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Showing 1 - 20 of 38 items
By Mary Beth Leatherdale. 2017
The plight of refugees risking their lives at sea has, unfortunately, made the headlines all too often in the past…
few years. This book presents five true stories, from 1939 to today, about young people who lived through the harrowing experience of setting sail in search of asylum: Ruth and her family board the St. Louis to escape Nazism; Phu sets out alone from war-torn Vietnam; José tries to reach the United States from Cuba; Najeeba flees Afghanistan and the Taliban; and after losing his family, Mohamed abandons his village on the Ivory Coast in search of a new life. Grades 4-7. Winner of the 2018 Silver Birch Non-Fiction Honour Book Award. 2017.By Robin Stevenson. 2016
For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world, Pride is both protest and celebration. It's about embracing diversity.…
It's about fighting for freedom and equality. It's about history, and it's about the future. It's about all of us. Grades 4-7. 2016.By Kathy Kacer. 2006
The true story of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish girl sent to live in a safe house after the Nazi…
invasion of France. Edith's courage was remarkable, as was the bravery of those who helped her: an entire village, including its mayor, that heroically conspired to conceal the presence of hundreds of Jewish children who lived in the safe house. Grades 4-7. Winner of the 2007 Silver Birch Award. 2006.By Monte Montgomery. 2012
Let’s face it: Being a kid isn’t easy. Compared to adults, kids are inexperienced, powerless, and short. Just as it…
would be irresponsible to send travellers to a strange city without a map, it would be wrong to let defenceless kids navigate a world inhabited by parents, teachers, and other adults without an in-depth guide to how the older (although not necessarily smarter) half lives. This book explores the strangest and most mysterious facets of adult life, such as: What do teachers really talk about in the teacher’s lounge? And how can adults stand to drink a beverage as disgusting as coffee? With tongue-in-cheek sidebars and tips for good-natured trickery throughout, this fully loaded guide will be a “must have” for every kid. Grades 4-7. 2012.By Catherine Rondina. 2010
Have your parents ever told you that you shouldn't swallow a watermelon seed because a watermelon will grow in your…
stomach? Or not to cross your eyes, because they'll stay stuck like that? Takes a look at many of the old sayings you've heard, examines them and their history, and gives you the truth about them. You'll find out if holding your breath will cure the hiccups, and if eating sugar will really make you hyper. Winner of the 2012 Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award. Grades 3-6. 2010.By Megan Durnford. 2004
Christmas is a time for celebrating with friends and family and for sharing stories, memories, and good cheer. This compilation…
brings to life the very best holiday stories from across Quebec. From the early days of exploration to the modern day, and from heartwarming inspirational tales to dangerous escapades, this is a collection to treasure for many years to come. 2004.By Erinne Paisley. 2017
"Can Your Smartphone Change the World?" is a twenty-first-century guide for anyone who has access to a smartphone. This how-to…
manual looks at specific ways you can create social change through the tap of a screen. Filled with examples of successful hashtag campaigns, viral videos and new socially conscious apps, the book provides practical advice for using your smartphone as a tool for social justice. For junior and senior high readers. 2017.By Jen Sookfong Lee. 2017
From its beginnings as a farming celebration marking the end of winter to its current role as a global party…
featuring good food, lots of gifts and public parades, 'Chinese New Year' is a snapshot of Chinese culture. Award-winning author and broadcaster Jen Sookfong Lee recalls her childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, and weaves family stories into the history, traditions and evolution of Chinese New Year. Grades 3-6. 2017.By Alice Walsh. 2016
A young African American and the son of sharecroppers, Lanier Phillips escapes the violence, racism, and segregation of his Georgia…
home by joining the navy during the Second World War. But tragedy strikes the USS Truxtun one February night off the southeastern coast of Newfoundland, and Lanier is the lone Black survivor of the terrible shipwreck. Covered in oil when he arrives onshore, the community's kindness and humanity brings him back to health and changes his outlook on life. Grades K-3. 2016.By Vivienne Francis. 1998
The stories of the Windrush generation - Britain's first post-war immigrants from the Caribbean. These early pioneers, who came to…
Britain with high expectations, tell it like it really was, covering over fifty years of black presence in Britain.By Andrew Larsen. 2017
When he was a child in the 1840s, Andrew Carnegie and his family immigrated to America in search of a…
new beginning. His working-class Scottish family arrived at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Carnegie worked hard, in factories and telegraphy. He invested in railroads, eventually becoming the richest man in the world during his time. Carnegie believed strongly in sharing his wealth, and one of the ways he did this was by funding the construction of over 2,500 public libraries around the world. His philanthropy completely revolutionized public libraries, which weren’t widespread at the time. Grades K-3. 2017.By Rina Singh. 2016
During Diwali, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrate the legends and stories that describe the triumph of good over evil and…
