Baby Sea Turtle by
On a narrow strip of beach in Trinidad, a mother sea turtle comes to shore to dig her nest and deposit her eggs. The odds are against the hatchlings. Wild dogs, the rising tide, and other digging sea turtles could destroy the eggs before they hatch. The remaining baby sea turtles will scramble to the water as best they can - taking their first steps on a long and dangerous journey to maturity. Original color photographs taken in the wild Simple, informative stories Includes a Did You Know? Section of interesting facts Complete with introduction, table of contents, and index for parents and teachers A fine introduction to nature for preschoolers and primary readers
The Big Snapper by
Ten-year-old Eddie lives with his mom and grandparents in a small cabin on the Queen Charlotte Islands. A year earlier, Eddie's dad took the ferry to the mainland and never returned. Eddie loves going fishing with Granddad and listening to his tall tales about the big snapper. Eddie believes if they catch such a fish, it might change his family's fortune. Mom decides to turn their cabin into a bed and breakfast. Some of the guests appreciate island life, but many do not. When Granddad falls ill and must go away for treatment, Eddie worries that he too may not come back. Already hurt and confused by his father's disappearance, upset by the attitudes of the tourists, and now missing his beloved grandfather, Eddie goes fishing alone in Granddad's skiff. Soon he is struggling with more than the need to stay afloat.
The Birdman by
Noor Nobi is a broken man, wandering the streets of Calcutta with no reason to live. His three children, snatched from him in a cruel accident, were everything he worked for and loved. But one day, he enters a crowded market and sees a bird, caged and frightened and sick. With very little money in his pocket, he waits until the vendor is closing up. Quickly, Noor Nobi bargains and, happy to get anything for the sickly thing, the vendor accepts his offer. For some reason Noor Nobi cannot explain, it is important for him to nurse the bird back to health. When it is finally able to fly, Noor Nobi takes his bird to a big Banyan tree and releases it. Only then is he able to weep and fully grieve for his children. Before Noor Nobi knows it, he is back at work and taking his weekly earnings to the market where he continues to buy, heal, and free as many birds as he can. Crowds gather; some laugh and say he is crazy, some stand reverently, some don’t know what to think. But Noor Nobi’s kindness saves a growing number of birds, and the birds, in turn, give him new purpose. Author Veronika Martenova Charles read a short newspaper article about the “Birdman” of Calcutta and her imagination took flight. She traveled to India, found Noor Nobi, and witnessed the freeing of the birds for herself. The Birdman is a touching, true story, tenderly illustrated by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle. It is accompanied by an afterword, diary entries, and photographs of the author’s experience.
Danger at Mason's Island by
Danger at Mason's Island, the second in the Angela and Emmie Adventure series, is a junior fiction adventure aimed at middle readers. It's summertime once again in Mahone Bay, and Angela and Emmie are hoping to make some money with their pet-sitting business. But when they go to Mason's Island to take care of the troublesome cat Rascal, they find a lot more money than they've ever dreamed of! Who's hidden twenty thousand dollars on the captain's island? When are they coming back for it? And will Angela and Emmie be safe when they do? Join the girls in a heart-pounding adventure story, as they discover that even the quaint town of Mahone Bay has a criminal underworld.
Fire! by
Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction Honour Book, 2007 Silver Birch Express shortlist, 2008 Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice 2007 finalist Canadian Science Writers' Association's Science in Society Journalism Award nominee, Youth Book category, 2007 It hasn't rained in the forest for many weeks. And in the sunny clearing, everything is dry and scorched. Then, late one afternoon, a hot wind begins to blow and storm clouds gather. But instead of rain, lightning fills the sky and strikes a tall tree beside the clearing. The lightning strike shoots down the tree and ignites the dry vegetation below. In no time, the forest is engulfed in flame. Soon there is nothing left but the charred ruins of the forest, devoid of life. But the story is not over. Slowly and gradually, life returns to the forest - from the seeds that blow in on the wind and germinate - to the small creatures that have survived in their burrows below the ground. It will take many years; but eventually the forest will return, filled with life once more.
Lucky's Mountain by
The year is 1935 and Maggie Sullivan's world has fallen apart. Maggie has grown up in a close-knit mining community perched atop a mountain in British Columbia. But now her father has been killed in a mine explosion and she is being forced to leave the only home she has ever known. To make matters worse, she must also leave behind her best friend Lucky, the three-legged dog that was a special gift from Pa.
Tale of a Great White Fish by
Big Fish is ancient and enormous. In her 177 years she's brushed against death more than once -- stalked by panners in the gold rush of 1858, nearly crushed in a rock slide in 1913, almost stranded when the lake drained into the river in 1924, and threatened by a mysterious disease that killed many other sturgeons in the early 1990s. Since then, sport fishers have hooked her several times, and she's led them through quite a chase. But today scientists and many others are trying to help the sturgeon survive. Now, we hope, only old age will claim her when her time comes. This exciting adventure tale offers science, history, and environmental lessons supplemented with a glossary, a diagram, and interesting facts about the biology and history of the sturgeon.
Things Are Looking Grimm, Jill by
Princess Jill excels at jousting, fencing, skating and long-distance spitting. Her brother, King Jack, loves baking and spending time with Little Bo Peep and her sheep. So what's a princess to do when she receives a mysterious letter from the land of Grimm? Take up ballroom dancing? Not Princess Jill. All alone, with only her wits to guide her, Jill sets off to rescue the citizens of Grimm. Along the way she makes many odd new friends and discovers the value of listening to your mother.
Yetsa's Sweater by
"What are you knitting into this sweater, Grandma?" Yetsa asks. Grandma smiles. "Flowers. Fish and waves. Woolly clouds, and blackberries." From the author of No Time To Say Goodbye, The Girl with a Babyand White Girlcomes a tender and joyful picture book, perfect for sharing. In Yetsa's Sweater,Sylvia Olsen takes a workaday chore and illuminates it with meaning, while Joan Larson takes Olsen's simple and loving words and fills them with radiant light. On a fresh spring day, young Yetsa, her mother and her grandmother gather to prepare the sheep fleeces piled in Grandma's yard. As they clean, wash and dry the fleece, laughter and hard work connect the three generations. Through Yetsa's sensual experience of each task, the reader joins this family in an old but vibrant tradition: the creation of Cowichan sweaters. Each sweater is unique, and its design tells a story. In Yetsa's Sweater,that story is one of love, welcome and pride in a job well done.
Yossi's Goal by
Yossi Mendelsohn works hard to help his family survive after they flee Russia to find a better life in Montreal. He sells newspapers and carries bundles from the garment factory. Yossi longs to play "le hockey" with the French boys, but he has no skates. When his father falls ill and his sister and her fiancé organize a walkout at the factory, Yossi's dream of lacing on skates seems farther away than ever.
Things Are Looking Grimm, Jill by
Princess Jill excels at jousting, fencing, skating and long-distance spitting. Her brother, King Jack, loves baking and spending time with Little Bo Peep and her sheep. So what's a princess to do when she receives a mysterious letter from the land of Grimm? Take up ballroom dancing? Not Princess Jill. All alone, with only her wits to guide her, Jill sets off to rescue the citizens of Grimm. Along the way she makes many odd new friends and discovers the value of listening to your mother.