Welcome
Welcome to Braille Books Acquired. This quarterly newsletter contains a list of Braille books recently acquired by the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).
In this issue:
- Announcements
- Uncontracted braille / fiction and non-fiction for children
- Fiction printbraille
- Non-fiction printbraille
- Fiction for children
- Fiction for young adults
- Non-fiction for children and young adults
- Fiction for adults
- Non-fiction for adults
Announcements
Although the majority of these books have been published within the last 5 years, there may be some books listed here which are older, but which were only recently added to our collection. To make this clearer for you, we include the date of the print version of each book at the end of its annotation.
Letter from CELA’s Executive Director Laurie Davidson
Signs of spring are everywhere! Spring seems to bring a renewed energy which is welcomed as we look ahead to a busy season for CELA.
I am excited about the progress of our Expanded Delivery Options Project. We are nearing the end of the evaluation of the Envoy Connect, a low cost audiobook player, with our pilot participants. We have been receiving lots of valuable feedback from the participants and this will help us shape our plans for offering this option in the future. In addition, we are getting very close to piloting our new voice assistant (smart speaker) option. This will begin in April and we are eager to get feedback from the pilot participants. I want to offer my thanks to the dedicated Expanded Delivery Options Team who have done a fabulous job testing the new options and supporting our participants over the past few months.
In addition, CELA is beginning a strategic plan ‘refresh’ to chart our path forward until March 2024. We had initially planned to do a fulsome strategic planning process in 2021 to replace our previous strategic plan which had set our goals for 2017-2021. Our plans changed however with the impacts of the pandemic and ongoing uncertainty around our federal funding. The CELA Board felt that it made more sense to do a smaller, more focused ‘refresh’ that would bridge our current strategic plan for another two years with the intent of doing a full strategic planning process later, for 2024 and beyond. Our modest, more focused process will include small group discussions with our key stakeholders. With that in mind, in April and May, we will be seeking feedback on our strategic priorities from representatives of member libraries and patrons through our committees and user groups. We hope to have the refreshed document finalized by June 2022.
Alongside these large projects, we continue to be busy with the daily work. New books from NLS and other suppliers are continually added to our collection.
Finally, we are excited to share that Manitoba is the most recent province to fund CELA services for all its libraries. We are looking forward to serving the people and libraries of Manitoba as they are onboarded over the coming months, and we thank the Manitoba government for its commitment to equitable library access.
Happy reading!
Laurie Davidson
CELA Executive Director
Canada Reads Winner announced
Congratulations to Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians, which won this year’s Canada Reads battle of the books. The story follows five young Indigenous friends as they are released from residential school and must navigate the world, and the trauma from their experiences. This debut novel also won other awards including the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. Five Little Indians is available in human-transcribed braille through the CELA collection.
Holiday Hours
Please note that CELA and our Contact Centre will be closed for the Victoria Day holiday Monday, May 23. We will reopen with regular hours on Tuesday, May 24.
Braille Books Acquired is now available by e-mail. If you would like to receive it in this format, please get in touch with the CELA Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273, or by e-mail at help@celalibrary.ca. Thank you.
Uncontracted braille / fiction and non-fiction for children
Animals and wildlife
4404653 That's No Dino!: Or Is It? What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur by Helaine Becker
A fun introduction to prehistoric creatures that are not dinosaurs, and why! Dinosaurs are actually just one type of extinct animal from prehistoric times. So, what sets them apart? Here, readers are introduced to ten prehistoric animals. Each one looks like a dinosaur. But it's missing at least one key characteristic of all true dinosaurs. Animal by animal, each of those characteristics is added to a growing list, until, by the end of the book, readers know just what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur! Grades 1 to 4. 2021.
Family stories
4389985 Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard
4 volumes. Corbin Hayes has felt alone for as long as he can remember. His mom’s illness means lost jobs, constant moves, new schools and friendships that never get to grow. There’s a gap in his life that’s been waiting to be filled. So, when a classmate offers Corbin the talking bird she can no longer keep, he’s stoked. But when things begin to spiral out of control, Corbin can no longer get his mom - or himself - through the dark period. At his lowest moment, he’s forced to do the one thing he fears the most. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
4351082 Riley Can't Stop Crying by Stéphanie Boulay, Agathe Bray-Bourret, Charles Simard
Riley is inconsolable. He can’t stop crying and nothing is making him feel better. His sister, Regina, tries her best to help him figure out what’s wrong, but four-year-old Riley isn't sure. Regina knows what it feels like to be uncomfortable in her body, but she also knows that she’s pretty amazing and really good at a lot of things. So how can she help Riley see that he’s pretty amazing and really good at a lot of things? A charming story about a child’s search for his true self under the compassionate eye of his older sister. Grades 1 to 3. 2021.
Friendship stories
4396661 Sorry For Your Loss by Joanne Levy
5 volumes. In this novel for middle readers, twelve-year-old Evie befriends a boy who is grieving the loss of both his parents. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
General non-fiction
4396667 111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl (CitizenKid) by Rina Singh, Marianne Ferrer
A boy grows up to make positive change in his community. After suffering much heartache, Sundar decides change must come to his small Indian village. He believes girls should be valued as much as boys and that land should not be needlessly destroyed. Sundar's plan? To celebrate the birth of every girl with the planting of 111 trees. Sure to plant seeds of hope in children. Improving the world is within everyone's reach. Kindergarten to grade 3. 2020.