justice over oppression. The author explores her Indian roots as she tells the Diwali stories, which remind us that eventually light will prevail over darkness. Enriched by personal stories and spiced with festive recipes, "Diwali" brings to life the holiday's traditions, food and rituals and takes you on a journey to see how this festival is celebrated around the world. Grades 4-7. 2016By Lori Polydoros. 2011
By Joël De Rosnay. 2005
By Dan Werb. 2019
Despite its reputation as a carnival of vice, Tijuana was, until recently, no more or less violent than neighboring San…
Diego, its sister city across the border wall. But then something changed. Over the past ten years, Mexico's third-largest city became one of the world's most dangerous. Tijuana's murder rate skyrocketed and produced a staggering number of female victims. Hundreds of women are now found dead in the city each year, or bound and mutilated along the highway that lines the Baja coast. When Dan Werb began to study these murders in 2013, rather than viewing them in isolation, he discovered that they could only be understood as one symptom among many. Environmental toxins, drug overdoses, HIV transmission: all were killing women at overwhelming rates. As an epidemiologist, trained to track epidemics by mining data, Werb sensed the presence of a deeper contagion targeting Tijuana's women. Not a virus, but some awful wrong buried in the city's social order, cutting down its most vulnerable inhabitants from multiple directions. Werb's search for the ultimate causes of Tijuana's femicide casts new light on immigration, human trafficking, addiction, and the true cost of American empire-building. It leads Werb all the way from factory slums to drug dens to the corridors of police corruption, as he follows a thread that ultimately leads to a surprising turn back over the border, looking northward. 2019By Nikki Tate. 2018
Christmas is a popular holiday celebrated by people all over the world. Learn about the games played, foods eaten, music…
played and favourite ways of decorating in different parts of the world. With lots of fun facts (about everything from frumenty to the jolly old man in red himself) and recipes, there's plenty in this volume to satisfy anyone with an interest in the festive season. Grades 4-7. 2018.By Heather Camlot. 2020
What if the impossible were actually possible? What if we turned our dreams into action? What if our imagination could…
help solve real-world crises, like war, famine, and human rights violations? Through a series of seemingly whimsical questions, this middle-grade nonfiction book introduces readers to people and organizations that are subverting violence, war, and totalitarian power. What if soldiers refused to carry weapons? What if fighter pilots dropped seeds instead of bombs? What if music could be a creative force for democracy? None of these ideas are impossible—in fact, they are all true historical examples of ideas that have been put into action. Accessible, engaging text introduces a different question and example on each spread. Evocative conceptual illustrations provide a light-hearted reminder of the power of imagination. This timely book encourages readers to think critically and dare to ask big questions, which might just change the world.By Carey Wallace. 2020
Performing Miracles. Facing Wild Lions. Confronting Demons. Transforming the World. From Augustine to Mother Teresa, officially canonized as St. Teresa…
of Calcutta, discover seventy of the best-known and best-loved saints and read their riveting stories. Meet Joan of Arc, whose transcendent faith compelled her to lead an army when the king’s courage failed. Francis of Assisi, whose gentleness tamed a man-eating wolf. Valentine, a bishop in the time of ancient Rome, who spoke so often of Christ’s love that his saint’s day, February 12, has been associated with courtly love since the Middle Ages. St. Thomas Aquinas, the great teacher. Peter Claver, who cared for hundreds of thousands of people on slave ships after their voyage as captives. And Bernadette, whose vision of Mary instructed her to dig the spring that became the healing waters of Lourdes. Each saint is illustrated in a dramatic and stylized full-color portrait, and included in every entry are the saint’s dates, location, emblems, feast days, and patronage. Taken together, these stories create a rich, inspiring, and entertaining history of faith and courage. For kids age 10 and up. A perfect gift for Confirmation.By Vashti Harrison. 2017
This beautifully illustrated board book edition of instant bestseller Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History showcases women who changed…
the world and is the perfect goodnight book to inspire big dreams. Featuring 18 trailblazing black women in American history, Dream Big, Little One is the irresistible board book adaptation of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Among these women, you'll find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them. The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come.By Kira Vermond, Clayton Hanmer. 2020
Fads and trends: How do they start? Why do they spread? And how deep can their impact be? Although trends…
might seem trivial, if you dig deeper, you’ll find that our desire to chase the next big thing can have an even bigger impact than expected. Established middle-grade author Kira Vermond and cartoonist Clayton Hanmer team up in this fun and accessible nonfiction look at fads. In four short chapters, the book explores what a fad is, how the latest crazes catch on, and what makes us jump on the bandwagon. Finally, it looks at the fascinating and even frightening effects of fads both modern and historic. Who knew the beaver pelt craze in 17th century Europe would change ecosystems, start wars, and disrupt life as people knew it? Comic-strip illustrations, an upbeat tone, and reader-friendly text make this a fun and timely tool for young readers who are building critical-thinking skills in the age of fake news and a world gone viral.