http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/catholic en-US http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023179 This kit contains a collection of books by Canadian authors. Includes 5 copies each of 10 different titles. Addison Addley and the things that aren't there / Melody DeFields McMillan - Boy in motion : Rick Hansen's story / Ainslie Manson - Breakout dinosaurs / Hugh Brewster - Bugs up close / Diane Swanson - Dear Sylvia / Alan Cumyn - Feather brain / Maureen Bush - The old man with the otter medicine / George Blondin - One hen : how one small loan made a big difference / Katie Smith Milway - TJ and the quiz kids / Hazel Hutchins - Tuk and the whale / Raquel Rivera. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:23:32 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023608 C'est amusant d'aller au zoo quand on est petit. Mais Anna est grande maintenant. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023610 Félix regarde dans la rue. Il voit un garçon qui court. Il a un sac rouge dans les mains. -Je vais rapporter votre sac, dit Félix à la femme. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023603 This kit contains a collection of books by Canadian authors. Includes 2 copies each of 10 different titles. Boo hoo bird / Jeremy Tankard - Bradley McCogg, the very fine frog / Tim Beiser - Crocodiles play! / Robert Heidbreder - Farley follows his nose / Lynn C. Johnston - The king has goat ears / Katarina Jovanovic - The king's taster / Kenneth Oppel - Stanley's beauty contest / Linda Bailey - There's a cow under my bed! / Valerie Sherrard - When Stella was very, very small / Marie-Louise Gay - You're mean, Lily Jean / Frieda Wishinsky. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023611 Anna saute sur sa nouvelle planche à roulettes et descend la colline à toute vitesse. Thomas veut essayer la planche, mais Anna lui dit « non. Thomas ne l'écoute pas et roule dans la rue. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023612 L'ourse polaire avance sur la glace. Elle se retourne et regarde ses deux oursons. Ils jouent dans la neige. Ils sont en sécurité...jusqu'à l'arrivée des loups. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023609 Léa regarde autour d'elle. La nuit est noire... Qu'est-ce que ce bruit?Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023616 Hugo ne veut pas aider Mme Dube, mais il ne veut pas lui dire non. Il s'arrête et revient vers elle... Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023615 Raf et Jade entrent dans le gymnase de l'école. Il y a beaucoup d'élèves. Mais personne ne danse. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023614 Maman veut que je nettoie ma chambre MAINTENANT ! Mais comment faire? Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023617 Sami cherche son vélo partout. Il regarde devant la maison. Il regarde derrière la maison. Il regarde même sous son lit. Mais son vélo est disparu. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023613 La tempête fait de plus en plus de bruit. Puis il y a un grondement. Le grondement continue, encore et encore. Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023607 Aujourd'hui, papa et Paul vont pêcher. Ils sont excités. Ils aiment beaucoup pêcher... Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023606 This kit contains a collection of books by Canadian authors. Includes 2 copies each of 10 different titles. After / Hazel Hutchins - Greener grass / Caroline Pignat - Leaving Fletchville / René Schmidt - Lunch with Lenin and other stories / Deborah Ellis - Night runner / Max Turner - The shepherd's granddaughter / Anne Laurel Carter - Starclimber / Kenneth Oppel - Submarine outlaw / Philip Roy - War brothers / Sharon E. Mckay - Word nerd / Susin Nielsen. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023604 This kit contains a collection of books by Canadian authors. Includes 2 copies each of 10 different titles. Death in the air / Shane Peacock - Grim Hill: the secret deepens / Linda DeMeulemeester - Jolted, Newton Starker's Rules for Survival / Arthur Slade - Libertad / Alma Fullerton - The mealworm diaries / Anna Kerz - The nine lives of Travis Keating / Jill MacLean - The Odds get even / Natale Ghent - When the sargeant came marching home / Don Lemna - White Cave escape / Jennifer McGrath Kent - Zorgamazoo / Robert Paul Weston. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023605 This kit contains a collection of books by Canadian authors. Includes 2 copies each of 10 different titles. Alien invaders: species that threaten our world / Jane Drake, Ann Love and Mark Thurman - At the edge: daring acts in desperate times / Larry Verstraete - Children of war: voices of Iraqi refugees / Deborah Ellis - Courage and compassion: ten Canadians who made a difference / Rona Arato - Dieppe: Canada's darkest day of World War II / Hugh Brewster - The insecto-files: amazing insect science and facts you'll never believe / Helaine Becker and Claudia Dávila - Inside hockey!: the legends, facts and feats that made the games / Keltie Thomas - Pharaohs and foot soldiers: one hundred ancient Egyptian jobs you might have desired or dreaded / Kristin Butcher and Martha Newbigging - Robert Munsch: portrait of an extraordinary Canadian / Frank B. Edwards - You are weird: your body's peculiar parts and funny functions / Diane Swanson and Kathy Boake. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023618 Colin revient de l'école à pied. En tournant le coin d'une rue, il voit qu'il y a eu un vol à la bijouterie. Les voleurs ont pris tous les bijoux... Great resources to engage boys in reading. They can be used for literature circles, guided reading, shared reading, or independent reading in both Core French and French Immersion. There are twelve copies of each title. There is one teacher guide per title available for creative ideas and activities associated with each title. The guide also gives suggestions on how to use the resources in the different components of reading as well as before, during and after reading strategies. As well as the Teacher Resource, each title is accompanied by lesson plans developed by the Core French Teachers from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board that include situations of reading that follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. These resources link reading, writing, and oral communication. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:51:28 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023644 For grades 6-8. Elijah was the first child born free in the settlement of Buxton, Canada. Through this book we learn of Elijah's everyday life, the personalities of the people of Buxton, and how they work together in their community. Elijah is able to understand more about the Underground Railroad as he encounters run-away slaves while he travels to America. Recommended to be used as part of 'literature circles' or 'read aloud' strategies. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:06:40 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023877 After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune. Sat, 08 May 2010 03:12:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023878 Written by Rodman Philbrick. At the beginning of eighth grade, Max, who has a learning disability, and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team. Sat, 08 May 2010 03:12:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023993 This resource uses the Ontario Graduate Expectations as the "big ideas" upon which teachers can invite students to explore their opinions, values, thoughts and experiences, examing them through a suggested mentor text. This kit contains the following books: Luba: the angel of Bergen-Belsen / M. McCann - Chicken Sunday / P. Polacco - The three questions / J. Muth - I'm in charge of celebrations / B. Baylor - The tale of the three trees / A. Elwell Hunt - The table where rich people sit / B. Baylot - Old turtle / D. Wood. Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:18:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023995 This resource uses the Ontario Graduate Expectations as the "big ideas" upon which teachers can invite students to explore their opinions, values, thoughts and experiences, examing them through a suggested mentor text. This kit contains the following books: Max Lucado children's treasury - Show way / J. Woodson - Across the alley / R. Michelson - Now one foot, now the other / T. de Paola - The keeping quilt / P. Polacco - The carpet boy's gift / P. Deitz Shea. Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:18:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023994 This resource uses the Ontario Graduate Expectations as the "big ideas" upon which teachers can invite students to explore their opinions, values, thoughts and experiences, examing them through a suggested mentor text. This kit contains the following books: Max Lucado children's treasury - Enemy pie / D. Munson - Koala Lou / M. Fox - Something beautiful / S. Dennis Wyeth - A chance to shine / S. Seskin - God's dream / Desmond Tutu - Jeremiah learns to read / J. Bogart. Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:18:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024000 This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on ADVENTURE fiction genre at the Intermediate Level: After Sylvia - I've got an idea - Raging river - Skybreaker - The dream carvers. This genre evokes emotions, and deals with issues of self-esteem and survival. Conflicts are often where the protagonist fights alone, or with a friend/person against nature/society. Setting and situations are realistic, plots are exciting with lots of action and strong character is developed through adversity. