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Due to the strike by Canada Post workers, CELA has suspended production and mailing of physical materials. Digital options are unaffected.
Showing 1 - 13 of 13 items
By Brittany Luby. 2023
Published to rave reviews, here is a heartwarming look at how the comfort of tradition and story can create a…
true sense of belonging, told through an Indigenous lens. When Ojiig moves to the city with his family, he misses everything they left behind. Most of all, he misses the sparkling night sky. Without the stars watching over him, he feels lost. His parents try to help, but nothing seems to work. Not glow-in-the-dark sticker stars, not a star-shaped nightlight. But then they have a new idea for how to make Ojiig feel better — a special quilt stitched through with family stories that will wrap Ojiig in the warmth of knowing who he is and where he came from. Join this irresistible family as they discover the power of story and tradition to make a new place feel like home.By Sarah Suk. 2023
Perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and You've Reached Sam, this gripping, atmospheric YA novel follows…
a teen with a mysterious condition that transports her to the past when she smells certain scents linked to specific memories. Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her dad is convinced she'll simply grow out of it if she tries hard enough, but Aimee's fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life. When Aimee disappears for nine hours into a memory of her estranged mom—a moment Aimee has never remembered before—she becomes distraught. Not only was this her longest disappearance yet, but the memory doesn't match up with the story of how her mom left—at least, not the version she's always heard from her dad. Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life. Along the way, she realizes she'll need to reconcile her past in order to save her present. From acclaimed author Sarah Suk comes an aching, powerful exploration of memory, grief, and the painful silences we must overcome to discover our truest selvesBy Christina Kilbourne. 2024
Every small town has a dark past. Kate is learning that this town's dark past involves her family. Fifteen-year-old Kate…
didn't want to be dragged into her mother's past. She had a boyfriend, a life, and a future as an online influencer whose urban exploration videos were growing in popularity. But here she is, in the place she thinks of as "Hicksville," and she's getting to know far more about the town than she ever wanted. After she and her new friend Zach make a ghastly discovery in a local crevasse, she finds herself investigating a decades-old mystery that has haunted the community . . . and her family. People from her mother's past - and her own - resurface as Kate and Zach uncover secrets that could rewrite historyBy Carrie Mac. 2024
When twins Eira and Soren escape from their survivalist home into a world overcome by zombies, there's only one way…
to stay alive: run! Eira and Soren are queer twins living with their survivalist parents when a plague starts spreading that turns people into zombie-like monsters. They disagree with their parents about a lot, but they can't deny that their way of life keeps them safe while much of the world perishes ́for now. When it becomes clear that their safety won't last, the twins decide to strike out on their own. They don't get far before encountering the one remaining person in the closest town: their friend Racer, a gold medal-winning Special Olympics champion. Racer is appalled at the twins ́ slow speed and tells them that their survivalist skills aren't worth anything if they can't outrun the monsters. He sets them on a training regimen that comes in handy when they embark on the bigger journey ahead of them. On their trek they find friends, enemies, and even love. But with zombies on their heels at every turn, will they ever be able to slow down?By Wali Shah. 2024
Ali is an eighth-grade kid with a lot going on. Between the pressure from his immigrant parents to ace every…
class, his crush on Melissa, who lives in the rich area of town while he and his family live in a shabby apartment complex, and trying his best to fit in with his friends, he feels like he's being pulled in too many different directions. But harder still, Ali is becoming increasingly aware of the racism around him. Comments from his friends about Pakistani food or his skin color are passed off as jokes, but he doesn't find them funny. And when Ramadan starts, Ali doesn't tell anyone he's fasting because it just seems easier. Luckily he finds solace in putting his feelings into words-and poems. But his father is dead set against him using art as a distraction when he's got schoolwork and a future career as a doctor to focus on. Ali's world changes when he, his mom and his little brother are assaulted by some racist teens. Ali must come to terms with his roiling feelings about his place in the world, as a Pakistani immigrant, a Muslim and a teenager with his whole life ahead of him. With help from his grandfather, an inspiring teacher and his friend, Ali leans on his words for strength. And eventually he finds his true voiceBy Marty Chan. 2024
When eleven-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle make a wish on a Chinese lion statue, they accidentally bring a dragon…
to life. Scared at first, the kids soon realize that Zhu the dragon means them no harm, and they show the dragon around their city. It's all fun and games until Animal Control gets wind of a wild creature on the loose. The kids have to find a way to send their new friend back home before she's taken awayBy Salini Pera. 2024
"In this collection of short fiction, ten outstanding authors explore the theme of home -- home as a place, a…
concept, as a way of thinking about the body -- through prose, verse and graphic storytelling. In "In a Flash" by Marty Chan, three kids come across a camera that traps the people it photographs. But can they figure out how to get out? When a lady from church comes to visit bringing "gifts," Hunter sees his home on the rez in a new light in "Home Fires" by Michael Hutchinson. In "The Secret Cousin" by Chad Lucas, Lonnie is spending Thanksgiving with his mother's family, who he hardly knows. Lonnie navigates the tension and discomfort of being one of two Black people in the house. But he finds new friendship in his cousin Ethan. These stories and more, compiled and edited by Jael Richardson, acclaimed author and Artistic Director of the Festival of Literary Diversity, bring together perspectives on belonging from BIPOC authors from across the country."By Flo Leung. 2024