4396673 It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop) by Jennifer Gardy, Belle Wuthrich
2 volumes. Everybody eats, and everybody poops. Pretty ordinary stuff, right? But what happens in between is far from ordinary! That’s where your digestive system - also known as your gut - works its magic. It Takes Guts is an excellent, science-based resource for classroom learning and home-schooling for kids age 9 to 13. Dr. Jennifer Gardy also takes stomach-turning detours to investigate the science behind burps, barfs, and farts, proving that learning about the wonderful world of your gut - takes guts! Grades 3 to 7. 2021.
Humourous fiction
4396671 Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn, Julie Kwon
5 volumes. Eleven-year-old Peter Lee has one goal in life: to become a paleontologist. But in one summer, that all falls apart. Told in short, accessible journal entries and combining the humor of Timmy Failure with the poignant family dynamics of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Peter Lee will win readers' hearts. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
Indigenous peoples in Canada fiction
4365316 Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer by Leslie Gentile
4 volumes. It’s the summer of 1978 and most people think Elvis Presley has been dead for a year. But not eleven-year-old Truly Bateman - because she knows Elvis is alive and well and living in the Eagle Shores Trailer Park. It’s a busy summer for Truly. Though her mother is less of a mother than she ought to be, and spends her time drinking and smoking and working her way through new boyfriends, Truly is determined to raise as much money for herself as she can through her lemonade stand… and to prove that her cool new neighbour is the one and only King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. And when she can’t find motherly support in her own home, she finds sanctuary with Andy El, the Salish woman who runs the trailer park. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
Fiction printbraille
Alphabet, number and picture books
4367500 It's a Mitig! by Bridget George
1 volume. A colourful children’s book written in a rhyming combination of English and Ojibwe. Preschool. 2020.
4367508 Lost Things by Carey Sookocheff
1 volume. Sometimes things are lost. A hair ribbon. A pencil. A dog on a leash. But when someone loses a thing, another person may find it, sometimes with surprising results. In this thoughtful and deceptively simple story, several things are lost, then each is found - not always by the person who lost it, but always by someone who can use it. A small story with a big life lesson. Kids (and their grownups!) will have a new way to think, and feel, about losing something. Preschool to grade 1. 2021.
Animal stories
4367514 I Hear You, Forest (Sounds of Nature) by Kallie George, Carmen Mok
1 volume. The forest has lots to say… if you listen. When a child steps into the forest, her ears are open and her heart is too. She listens carefully and hears marvelous things. She hears the rustling of leaves sharing their secrets. She hears a beetle balancing on a branch. And the more she listens, the more she learns. I Hear You, Forest is an excellent resource for outdoor education, classroom learning and homeschooling. That the forest is full of magical sounds - you just have to listen! Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
4488903 T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes by Anna Lazowski, Steph Laberis
1 volume. A funny and encouraging alphabetic book about all the things animals CAN'T do but kids CAN! Bees can't ride bicycles, penguins can't play ping-pong, and zebras can't go zip-lining. No one is good at everything, but that shouldn't stop you from trying! Here is a funny and encouraging picture book for any child learning how to tie their shoes, ride a bike, spell their name, or do a variety of new things. Preschool. 2021.
4404566 We All Play by Julie Flett
1 volume. Animals and kids love to play! This wonderful book celebrates playtime and the connection between children and the natural world. At the end of the book, animals and children gently fall asleep after a fun day of playing outside, making this book a great bedtime story. A beautiful ode to the animals and humans we share our world with, We All Play belongs on every bookshelf. This book also includes a glossary of Cree words for wild animals and a pronunciation guide. Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
Disabilities fiction
4404565 Harley the Hero by Peggy Collins
1 volume. An exciting picture book inspired by a real-life classroom service dog with themes of friendship, neurodivergence, and courage. Kindergarten to grade 2. 2021.
Family stories
4367506 Hair Twins by Holly Hatam, Raakhee Mirchandani
1 volume. A Sikh father and daughter with a special hair bond proudly celebrate and share a family tradition in this charming story perfect for fans of Hair Love and I Love My Hair! Every morning Papa combs through his daughter's waves like he does his own -parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out. Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail. But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look! Preschool to grade 3. 2021.
4367507 Lala's Words by Gracey Zhang
1 volume. From debut author-illustrator Gracey Zhang comes a timeless and timely picture book that celebrates the unassuming power of kind words. Oh, there goes Lala! She carries a pot of water around the corner, down the block, and over the fence, to a patch of dirt and concrete where tiny weeds sprout. "Hello, hello, friends!" she whispers. Lala waters the plants every day, but it is her kind words that make them sway and nod. Lala's wild nature and quiet compassion enchant in this evergreen story about the power of kind words and the magic of being loved for who you are. Preschool to grade 3. 2021.
