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Showing 1 - 20 of 274 items
By Dashka Slater. 2017
One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If…
it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight. For junior and senior high readers. 2017.By Elizabeth MacLeod, Barbara Pulling, Heather Sangster. 2008
What would you do for absolute power? Step into the world of palatial intrigue, where holding the throne means evading…
death... or causing it. While Cleopatra of Egypt once rolled herself into a rug and was carried out past her enemies' noses, other royals were brutal when dealing with foes. Read the stories of ten sovereigns, including Vlad the Impaler, "Bloody Mary", and The Romanovs of Russia. Descriptions of violence. Grades 4-7. Winner of the 2009 Red Maple Non-fiction Award. 2008.By Chris Powling. 1994
No other writer for children was as bold, as exciting, as rude or as funny as Roald Dahl. His characters,…
Charlie and Mr Willy Wonka, Matilda, and the BFG have become household names, but their creator was himself a fascinating, larger-than-life character: a fighter pilot, a spy, a life-saving inventor, as well as a screenwriter and best-selling author. This is an entertaining account of a truly exceptional man. 1994.By Christine Welldon. 2012
Who was Vic Stein? A man who enjoyed a pint of beer at the rugby match? A young woman who…
worked behind the counter at a local department store? A seamstress in a sweatshop? Yes - she could be any and all of these characters, depending on the story she was chasing for her popular column in the Toronto News. Over 100 years ago, Vic Stein was one of the New Women, a Bachelor Girl who pursued a career in investigative journalism - hardly the type of lifestyle for an upper-middle class young lady. But she had to be stealthy, secretive, and cunning if she wanted her scoop. There are many details we do not know about this secretive and feisty journalist - we don't even know her real name! - but one thing we know for sure: Vic Steinberg would be laughing if she knew that decades after her death, people are still wondering about her and trying to solve the puzzle that was her life. Grades 3-6. 2012.By Linda Granfield. 2009
"In Flanders Fields the poppies blow..."Every Canadian student, teacher and parent can recite these powerful words. But behind every poem…
is a poet, who lived, breathed, and in this case, led an extraordinary life. Despite John McCrae reaching Canadian icon status, his life has been largely unknown. This books is a beautiful tribute to this man. Some descriptions of violence. Grades 4-7. 2009.By Cynthia J Faryon. 2009
David Milgaard was a kid who got into lots of trouble. Unfortunately, that made it easy for the Saskatoon police…
to brand him as a murderer. At seventeen, David was arrested, jailed, and convicted for the rape and murder of a young nursing assistant, Gail Miller. Throughout his twenty-three years in prison, David maintained that he was innocent and refused to admit to the crime, even though it meant he was never granted parole. Finally, through the incredible determination of his mother and new lawyers who believed in him, David was released and proven not guilty. This is the true story of how bad decisions, tunnel vision, poor representation, and outright lying and coercion by those within the justice system caused a tragic miscarriage of justice. For junior high and older readers. 2009.By Wendy Mass. 2004
As a boy, Ray Bradbury had a wild and vivid imagination, which came in handy later when he became a…
science fiction and fantasy writer. Bradbury has written more than 500 literary works (beginning in 1938) including "The Martian chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451", which incorporate his love of outer space, magic, and mystery. Includes a time line, a list of selected works, a glossary, and a short interview with the writer. Grades 5-8. 2004.By Christine Ouin. 2011
Aussi incroyable que la mystérieuse mademoiselle C., Dominique Demers a plus d'un tour dans son sac pour écrire des romans…
drôles, touchants, farfelus et surtout si différents. Laisse-toi inspirer par son imagination et par la magie des métiers de l'écriture. Années 3-6 et plus. 2011.By Janet Louise Swoboda Lunn. 2002
Maud Montgomery's life was often long and painful. Lunn brings to life the spirit that was Lucy Maud Montgomery, including…
her strict and lonely upbringing, as well as her hard-won successes after years of doubt and rejection. Throughout her life, Maud never stopped writing her journals and stories. For junior high readers. 2002.By Robert Soulières. 1997
Simon a été choisi pour achever un roman-portrait sur son écrivain préféré. Chrystine ne recule devant aucune des questions du…
