
the Imposters
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| In Luke Gamer’s society, third children are not allowed to exist. All of his life has been spent in hiding. After assuming the identity of a dead child, he can now live among others. He attends a private school with cruel classmates, and indifferent teachers. He knows he must become part of the community, but lives in fear that his behaviour will betray him. One day he discovers the door to the outside world, where he believes he will find the answers to the questions that haunt him. What he does not know is who he can trust, and where the answers might lead him. This is the sequel to Among the Hidden and will be followed by Among the Betrayed. | |
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Angel's Grace |
Grace has wild red hair and a birthmark on her shoulder that her mother tells her is from the touch of an angel. But Grace knows instinctively that she does not completely belong in her family. When she must spend the summer in Trinidad , she discovers an old picture album with a photograph of a man with a mark just like hers. In conversations with family and friends, she confirms that the man she has called father is not her birth parent. He was Angel who died in an accident before her birth. Through family love and support, she eventually comes to terms with her circumstances. |
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An Ocean Apart: The Gold Mountain
Diary of Chin Mei-ling, Vancouver,
British Columbia, 1922 |
| Mei-ling is the twelve-year old Chinese daughter of an immigrant Chinese family in the early part of the twentieth century in Canada. She lives with her father in a small room in Chinatown. He works long days as a houseboy in the home of a white family, after he is cheated out of his business by unscrupulous partners. Mei-ling attends school with an assortment of Canadian children, some of whom torment her. She is a gifted artist, and diligent student, whose teacher gives her a bright red diary for her birthday, to acknowledge her tremendous intellectual growth. She is so shy that her only friend is Bess, the daughter of an Irish immigrant family that falls on hard times. After school, Mei-ling works at assorted jobs to help her father accumulate the money to pay the onerous head tax that would allow her mother and young brother to join them in Canada. In her few spare moments, she records her thoughts, using all but the last three pages, which she saves to record the arrival of her mother in Canada. This accurately portrays the arduous life of immigrants in a particularly racially charged time in Canadian history. | |
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Armageddon
Summer |
| Marina, age 14, and Jed, age 16, meet at a campsite on a mountain where Marina's mother and Jed's father have brought their families to await the end of the world. This is predicted to occur on July 27, 2000 by the Reverend Raymond Beelson, the pastor of their church. The Reverend has had a revelation in which only 144 souls will be saved to repopulate the planet. However, the relatives of some of the "saved" are determined that they will leave the camp. A confrontation with its heartaches is inevitable. | |
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Art
of Keeping Cool, The
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| During the summer of 1942, Robert and his cousin Elliot spend the summer with their families on Rhode Island. The war against the Nazis has come to the coast of North America, near the little town where they are staying. Ships are being sunk, and the resulting horror of war is creating strong feelings in the townspeople. A famous German artist, Abel Hoffman, is living in the woods outside the town. People are speculating that he is a spy. Because Elliott is a budding artist himself, he develops a rapport with Abel, who is a strange man. Because of his nationality, he is labelled a threat to the community. This story gives a strong flavour of the fears at that time, and how those fears can fuel stereotyping. | |
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At the Sign of
the Sugared Plum |
| Hannah is excited about traveling to London to work in her sister Sarah’s sweetmeats shop. But the welcome she is expecting is tempered by the growing threat posed by bubonic plague as it creeps from the poorer sections of the city until Sarah and Hannah find themselves increasingly isolated when neighbouring homes and businesses close. Perhaps their best chance to survive will be a daring escape from the city. Each chapter of this story begins with a quotation from Samuel Pepys’ diaries that are coupled with the textured descriptions of seventeenth century London: the fetid air, the raw sewage, the palpable tension. Included is an analysis of the plague, and recipes for sweetmeats. A companion story to James Cross Giblin’s When Plague Strikes, and Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders. | |
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Backwater |
| Ivy does not want to follow the family tradition of studying law. While researching the family history, she learns that her Aunt Josephine also rejected the family expectations, and retreated to a mountaintop. In seeking Josephine, Ivy's courage and maturity are tested as she faces family disapproval, a dangerous winter mountain trek, and an aunt uncomfortable with humans. Ivy comes to understand and respect her aunt's uniqueness and value her own. | |
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Bird |
| Having lost both her father and her stepfather Cecil, thirteen-year old Bird runs away from her home in Ohio to a farm in Alabama, to which she believes her stepfather will return. Ethan, a recent heart-transplant recipient, is Cecil’s nephew. He knows Bird is hiding on Ethan’s family farm, but does not know why. Jay, a neighbour, grieves for his brother, whose heart beats now in Ethan’s body. Although Jay knows Ethan has his brother’s heart, Ethan does not. The ways in which these three young people touch and do not touch each other’s lives demonstrates the need for connection and love in their lives. | |
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Bittersweet |
| Taylor Rose is an artistic high school junior whose accomplishments are celebrated principally by her grandmother. Taylor’s mother died many years before and her father is emotionally distant, so her grandmother’s love and support are a bastion of Taylor’s life. However, when her grandmother is incapacitated by a stroke, Taylor loses focus, and begins to shut down. In a poignant story of coming to terms with life’s experiences, Taylor’s struggles to re-establish herself will touch readers. | |
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Black
Horses for the King |
| Galwyn Varianus, son of a Roman Celt, escapes from his tyrannical uncle and joins Lord Artos. Using his talent with languages, and with horses, Galwyn helps to secure from the fairs on the Continent, the Libyan horses that Artos hopes to use in his battles against the Saxons. Galwyn applies his knowledge as a farrier to help care for the horses. Developed from a previously published short story, this provides a different perspective on the Arthurian legend, and the development of calvary as a military strategy in Britain, including the impact of such a mundane innovation as horseshoes. | |
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Beaded
Moccasins, The
:
The Story of Mary Campbell |
| Mary Campbell resents her father’s decision to move the family from their comfortable life in Connecticut to homestead on the frontier in Pennsylvania in 1759. On her twelfth birthday, she is kidnapped by Delaware Indians, to replace the deceased granddaughter of their chief. As she struggles to adapt and survive, Mary finds that she is coming to respect and like the Delaware. Based on an actual event, this details the growth and maturing of a young girl who earns the name The Woman-Who-Saved-the-Corn. | |
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Before we were Free |
As Anita de la Torre becomes more attuned to her family’s political life, she increasingly understands how dangerous her parents’ activities are. They are working to rid the Dominican Republic of Raefal Trujillo, the dictator who has been in power for decades. But it is a difficult task, complicated by not knowing whom to trust, or when the secret police may arrest them. When the family must go into hiding, Anita finds her voice through her diary where she records the hopes and fears that drive her family. This was an American Library Association Notable Book |
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Boots