4367505 The Wind and the Trees by Todd Stewart
1 volume. A gentle meditation on the cycle of life, told by two trees. Kindergarten to grade 5. 2021.
4488860 The Midnight Club by Shane Goth, Yong Ling Kang
1 volume. A cozy sibling conspiracy unfolds at midnight. Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
Friendship stories
4439783 48 Grasshopper Estates by Erika Medina, Sara De Waal
1 volume. A little girl uses imagination and inventiveness to spread friendship through her community. But will she find a friend of her own? Whether it’s a supersonic sandwich maker or a twelve-tailed dragon, Sicily Bridges can make almost anything from materials she finds around her apartment complex. But when it comes to making friends, Sicily has yet to find the perfect fit. Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
4439784 It Fell from the Sky by Terry Fan, Eric Fan
1 volume. It fell from the sky on a Thursday. None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him. Spider builds a wondrous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore? But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up? Preschool to grade 3. 2021.
General fiction
4367512 Choose Kindness by Ruth Ohi
1 volume. A gentle friendship story that celebrates small acts of kindness! This is Bunny feeling small, not wanting to leave the bed at all. Bunny is having a tough morning, but manages to brighten up and get out the door. Pretty soon Bunny comes across Beetle, who needs a little cheering too. Bunny can do that! Lyrical text is infused with Ruth Ohi’s signature energy, humour, and depth. This touching story of friendship is a great reminder of the power of kindness and empathy in building community. Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
4439772 I Am Scary by Elise Gravel
1 volume. This board book features a not-so-scary monster who’s met his match in a young child. Preschool. 2020.
4404560 The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman
1 volume. Inspired by Kabul, Afghanistan’s first library bus and coloured by family memories, a touching snapshot of one innovative way girls received education in a country disrupted by war. Kindergarten to grade 3. 2020.
4439775 The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe by Zoe Si, Stephanie Simpson McLellan
1 volume. An impulsive little boy experiences the power of unconditional love. Kindergarten to grade 5. 2021.
4439769 Thunder and the Noise Storms by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, Jeffrey Ansloos, Shezza Ansloos
1 volume. When the world gets too loud and chaotic, a young boy’s grandfather helps him listen with wonder instead. Kids laughing, sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing - for Thunder, the sounds of the school day often brew into overwhelming noise storms. But when Thunder’s mosom asks him what he hears on an urban nature walk, Thunder starts to understand how sounds like bird wings flapping and rushing water can help him feel calm and connected. Gentle, inviting illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley emphasize Mosom’s lessons about the healing power of the world around us. Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
4404569 When Emily Was Small by Lauren Soloy
1 volume. Emily feels small. Small when her mother tells her not to get her dress dirty, small when she's told to sit up straight, small when she has to sit still in school. But when she's in the garden, she becomes Small: a wild, fearless, curious and passionate soul, communing with nature and feeling one with herself. She knows there are secrets to be unlocked in nature, and she yearns to discover the mysteries before she has to go back to being small… for now. When Emily Was Small is at once a celebration of freedom, a playful romp through the garden and a contemplation of the mysteries of nature. Preschool to grade 3. 2020.
4439771 You Might Be Special! by Marcus Cutler, Kerri Kokias
1 volume. A funny interactive “quiz” identifies the most special creature of all - you! Do you ever feel like you're different from everyone else? Like there's no one quite like you? Then you might be special! Take this quiz to find out! This playful “quiz” first asks conventional Yes! questions, like: “Do you like to stay up late? Are you sometimes wild and crazy?” Then, “Do people run away when they see your furry face and pointy teeth?” No? Then you're not a werewolf! This pattern repeats for several fantastical creatures - unicorns, dragons, mermaids - until finally children are reassured: they are special, “because you're YOU!” A one-of-a-kind book for every one-of-a-kind kid! Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
4404564 Come, Read With Me by Margriet Ruurs, Christine Wei
1 volume. In this picture book about stories and reading, contemporary children are whisked through an imaginary world while interacting with characters from classic fairy tales. Preschool to Kindergarten. 2021.
4439780 Little Moar and the Moon by Roselynn Akulukjuk, Jazmine Gubbe
1 volume. Moar loves everything about autumn - except for the eerie moon. Moar wants to get home before the moon's in the sky, but with so much to do on the way, will there be time? Grade 1 to 3. 2021.
4439776 The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies, Ravy Puth
1 volume. A young girl and her family arrive in an airport in a new country. They are refugees, migrants who have travelled across the world to find safety. Strangers greet them, and one of them gives the little girl a doll. Decades later, that little girl is grown up and she has the chance to welcome a group of refugees who are newly arrived in her adopted country. To the youngest of them, a little girl, she gives a doll, knowing it will help make her feel welcome. Inspired by real events. Grade 2 to 4. 2021.
Humourous fiction
4488877 My Mad Hair Day by Nathalie Dion
1 volume. Thanks to her wild head of hair, Malie gets all tangled up with an unexpected cast of characters in this funny, stylish twist of a tall tale. Preschool to grade 1. 2021.
