Forest of Reading®, K to 6 Programs

Skateway to Freedom by Ann Alma Teachers and teacher-librarians will ... find it a useful resource for students learning about refugee experiences and comparative lifestyles. -- Quill & Quire

How Can I Be a Detective If I Have to Baby-Sit? by Linda Bailey Stevie Diamond. Age 12. Female. Private Detective. She and her partner, Jesse, have already cracked their first case. Now the pair is visiting Stevie's father at his tree-planting camp in the Rocky Mountains -- but how can they have a fabulous wilderness holiday when six-year-old Alexander, armed with a loaded squirt-gun, is trailing along? In this Stevie Diamond Mystery, when an international smuggler starts snooping around Alexander's house, baby-sitting suddenly becomes an occupation worthy of the Diamond and Kulniki Detective Agency.

Tell the World by Severn Suzuki A how-to book on things any family can do to help preserve and protect our environment. Illustrated by high school students.

Lanyard by Camilla Gryski; Linda Hendry (Illustrator) Originally published under title: Boondoggle. Toronto : Kids Can Press, 1993. Directions for making a number of bracelets, key chains, and earrings out of lanyards -- strips of plastic or other materials.

Habitats by Pamela Hickman; Sara J. English (Illustrator); Judie Shore (Illustrator) Kids create temporary mini-habitats in order to observe cycles of life, growth and natural changes, as well as learn about the variety of life supported by marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. * All habitats can be made in a 4-litre (1 gallon) jar or an aquarium. * Kids view aspects of nature (growth, life cycles, natural changes) that are impossible to see in the field. * All that's collected is returned to the original habitat when kids are done. * Conservation tips show kids how to protect nature while learning about it.

Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me by Julie Johnston "If you don't want your heart broken, don't let on you have one." Sara Moone is an expert on broken hearts. She is a foster child who has been bounced from home to home, but now she is almost sixteen and can not live in the system forever. She vows that she will live in a cold, white place where nobody can hurt her again. But there is one more placement in store for Sara. She is sent to live with the Huddlestons on their sheep farm. There, despite herself, Sara learns that there is no escape from love. It has a way of catching you off guard, even when you try to turn your back. When it was published in 1994, "Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me" won every major children's book award in Canada. Since then it has appeared in countries around the world. Its story of love and longing strikes a universal chord.

A One-Room School by Bobbie Kalman Explore inside a one-room schoolhouse and see what subjects were taught, how students were disciplined, and what games boys and girls enjoyed during recess.

Bridges by Etta Kaner; Pat Cupples (Illustrator) Kids will learn how engineers and architects design these structures by constructing their own models and testing their strength.

White Jade Tiger by Julie Lawson Jasmine is not sure she likes the idea of being stuck in Victoria while her father goes to China for a year. But on a field trip to Chinatown, she explores a curious shop in Fan Tan Alley and accidentally passes through a hidden door. She finds he

The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Michele Lemieux (Illustrator) The Pied Piper pipes the village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he exacts a terrible revenge. Forest of Reading 1995 nominee. Silver Birch award nominee 1995.

The Time of the Wolf by Thomas MacDonald

Polar the Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone-Spedden; Laurie McGaw (Illustrator) Written by American heiress Daisy Corning Stone Spedden for her son Douglas--as a Christmas present the year after they escaped the doomed Titanic--this charming and intriguing story gives an enthralling account of the disaster as seen through the eyes of Stephen's teddy bear. Illustrated with evocative watercolors, family photos, postcards, and keepsakes.

The Flying Tortoise by Tololwa M. Mollel (Retold by); Barbara Spurll (Illustrator) This humorous traditional tale from the Igbo people of Nigeria features the trickster tortoise, Mbeku, and shows how the tortoise got his rough, checkered shell as a result of Mbeku's greediness and cunning.

Mollie Whuppie and the Giant by Robin Muller (Illustrator, Retold by) In this English folktale, Mollie Whuppie fools a giant and secures a bright future for herself and her 2 sisters.

The Lights Go on Again by Kit Pearson In 1945, after living in Canada for five years to escape the war in Europe, ten-year-old Gavin and his fifteen-year-old sister Norah face the prospect of returning home to their family in England with radically different emotions.

Light Magic by Trudy Rising; Peter Williams; Jane Kurisu (Illustrator) Kids always seem to have energy to burn. This involving book from OWL tells them where it comes from.Light Magic introduces readers to sources of energy in their lives: sun and wind, heat, sound and motion, and electrical and chemical sources. Each lively double-page spread offers kids hands-on activities or experiments exploring energy's causes and effects. They'll find fun and easy instructions for making a light bulb, a working model hovercraft, an amazing moving ball that stops and goes on command, and more. The book concludes with three absorbing experiments, each demonstrating different aspects of energy: a wind tunnel to test aerodynamics, a solar marshmallow roaster, and a board game that lights up when players give the correct answers. Every section is illuminated by eye-catching full color photographs and illustrations. Written by two leading Canadian science educators, Light Magic is a fabulous source of information and ideas for fun at home and projects at school. Best of all, it encourages kids to focus their energy on exciting and creative activities.

Past Tense by Ken Roberts Thirteen-year-old Max has always looked forward to Halloween because that's when Elspeth the clown makes her mysterious annual appearance. No one knows who she is or where she comes from, but the whole neighborhood enjoys her magic tricks. One summer Elspeth suddenly appears and insists on performing for a very sick friend. Max, who has already lost his father, is sure this is not the right thing to do, a conclusion that leads him to confront confusing questions of mortality, loyalty, and compassion. "Past Tense packs a surprising punch." -- Toronto Star

Margy Misunderstood by Margaret Smith Margy would have given her soul to be able to stand up smartly and state clearly and empathetically that she has nothing what-so-ever to with the stolen money. Forest of Reading 1995 nominee. Silver Birch award nominee 1995.

Guardian of the Dark by Beverley Spencer Gen has lived his whole life in a society ruled by order and obedience. Now he and Duff want to make a break for freedom. But do they dare enter the forbidden tunnels ... and defy the Guardian who controls their entire world? Forest of Reading 1995 nominee. Silver Birch award nominee 1995.

The Disaster of the Hindenburg by Shelley Tanaka Describes the last voyage of the zeppelin, or airship, Hindenburg, which crashed in flames on a New Jersey airfield in 1937, and examines some possible causes for the disaster. Forest of Reading 1995 nominee. Silver Birch award nominee 1995.

Hawk and Stretch by Bernice Thurman Hunter Forest of Reading 1995 nominee. Silver Birch award nominee 1995.

Some of the Kinder Planets by Tim Wynne-Jones A collection of nine stories by the popular Canadian author, including The Night of the Pomegranate, Save the Moon for Kerdy Dickus, and The Hope Bakery.