and the Seven Leaguer: A Rock and |
| Gog is a teen troll, magic, just not magic enough to make tickets to the sold-out concert of Boots and the Seven Leaguers, coming to jam under Rhymer's Bridge in only a few days. His friend Pook concocts a disguise that convinces the rock and troll band that Gog and Pook are experienced roadies. After all their lifting and toting, Gog and Pook discover that Gog's younger brother, Magog, who tagged along, is missing. What is worse, it appears that Magog has disappeared into the New Forest, a fearsome place where Gog must outwit the Weed King, the horrible Huntsman and enter the lair of the Great White Wym. Gog wants to rescue his little brother more than he wants to go to the concert, but if everything goes accordingly to plan, he might just be able to do both. This lighthearted fantasy will appeal to Yolen readers. |
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Boxer,
The
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| John Aloysius Xavier Wood is only fifteen, but he is working to support his mother and younger siblings after their father abandoned them three years before. It is 1885 in the tenements of New York City, where John works in a sweatshop a dozen hours a day for meagre wages, and his mother makes artificial flowers for a pittance at home. Tough for his age and size, John is quick with his fights. When he sees a sign offering a five dollar prize for boxing in the ring at Brodie's pub, he decides that he will enter the boxing contest, even though it is illegal. He is in the ring when the police raid the pub, and cart him off to jail. Sentenced to six months in The Tombs, John meets Michael O'Shaughnessy, a former middleweight champion who adopts John as his protégé. Through hard work, and vicious fights, John makes a name for himself, and enough money to realize his dream of moving his family to a new home. A quiet story about perseverance and commitment. | |
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Boy
in the Burning House, The
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| Jim Hawkins is barely coping with the disappearance more than two years ago of his father, Hub Hawkins. Now Rose Ruby, the stepdaughter of Eldon Fisher, the village pastor who was also Hub’s best friend, accuses him of murdering Hub. Rose Ruby is a wild-spirited child with a history of mental instability, but there is enough credibility in her charges that Jim must find out the truth for himself. In seeking answers, he finds himself dealing with the death of a boy in a burning house more than three decades ago. The boy was known to both Hub and Eldon. As Jim draws nearer to the answers he seeks, his life and that of Rose Ruby are in jeopardy. A thrilling adventure that challenges the reader’s assumptions. | |
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Boy
at War : A Novel of Pearl Harbour, A
|
| Adam’s family moved to Honolulu when his father was posted to the USS Arizona two days before the bombing of Pearl Harbour. The event which brought the United States into World War II. Adam experiences that event first-hand. His perspective and his fears coupled with the sudden responsibility of being the only male in the household lend a powerful perspective to this historic event. | |
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Boy's
Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers |
| There are twenty short stories in this collection, edited by Tim Wynne-Jones. The stories deal with themes of interest especially to boys: champs and bullies; the lure of danger; getting lost in the wild; scoring the winning goal; scaring your brother. The time frame ranges from 1000 AD to the present day, yet the characters, regardless of background are recognizable as real boys living real lives. Many well-known Canadian authors are featured, including Monica Hughes, Brian Doyle and Tim Wynne-Jones. | |
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Breadwinner,
The
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| Under the Taliban in Afghanistan, the daily lives of females were severely curtailed. A woman or a girl could not leave the family home without the escort of a male member of the household, or written permission from the male head of the household. When in public, females were required to be clothed from head to food in an enveloping burka, a tent-like garment that concealed the female form utterly. School for girls was forbidden. Parvana’s family is in difficult enough circumstances before their university-educated father is arrested, but now there is no male to escort the women and girls on their errands to the market for food and services. Parvana, who is young enough to pass as a boy, takes her father’s place as escort, and assumes his role as “reader” at his station in the market. It is Parvana’s skill and courage that helps carry her family through an arduous period. The sequels to this story are Parvana’s Journey and Mud City. | |
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Bucking the Sarge |
At age 15, Luther Farrell has an illegal driver’s license to chauffeur elderly men to his mother’s string of halfway houses. She is known as the Sarge, over-the-top with many manipulative and shady practices in running her slum landlord businesses, which she expects Luther to assume as an adult. He, on the other hand, wants only to win the science fair, think deep thoughts, hang with his best friend, Sparky, and love the gorgeous Shayla. Defeating his mother’s plans for him is richly satisfying. Told in contemporary language and with engaging comic dialogue, this is a different perspective on the child of a single parent. |
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Calling the Swan
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| Skylar Deacon wants to take a summer course at a downtown high school, but she is struggling to overcome her parents’ obsessive protectiveness. Her mother seems at the edge of an emotional breakdown, and her sole confidante, her older sister Alexandra, seems oddly out of place. Gradually, it becomes apparent that Alexandra is present in Skylar’s life only in spirit. She was abducted three years before and has never been found. Skylar’s efforts to regain her sense of self-confidence and begin to grow towards independence are at the heart of this haunting story. | |
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Canada: Question and Answer Encyclopedia
|
| Written in trivia-question format, this explores some aspects of Canada’s history, geography and culture in an entertaining and informative structure. Included are such diverse questions as “Who coined the term, cyberspace?”; “What was Operation Jubilee?”; “Who were Ernie Coombs and Robert Homme?”; and “Which two great air aces met on April 30, 1917?”. The answers are complemented with photographs, reproductions and illustrations that enhance the text. An educational resource with a sense of humour and cachet. | |
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Canning
Season, The |
| Lonely thirteen-year old Ratchet Clark is sent to spend the summer with her two very elderly cousins, by her indifferent mother. The cousins live in an isolated area of Maine. Penpen and Tilley include Ratchet in their work, gardening, swimming, canning blueberries and fending off bears. Not incidentally, they teach Ratchet what it means to be loved and cared for. A darkly humourous story with eccentric characters for the more sophisticated reader. | |
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Captains
Courageous |
| When young Harvey Cheynen, the spoiled son of a millionaire, is swept overboard from an ocean liner, he is miraculously rescued by Captain Disko Troop and the crew of the fishing vessel, We're Here. The rescuers do not believe Harvey's story of a wealthy family, and instead teach him how to survive as a fisherman. When the fishing boat returns to port months later, to Harvey's exultant family, there are many happy outcomes. An elegantly and stylishly written story by the author of The Jungle Book; and Kim. | |
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Carved
Box, The
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| Callum Murdoch, a fifteen-year old orphan, arrives in Canada from Scotland in 1801. He has come to live with his uncle Rory, but has impulsively spent what little cash he has on a filthy, half-starved dog and a mysterious box. When the box accidentally breaks open, Callum must make a very difficult decision. | |
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Castaways of the Flying Dutchman