4439770 This Is the Path the Wolf Took by Elina Ellis, Laura Farina
1 volume. A funny and bighearted tale about what makes a story good. The stories Gabe “reads” to his sister always start out sounding familiar - a red-caped girl on her way to Grandma's meets a wolf in the woods - but then, just in the nick of time, Sir Gabriel swoops in to save the day. His sister insists that's not how it's supposed to go. He says his version is better: “Nothing bad happens in my story.” But when his sister walks away, it's time to reconsider. Are his stories boring? Why does it seem like there's always something missing? True fact about stories: they need a bit of bad to be good! Preschool to grade 2. 2020.
Indigenous peoples in Canada fiction
4404573 We Learn from the Sun by David Bouchard
1 volume. David Bouchard is a best selling author, speaker and educator. He is Canada's most sought after public speaker. We Learn from the Sun is an Indigenous rhyming poem based on his best selling book Seven Sacred Teachings. Grade 1 to 3. 2020.
Multi-cultural fiction
4404567 Ten Little Dumplings by Larissa Fan, Cindy Wume
1 volume. In the city of Fengfu, there lives a very special family - special because they have ten sons who do everything together. Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you'll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent - a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world… and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling. Preschool to grade 3. 2021.
4367513 I Am Loved by Kevin Qamaniq-Mason, Mary Qamaniq-Mason, Hwei Lim
1 volume. Pakak is in a new foster home. Feeling alone and uncertain, he finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be. Grade 1 to 3. 2020.
4488898 In My Mosque by Hatem Aly, M. O. Yuksel.
1 volume. No matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone is welcome here. From grandmothers reading lines of the Qur’an and the imam telling stories of living as one, to meeting new friends and learning to help others, mosques are centers for friendship, community, and love. M. O. Yuksel’s beautiful text celebrates the joys and traditions found in every mosque around the world. Preschool to grade 3. 2021.
Sports fiction
4367501 The Collectors by Alice Feagan
1 volume. Two young naturalists on a quest for something extraordinary. There's room for just one final piece in Winslow and Rosie's impressive collection of natural wonders. So, they set off into the forest in search of something extraordinary. They journey far - along the creek, across the valley, through the spruce grove and up the mountain. And while they find many extraordinary things, nothing is just the right extraordinary thing. When the girls find a deep, dark cave, they decide to venture farther than ever before. Surely, a mysterious cave must hold something extraordinary… It takes clever collectors to recognize a treasure - especially in the most unexpected place! Preschool to grade 2. 2021.
Non-fiction printbraille
Animals and wildlife
4404571 Snooze-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Sleep by Maria Birmingham
1 volume. Discover the strange - and sometimes familiar - ways animals settle down for bed. Grade 1 to 5. 2021.
Fitness
4404562 Race with Me! by Robert Budd, Andre De Grasse
1 volume. A celebration of sport - and Andre De Grasse’s positive, winning attitude. Everyone gets nervous butterflies. I don’t let that feeling stop me. I love the feeling of being proud of myself. I can only feel it by trying my best. My butterflies just mean I am excited to run. Lace up your shoes and get ready for race day with Canada’s 2019 Athlete of the Year, Andre De Grasse! Find out what it was like for him as an underdog, and how he motivates himself to face every challenge, in this inspiring celebration of sport. Grade 1 to 4. 2021.
General non-fiction
4404561 Golden Threads by Suzanne Del Rizzo
1 volume. A beloved toy fox becomes lost, tattered, repaired, and loved for his imperfections. Preschool to grade 4. 2020.
Fiction for children
Family stories
4357996 Meranda and the Legend of the Lake by Meagan Mahoney
3 volumes. Anne of Green Gables meets Song for a Whale with a touch of Nancy Drew. Grades 4 to 6. 2021.
General fiction
4351073 Houston, Is There A Problem?: Teen Astronauts #1 by Eric Walters
4 volumes. In this novel for middle readers, thirteen-year-old Houston Williams is offered an opportunity to attend a prestigious NASA space camp. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
Fiction for young adults
Family stories
4329498 Firefly by Philippa Dowding
3 volumes. Firefly lived in the park across from her mother’s home. It was safer there. But after the bad night happens, and her baseball-bat-wielding mother is taken away, social services sends Firefly to live with her Aunt Gayle. She hardly knows Gayle, but discovers that she owns a costume shop. Yes, Firefly might be suffering from PTSD, but she can get used to taking baths, sleeping on a bed again, and wearing as many costumes as she can to school. But where is “home”? What is “family”? Who is Firefly, for that matter… and which costume is the real one? For junior high readers. 2021.
4351078 Unravel by Sharon Jennings
2 volumes. As Rebecca is about to turn twelve years old, she begins to realize that Joe, her father, is not the most supportive of parents. Rather he seems to want to turn her away from friendships, from involvement with others, from anyone who might intrude on their two lives. Life changes for Rebecca the day that she spots a new neighbour in their latest apartment building - someone who, though she seems a little fragile, has an aura of elegance about her and who also takes an immediate interest in the girl. As Rebecca gets to know Phoebe better, she also is able to look at Joe with different eyes - and, in the end, she realizes that her father is not at all who he has presented himself as. For junior and high school readers. 2021.