perspicace Simon: l'écriture, la lecture, les amis, la famille, les voyages, l'amour, tout y passe, exprimé franchement. Années 4-7. 1997.By Edward Willett. 2004
Tolkien was a scholar of the English language and of mythology, who developed his own language and then created a…
mythology around it. This evolved into his famous books "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This biography includes a time line, a list of selected works, and lists of recommended books and Internet sites, plus a section called "In His Own Words", quoting three interviews with the writer. Grades 5-8. 2004.By Jacqueline Wilson. 2007
Everybody knows Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson's best-loved character. But what do they know about Jacqueline herself? In this fascinating book,…
discover: how Jacky played with paper dolls like April in "Dustbin Baby"; how she dealt with an unpredictable father like Prue in "Love Lessons"; how she sat entrance exams like Ruby in "Double Act". But most of all how Jacky loved reading and writing stories. Losing herself in a new world was the best possible way she could think of spending her time. Grades 5-8. 2007.By Alma Flor Ada. 2016
These true tales are filled with family love and traditions, secrets and deep friendships, and a picture of the island…
of Cuba, where Alma Flor grew up. Told through the eyes of a child, a whole world comes to life in these pages: the blind great-grandmother who never went to school but whose wisdom and generosity overflowed to those around her; the hired hand Samoné, whose love for music overcame all difficulties; the beloved dance teacher who helped sustain young Alma Flor through a miserable year in school; her dear and daring Uncle Medardo, who bravely flew airplanes. This collection encourages readers to discover the stories in their own lives, and to celebrate the joys and struggles we all share, no matter where or when we grew up. Grades 3-6. 2016. Uniform title: Memoirs.By Nina Bawden. 1994
Memoir of a novelist. Recounts her childhood evacuation from London in World War II; her years at Oxford, where she…
knew Richard Burton and Margaret Thatcher; and her later life. Relates stories of her family, including the struggles of her schizophrenic son, who committed suicide. Junior and senior high readers. 1994.By George Beahm. 2009
Jam-packed with new and reprinted material, “Bedazzled” serves up a wealth of information about the fastest-selling author of our time…
and her mega-franchise that shows no signs of diminishing. Takes the reader on a guided tour of all things “Twilight”, including an in-depth profile of Meyer's personal and professional life, and a look behind the scenes of the two “Twilight” movies. For junior and senior high and older readers. c2009.By Andreas Schroeder. 2011
Schroeder uncovers the facts behind eight of the most outrageous scams of all time. Read about a Stone Age tribe…
discovered in the jungles of the Philippines, lost documents written by Shakespeare, and a 1938 radio broadcast that reported that something strange has crashed into a field in New Jersey – and that hostile Martians then started attacking! Grades 4-7. c2011. (It actually happened series ; 1)After being diagnosed with lupus at twenty-five, O'Connor spent her adult years on her mother's southern dairy farm, writing and…
raising peacocks. Many of her short stories deal with racial or religious issues. Senior High. 1994.By Gary Paulsen. 2001
Gary Paulsen describes the events in his life that inspired him to write the books about character Brian Robeson. Paulsen…
prefers to use incidents from his own life in his books, and many of Brian's adventures are based on his own wilderness experiences. He also adds some survival tips, including a chapter called "Eating eyeballs and guts or starving" - with recipes. Grades 5-8. c2001.By Carrie Jones, Megan Kelley Hall, Megan Kelley, ed Hall. 2011
Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel,…
how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the “funny guy” into the best defence against the bullies in his class. Authors of teen literature come together to share their stories about bullying - as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators. For junior and senior high readers. Strong language, some descriptions of sex and some descriptions of violence. c2011.By Milton Meltzer. 1999
A portrait of the twentieth-century American poet and writer who won two Pulitzer Prizes. Discusses Sandburg's working-class background, his belief…
in socialism, and the influences on his writing. Describes how his admiration for Abraham Lincoln grew into a six-volume biography. Junior and Senior High. 1999.