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| The Flying Dutchman was a seventeenth-century ship condemned to sail the seas forever with its ghastly, ghostly crew. Neb, a young mute boy and his dog are both bound to wander the world throughout the centuries, to help those in need. A swashbuckling story filled with colour and melodrama, where the villains are corrupt and stupid, and the treasures, intriguing clues and delectable confection descriptions keep the reader entertained. | |
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Catherine,
Called Birdy |
| This Newbery medal winner is about Catherine, the daughter of a nobleman, who is 14 years old when she begins a record of her daily life. Her diary of the year 1290 provides a funny, vivid, and authentic picture of medieval life. Although Catherine's father keeps trying to marry her off to a rich man, Catherine manages to repel all her suitors. This is a wonderful novel and gives the reader a very real picture of what life was like in the 13th century. | |
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Charlie
Wilcox's Great War |
| The sequel to Charlie Wilcox, this continues his story from his arrival home in Newfoundland after years serving as a medic on the front lines in France. His family and friends treat him as a beloved hero, but in truth, he is trying to adjust to life after spending his adolescence dealing with the horrors he witnessed. His story alternates between his past and the present, balancing the nightmare of war with the peace of home. A challenging tale of the personal cost of war on young people. | |
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Chuju's
House |
| It is the law in modern Chinese society that a rural family may only have two children. When Chu Ju’s parents have a second daughter, it eliminates their chance of having a son to carry on the family name and tradition. They decide to sell the new baby, Hua, to make room for another attempt at a boy baby. When fourteen-year old Chu Ju hears of the plans for her adorable baby sister, she decides she must leave her home and ‘disappear’. Then her parents will have only one official child. In the middle of the night, she hurries from her hut to the river to begin a journey that will take her far from her family and home. Read to find out what becomes of her in the vastness of China. This is a page-turning story of love and survival. | |
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Code Talker: a novel about the Navajo Marines of World Two |
| Writing for his grandchildren many years after his experiences, Ned Begay explains his youth in biligaana (white) schools and his life in the United States Marines in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. Ned’s Navajo language is indecipherable to non-Navajo speakers, thus making him invaluable as a “code talker”, transferring messages on the battlefield. It is only after this work is declassified many years later that he can speak of it to his family and the community, to whom he attributes his perseverance in the face of adversity. Told in a serene voice, this realistic perspective of the horrors of the battlefield and the on-going struggle of aboriginal people for acceptance is a vivid accompaniment to non-fiction about this aspect of history. | |
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Conch Bearer, The |
| Anand lives in Kolcatta where he struggles to earn enough money to help his mother keep a roof over their shack. His father is dead and his sister has had a breakdown. Anand sells tea in the market place where he meets Abdayhatta, a member of the Brotherhood of Healers. He is charged with returning an irreplaceable conch shell, the whorls of which hold great power. The boy and the healer are joined by Nisha, a street sweeper on a classic quest to overcome obstacles and dangers to the return the conch to its home in the distant Himalaya Mountains. An exotic tale of compassion, loyalty and honesty, this evokes the magic of Harry Potter with the realism of Oliver Twist. | |
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Contents under Pressure |
| Lucy Doyle is struggling with a typical fourteen-year old’s issues. Girlfriends or boyfriends? Her father works too much away from his family. Her perfect older brother Jack has returned from college with his pregnant girlfriend Hannah who moves into Lucy’s bedroom. When Lucy meets Tobin Scacheri, she is overwhelmed by first love. It is Hannah who helps Lucy sort out her feelings and responses, in spite of the fact that Jack is not behaving responsibly to impending parenthood. This realistic portrait of a family facing difficult choices will impress readers with its veracity. | |
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Convicts, The
|
| After his father is sent to debtor’s prison, Tom Tin must try to find a way to survive. The streets of London are filled with sinister characters and Tom has dangerous encounters with a blind man, a gang of pickpockets and a body snatcher. Then Tom is accused of murder and sentenced to seven years aboard the Hulk, a decrepit prison ship for boys that floats in the middle of the Thames River. Life on board the prison ship is horrendous and Tom knows he must escape. He befriends a young boy named Midgely who tells him how it can be done. But there is constant danger from the guards and the gangs on board the Hulk. Will Tom escape? Will he take his friend Midgely with him? With authentic characters and settings, this is an engrossing, gritty novel of endurance. | |
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Corner of the Universe, A
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| Hattie Owen wants her summer to be as predictable as those past: helping her mother run their boarding house, spending time with her artist father; and reading “piles of books”. However their family life is turned upside down when Uncle Adam, a relative Hattie never knew she had, comes to stay with them when his “residential” school closes. Adam has emotional issues, is an embarrassment to his parents, and the target of laughter from Hattie’s peers. Hattie often feels that she is more his baby-sitter than his niece, but secretly believes that they are kindred spirits. When she encourages Adam to come with her to the carnival, tragedy results. Hattie learns what Adam meant when he referred to life as lifting a corner of the universe. | |
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Creepy Classics: More Hair-raising
Horror from the Masters of the Macabre |
| The eight stories in this collection include some of the best from masters of this genre: “The Black Cat” by Edgar Alan Poe; “The Violet Car” by E. Nesbit; “The Leather Funnel” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and “Thing in the Hall” by E.F. Benson. Told in the more slowly-paced style and florid vocabulary of another era, each story develops it suspense and conflict in unique ways. The horror creeps upon the reader unexpectedly. | |
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Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night-time,
The |
| Christopher John Francis Boone is a fifteen-year old autistic, whose world is predictable and logical. However, when Christopher is charged with killing Wellington, his neighbour’s poodle found impaled on a garden fork, he is determined to find out who the killer is. Using his idol, Sherlock Holmes as his inspiration, Christopher investigates clues for the answer he is seeking, and finds far more answers than he wants. A poignant, funny, demanding story. | |
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Curse of the Raven Mockers, The
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| Rooted in the myths of the Cherokee nation, this is the story of Adanta whose father seeks the healing lake that will cure his illness. In his absence, a visitor named James comes to the family home. In a particularly chilling incantation, James whom Adanta calls The Lean One, lures her mother away. In her quest to rescue her mother and be reunited with her father, Adanta overcomes many dangers and obstacles in her journey to the hidden world of Adantis. A powerful fantasy set in North America, this is sure to challenge readers with its intricate plot and unusual characters. | |
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Daniel Half Human: and the Good Nazi |
| As an Allied soldier called upon to translate in the aftermath of World War II, Daniel’s story unfolds as a third-person narrative about his life in Germany before the war began. Daniel’s best friend Armin joins him in enthusiasm for the Hitler Youth, until Daniel learns that his mother is Jewish. Even though Armin falls in love with Daniel’s cousin, the two boys are torn between their loyalty to each other and family, and their loyalty to the group. Daniel’s parents argue about the threat the Nazis pose to their family, until Kristallnacht demonstrates the direction Germany is headed. This powerful story is the winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book Award. | |