Folklore, fables and fairy tales
4329482 The Coming Storm by Regina M. Hansen
5 volumes. There’s a certain wild magic in the salt air and the thrum of the sea. Beet MacNeill has known this all her life. It added spice to her childhood adventures with her older cousin, Gerry, the two of them thick as thieves as they explored their Prince Edward Island home. So when Gerry comes up the path one early spring morning, Beet thinks nothing of it at first. But he is soaking wet and silent, and he plays a haunting tune on his fiddle that chills Beet to the bone. Something is very, very wrong. Things only get worse when Marina Shaw saunters into town and takes an unsettling interest in Gerry’s new baby. Local lore is filled with tales of a vicious shape-shifting sea creature and the cold, beautiful woman who controls him - a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Marina. Beet is determined to find out what happened to her beloved cousin, and to prevent the same fate from befalling the handsome new boy in town who is winning her heart, whether she wants him to or not. For junior and high school readers. 2021.
General fiction
4439807 The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson
4 volumes. Frankie’s past is a mystery. Her recurring dreams of a hundred-year-old circus side show just may hold the key, but when she sees the performers in real life, she has no idea what to believe. Are the dreams Frankie’s way of working through trauma, or something more sinister at play? For junior and high school readers. 2021.
Non-fiction for children and young adults
General non-fiction
4357997 Unstoppable: Women With Disabilities by Karen Patkau, Helen Wolfe
Ten very different disabled women, from neurosurgeon Dr. Karin Muraszko to environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who are making a difference in the world. Grades 4 to 7. 2021.
Nature
4396666 Meet David Suzuki (Scholastic Canada Biography) by Elizabeth MacLeod
As a young boy, David Suzuki loved spending time in the glorious British Columbia outdoors with his father. The racist policies against Japanese Canadians during World War II put an abrupt end to that when David’s family was sent to a Japanese internment camp in 1942. After the war, the Suzuki family was forced to leave B.C., settling in Ontario. David immersed himself in learning, earning a PhD in zoology, becoming a professor, and eventually taking his love of science education into the public sphere with his shows on CBC radio and television. His connection to nature, commitment as a scientist, and media presence found David among the first to raise the alarm on how human behaviour is endangering all life on Earth. Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time, and David Suzuki has led the charge in education and activism in Canada for decades. Grades 1 to 4. 2021.
Fiction for adults
Adventure stories
4329480 The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
10 volumes. A final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help. Houston flight controller Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the NASA crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear to be. Full of the fascinating technical detail that fans of The Martian loved, and reminiscent of the thrilling claustrophobia, twists and tension of The Hunt for Red October, The Apollo Murders puts you right there in the moment. Strap in and count down for the ride of a lifetime. 2021.
Family stories
4439805 Out of Mind by David Bergen
3 volumes. David Bergen delves into the psyche of Lucille Black, mother, grandmother, lover, psychiatrist, and analyst of self, who first appeared in Bergen’s bestselling novel The Matter with Morris. In this brilliant and subtle evocation of vulnerability and loss, Bergen traces one woman’s quest to reform her identity, reminding us that the unexpected is always lying in wait. 2021.
General fiction
4357977 Letters to Amelia by Lindsay Zier-Vogel
5 volumes. Grace Porter is reeling from grief after her partner of seven years unexpectedly leaves. Amidst her heartache, the thirty-year-old library tech is tasked with reading newly discovered letters that Amelia Earhart wrote to her lover, Gene Vidal. When Grace discovers she is pregnant, her life becomes more intertwined with the aviation hero and she begins to write her own letters to Amelia. While navigating her third trimester - amidst new conspiracy theories about Amelia's mysterious disappearance, the search for her remains, and the impending publication of her private letters - Grace goes on a pilgrimage of her own. 2021.
4439803 Pure Colour by Sheila Heti
2 volumes. Here we are, just living in the first draft of creation, which was made by some great artist, who is now getting ready to tear it apart. In this first draft, a woman named Mira leaves home for school. There, she meets Annie, whose tremendous power opens Mira’s chest like a portal - to what, she doesn’t know. When Mira is older, her beloved father dies, and she enters the strange and dizzying dimension that true loss opens up. Sheila Heti is a philosopher of modern experience, and she has reimagined what a book can hold. 2022.
4406781 Satellite Love: A Novel by Genki Ferguson
5 volumes. On the eve of the new millennium, in a city in southern Japan that progress has forgotten, sixteen-year-old Anna Obata looks to the stars for solace. An outcast at school, and left to fend for herself and care for her increasingly senile grandfather at home, Anna copes with her loneliness by searching the night sky for answers. But everything changes the evening the Low Earth Orbit satellite (LEO for short) returns her gaze and sees her as no one else has before. After Leo is called down to Earth, he embarks on an extraordinary journey to understand his own humanity as well as the fragile mind of the young woman who called him into being. It is an unforgettable story about the indomitable power of the imagination and the mind's ability to heal itself, no matter the cost, no matter the odds. 2021.