"A young boy and his family discover a way to merge their Chinese and North American backgrounds by combining traditional…
foods from both cultures. Max loves his family's Cantonese meals, like steamed rice and gai lan greens with oyster sauce, homemade dumplings, and scallion bread. But sometimes he can't help thinking about French fries, tacos, and ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. For his birthday dinner, Max is really hoping for spaghetti and meatballs, but instead he and his family are headed to Maa Maa and Ye Ye's house for a celebration dinner - and Max is pretty sure that spaghetti won't be served in the familiar blue bowls that came all the way from Hong Kong with his grandparents. But Max is delighted to discover that his understanding family has discovered a way to bring two cultures together with delicious dishes that are a combination of all the foods he loves. This story shows the experience of a child living in between two cultures and how confusing that can sometimes be. It's based on Flo's own experiences growing up, longing to belong/be organically part of the North American culture, but also feeling a strong sense of home and family when immersed in her Chinese culture. She feels that the result for many second-generation Chinese Canadians/Americans is the creation of a third culture that intertwines and connects the various influences of both. Flo has chosen the iconic "exquisite blue bowl" (that she says would be familiar to many Chinese-American families) and the food that goes inside that bowl to set the stage for this duality in the story. Max is trying to come to terms with where he fits in these two cultures, and by the end the story, with the help of his family, he discovers that he has the freedom to create his own experiences, and the results are unique, interesting, and evolving - just like Max himself."By Sarah Suk. 2023
Perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and You’ve Reached Sam, this gripping, atmospheric YA novel follows…
a teen with a mysterious condition that transports her to the past when she smells certain scents linked to specific memories.Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her dad is convinced she’ll simply grow out of it if she tries hard enough, but Aimee’s fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life.When Aimee disappears for nine hours into a memory of her estranged mom—a moment Aimee has never remembered before—she becomes distraught. Not only was this her longest disappearance yet, but the memory doesn’t match up with the story of how her mom left—at least, not the version she’s always heard from her dad.Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life. Along the way, she realizes she’ll need to reconcile her past in order to save her present.From acclaimed author Sarah Suk comes an aching, powerful exploration of memory, grief, and the painful silences we must overcome to discover our truest selves.By Carrie Mac. 2024
When twins Eira and Soren escape from their survivalist home into a world overcome by zombies, there's only one way…
to stay alive: run!Eira and Soren are queer twins living with their survivalist parents when a plague starts spreading that turns people into zombie-like monsters. They disagree with their parents about a lot, but they can't deny that their way of life keeps them safe while much of the world perishes--for now. When it becomes clear that their safety won't last, the twins decide to strike out on their own.They don't get far before encountering the one remaining person in the closest town: their friend Racer, a gold medal-winning Special Olympics champion. Racer is appalled at the twins&’ slow speed and tells them that their survivalist skills aren't worth anything if they can't outrun the monsters. He sets them on a training regimen that comes in handy when they embark on the bigger journey ahead of them.On their trek they find friends, enemies, and even love. But with zombies on their heels at every turn, will they ever be able to slow down?By Marty Chan. 2024
When eleven-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle make a wish on a Chinese lion statue, they accidentally bring a dragon…
to life. Scared at first, the kids soon realize that Zhu the dragon means them no harm, and they show the dragon around their city. It's all fun and games until Animal Control gets wind of a wild creature on the loose. The kids have to find a way to send their new friend back home before she’s taken away. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.By A. Y. Chan. 2024
&“An exciting mystery-adventure story that packs a punch&” (Kirkus Reviews) and is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi…
Chung as a young Taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams—and her father.Twelve-year-old Modesty &“Mo&” Seto dreams of being a Taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn&’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who&’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can&’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he&’s been lately. When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo&’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy. The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo&’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.By Wali Shah, Eric Walters. 2024
Key Selling Points Ali is an eighth-grade student trying to to do it all—get good grades, fit in with his…
friends, get the girl and satisfy his parents—all while struggling to deal with the anti-Muslim racism around him. Writing poetry helps. If only his father wasn't set against it. Call Me Al deals with what it's like to be an immigrant (Ali and his family immigrated from Pakistan when he was little), racism (from peers and the world at large), balancing family versus friends' expectations, first crushes, being from a lower-income household, being Muslim and finding forgiveness for those who hurt you. Features a relatable male protagonist who discovers spoken-word poetry as an outlet for his feelings. Also makes clear the relationship between poetry and hip-hop. Co-authored by the power duo of veteran writer Eric Walters and renowned poet and motivational speaker Wali Shah, who has based this character's struggles with choosing between studying science (for his parents) and writing poetry (for himself) on his own experiences.