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Dark Ground, The |
| On minute Robert is looking at himself in the mirror of an airplane bathroom, the next he is naked on the floor of a wild forest. In seeking food, clothing and shelter, he realizes there are others nearby, and that he is near his own home. But the shallow ditch that separates his home from the forest in now a cavernous ravine. Robert recognizes that he is the size of an insect, his universe reduced to this small area where he struggles to survive, and find a means to return to his own place in time. A satisfying beginning to an anticipated trilogy, this will challenge fantasy readers to examine the meaning of reality. | |
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Daughter
|
| Have your hearts touched with this story of Sylvie, who while in the usual turmoil of grade 9 student life, must deal with a mother whose mind is being overtaken with Alzheimer's disease. Upcoming graduation plans, a big piano exam, and possible good vibrations from a cute boy, all seem less important when her usually stable and loving mother begins to show alarming signs of mental deterioration. This is a simply told story of a complex and frightening disease, and as such, serves the purpose of increasing young adult readers' understanding while providing a satisfying reading experience. | |
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Daughter
of the Wind |
| As he skins the bear that mauled his friend, the young Viking, Gauk, believes that the gods have favoured him to be a berserker, a warrior feared by all. Coincidentally, Hallgerd, the beautiful seventeen-year old daughter of the village jarl, is being abducted by Danes who want her as the bride prize for the one of their nobles. Hego witnesses the abduction and tries unsuccessfully to rescue Hallgerd. Gauk and Hego track the Danes to their town, but arrive to find that Hallgerd has been freed by a kindly Dane. Her retribution against her abductors is spectacular. The sequel to Raven of the Waves, this dynamic story is an authentic adventure of Viking times. |
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Daughter
of Venice |
| In the year 1592, fourteen-year old Donata, younger daughter of a noble Venetian family, knows many constraints. She may never venture outside the family home unless she is veiled, accompanied by a parent or older brother, and wearing high shoes that restrict movement. Only the first-born daughter will marry, and Donata is destined to spend her adult years in a convent. Bright, curious and courageous, she wants to see the world beyond her balcony and be tutored like her brothers. She dreams of seeing the Venice she has only glimpsed on a map in a friend's house. Donata conceives the daring plan of trading clothes with a street urchin. She escapes the palazzo into a totally unfamiliar world. A fascinating tale with a feisty and engaging heroine. | |
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Diamonds
in the Rough |
From the frying pan into the fire, that's the summation of Sky's predicament. Sky is one of those adolescents who are clearly more mature and responsible than their parents. This works reasonably well for Sky and her three younger sisters, until their mother is killed in a car accident. After the sisters are placed into separate foster homes, Sky's mission becomes to get them back together. The only adult who can make that happen is a long-lost uncle with a questionable past. |
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Diary
of a Young Girl, The
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| Otto Frank was a successful Jewish entrepreneur in the import business when the Nazis came to power in his native Germany. In the belief that his family would be safe if he moved his business to Amsterdam, Mr. Frank established his wife and two daughters there by 1937. However, when war came, and Germany conquered the Low Countries, it became apparent very quickly that the family would have to hide to survive. Accordingly, with the help of trusted employees, Otto Frank built a small apartment behind the office wall in his warehouse. There, for two years the family lived with another family of three and a dentist. During that time, Anne kept a diary in which she confided her most intimate thoughts, observations and dreams. In the summer of 1944, they were betrayed, and all were taken to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived. When he returned to Amsterdam after the war ended, he was given Anne’s diary, saved by one of his employees. At the urging of friends, he published it as a memorial to his daughter. She speaks clearly, powerfully, poignantly across time. | |
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Different Kind
of Beauty, A |
| Elizabeth Kerr is a freshman in high school. She is training Beauty to be a guide dog. Kyle, who attends the same high school, has recently lost his eyesight to diabetes. Telling their own stories in parallel voices, these two young people do not know each other. Yet they share many common experiences as adolescents: family, friendships, and unrequited love. Elizabeth struggles with the knowledge that she must give Beauty to a blind person. She meets Kyle when Beauty becomes his dog. A refreshingly unpredictable story, this is the sequel to Bringing Up Beauty. | |
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Dirt
Eaters, The |
| The first of the proposed Longlight Legacy trilogy, this sprawling post-apocalyptic fantasy tells the story of Roan, who lost all of his family but his sister in a raid on his community when he was sixteen years old. He is sheltered by a sect of warriors, where he discovers that he has unusual powers as a fighter. But at night, he has visions that disturb him, and convince him that his sister is alive and needs his help. Through many adventures and alliances, he comes to believe that his life has meaning and through him, may bring hope and renewal to his people. A challenging story for those who enjoy fantasy, the second volume in this series is Freewalker. | |
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Doomed Queen Anne |
| Anne Boleyn was the younger daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, an ambitious minor nobleman in the court of Henry VIII. Anne accompanied Henry’s younger sister, Mary, when the princess was married off to the king of France. Anne stayed in France until she returned home to find that her sister had been the mistress of the king. Exotic and erotic to the men of the English court, Anne caught the eye of the king, who, by this time, was in despair that his queen, Catherine of Aragon, would produce the necessary male heir. This is the story of Henry’s pursuit of Anne, how he turned his nation’s religious affiliation to suit his political needs and how he discarded and murdered the mother of Elizabeth I. A story fraught with intrigue and danger, it is an excellent introduction to one of English history’s most contentious periods. | |
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Eagle of the Ninth |
| It is 117 AD in Roman Britain. Marcus Flavius Acquila, himself a Roman centurion, is determined to find out what happened to his father’s legion, the Ninth. It marched north to Caledonia and disappeared into the mists. Marcus wants answers. He wants to retrieve the battle standard, to restore the Ninth’s honour, his father’s honour. Rumour has it that the standard is in the hands of the tribes beyond the wall—and that they will use it as a psychological weapon against the Romans when they rise up in rebellion. Having himself been badly wounded, Marcus recuperates in his uncle’s home, where he meets the tribesman who will lead him, he thinks, to the answers he wants. A reissue of a classic story, its complexity will engage readers of all ages. | |
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Eleanor’s Story: An American
girl in Hitler’s Germany |