4351071 The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
12 volumes. One year after the death of his beloved musician father, thirteen-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices. At first, Benny tries to ignore them, but soon the voices follow him outside the house, onto the street and at school, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library, where objects are well-behaved and know to speak in whispers. With its blend of sympathetic characters, riveting plot, and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions, The Book of Form and Emptiness is classic Ruth Ozeki - bold, wise, poignant, playful, humane and heartbreaking. 2021.
4407819 The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose
6 volumes. Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanour has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Both a Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different - and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart. 2022.
4439796 When We Lost Our Heads: A Novel by Heather O'Neill
8 volumes. Marie Antoine is the charismatic, spoiled daughter of a sugar baron. At age twelve, with her pile of blond curls and unparalleled sense of whimsy, she’s the leader of all the children in the Golden Mile, the affluent strip of nineteenth-century Montreal where powerful families live. Until one day in 1873, when Sadie Arnett, dark-haired, sly and brilliant, moves to the neighbourhood. Marie and Sadie are immediately inseparable. United by their passion and intensity, they attract and repel each other in ways that set them both on fire. When We Lost Our Heads is a page-turning novel that explores gender and power, sex and desire, class and status, and the terrifying strength of the human heart when it can’t let someone go. 2022.
Ghost and horror stories
4404587 The Spirits Up: A Novel by Todd Babiak
5 volumes. Benedict is an inventor whose life’s work is a clean energy machine. It has just made him an overnight sensation and his family is suddenly wealthy. But there are problems Benedict is too busy to see: Karen is deeply unhappy in the marriage and contemplating an affair, Charlotte, who is dealing with a chronic illness, is growing more and more distant, and Poppy is cracking under the pressures of her social circle. And there’s another problem. Benedict holds a rather terrible secret about his clean energy machine. Then, on Halloween night, an accident threatens to make everything far worse for the family. The accident kicks off a series of hauntings in their beautiful, historic home in affluent Belgravia, and the ghosts make it clear that they want something from them. Part social satire and part contemporary ghost story (with a hint of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol), it is an exploration of a timeless question: what happens when there’s nothing to believe? 2021.
Historical fiction
4329474 August into Winter: A Novel by Guy Vanderhaeghe
13 volumes. It is 1939, with the world on the brink of global war, when Constable Hotchkiss confronts the spoiled, narcissistic man-child Ernie Sickert about a rash of disturbing pranks in their small prairie town. Outraged and cornered, Ernie commits an act of unspeakable violence, setting in motion a course of events that will change forever the lives of all in his wake. With Loretta Pipe - the scrappy twelve-year-old he idealizes as the love of his life - in tow, Ernie flees town. His is a canvas of lavish, indelible detail: of character, of landscape, of history - in all their searing beauty but all their ugliness, too. Vanderhaeghe does not shrink from the corruption, cruelty, and treachery that pervade the world. Yet even in his clear-eyed depiction of evil - a depiction that frequently and delightfully turns darkly comic - he will not deny the possibility of love, of light. 2021.
Indigenous peoples fiction
4357992 The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont
7 volumes. The Tour is all prepared. The Prairie Chicken dance troupe is all set for a fifteen-day trek through Europe, performing at festivals and cultural events. But then the performers all come down with the flu. And John Greyeyes, a retired cowboy who hasn't danced in fifteen years, finds himself abruptly thrust into the position of leading a hastily-assembled group of replacement dancers. The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour is loosely based - like, hospital-gown loose - on the true story of a group of Indigenous dancers who left Saskatchewan and toured through Europe in the 1970s. Dawn Dumont brings her signature razor-sharp wit and impeccable comedic timing to this hilarious, warm, and wildly entertaining novel. 2021.
4351086 The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
8 volumes. Cedar has nearly forgotten what her family looks like. Phoenix has nearly forgotten what freedom feels like. And Elsie has nearly given up hope. Nearly. After time spent in foster homes, Cedar goes to live with her estranged father. Although she grapples with the pain of being separated from her mother, Elsie, and sister, Phoenix, she’s hoping for a new chapter in her life, only to find herself once again in a strange house surrounded by strangers. From a youth detention centre, Phoenix gives birth to a baby she’ll never get to raise and tries to forgive herself for all the harm she’s caused (while wondering if she even should). Between flickering moments of warmth and support, the women diverge and reconnect, fighting to survive in a fractured system that pretends to offer success but expects them to fail. This is a searing exploration of race, class, inherited trauma, and matrilineal bonds that - despite everything - refuse to be broken. 2021.
Multi-cultural fiction
4357979 The Cine Star Salon (Nunatak First Fiction Series #55) by Leah Ranada
6 volumes. Philippine-born Vancouverite Sophia is most grateful for two things: her modest hair salon and Adrian, her mild-mannered fiancé. She is eager to get married, move away from her highly educated but career-frustrated parents, who believe that their daughter can be so much more than a beautician.Then Sophia's estranged friend reaches out from Manila, desperate for help. After a dubious accident, her fiery Auntie Rosy is on the verge of losing the Cine Star Salon - the place where Sophia first felt the call to become a hairstylist and salon owner. Coming to her auntie's aid is not so easy though. Sophia worries helping might reopen old wounds and threaten the bright future she has planned. Leah Ranada's debut novel is a graphic and engaging depiction of the importance of women's work and the loyalties that connect friends across oceans. 2021.
Mysteries and crime stories
4439790 Find You First: A Novel by Linwood Barclay
9 volumes. Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of - except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past… Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids - nine of them. As Miles begins to search for the children he’s never known, aspiring film documentarian Chloe Swanson embarks on a quest to find her biological father, armed with the knowledge that twenty-two years ago, her mother used a New York sperm bank to become pregnant. When Miles and Chloe eventually connect, their excitement at finding each other is overshadowed by a series of mysterious and terrifying events. One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing - every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all. Who is the vicious killer - another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even more sinister going on? It’s a deadly race against time. 2021.
4404585 Three for Trinity (The Sebastian Synard Mystery Series #3) by Kevin Major
5 volumes. When Sebastian goes undercover in the theatre to find a killer, things get… dramatic. In Three for Trinity, the third book in the Sebastian Synard Mystery series, offbeat humour meets suspense as a nefarious crime unfolds. Trying to run a tour business in COVID times is tough, especially when you’re home-schooling a teenager. But with the creation of the Atlantic bubble, Sebastian can offer a tour of the scenic, historic Bonavista peninsula to a small group. On the last night of the tour, an actor collapses at a socially distanced theatre performance. Sebastian rushes to help, but Lyle Mercer has been poisoned. When Sebastian goes undercover as an actor to try to discover the killer, he’s taking a risk in more ways than one. Will it upend his romantic relationship with police inspector Ailsa Bowmore? 2021.
Short stories
4329447 Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories by Norma Dunning
3 volumes. A new collection of short stories that illuminate Inuit experience in the Canadian South. 2021.
4357976 The Vinyl Cafe Celebrates by Stuart McLean
5 volumes. For more than two decades, Stuart McLean entered the hearts and homes of Canadians via The Vinyl Cafe radio show, his many tours across the country, and multiple nationally bestselling books. His charming, humane, and side-splitting stories brought the trials and triumphs of Dave, Morley, Sam, and Stephanie to life, and made their memorable circle of friends, family, and neighbours as real as our own. This collection is both timely and timeless, a rich celebration of Stuart McLean's inimitable voice, and of the importance of love, community, kindness, and the healing power of laughter. 2021.
Suspense and thrillers
4357975 State of Terror: A Novel by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny
10 volumes. After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in, and to everyone’s surprise the president chooses a political enemy for the vital position of secretary of state. As the new president addresses Congress for the first time, with Secretary Adams in attendance, Anahita Dahir, a young foreign service officer (FSO) on the Pakistan desk at the State Department, receives a baffling text from an anonymous source. What begins as a series of apparent terrorist attacks is revealed to be the beginning of an international chess game involving the volatile and Byzantine politics of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran; the race to develop nuclear weapons in the region; the Russian mob; a burgeoning rogue terrorist organization; and an American government set back on its heels in the international arena. As the horrifying scale of the threat becomes clear, Secretary Adams and her team realize it has been carefully planned to take advantage of four years of an American government out of touch with international affairs, out of practice with diplomacy, and out of power in the places where it counts the most. 2021.
World War II
4404590 Traitors of Camp 133 by Wayne Arthurson
5 volumes. Captain Mueller is dead. Hanged, apparently by his own hand. But ex-police officer and war hero Sergeant August Neumann doesn't think it's quite so simple. How could it be with blackshirts, legionnaires, and communist sympathisers vying for control of the camp? Wayne Arthurson manages to hook you on the first page of this masterful mystery. 2016.
Non-fiction for adults
Anthologies
4404985 This Strange Visible Air: Essays on Aging and the Writing Life by Sharon Butala
4 volumes. In this incisive collection, Sharon Butala reflects on the ways her life has changed as she's grown old. She knows that society fails the elderly massively, and so she tackles ageism and loneliness, friendship and companionship. She writes with pointed wit and acerbic humour about dinner parties and health challenges and forgetfulness and complicated family relationships and the pandemic - and lettuce. And she tells her story with the tremendous skill and beauty of a writer who has masterfully honed her craft over the course of her storied four-decade career. 2021.
4357998 Tongues: On Longing and Belonging through Language by Ayelet Tsabari, Eufemia Fantetti, Leonarda Carranza
5 volumes. In this collection of deeply personal essays, twenty-six writers explore their connection with language, accents, and vocabularies, and contend with the ways these can be used as both bridge and weapon. Tongues: On Longing and Belonging through Language is a vital anthology that opens a compelling dialogue about language diversity and probes the importance of language in our identity and the ways in which it shapes us. 2021.
General non-fiction
4329444 Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From by Kamal Al-Solaylee
6 volumes. Drawing on extensive reporting from around the world and astute political analysis, Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From illuminates a personal quest. It sets the narrative of going home against geopolitical forces that are likely to shape the rest of this century and beyond. It’s a book for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to return to their roots. 2021.