| Eleanor Ramrath was born in the United States to a German-immigrant father and a German mother. Although her father was trained as an engineer, there was no work for him in his career during the Great Depression in the United States. So when he was offered an engineering position with a German company in Berlin in 1939, he decided that the two year contract was too good to pass up. When he and his family were en route by ship, Germany invaded Poland and began World War II. Because her father had exchanged all his US dollars for German marks, the family had no money to buy their passage back to the United States immediately, and so began their life in wartime Germany. Eleanor was just ten when she arrived in Berlin. She kept journals for most of her life, and it is from her diaries that she reconstructed the story of the more than six years that she and her family lived in Germany. It is a story of love, family, friendship, loyalty, ordeal and brutality, told in often Spartan language that does not spare the difficulties, trauma and horror of that time. An excellent companion to other similar works, including The Diary of a Young Girl. | |
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Eldest |
| The long-awaited sequel to Eragon continues the story of young Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, who helped the rebels defeat the forces of Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. To complete his training as a Dragon Rider, Eragon must now travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves. New places, new people and amazing adventures await him. Meanwhile, his cousin, Roran, has become the target of soldiers of the Empire and must fight a different battle, one that could put Eragon in even more danger. Fans of Eragon will not be disappointed in this second book of the Inheritance trilogy. | |
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Everest |
| This visually appealing text describes what it takes to climb Mount Everest including wind and weather, clothing, equipment, climbing techniques, rescue and assistance. It details the daily life of people who live in the shadow of the mountain, its climbing history and those best-known stories of reaching the summit. | |
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Every
Day's a Holiday: Amusing Rhymes for Happy Times |
| Best known for his suspense novels, Koontz offers poetry for “happy times”: humourous, fun and full of twists. Besides familiar holidays, he includes celebrations such as Me Day, Cat Day, Troll Day, Whether You Like it or Not, and Holidays on Other Planets. Illustrated by Phil Parks, there is an American perspective to some of the poetry, but some of these, including the Martin Luther King Junior poem, are highly evocative. Entertaining and infectious! | |
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Face
First, A
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| After a car accident leaves her badly burned and injured, Kelley who is twelve, endures weeks in a hospital burn unit. She copes with painful dressings, grafts and exercises. Worst of all, she must wear a clear plastic mask on her face, to prevent scarring, probably for two years. Kelley struggles to imagine how her friends and peers will see her as anything other than frightening, even though they will see "a face first", then a mask. With caring family, friends and community, she learns to deal with her condition, and discovers her own strengths and talents, and the faith of others. Although it does not spare details of Kelley's medical treatments, the story is told with gentleness, understanding and courage. | |
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Facing the Lion: Growing up Maasi on the African Savanna |
| In this remarkable memoir of growing up on the Kenyan plains, Joseph Lekuton explains his youth as part of a nomadic community. He herded cows, played in hyena holes and learned the traditional expectations of his people. He eventually went to a missionary boarding school where he fondly recalled playing soccer, among other escapades. Chosen to attend university in Virginia in the United States, Joseph learned to balance his Maasai heritage with his Western experiences. While living in the United States, he spent several months each year in Kenya to work among his people, and in July, 2006, was elected a member of its Parliament. Told in vivid language, this story describes an exotic but challenging world and how it shaped this man. | |
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Falcon, The |
| Luke’s high school English teacher has assigned a journal to be kept as practice writing for the all-important college-entrance essay that he must write within the year. Initially, he has trouble getting started, but as he warms to the topics nearest to his heart (girlfriend, wrestling, parents, his own disability), what gradually seeps onto his pages is that he is hiding something, even from himself. When a climbing accident forces him to confront his past, Luke comes to understand that he is not invincible. An evocative story of personal understanding. | |
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Fault Line |
| It is Becky Martin’s goal in life to be a successful stand-up comic. While maintaining a strong academic career and a circle of supportive friends, Becky lands a gig on the comedy club scene in San Francisco. There she meets Kip Costello, an attractive, intense young comic who loves stand-up as much as Becky. As Kip demands more and more of her time and attention, Becky comes to realize that there is a dark side to this relationship. Told as a well-balanced story, this explores the nature of abuse in teenage relationships. | |
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Feverbird’s Claw, The |
| On the verge of entering service in the temple, Moralin, a high-born Delagua, leaves the sanctuary of the walled city she has known all her life to seek friendship with three girls on a forbidden adventure. They are captured by the Akera, enemies of the Delgua. Moralin feigns cooperation while plotting her escape. In an alliance with Figt, she endures grueling ordeals to return to her own people. | |
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Finding Lubchenko |
| Making impulsive decisions is a way of life for sixteen-year old Evan Macalister, who is not bothered by his pilfering of computer hardware from his cautious father. Evan typically trades his goods on eBay, until his father is arrested for the murder of a colleague. The evidence that would clear his father just happens to be on a laptop that Evan sold on the black market. He has two choices: come clean to his father or solve the mystery himself. Being Evan, he choose the latter. Using his father’s credit card to finance his investigations, Evan and two friends chase leads all the way to Paris. Told with smart-aleck humour and fast paced action, this intriguing story is sure to entertain | |
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Firesong |
| The concluding volume of The Wind of Fire trilogy, this is the odyssey of Bowman and Kestrel, twin siblings who, with their mother, the prophetess Ira Hath, have saved their people from slavery under the city-state of the Mastery. Now they must travel to their ancestral lands. Their journey is fraught with perils, including an attack by bandits who capture Kestrel and some other young women; a “passion fly” that brings forth peoples’ hidden natures; and a valley in which happiness is the ultimate danger. Bowman believes it is his destiny to move his world from cruelty to kindness. This is a compelling conclusion to a powerful story. | |
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Firewing |
| While trying to steal fire, Griffen, son of Shade, has unwittingly caused the death of his good friend Luna. In his shame, he hides and is sucked into the underworld during an earthquake. The underworld is actually the world of the dead, controlled by Zotz. Griffin searches until he finds Luna, as Shade searches for his son, while the evil bat Goth searches for both of them to suck their lives from them. This is a compelling story of friendship, loyalty and the afterlife. The third installment following Silverwing and Sunwing. | |
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First
French Kiss and Other Traumas |
| Told in the voice of teenaged Will, this collection of short stories ranges from hilarious descriptions of common teenage experiences to the loss of a parent. Will describes how difficult it was to kiss his girlfriend and breathe at the same time. However he tried to maneuver, her nose was always in the way. In another story, it is with profound emotion that he realizes that his aged geometry tutor can no longer remember once familiar proofs. The most compelling stories involve Will and his brother and father, foreshadowing his parent’s death. Although the stories are not arranged chronologically, they nevertheless convey the experiences familiar to many. | |
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First Stone, The |