4339061 Disorientation: Being Black in the World by Ian Williams
4 volumes. Ian Williams brings fresh eyes and new insights to today's urgent conversation on race and racism in startling, illuminating essays that grow out of his own experience as a Black man moving through the world. Spurred by the police killings and street protests of 2020, Williams realized he could offer a perspective distinct from the almost exclusively America-centric books on race topping the bestseller lists, because of one salient fact: he has lived in Trinidad (where he was never the only Black person in the room), in Canada (where he often was), and in the United States (where as a Black man from the Caribbean, he was a different kind of "only"). With these essays, Williams wants to reach a multi-racial audience of people who believe that civil conversation on even the most charged subjects is possible. Adult 2021.
4329463 Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canadian Sport by Janice Forsyth
7 volumes. Analyzes sport in Canada as a tool for both colonization and Indigenous self-determination. 2020.
Health and medicine
4357991 Richard Wagamese Selected: What Comes from Spirit by Drew Hayden Taylor, Richard Wagamese
2 volumes. A new curated collection of Richard Wagamese’s short writings. 2021.
Indigenous peoples biography
4329486 Genocidal Love: A Life after Residential School by Bevann Fox
4 volumes. Genocidal Love delves into the long-term effects of childhood trauma on those who attended residential school. Presenting herself as “Myrtle,” Bevann Fox weaves truth and fiction together and demonstrates the power of story to help in recovery and healing. 2020.
4329487 In Search of Almighty Voice: Resistance and Reconciliation by Bill Waiser
7 volumes. In May 1897, Almighty Voice, a member of the One Arrow Willow Cree, died violently when Canada's North-West Mounted Police shelled the fugitive's hiding place. Since then, his violent death has spawned a succession of conflicting stories - from newspaper features, magazine articles and pulp fiction to plays and film. Almighty Voice has been maligned, misunderstood, romanticized, celebrated, and invented. Indeed, there have been many Almighty Voices over the years. What these stories have in common is that the Willow Cree man mattered. Understanding why he mattered has a direct bearing on reconciliation efforts today. 2020.
Journals and memoirs
4329446 Man at the Airport: How social media saved my life - one Syrian's story by Hassan Al Kontar
4 volumes. Man at the Airport explores what it means to be a Syrian, an "illegal" and a refugee. More broadly, it examines the power of social media to amplify individual voices and facilitate political dissent. 2021.
329456 My Mother, My Translator by Jaspreet Singh
5 volumes. In 2008, Jaspreet Singh made a pact with his mother. He would gladly give her the go-ahead to publish her significantly altered translation of a story from his collection, Seventeen Tomatoes, if she promised to write her memoirs. After she died in 2012, he decided to take up the memoir she had started. Tracing the men and especially the women of his family from the 1918 pandemic through the calamitous events of Partition, My Mother, My Translator takes us through Singh's childhood in Kashmir and with his grandparents in Indian Punjab to his arrival in Canada in 1990 to study the sciences, up to the closing moments of 2020, as he tries to locate new forms of stories for living in a present marked by COVID-19 and climate crisis. 2021.
4365301 On Foot to Canterbury: A Son’s Pilgrimage (Wayfarer) by Ken Haigh
6 volumes. Ken Haigh explores the historical and literary landscape of the Pilgrims’ Way in southern England. 2021.
4488867 Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence by Nicola I. Campbell
6 volumes. Captivating and deeply moving, this story basket of memories tells one Indigenous woman’s journey of overcoming adversity and colonial trauma to find strength through creative works and traditional perspectives of healing, transformation, and resurgence. 2021.
Poetry
4362665 The Junta of Happenstance by Tolu Oloruntoba
1 volume. Personal, primordial, and pulsing with syncopated language, Tolu Oloruntoba’s poetic debut, The Junta of Happenstance, is a compendium of dis-ease. This includes disease in the traditional sense, as informed by the poet’s time as a physician, and dis-ease as a primer for family dysfunction, the (im)migrant experience, and urban / corporate anxiety. In the face of struggles against social injustice, Oloruntoba navigates the contemporary moment with empathy and intelligence, finding beauty in chaos, and strength in suffering. 2021.
Politics and government
4329445 The Case for Basic Income: Freedom, Security, Justice by Jamie Swift, Elaine Power
7 volumes. In a job market upended by COVID-19 - with Canadians caught in the grip of precarious labour, stagnant wages, a climate crisis, and the steady creep of automation - an ever-louder chorus of voices calls for a liveable and obligation-free basic income. 2021.
4329505 Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada (Communication, Strategy, and Politics) by Alex Marland
15 volumes. This revealing examination of the inner workings of party discipline exposes the machinery of message coordination that courses through Canadian legislatures and politics. 2020.
Self help
4329504 In Praise of Retreat: Finding Sanctuary in the Modern World by Kirsteen MacLeod
8 volumes. Kirsteen MacLeod looks at the history and contemporary ways of retreat, and how we can restore meaning to our lives in an increasingly secular world through deliberate action. 2021.
4405020 Welcome Back!: How to Reboot Your Physical and Mental Well-Being for a Post-Pandemic World by Elaine Chin
9 volumes. Welcome Back! is your wellness partner, guiding you from languishing to thriving. This book puts the power of achieving optimal health into your hands. In Welcome Back!, Dr. Chin shares actionable insights and strategies to reclaim your physical stamina and mental fitness in this post-pandemic world. 2021.