| Chad (Reef) Kennedy, still grieving the death of his grandmother from cancer, has fallen into bad company and worse behaviour. Thwarted in an act of vandalism, Reef tosses a rock from an overpass into the freeway traffic below. The vehicle he hits is driven by Elizabeth (Leeza), a seventeen-year old with family issues of her own. The resulting collisions leave her badly injured. Caught and convicted of his crime, Reef is sentenced to community service, as it happens in the rehabilitation facility in which Leeza is trying to rebuild her shattered body and soul. At times rough and crude, this story provides no easy answers as these two young people cope with the consequences of choices. | |
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Flames
of the Tiger |
| This is an unusual story of World War II. It is told from the point of view of a German family during the final days of Berlin. The central character, Dieter, has an older brother Reinhard who is at first, caught up in the excitement and ‘glory’ of war as a soldier in Hitler’s SS. Dieter’s parents however are fearful for the future of their country, their Jewish neighbours and indeed for their own lives. Reinhard and his father have fierce arguments about what Hitler is doing. Dieter listens and watches as his family and world disintegrate. When his parents are killed, it is up to Dieter to make his way towards a Canadian unit on the battlefield in hopes of seeking refugee status for himself and his sister. Gripping historical fiction by the writer of Across Frozen Seas, And in the Morning, Ghosts of James Bay and many others! | |
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Fleshmarket |
| In 1822, an eight-year old Robbie Anderson witnesses his mother’s death during public surgery at the hands of Dr. Knox. Shortly after, his father’s business fails and he disappears to leave young Robbie to look after his sister Essie. It is a hardscrabble existence in which Robbie falls into partnership with two men who provide fresh corpses to Dr. Knox for his research. Robbie suspects that people are being murdered to fill Dr. Knox’s requisitions. In his need for revenge, Robbie is in danger of becoming criminal himself. | |
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Flipped |
| Told in the alternating voices of Juli Baker and Bryce Loski, this story takes place over a period of about six years. Bryce and his parents and older sister Lynetta moved in across the street from Julianne Baker and her parents, and older brothers Mike-and-Matt (because Bryce could never tell which brother was which). Juli is immediately smitten by Bryce, who is wary of her energy and brains and enthusiasm. Juli loves her family, the sycamore tree up the street and her menagerie of animals, especially the chickens who produce such delicious eggs. Bryce’s view of this world is rather different until his grandfather comes to live with them. Chet finds Juli enchanting and becomes her friend. When Bryce makes an unkind remark about Juli’s Uncle David, it precipitates an epiphany for both of them. A well-written story of growing up and taking responsibility. | |
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Flyers |
| A gifted and talented student, fifteen-year old Gabe Riley wants to be a filmmaker. During his summer break, he is making an elaborate parody called Green Guy Gets Therapy. Gabe is a keen observer of the human condition, especially of those “victims” who flaunt their pain publicly. During the creating of his film, odd and apparently unrelated events occur. They build to a credible climax that includes death, love, redemption and forgiveness. This is a tale that will appeal to those who love words and ideas. | |
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Following Fake Man |
| “Something major was up. Something bigger than a vacation – something much bigger.” Twelve-year old Homer Winthrop is on his way to a summer home he had never known about and a personal history he is about to discover. Soon after his arrival in Herring Cove, Maine, he meets a best friend and a most mysterious, limping old man who is not who he appears to be. When Homer and Roger Sweeney team up to follow the “fake man”, they are both in for a surprise neither of them had imagined! | |
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For
All Time
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| How would you like to travel back to the time of pharoahs in the land of Egypt? It may hold more danger than you would imagine! In this fourth book in Cooney's Time Travel Quartet teen-aged Annie Lockwood is trying to return to Strat, whom she met on a previous time travel. Attempting to return to a turn-of-the-century archaelogical dig that she is photographing, Annie is taken into Ancient Egypt. Here she discovers herself being offered as a living sacrifice to the Pharoah's mother. Fortunately Strat is also time-travelling and rescues her from the Queen's tomb. | |
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For Freedom: The Story of a French
Spy |
| Suzanne David was a teenaged opera singer when the Second World War came to her home in Cherbourg, France. Her innocent façade, steely will and performance schedule attracted the attention of a local Resistance leader who persuaded her to work against the Nazi occupiers. Suzanne kept her Resistance work secret from everyone she cared about, including her family. She carried messages including codes and ciphers to the Allies. This suspenseful account of the privations of life under occupation paints a graphic portrait of the sacrifice and dedication of those civilians who worked to free their country. Based upon the true story of Suzanne David. | |
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For
Teens Only: Quotes, Notes and Advice You |
| Using 573 of her favourite quotes, Weston has incorporated advice on a broad spectrum of concerns to teens: caring for oneself, relationships and managing to get along in life. Individuals quoted include Albert Einstein, the Dalai Lama and Helen Keller to Chris Rock, Britney Spears and Homer Simpson. A breezy, upbeat style makes this an entertaining and enlightening perspective on issues for teens. | |
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Freaky Green Eyes |
| Freaky green eyes is the term Francesca (Franky) Pierson gives that part of her persona she believes can see the reality of her family life. Her father is a well-known football player commentator who is in complete control of his family. Franky and her younger sister and older half-brother have learned total obedience, but their mother is no longer as compliant. When Mrs. Pierson and her male friend disappear, there seems to be no doubt who is responsible. As Franky comes to understand the magnitude of the situation, she gains the courage to deal with her father. | |
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Freedom of Jenny, The
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| Born into slavery in the state of Missouri in the 1840s, Jenny Estes believes in her father’s dream of freedom. As she works in the plantation kitchen, Jenny tries to give her mistress no cause to sell her to a slave-trader. Remarkably, she is learning to read, a skill that will be of critical importance to her family’s survival as they trek from the Deep South to Saltspring Island on Canada’s west coast. Their ordeal includes disease, privation, encounters with warring Haida, and the struggles of homesteading. Based on a true story, this coming-of-age story demonstrates the spirit and courage needed to build a new life in a new land. | |
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Gathering
Blue |
| In the companion story to The Giver, orphaned and physically flawed Kira is surprised when she is taken from the turmoil of her village to live in the Grand Council Edifice because of her skill in embroidery. There she is to restore the historical pictures on the ceremonial robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a day-long performance of the story of their world's history. Community, creativity and the values of society are explored in a story replete with the symbolism of being human. | |
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Gatty's Tale |
Fans of Crossley-Holland ( The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing Places, King of the Middle March) will be excited to read this latest adventure. Gatty, is a fifteen year old orphan, who has been used to sleeping in the cowstall with the bugs, spiders, and her only possession, her cow Hopeless, on the Caldicot manor of medieval Wales. Her life changes however, when she is asked to accompany Lady Gwyneth de Ewloe on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with eight other companions. Gatty has nothing to lose – her only friend (Arthur from the Arthur trilogy) has already gone on a crusade and she is eager for the adventure. Much awaits this young girl and her companions as they journey through Europe, 1203, attacked by thieves, facing storms, fighting off illness and injury. Gatty’s life is changed forever and she wonders if she will ever see her friend Arthur again. |
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George
Johnson's War |
| George Johnson is the youngest son of Sir William Johnson, Irish lord and immigrant to Canada, and Molly Brant, stepdaughter of a Mohawk chief. This is the real-life chronicle of the events that occurred in this family during the American War of Independence. As residents of the Mohawk Valley and King’s Men, this large and extended family played a vital role in the war in historical fact. The story focuses on George’s efforts from ages six to fourteen, to become one of the King’s Men; emulate the actions of his older brother, Peter; and contribute to the British side in the war. Included are maps, a record of historical events and a glossary of characters with details of their real-life accomplishments. A powerful and evocative story. | |
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Getting
Near to Baby |
| When their baby sister dies, Willa Jo and "Little Sister" go to live with their Aunt Patty and Uncle Hob while their single parent mother recovers from her own grief and gets her life back in order. Aunt Patty tries to control the girls, and there is so much friction they want to return home. But they come to realize how much their aunt cares for them when she puts aside her own fears and anxieties to help them recover from their loss and return to their mother. A Newbery Honour Book. | |
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Gilda
Joyce: Psychic Investigator |
| Gilda Joyce, her mother and older brother Stephen are struggling to come to terms with the death of Gilda’s father two years before. Convinced that she is psychic, she is working on her communication skills to contact him and incidentally, solve ghostly mysteries. When she visits relatives she has never met, the Splinter family presents her with substantial challenges. Lester Splinter, her cousin, seems to be hiding something about the suicide of his sister, Meredith years before. His daughter Juliet seems to see visions of her long-dead aunt. With humour and gusto, the two girls endeavour to solve the mystery of Meredith’s death. An amusing story with an unusual twist. | |
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Goddess
Of Yesterday |
| Taken from her home on an Aegean island when she was six, Anaxandra calls upon the protection of her goddess. Anaxandra poses as two different princesses over the next six years, before ending up as a servant in the company of Helen and Paris as they make their way to Troy. This companion piece to the story of the Odyssey is an evocative account of ancient Greek society, government, religion and daily life. Anaxandra is a strong and intelligent heroine whose story is an adventure that explores the themes of self-discovery and loss of innocence. | |
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Goose
Chase |
| Alexandria Aurora Fortunato is beautiful but burdened after a mysterious old hag lays three magical gifts upon her: astonishing beauty, hair that sheds gold dust, and tears that appear as diamonds. Both the cruel king and the dim prince want to marry Alexandria. She is locked in a tower to create her golden wedding gown, when she would much prefer to live in her tiny cottage with the company of her flock of geese. Adventure follows misadventure as Alexandria escapes from one prison after another, but the humor never stops, full of repulsive and bumbling characters and noisy, aggressive geese. A delightful satire of some well-known fairy tales. | |
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Grand
Tour, The |
| The sequel to Sorcery and Cecelia, this is the Grand Tour of Europe taken by Cecy, her husband, James Tarleton: her cousin Kate: Kate's husband, Thomas Schofield; and Lady Sylvia. In her deposition to the Joint Representatives of the British Ministry of Magic, Cecy details how what was to have been a leisurely exploration of expensive shops and antiquities turned into a magical conspiracy to take over Europe. With echoes of Jane Austen, this delightful exploration of wizardry and Regency romance will captivate readers looking for greater nuance than found in the Harry Potter stories. |
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Gravesavers, The |
| When Minn Hotchkiss is sent to visit her “miserable” grandmother in Boulder Basin, Nova Scotia, she resigns herself to a month of unhappiness. Very shortly after her arrival, she discovers on the beach a tiny human skull, a vestige of a tragedy more than a hundred years old. In finding answers to this tragedy, Minn comes to understand her grandmother better, and makes some important personal discoveries of her own. Strong characters in a believable circumstance make this an entertaining, engaging tale. | |
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Habibi
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| Liyana's father is an Arab Palestinian by birth, and decides to return with his family to settle in his West Bank homeland. Despite the fact that they are members of Poppi's large and colorful extended family, Americans Liyana and her brother Rafik face a number of surprises, challenges, and frustrations within their father's culture. Jewish and Palestinian viewpoints, from the civilians' points of view, are portrayed through Liyana and young Omar, who fall in love despite their cultural differences. This is a wonderful novel about a serious topic, and no surprise that it has won a string of awards, including the ALA Best Book for Young Adults and ALA Notable Children's Book | |
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Hannah Waters and the daughter of
Johann Sebastian Bach |
| Told in alternating voices between Hannah Waters and Catharina Dorthea Bach, this is the intertwined tale of two young girls coming to terms with great loss in their lives, but bound by shared connections across three centuries. Hannah lives with her widowed father on a farm in Saskatchewan. He was a university professor in Toronto where Hannah’s mother was a violinist with an orchestra until her death three years before. Hannah’s father has taken early retirement and retreated from his memories, even as he continues to support Hannah’s development as a violinist herself. Catharina is the eldest child and only daughter of the great composer and his first wife, Maria Barbara. When she dies unexpectedly while he is far from home, the entire family is bereft. Both girls lose their mothers; both girls struggle to connect with their fathers; both girls are connected by the music of J.S. Bach, especially the Concerto for Two Violins. Evocatively descriptive, the story of one girl is woven seamlessly into the story of the other, as they speak to each across time and space through the power of the music. Haunting and believable, this is rich in characterization and atmosphere. | |
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Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
| Another
term at Hogwarts has begun, and another set of adventures begins. This one is full of humour, romance (snogging?), intrigue, suspicious characters, huge twists, and yes, death. We do not need to convince Potter fans of the need to read this, but would like to hear from you on our Reader Review pages, what you thought of Book Six. Do you have predictions for the culmination? Who is the writer of the mysterious horcrux letter? |
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Hawksong |
| War between the avian and serpiente shape-shifters had gone on for so long that its origins were lost in the mists of time. Now Danica Shardae, heir to the avian throne, and Zane Cobriana, Arami of the serpiente have agreed to the mediation terms of the Mistari Disa: marriage to unite their dominions, and end the killing and revenge. Trust is what they must build between them and among their followers, and it must be established before age-old animosities tear the alliance to shreds. Intriguing and original. | |
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Hear the Wind Blow |
| In the last days of the American Civil War, Haswell Magruder and his seven-year old sister Rachel must fend for themselves when their mother is killed and their farm razed by Yankee soldiers in reprisal for his sheltering of a wounded Confederate soldier. Haswell leaves Rachel in the care of relatives while he searches for his older brother serving with the Confederate army. His quest involves danger, requires courage and ingenuity and leaves him much older. A story with similar themes to The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn and Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen. | |
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Heaven Shop, The |
| Binti Phiri lives a good life in a city in Malawi. She attends a church-sponsored private school, is the star of a local radio program and lives with her widowed father (who is a coffin-maker), brother Kwasi, and sister Junie. When her father dies, it is revealed that like his wife, he died of AIDS. Ostracized by the community, the siblings lose their belongings to greedy and cruel relatives who make life so miserable that Binti runs away to her tough her grandmother. Gogo, who cares for a large number of children without families, teaches Binti the meaning of generosity and coping. An evocative story of life with this epidemic, the costs of this disease to individuals, families and communities is clearly portrayed. By the author of The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey, and Mud City. | |
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Heir
Apparent |
| While playing a total immersion virtual reality game, 14-year old Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the equipment to which she is connected. She must win the game quickly or find herself in mortal danger. An exciting, fast-paced, funny, suspenseful story. | |
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Hero and the Holocaust, A : The
Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children |
| Janusz Korczak was a physician, author and promoter of children’s rights in Poland in the years leading to World War II. He was the founder of a number of orphanages. When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, it became progressively more difficult to protect orphaned children. Dr. Korczak went with his orphans into the Warsaw Ghetto, where life was a struggle for basic survival: food, clothing, medical care and education. When the transport trains came for Jewish men, women and children from the Warsaw Ghetto, Dr. Korczak went with his orphans to the concentration camp Treblinka where they died. A powerful story of commitment and sacrifice, this honours the memory of one person who tried to protect the lives of those least able to do so for themselves. | |
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High Heat |
| Shane Hunter lived a privileged life, including a private school where he was the fireballing relief pitcher on the softball team. When his father commits suicide after being arrested for money laundering, Shane and his mother find themselves in public housing, and Shane attending public school. After he is convicted of shoplifting, part of his sentence is repair work on the local baseball diamond where he meets the coach of his school’s baseball team. Encouraged to try out, Shane makes the team and becomes part of their season. When the team from his former school plays Shane’s current team, he hurls a beanball at their star player, Reese who is seriously injured. As Reese recovers, he and Shane become wary allies; Reese to recover his balance, and Shane to recover his pitching arm. Almost to the end, Shane maintains that the beanball was an accident. In a satisfying but ambivalent conclusion, both boys realize what that balance really means. | |
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Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons
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| In training as a princess/warrior of Amazon queen, Otrere, Hippolyta enjoys her family and her training, until her mother, the queen, begs her to take her newborn son to his father in Troy. Otrere refuses to sacrifice the boy to Artemis, as is required by the law. In carrying out this task, Hippolyta learns much about her family, her father, politics and pain. Saving her male siblings means the end of the Amazons’ way of life, a high price to pay. This story is full of adventure, intrigue and thrills. | |
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Hit
and Run |
| Mike always believed that his mother had been killed in a hit and run accident. He has lived since then with his uncle Billy, who is doing the best he can for Mike, but is not strong parental material. Mike gets into various jams at school, and is in danger of being suspended when one of his teachers takes an interest in his problems. Gradually, it becomes apparent that there is more to the death of his mother . When his uncle is found dead, the danger to Mike becomes real and terrifying. Another fast-paced mystery from a master of this genre. | |
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Hollow Kingdom, The |
| Kate and Emily, recently orphaned, have inherited a country home under the guardianship of a bachelor uncle. While walking in the woods, the girls become lost. Kate especially feels that they are being watched. When they are tricked into entering the underworld, they meet the goblins who have been watching. Kate is the particular interest of Marak, the goblin king who wants her for his human bride. Coerced into the marriage, Kate gradually becomes part of this world. When a sorcerer attacks Marak, the conventional beauty-and-the-beast story takes an unconventional direction. An image-rich tale, this is sure to entertain fantasy fans. | |
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Homeroom
Exercise
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| Homeroom Exercise is a program that Regan, a grade 7 girl, uses to continue to dance, in spite of a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She collapses from the pain the disease causes, but decides that she will find a way to live with the pain in order to follow her dream. She is inspired by others who also have JRA but who continue to play sports. Regan's struggle is remarkable and memorable for its molding of her character. | |
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Hope
in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders |
| As an organization, Doctors Without Borders (or Les Medicins Sans Frontieres) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for the humanitarian work done by its physicians and non-medical staff in developing and often war-torn areas of the world. Told through personal accounts, this explores the roots of the organization from its formation during the Biafran conflict in Nigeria to its work in other parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The individual stories contribute an understanding of the importance of delivering help while bearing witness to the conflicts and circumstances that gave rise to the need for that help. | |
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House of the Scorpion, The |
| Matteo Alacran is the clone of a powerful 140-year old drug lord who owns a country named Opium 100 years in the future. Matt must face physical and mental battles to stay alive in this world, a place where he has no friends because he is different. Newbery Honor Book, 2003; Michael L. Prinz Honor Book, 2003. | |
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House of Windjammer, The
: Book I |
| Adam Windjammer is the teenage heir to a great shipping business that, through a series of events, is brought to ruin. To salvage his family fortune, Adam must find the Black Pearl, not a jewel as he at first believed, but instead a flower: a rare tulip at a time in history when they were highly prized. Set during the Tulip Wars of seventeenth century Amsterdam, this is a tale of greed, betrayal, adventure and peril. Expect a sequel. | |
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Hunchback |
| Fourteen-year old Hodge is the lowliest servant in rundown Castle Marlby. His job is to clean the latrines, because he is disabled, a hunchback. He dreams of serving a prince, and shortly thereafter, Prince Leo arrives at the castle, under the cover of night. Rumors abound: the prince is ill; he is a prisoner; he is in hiding for his own protection. Hodge becomes the prince’s servant and chess companion. In spite of his brother’s warnings that the prince is not what he seems to be, Hodge remains loyal in a circumstance of grave danger, uncertain if his choice is the right one even to the end. A quest with a different sort of hero, this fast-moving story will entertain and enthrall readers. |
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