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023997 This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on ADVENTURE fiction genre at the Intermediate Level: Far North - Peak survival - The convicts - The last book of the universe - The star of Kazan. This genre evokes emotions, and deals with issues of self-esteem and survival. Conflicts are often where the protagonist fights alone, or with a friend/person against nature/society. Setting and situations are realistic, plots are exciting with lots of action and strong character is developed through adversity. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023996 This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on the Canadian BIOGRAPHY fiction genre at the Intermediate Level: Canadian biography for young readers: early Canada - Extraordinary women explorers - Meet Canadian authors and illustrators - Rapid Ray: the story of Ray Lewis - Sir John A. Macdonald: the rascal who built Canada - 1 Guide to Literature Circles. Literature Circle Kits provide students with the opportunity to take part in small (4-6), student led, flexible, book discussion groups. Before ordering Literature Circle Kits, teachers need to have worked with students to ensure their understanding of the (4/7) roles they will assume in Literature Circles. Literature Circle Kits encourage higher level thinking and promote the habit of lifelong reading; as well as, address many Overall Expectations in the Ontario Curriculum. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023999 The Giver is also available as a Digital Audio Book (022323) This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on the FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION genres at the Intermediate Level: Mercury man - Raven quest - Rowan Hood - The giver - The sower of tales. FANTASY genre embraces magic and imagination, human and/or magical creatures, a good over evil theme, set in a world with its own history, mythology, rules and physical laws. SCIENCE FICTION genre differs from other stories mainly because of its setting; planet earth in the future or imagined worlds. A future that science and technology have created. The characters, even though, they may be robots or androids, have human characteristics. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=023998 This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on the MYSTERY genre at the Intermediate Level: Dead and gone - Feather boy - From Charlie's point of view: a mystery - Millions - The rope trick. This genre usually has a sleuth, an antagonist, sometimes a victim, an unsolved problem, crime, or puzzle - plot is all-important. Most often there is a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter, a logical based on well-placed clues and a surprise conclusion. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024001 This kit contains (6) copies of the following (5) titles focusing on REALISTIC fiction genre at the Intermediate Level: A different kind of beauty - Holes - Peacekeepers - The outsiders - To kill a mockingbird. This genre captures the spirit of real life settings and characters who, rightly or wrongly, respond to situations with believable behaviour. Real-life issues and how they affect protagonists and those around them are addressed and/or confronted. This is a character driven genre. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:59:04 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024010 Some people believe there is a sort of mystique to teaching reading comprehension to young students, and to teaching it well. But Miller dispels that notion. In Reading for Meaning she demonstrates the process of teaching the comprehension strategies necessary for young children to develop into thoughtful, independent, and strategic readers. The kit includes the following books: Reading with meaning: teaching comprehension in the primary grades / Debbie Miller - Smoky night / E. Bunting - Shortcut / D. Crews - A quiet place / D. Wood - Secret place / E. Bunting - Fly away home / E. Bunting - The Wednesday surprise / E. Bunting - The stranger / C. van Allsburg - Two bad ants / C. van Allsburg - Oliver Button is a sissy / T. dePaola - A day's work / E. Bunting - Owl moon / J. Yolen - The big orange splot / D. Pinkwater - A bad case of stripes / D. Shannon - Ira sleeps over / B. Waber - Nana upstairs and Nana downstairs / T. dePaola - The two of them / Aliki. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:01:38 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024152 Dan Hogg is the class brain who wears glasses and has weird hair. But his biggest problem is his name: it just begs for insults. And the kids in his class are glad to oblige. When they go on a field trip to a heritage farm specializing in raising pigs, Dan knows that it will be the worst day of his life, but he never imagined just how bad it would get Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:53:51 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024151 It's all aboard! for mystery when Dinah Galloway takes the cross-country train from Vancouver to Toronto, to appear on a TV talent show. But will she make it-or be permanently derailed? Along with her sister Madge, and her fellow junior musicians, tree fanatic Pantelli Audia and history buff Talbot St. John, Dinah is shadowed by someone who wants to get hold of an $80,000 treasure left by her late dad. But what is the treasure? The redheaded, singing sleuth realizes that the secret dwells somewhere in her dad's murky past, and involves a funny, if less than respectable, ex-con named Ardle McBean, and a mysterious man with a bowl cut Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:53:51 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024150 The Heroes of Chocolate River Rescue-Tony, Shawn, Craig, Petra, and Hobie the Newfoundland dog-are back for this fast-paced adventure set in the White Rocks of New Brunswick. Alone in the woods, they have to use their ingenuity to escape a raging forest fire-and end up in even deeper trouble. Now their only chance to escape the flames is to take refuge in the legendary White Caves...but will they be able to find them in time? Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:53:51 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024156 Dinah and family board a cruise ship to Alaska in the company of a Tlingit raven mask that a thief is intent on stealing. Can Dinah save the day? Our heroine, 11 and three-quarters, is a loudmouth with a heart of gold-a role model for girls and a tough enough sleuth to capture the attention of boys as well. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:35:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024158 Mealworms are small creatures that live in dark secret places. Jeremy is a bit like that when he leaves his home in rural Nova Scotia and moves to Toronto with his mother. Lots of things keep him from enjoying his new life, but the worst is his science partner, Aaron, who is more annoying than sand in a bathing suit. Jeremy is also burdened by the secret he carries about the motorcycle accident that injured him and killed his father. Although Jeremy is haunted by his past, he starts to feel at home in Toronto when he realizes he has some skills he can share with his classmates. And when his mealworm project yields some surprising results, Jeremy is finally able to talk about his part in the fatal accident Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:35:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024153 For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia-the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever-sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely. But it never once crossed Zack's mind to leave...until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he's on a race for answers-about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness-even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:35:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024154 Amani's lifelong dream to be a shepherd like her beloved grandfather, Seedo, is devastated to discover the Israelis are going to build a settlement on the family homestead in Palestine, and while her uncle and brother prepare to take a militant stance, help comes from unexpected quarters. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:35:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024157 Shade, the lost baby bat of the first book, has rejoined his colony only to lose his freedom as the bats plunge into a mysterious human building they believe is paradise. The building's vast interior forest, with its teeming insects and eerie absence of owls, certainly seems like Eden. But Shade and his Brightwing friend Marina, now young adults, discover that the humans have a sinister motive for befriending the bats Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:35:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024164 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024163 Fresh from their victory over the nasty Kaspar Snit, the Blande family have certainly earned a rest. The Blande parents are off to a romantic vacation in Tuscany and Eleanor and Solly are left in the care of their new, extraordinary nanny, Mrs. Leer, and so the fun begins. The adventures they embark on are much more exciting than anything they've seen on their favourite TV show "The Zoomers." Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024167 Cat, having gotten through a soul-shaking Halloween, only wants to focus on her soccer game, but her sister's new interest in magic causes a problem which Cat must solve by revisiting Grim Hill Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024165 Jake and his older sister Shoshona, along with a busload of kids, visit their mother in prison regularly; but this time the journey turns into a series of misadventures, and the kids find themselves on their own, hatching a plan to find the Governor and plead with him to pardon their moms Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024166 Twelve-year-old Kip goes to his grandmother's house in British Columbia while his mother and step-father are on their honeymoon, and finds an unexpected treasure hidden within the walls of the attic Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024169 Boney, Itchy and Squeak are the Odd Fellows, just a bit different from everybody else, and the best of friends. They hang out in their tree house in Boney's backyard, where five lookout posts and three escape hatches allow them to keep an eye on (and get away from) their mortal enemy: bully Larry Harry. But after getting pelted with eggs, pummelled in gym class and sabotaged every year at their school's Invention Convention, the Odds have had enough. They're going to put an end to Larry's reign of terror, and they're going to use their knowledge of science and the local legend of a haunted mill to do so-if, that is, they don't get tangled up in their own schemes first Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024159 Elizabeth also has a part-time job babysitting an adorable little grade 2 girl named Suzie, and Suzie's not-so-adorable grade 6 brother, David. Elizabeth's job is to walk Suzie and David home after school and then stay at their house with them until their mother gets home from work. David resents Elizabeth because he thinks he is too old for a babysitter, and he goes out of his way to make life miserable for her. On this particular evening, however, Elizabeth has more than a badly behaved boy to contend with. It is on this October night that Hurricane Hazel roars down on Toronto, bringing torrential rains that cause extensive flooding. David and Suzie's house is on Raymore Drive, a street that will be practically wiped out by the floodwaters. Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024162 Cat Peters has just transferred to Darkmont High, and is already desperate to get out. There's no way her mom can afford the tuition at Grimoire, the posh, private school nearby, so when Cat hears that Grimoire is offering a full scholarship to the winners of a soccer tournament, she jumps at the chance! Once she makes the team, everything starts to go Cat's way. It's like the whole town is under a spell, and all they care about is the tournament. Elated by her new celebrity status, Cat doesn't pay much attention to her little sister, Sookie, and their bookworm neighbor, Jasper, who try to tell her there's something ... just not right about the old school on the hill Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024161 Salt and Pepper`s visit to London, England takes an unexpected turn when they notice that garlic hangs at every window in their home away from home except theirs! Sure enough, a teenage vampire soon shows up and asks for their help. When they refuse, Christinès little brother Hal disappears-an event that soon embroils the dynamic duo in a full-fledged vampire gang war! Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024160 MUST BE READ BY TEACHER BEFORE BEING USED WITH STUDENTS. Details the life of 12-year-old Ambrose, a bright and awkward boy who just doesn't fit in, no matter where in Canada he and his overly protective single mom move. After a trio of bullies purposefully slip a peanut into Ambrose's sandwich, sending him into anaphylactic shock, his mother promptly pulls him out of school to be educated at home. Lonely and bored, Ambrose befriends Cosmo, the 25-year-old son of his Greek landlords, who has a dark and mysterious past. Together, the two discover a shared appreciation for Scrabble. When Ambrose discovers a flyer for a local competitive Scrabble club, he and Cosmo enter a new world where fitting in has nothing to do with wearing the right clothes or battling bullies Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024168 Yossi, having fled Russia with his family and settled in Montreal, is working hard to earn money to help meet expenses, but his hope is to eventually put enough aside to buy himself a pair of skates so he can join the French boys in their hockey games Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:35:11 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024172 The Starker family is infamous. They've been chronicled on blogs, profiled on TV and researched by paranormal investigators. They appear to be cursed: everyone of Starker blood has died after being struck by lightning. Fourteen-year-old Newton Starker is the last of his line-except for his great-grandmother, Enid, a woman as friendly as a pickled wolverine-and he's determined to survive. Newton has spent all of his life surviving, following a list of rules for selfpreservation, guidelines passed down through generations of Starkers. But Newton wants to try something new. He has enrolled at Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw with the hope that he'll be able to beat the odds-he has a dream of becoming a great chef someday. If he wants to go beyond just getting by, Newton is going to need more than rules. He's going to need friends Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:35:01 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024170 With their father gone to America to make money for his family, Libertad, his little brother Julio and their mother scrape a living out of a dump in Guatemala City. Although it is too late for him, Libertad is determined that his little brother should go to school. Taught to play the marimba by his father, Libertad uses his talent as a street musician to raise enough money for his brother's school supplies. But his dreams for their future are destroyed when their mother is killed in a freak accident. Libertad must face the inevitable truth; they cannot survive on the streets of Guatemala City alone. There is only one thing to do. They must set out on the long and lonely journey to the Rio Grande River, where they plan to cross the water and enter the United States to find their father Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:35:01 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024171 A collection of short stories about the impact of drugs, alcohol, and addiction on the lives of young people. The stories portray teens in widely diverse settings. Kids in Moscow's Red Square, the streets of Ulan Bataar in Mongolia, a wealthy religious school in Bolivia, and the tiny community of Hay River in Canada's Northwest Territories are all struggling with the impact of illicit substances or addiction on themselves, their families, and their communities. The sheer variety of settings gives a unique flavour to each story, while highlighting the ubiquity of a global problem. From the young girl in Afghanistan whose impoverished family is dependent upon the harvest of poppies for the heroin trade, to the teen in smalltown Ontario who purchases marijuana from the high school dealer in order to assist his ailing, arthritic grandmother, Ellis's scenarios illuminate the moral complexity inherent in the global drug trade Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:35:01 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024184 When a random shooting plunges the families of both victim and perpetrator into intense grief, two young teens from very different backgrounds struggle to rebuild their lives. From a horse ranch in a remote corner of the western foothills to the grimy streets of a city apartment, Kate and Sam will never meet. But the link is real. And an act of personal courage, will help them and their families move once more toward the light Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:35:24 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024181 A fantasy novel with two story lines, each revolving around a strange book-a mysteriously wordless volume that seems to have a life of its own. In fifteenth-century Germany, a young printer's apprentice is irresistibly drawn to a sinister chest protected by carved monsters and a clasp of snakes' heads. At modern-day Oxford University, a professor's young son discovers an enticing blank volume in the ancient library. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:35:24 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024183 Alfred, a young boy who wants to be an explorer -- not a fisherman -- teams up with a junkyard genius to build a submarine that he sails around the Maritimes. The book takes the reader through the detailed hands-on process of submarine construction into the world of real ocean navigation, replete with a high-seas chase, daring rescue, and treasure hunting. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:35:24 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024185 Takes place in Uganda, where Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has, since 1987, abducted up to 30,000 children from their villages and homes for use as soldiers and slaves. It is in these nightmarish times that the fates of 5 boys and a girl are entwined. Captured from their school by the LRA, the boys wait for rescue only to discover that if they are to survive they must rely on themselves. But friendship, courage, and resilience might not be enough to save them. Based in part upon interviews with child soldiers in Northern Uganda Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:35:24 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024182 Donald can't believe it when his father returns after serving in World War II and decides to move the family to a middle-of-nowhere farm, where they work hard trying to make end meet. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:35:24 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024187 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In the mid-1960s, Danny River and his family live on the periphery of Toronto, in out-of-the-way Hog's Hollow. The neighbors find the family somewhat odd: the father, Old Man River, cleans septic tanks for a living, while Mrs. River imagines herself a belle of the old South, and their older son, Beau, dreams of becoming an astronaut. As the Vietnam War looms larger, Old Man River remembers his World War II experiences and begins to dig a shelter in an effort to protect his family from the threat of missiles. The construction has disastrous consequences when the boys are playing around the site and Beau falls in. Lawrence's talent for creating captivating and rounded characters is fully realized from this point in the story as the Rivers struggle to come to terms with Beau's death. When a stray dog appears shortly after the tragedy, Danny refuses to become attached to it out of a misplaced guilt over his brother's death, but, over time, understands that loving Rocket does not lessen his love for his brother. The pace picks up nicely in the second half of the book when Danny and Rocket attempt to get to Cape Canaveral to realize Beau's dream. Adventure abounds, and the interesting detail that Lawrence weaves in about the Gemini Space Program and astronaut Gus Grissom will appeal to reluctant readers as well as more seasoned ones Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:44:52 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024202 Bird suffers a nasty bonk on the head while playing catch with his pal, Raccoon. When he starts to cry, Raccoon takes him to visit all their animal friends, one by one, hoping someone can mend his boo-boo. They try all the standard treatments (a kiss, a cookie, a Band-Aid) but nothing can make Bird stop crying - that is, until Bird realizes his injury is making his friends cry, too. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024200 Bradley McGogg makes his home in the bog where there are plenty of yummy bugs for a frog to feed on. Upon finding his pantry bare one day, Bradley decides to meet his neighbors, in the hopes that they will share some of their favorite meals with him. But this "bog frog" soon finds that not all animals eat alike. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024196 In poetry that winds and wends like a creek through a farmer's field, we journey through one lovely day in Buttercup's life. Whether she is ruminating on the mud beneath her feet or the moon and the stars in the blue-black sky, she draws us deep into her rich and wonderful world. The iambic rhythm makes the selections easy to read and recite aloud, and the poems would be wonderful additions to storytimes about cows, farms or even during Valentine's Day programs. Buttercup provides the answers to life's eternal questions-she loves the simple things and shares this joy with readers. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024194 Clancy with the Puck is a delightful Canadian twist on the classic American baseball story "Casey at the Bat," with a bit of Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater added for good measure. The hapless but heroic Clancy has a chance to win the hearts of hometown fans and take home the Stanley Cup. But our hero blows it in the final period: instead of scoring the game-winning goal, Clancy misses and ends up driving the Zamboni! Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024195 Elly, Farley's owner, is preparing to bathe the furry fellow when he gets a whiff of barbecued hot dogs and tears off on a day of scent-driven adventures. He crashes the barbecue, visits a construction site, jumps into a pool, and hits up some marshmallow-roasters, before ending his day by using his nose to rescue a lost boy. As Farley careens from place to place, tongue out and eyes bright, the text lists what he is smelling ("hotdogsapplejuicelemoncakepopcorn") in multicoloured ribbons that hang in the air. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024197 Have you ever wondered just how the animals got to Noah's Ark? One morning Fox awakens sensing that something is different. He goes outside and sees a line of animals going by. Curious, he decides to tag along - not to join them, but just to watch from a distance. He is followed by a pair of ravens who comment on his strange behaviour. Along the way he meets bears, porcupines, tigers. . . and he sets free a couple of doves in a cage. The animals walk, sleep, and walk some more. Finally they come into sight of a big wooden ship - and there, outside, is a young lady fox. "You're the one I'm waiting for!" she exclaims, and they all tumble into the ark Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024199 Bird wakes up one morning feeling out of sorts-too grumpy to eat, too grumpy to play, and even too grumpy to fly. "Looks like I'm walking today," he grumbles. On his way, he passes a succession of happy-go-lucky animals, including a sheep, a rabbit, and a beaver, all of whom ask him what he is doing. "Walking," he responds, more and more testily, and each creature decides to join him. Eventually, the walk turns into an impromptu game of follow-the-leader, and Bird finds himself having so much fun that he forgets to be grumpy. Finally, he invites them all to fly back to his nest with him, and, oddly enough, they do. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024204 Tucked away beneath a big tree on the edge of a field lies a home -- a small burrow -- for many. In every season, a different creature makes its home here and then moves on, making room for the next occupant. After a long winter's sleep, the woodchuck relocates to another burrow, but its former home is not left vacant for long. A cottontail rabbit raises her family there. After the kits have all hopped away, a salamander takes refuge in the same safe place. Through this engaging and informative introduction to woodland animals in their habitats, young readers will delight in learning about natural science as it is integrated into an inviting picture book Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024205 Jeffrey can't think of a thing to write, so he doodles instead, only to have his doodle begin to order him about. Jeffrey struggles with the situation until he discovers that the most strong-willed doodle is powerless against a well-told tale. Jeffrey and Sloth is bound to have children rushing for their colored pencils and their pens to see who and what they can create. A literacy teacher's tool for inspiring children with a month's worth of ideas for their creative writing Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024201 A squirrel discovers the pleasures of leaping into the unknown. As the world's a scary place, what with the killer bees, green Martians, tarantulas, germs, and sharks that might be lurking about, Scaredy Squirrel keeps to his tree, and to a precise, minute-by-minute daily schedule-until a supposed "killer bee" actually wanders by, causing Squirrel to dislodge his suitcase-size emergency kit. A wild lunge to rescue it turns into a long glide (portrayed in a gatefold), as Squirrel discovers to his astonishment that he is a flying squirrel. Eventually, Squirrel returns in triumph to his tree and from then on adds a daily glide to his accustomed rounds. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024198 Scaredy Squirrel is lonely, but he thinks that the pleasure of making a friend would be outweighed by the greater risk of potential danger. After all, there are a lot of things that bite out in the big world beyond his tree trunk such as beavers, bunnies, and, of course, Godzilla. Always thinking, Scaredy decides that the perfect friend (as in perfectly safe, clean, and quiet) would be the goldfish he spots across the park. He carefully outlines everything he will need to do to introduce himself to it, including handing over the Scaredy Risk Test to insure that his new friend is truly not a biter. What the squirrel doesn't plan for is the muddy, rowdy dog he encounters en route. However, he learns that friends come in all sorts of packages and that making an effort can really have rewards. The life lessons of the importance of overcoming one's fears and not judging on outward appearance are wrapped up in a witty package of deceptively simple cartoonlike illustrations that deliver great humor in a variety of lists and diagrams, such as the items Scaredy will need to make the perfect friend, how to outfit himself to make the perfect first impression, and an especially funny Perfect Plan map Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024193 Stanley and his pals embark on an adventure that makes sea dogs of them all! It's picnic time in the park -- but not for Stanley. He knows he's not supposed to beg, but his people are always eating. And Stanley is always hungry! After he's told to "get," Stanley wanders down by the river where he runs into Alice, Nutsy and Gassy Jack. Soon their keen noses lead them to a delicious treat on a small boat with no people in sight. When the boat's mooring comes loose, they float away with the current down the river, under a bridge and then out to sea! It's a scary new world where the sky stretches in every direction and big waves crash. The dogs know that when you're Outside, sooner or later you always come to a fence. When suddenly through the mist they see what looks like a very tall fence, they know they've come to the End of Outside! But what kind of fence is this? Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024191 Stanley's people are so preoccupied with primping him for the dog show in the park that they forgot his breakfast. This makes Stanley very grumpy. At the park, Stanley meets up with his old friends Nutsy, Alice and Gassy Jack. Together the friends look longingly at the grand prize: the biggest, most scrumptious-smelling dog cookie ever. Once Stanley gets a whiff of its bubbling cheese, sizzling bacon and apple pie aromas, he's determined to win. So what if he's not the fastest, most talented or most beautiful dog in the show? We know that Stanley's rumbling tummy always leads him into adventure -- or a big pile of trouble -- and this time is no exception. Join Stanley and his friends in the best dogpile ever as they show us humans that dogs know best, and that what really counts is having fun! Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024203 Stella remembers what it was like to be very, very small, discovering the sensations of listening, seeing, and feeling the great new world around her. Like the other Stella and Sam books, this one is rich in sensory experiences from the perspective of the small. Stella remembers how she imagined herself a turtle, a goldfish, and a dog. Although she couldn't tie her shoes, and saw words as ants running off the page, she could see the whole world from the top of the couch, and could race her ducks in her Olympic-sized bathtub. In the later part of the book, a slightly less small Stella experiences the world differently, feeding the goldfish, carrying the dog around like a little sack of potatoes, and understanding that the ants in her book are words that become stories she can read to Sam. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024190 New neighbour Lily Jean enters the lives of sisters Carly and Sandy in perfectly obnoxious form. With a smug smile that stretches from ear to ear, she is a mini-Cleopatra sprawled out on her throne (an armchair) carried by two dutiful minions (moving men). Upon arriving, Lily Jean leads the sisters in various games of make-believe. When Lily Jean repeatedly attempts to exclude young Carly, the two sisters use a game of house to teach Lily Jean a lesson. Lily Jean is one convincing brat. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:45:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024216 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". From killer toads, feral felines, and brown tree snakes to multiple invaders in Lake Victoria and the Great Lakes, Alien Invaders focuses on wave after wave of invaders that affect our ecosystems and the side-effects of climate change and modern global travel on our world today. Environmentalists and coauthors Jane Drake and Ann Love present the concepts of endangered species and biodiversity in this informative look at alien invaders and how they impact our world. From the days of sailing ships and shipboard rats to the fungus that sparked the Irish potato famine to the beautiful but deadly purple loosestrife strangling native wetlands, they examine extinctions and endangerments directly attributable to these alien invaders. Learn where the invaders originated, how they traveled, where they settled, what they displaced, why the invaded natural system was vulnerable, and what can be done. Kids can determine if they themselves are invaders or savers and how they can help. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024213 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Crocodilians is the scientific name for crocodiles, alligators, gharials and caimans. Collectively they area walking, breathing link to the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth 240 million years ago. And they look even more fierce as long as a pickup truck, and with giant mouths full of razor-sharp teeth. Loathed for their eating habits and adored for their skins, alligators and crocodiles were hunted almost to extinction. But thanks to some creative conservation efforts the status of crocodilians has improved dramatically. Even though some populations are thriving, others are still at risk. Eight species remain on the endangered list, and some hover on the edge of extinction. Alligator and Crocodile Rescue profiles the major programs and people around the world who are active in the conservation efforts to help these animals. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024209 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Detailed, full colour paintings capture the incredible speed of falcons, the strength of eagles and osprey and the grace of hawks and vultures soaring overhead in a way that no photograph can. His paintings and sketches from around the globe bring to life these intriguing members of the bird world. The accessible text includes anecdotes of his encounters with hawks, eagles and owls and introduces young readers to the traits that birds of prey have developed to capture and eat their food. Unique "sketchbook" sidebars provide intriguing facts about the different species. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024214 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Join voyagers from the determined to the desperate as they struggle though icy oceans, across hostile borders, and into unforgiving wilderness. You'll witness record-breaking solo flights, harrowing escapes from oppression, and unbelievable ocean crossings. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024208 Up north on Farmer Stolski's farm, winter lasts a long, long time. For the barnyard animals, the season's saving grace is hockey. Their goal is always the same: to win the Stolski Cup, a cracked, gold-rimmed teacup awarded to the winner of their annual game against the Bush League Bandits. After losing for 50 years straight, the Farm Team practices hard for the Big Game, but their chances are slim as they face the Bandits, who play dirty, smell foul, and intimidate the ref. Every child who has watched a bigger, brawnier opposing team take the field will feel for the plucky Farm Team. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024217 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The gold medals handed out in this book are for inept athletes, shameful scandals, freakish weather, cheaters, chokers and much worse. But it's not all bad. You'll also read about athletes who went from chump to champ and warm your heart to stories of high-stakes heroism and fair play. There may still be hope for humans -- and sports competitions! Read about * unbeatable runners who tested positive for turtle's blood and caterpillar fungus * the snowboarder whose hot-dog move cost her a gold medal * live animal hunting, dueling with pistols and other events now (thankfully) discontinued * a medal-winning gymnast with a wooden leg * the sailor who gave up a chance at the gold medal to save a drowning competitor Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024206 From the singing of little wrens in spring to paper wasps building their nests in summer; from baby bats drinking mother's milk in fall to baby possums climbing into mother's pouch in winter, In My Backyard celebrates nature and backyard animals through the seasons. Wildlife artist Ron Broda's detailed paper-sculpture art beautifully complements Margriet Ruurs' lyrical text, and young readers will discover a captivating variety of animals and insects. Find the ladybug in each illustration, along with a hidden animal, which becomes featured on the next page. A detailed legend and helpful hints on how to turn your own backyard into an inviting place for animals to live make this book a must-have for wildlife and nature lovers alike. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024210 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Most experts think that there are over 10 quintillion individual insects digging, boring, flying, and crawling their way in and around the Earth (that's about a billion billion bugs for every single person!). Award-winning author Helaine Becker's knack for turning great information into great fun is right at home in the insect world -- a micro-universe packed with feats of strength and tales of adventure. Full of witty energy and wacky illustrations, The Insecto-files brings bug facts to life with simple, insightful entomological experiments that feed into kids' natural curiosity. Each (cruelty-free!) activity can be performed safely at home and is accompanied by a "What's Going On?" feature, which allows kids to learn more about bugs on their own terms. Along the way, readers will encounter real-life insect inspectors and learn about their zany experiments, all in the name of science. Whether its everyday insects or the rare and fantastic ones that fascinate readers,, this book is sure to delight and inform. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024192 Walking with her mother on the way home from school one day, Lily bumps straight into a gruff and untidy-looking man selling papers on the street. Frightened, Lily insists on taking the bus home every day for fear she will run into him again. But when the weather turns cold, Lily starts to see the Paper Man differently; she sees his bare toes through the holes in his boots and his thin shirt through the holes in his coat. As she lies in her warm bed at night, she wonders about the Paper Man and how he stays warm. Then Lily comes up with a wonderful idea... Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024215 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Of all the crimes that human beings commit, stealing is probably the most common. Thieves!, the latest in the True Stories from the Edge series, brings ten exciting stories of master thieves and their master crimes. Readers will find nothing but high-stakes action in Thieves!. Though many of the bandits ended their careers broke and disillusioned, these impresarios of crime make for great reading. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=S02679 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024212 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Good Zoos! Bad Zoos!! A large family of elephants ambles all day along a well-remembered route across the hot African savanna. Halfway around the world in a zoo in Alaska, a single female elephant paces back and forth in her cramped, concrete pen. During the sub-arctic winter, she lives alone in a dark barn. Scenes like this are at the heart of "Wild Animals in Captivity" - a book that focuses on wild animals living in captivity around the world. "Captive animals become stressed when they try to act naturally, but can't," the author writes. "In many zoos, you'll see them pacing, weaving, or sitting motionless. This is the animal's way of telling us that it's bored and unhappy. Wild animals need a rich and varied environment-things to do, space to roam, social groups, families to care for." This is an eye-opening look at the lives of captive wild animals-at bad zoos, good zoos, and the best wild animal sanctuaries. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024211 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Journey south of the equator to the cold-water currents of South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica, where seventeen different types of penguins reside. Critically acclaimed biologist and wildlife educator Evelyne Daigle, brings readers an in-depth view into the fascinating environment of these exquisite birds. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024207 Children who wonder how wool gets from the sheep into the sweater will find their answers here. A grandmother and her granddaughter participate in a 100-year-old tradition that represents a blending of the knitting skills of Scottish immigrants and the woolworking talents of the Cowichan tribe, according to an author's note. Realistic outdoor compositions portray three generations pulling debris (including sheep dung) from the fiber, washing and stirring it in enormous pots, and then wringing and hanging the heavy strands to dry. The processes of teasing, carding, and spinning lead up to a scene of Grandma knitting the gray, white, and black yarns into the patterns, rich in symbolism, that adorn her loved one's sweater. Larson's pastels create a marvelous range of textures from the grain of the wooden fence to the fluff of the drying wool. Set in British Columbia, the story will have wide appeal, not the least of which includes its use as an informative how-to and a tale of strong family bonds. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:43:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024225 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". On a narrow strip of beach in Trinidad, a mother sea turtle comes to shore to dig her nest and deposit her eggs. Right from the beginning, the odds are against the hatchlings. Wild dogs, the rising tide, and other digging sea turtles could destroy the eggs before they hatch. The remaining baby sea turtles will scramble to the water as best they can - taking their first steps on a long and dangerous journey to maturity. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024227 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Told through the eyes of a child, this is the story of the Braals, two people who willingly put themselves in great danger in order to save the lives of those less fortunate. Throughout, sidebars provide further information about Dutch resistance workers and traitors, Dutch Jews, bombing missions, false identity cards, the war, and more. The book also gives a flavor of wartime Dutch culture -- treats, children's games, favorite books, and a visit from Sinterklaas are all relished by the young protagonist Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024226 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In this book, Deborah Ellis turns her attention to the most tragic victims of the Iraq war -- Iraqi children. She interviews young people, mostly refugees living in Jordan, but also a few who are trying to build new lives in North America. Some families have left Iraq with money; others are penniless and ill or disabled. Most of the children have parents who are working illegally or not at all, and the fear of deportation is a constant threat. Using the same format as Three Wishes and Off to War, Ellis provides an historical overview and brief explanations of context, but other than that allows the children to speak for themselves, with minimal editorial comment or interference. Their stories are frank, harrowing and sometimes show surprising resilience, as the children try to survive the consequences of a war in which they played no part. A glossary, map and suggestions for further information are included Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024224 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Did you know that radishes are a common breakfast food in Japan? Why do Americans love corn dogs? Do watermelons remove freckles? Can you really clean a toilet with a can of cola? Where does the expression "say cheese" come from? Did you know that in 1919 a molasses flood killed 21 people in Boston? What child isn't going to want to know the answers to these questions? Step into any school cafeteria and you'll hear kids buzzing about food. Everything but the Kitchen Sink builds on that fascination with food through history, science, art, superstitions, and world records. Organized in 10 fast-paced and fun chapters, Everything but the Kitchen Sink will present bite-size facts, interviews with fantastic "foodies," and amazing but true sidebars. Some recipes and activities are also included. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024223 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Presents a fascinating and informative look at the science behind soccer. The book delves into all aspects of the sport, including the personality of a soccer ball: size, material, air pressure, and number of panels all affect the ball's behavior; the all-important science of explosive moves: making stellar passes, curving kicks, and delivering perfect headers every time; and international competition: plays are affected by location and altitude, cheating is a science that can influence game result, and fans get rowdy across the globe. Because it features both women's and men's soccer in profiles, photos and illustrations, this book is appealing to both boys and girls. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024218 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Self-empowerment through personal choice is the message of this lively survey. Graydon examines our fascination with beauty and the people and forces that determine our views of what we see as beautiful. From fairy tales to television, mythology to Miss America, fashion to fine art, "beauty rules," she acknowledges, "and yet, ideas about what's 'beautiful' change all the time." Written in a breezy, conversational style, the book looks at double standards for men and women and the resulting effects on careers and health. The author traces the concept throughout history and in various cultures, touching on corsets and foot-binding, plastic surgery, steroids, and cosmetics. Graydon exposes the fickle side of the beauty industry without unnecessary blaming. Each chapter ends with a list of "Image Reflections" to consider. Black-and-white photos and reproductions depict historically changing views. Thought-provoking cartoons open each chapter, and sidebars add punch with quotes and factoids. Extensive reference notes add to the book's research value, enhancing its broad appeal to teens dealing daily with their own place in the beauty culture. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024219 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Introduces us to the wild side of professional hockey past and present. Humorously illustrated and accompanied by exciting photographs, Inside Hockey explores the facts, adventures, and one-of-a-kind anecdotes that continue to make hockey one of North America's most popular sports. This highly energetic book gives kids an inside look at the facts about male and female hockey superstars, inventions, rules that changed the game, and some of the dazzling science behind the sport. Perfect for diehard hockey fans and those new to the game, Inside Hockey has something for everyone. Readers of all ages will discover the stories behind the greatest goal scorers, crazy goalies, practical jokers and hijinks, superstitions, the most ferocious fights, players overcoming obstacles, and the obsession with that Cup called Stanley. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024221 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Takes lids on a tour of the deep and dark places that haunt their dreams. Dramatic retellings of legendary tales and striking photos of artwork and artifacts reveal the forces and events that have challenged humanity to envision this most forbidding of environments. Each short chapter thematically explores underworld concepts in various cultures. Topics covered include: Underworlds - Otherworlds - Who went - Who ruled - Getting there - Getting back - Guardians and monsters. Readers will meet hellish inhabitants, such as Coatlicue, the Aztec goddess with a skirt of serpents and a necklace of skulls. They'll witness ways into the underworld, like the giant serpent's mouth leading to the Mayan realm of Xibalba, and ways out. And they'll learn that the underworld has its own set of laws, often learned at the peril of those who dare make the journey. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024222 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Today's Arctic communities have all the comforts of modern living. Yet the Inuit survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years with nothing but the land and their own ingenuity. Join authors Alootook Ipellie and David MacDonald as they explore the amazing innovations of traditional Inuit and how their ideas continue to echo around the world. Some inventions are still familiar to us: the one-person watercraft known as a kayak retains its Inuit name. Other innovations have been replaced by modern technology: slitted snow goggles protected Inuit eyes long before sunglasses arrived on the scene. And other ideas were surprisingly inspired: using human-shaped stone stacks (lnunnguat) to trick and trap caribou. In all, more than 40 Inuit items and ideas are showcased through dramatic photos and captivating language. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024220 To be used with the new HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Arms young readers with the tools to understand the crisis and to take action in their own lives. Written and illustrated by the award-winning author of I Found a Dead Bird, the intelligent, sensitive text guides readers through a sometimes difficult terrain. While not shying away from the facts, Thornhill offers hope, showing where action can make a difference. From a foundation that answers basic questions about how our planet works, she moves through an in-depth look at three specific environments-polar, ocean and land-for a comprehensive look at global warming Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:45:19 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024233 Offers a hopeful story about surviving grief. In the crowded streets of Calcutta, Nobi, a tailor, works hard to support his family. Then his wife and children are killed, and Charles describes the tragedy in a single, spare sentence: "He was working when the accident happened-the accident that took them from him forever." After weeks of immobilizing anguish, Nobi buys some caged birds at the market, sets them free, and finds some of his weighty sorrow released. Eventually, he earns the neighborhood title of Birdman. Charles, who based her vivid, poetic text on a true story (explained in a lengthy afterword), is frank about the pain of loss, but focuses on the uplifting message that acts of kindness can ease grief. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024239 Camilla is a little strange-looking. But she's one talented girl. She can pick up a hopscotch rock without even bending over. She can look at her teacher with one eye and read a comic book with the other. And, best of all, she can blend in perfectly with her surroundings -- so that no one, not even her parents, can tell she's there. Camouflaging sure comes in handy when it's time for her to go to the doctor or clean out the class hamster cage for her teacher. But one day Camilla blows her cover and finds herself in the spotlight. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024231 Clara the guinea pig loves purple, triangles, and tuna. She also loves making new friends, and that's why she's thrilled when a classmate says to her, "Let's be best friends!" Madison is bold and glamorous and soon bossy the girls are inseparable. Madison even lets Clara clean up all her toys after they play together. But Madison's demands begin piling up. Why, she asks, does Clara wear the same purple dress every day? And why does she always eat triangle-shaped tuna sandwiches? It's not long before Clara's lunches aren't nearly as much fun, and her favorite outfit stays in the closet. When Clara loses a treasured stone because a Madison-approved dress lacks pockets (the purple dress has big ones), she decides to go back to the things she likes. Her true self once again, Clara is amazed to discover that being herself not only makes her a new friend, but also helps her to keep an old one: Madison. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024237 In this retelling of an ancient Serbian folktale, each barber who cuts the king's hair ends up being kept prisoner in his palace. One day, a young apprentice named Miro bravely accepts the challenge to cut the king's hair. When he discovers the king's dangerous secret, Miro is careful to tell no one. But secrets have a way of being found out! Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024236 Max is the cook's dog. And because he is also the king's taster, Max gets to feast on wild boar! cheese pies! rose pudding! No wonder Max loves his job. Who wouldn't want to dine on these delicious dishes? The new king, that's who. Max and the cook must find a new recipe-and fast. Otherwise, if the new king has his way, they'll be losing more than just their jobs! Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024234 Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings Kojo is able to return to school. Soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank. One Hen shows what happens when a little help makes a big difference. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. One Hen is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024230 Penelope knows there are monsters in her room, and she has no intention of going to sleep when her father callously kisses her goodnight. Sure enough, every time he leaves the room the furniture starts to shake, rattle, and roll. After returning twice to check for invaders, Penelope's dad refuses to come back, and she decides to confront the monsters on her own. Gnomes, trolls, and giants step out of their hiding places and retire to her parents' room, defeated by Penelope's refusal to be frightened. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024229 Yankel loves to tell stories and repeat the gossip that he hears in his father's store in the shtetl. The baker Reb Wulff talks about losing his glasses and putting salt instead of sugar in the cookies. Two women fight over a bolt of fabric they both want. Unfortunately, Yankel only hears the bits and pieces that make trouble, not how things turn out. So the rabbi decides to teach the boy a lesson by making him see that stories spread and that they can be hurtful. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024232 There's a sea monster under Sophie's bed. He's small and blue, and is also a terrible singer. Worst of all, it turns out that he's afraid to come out! Sophie decides to coax the shy monster out into the world, and when they share many adventures together, they both forget to be afraid. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024235 Tired of the same old yard and the same old routine, Stanley, the good-time hound, longs for something new. Then he discovers a "weensy" hole near the fence, and he quickly digs himself to the freedom of the open street. After liberating his pals from their respective yards, Stanley and his pack of overjoyed mutts experience "the kind of fun you can't find in a yard": peeing on fancy cars, chasing cats, savoring garbage. The biggest thrills come after the group finds a collection of wheeled delights-a skateboard, a tricycle, a shopping cart-but the fun comes to a crashing halt when the police get involved, convincing Stanley that maybe the backyard isn't so bad after all. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024228 At the gates of a beautiful forest, Harry the monster lies in wait. One day, as monsters are wont to do, he frightens a little girl, who runs away leaving behind a peculiar object. Harry picks it up, turns it over, bites it ... spits it out, and throws it down in a fury! He wonders what kind of a thing he has found. As it turns out, the object is a book ... and one way or another, Harry learns to read it, and his life is changed forever. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024238 Henry is not a morning rooster. He likes to stay up late. But when his dad is away at a convention, Henry has to crow the farm awake. The trouble is, Henry can't rise at the crack of dawn, because he spends his nights playing cards with the goats, dancing with the cows, popping corn with the pigs, and reading his book. When his mother wakes him, he drags himself up to the barn roof and croaks "Cock-a (yawn)-doodle-doodle (yawn)-do." The week is a disaster. None of the animals are fed on time, and children miss the school bus. Then a wise old goat helps him find the perfect solution. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:45:43 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024241 Chester is more than a picture book. It is a story told, and retold, by dueling author-illustrators. Melanie Watt starts out with the story of a mouse in a house. Then Melanie's cat, Chester, sends the mouse packing and proceeds to cover the pages with rewrites from his red marker, and the gloves are off. Melanie and her mouse won't take Chester's antics lying down. And Chester is obviously a creative powerhouse with confidence to spare. Where will this war of the picture-book makers lead? Is it a one-way ticket to Chesterville, or will Melanie get her mouse production off the ground? Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024243 Audrey comes into Ray's life like an earthbound star. Everything about her is a bit far-out. And she's always in her own little world. So Ray decides that this unusual girl who has dropped into his neighborhood for the summer must be an alien. As they become friends, Audrey takes Ray on a journey of discovery -- one that enables him to see his own planet in a new light. Soon, Ray can't imagine life on Earth without her. Susan Hughes' poignant, gently humorous text and Stephane Poulin's evocative, heartfelt illustrations capture the long childhood summer of discovery in a small town and depict a friendship that changed the lives of two lonely dreamers. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024244 Eliot might seem like a boy who has nothing to do during the day, but at night he's -- Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero! He can tame lions, recover the Queen's stolen jewels, and more. Then Eliot is called on to save the world from an approaching meteor! Can he do it? Of course he can! Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024247 When a neighboring kingdom announces the birth of a royal baby, the Queen of Iddison is thrilled. "We shall bring the child splendid gifts," she declares, and then makes a long list of treasures to collect on the way. She smiles as her daughter, little Princess Cassidy, makes a list, too. On the voyage, the Queen checks her list as the royal caravan gathers gems from mountain mines and beasts from deep jungles. Princess Cassidy also checks her list, but collects nothing. At last, the royal caravan arrives laden with riches. But it is only the gifts from Cassidy's list that make the baby smile its first smile. And the Queen smiles too when she reads it: two kisses (X X) and one hug (0). Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024248 When Dad doesn't have time to play in the snow with her, Emily is annoyed. Then she becomes so mad that she makes a snow dinosaur and calls it Grizzle. Grizzle comes alive, and she is a Dilophosaurus with a temper to match Emily's. And Grizzle is hungry - so hungry that Emily rustles up some snow pizzas with lots of pepperoni. Then Grizzle begins to grow and as Emily makes more and more meals out of the backyard snow Grizzle snaps it all up and growls for more. She is really hungry! At last Grizzle turns her attention to Dad, who has wandered outside to admire Emily's handiwork. If Emily doesn't do something fast, Dad will make an excellent snack! Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024246 Matt is miserable. The subdivision where he now lives is surrounded by nothing but muddy fields of rocks and sticks. But when Matt ventures out, his imagination kicks in. He draws a muddy, winding line and names it Snake River. A pile of rocks becomes the Dog Tooth Mountains. Just like that, Mattland is born. Soon a girl shows up with a handful of helpful odds and ends. Piece by piece, she and Matt expand their new world with popsicle-stick bridges and scrap-paper boats. And when a rainstorm finally threatens to wash everything away, all the neighborhood kids appear and help stave off the flood. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024240 Receiving the yearly birthday gift from his grandmother has become David's living nightmare. The "surprise" she always has for him never varies. How can he stop this never-ending flow of stiff, white, scratchy shirts -- "perfect gentlemen" shirts that make him squirm and pull and shift and twitch? David closes his eyes and imagines a long line of shirts -- one for every year of his life -- stretching on forever. Then suddenly, without really intending to, he has done the unthinkable. "DAVID!" his mother screams. And when David opens his eyes, there are his mother, his father, and his bubbie staring at him. The shirt is no longer in his hands. He has thrown it out the window! Now it is out on the street, in the jaws of his dog, and the very merry chase is on. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024245 After her parents die of HIV-AIDS, Maria is sent to an orphanage. The other children at school ostracize her and she is made to feel less than remarkable. However, a kind neighbour who has cared for Maria and her sister helps Maria get an invitation to perform on her favourite television show. After Maria performs, everyone calls her "remarkable". Although Maria's life is filled with the kind of tragedy that few of us will ever know, she carries herself with dignity and pride. And in spite of its serious subject, this is a sweet and charming story full of joy as well as sorrow. The author and illustrator conducted art workshops with children in Suriname; some of their pictures are included in the book and the artist, Tara Langlois, used their work to inspire her illustrations which are sensitive and very child-like. This is a good story that covers many issues-injustice, discrimination, dignity in the face of adversity and HIV-AIDS. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024249 This exciting story about one long-lived sturgeon provides insight into a little-known species. Many times in her 177 years, Big Fish has come close to death-stalked by panners in the gold rush of 1858, nearly crushed in the Hell's Gate rock slide of 1913, almost stranded when the water of Sumas Lake was drained into the river in 1924, and threatened by a mysterious disease that killed many other sturgeon in the early 1990s. Sports fishers have caught her several times, and she has led them on quite a chase. Read all about "the one that got away"--more than once-and the mysterious species that today's scientists and many others are trying to preserve. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024242 Oscar Ollie Brown is on the hunt! Ants and frogs and cows are making his life miserable and he's determined to put them in their place. There's just one problem: they're invisible. And poor Oscar! His life is plagued with creatures he cant see. A cow licks his head every night, and that's just for starters. He's also had ants in his pants and a frog in his throat, but try as he might, he can't seem to find them. Even so, he knows they're there. How? Because his mother tells him so! Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:46:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024251 Debon proves that it's never too early to fine-tune a child's sense of nostalgia in a story that harks back to the sideshow days of old, when weightlifting ranked among the great spectator entertainments. At the turn of the twentieth century, when Canadian Louis Cyr, "Champion Strongman of the World," is informed that he must retire, he tells his young daughter about his exploits besting challengers with little more than a flex of his awesome physique. Children familiar with modern strongman competitions on ESPN will easily recognize the seeds of such outlandishly fascinating contests here, as burly fellows lift draft horses off the ground and bend iron poles into pretzels. The artwork, presented in a series of small boxes, graphic-novel style, is colored mostly in hues of orange that contribute to the period feel of the scenes and transport readers to a time gone by. Children will be touched when, following his last performance, Cyr turns his back on the adulation of thousands for the awe of his little girl. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:03:15 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024250 Will poor, scrawny Marvin win Princess Vera's heart? An opinionated, love-starved princess. Her status-conscious parents. Two muscular, but rude, hunks. Their kind, thoughtful brother. Three not-so-perfect peaches. An impossible challenge. And a whole lot of rabbits! Told from the point of view of a very untraditional fairy, this hilarious version of "The Three Peaches" shines a new light on the traditional tale and features a unique narrative voice and madcap illustrations. As in all good fairy tales, the vain, rude characters get their comeuppance, the fairy works her magic, and the princess gets her prince. So he's a little on the skinny side-he has a big heart. (The heart is a muscle too, you know.) Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:03:15 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024270 Witty rhymes and silly times are included in this romp through crocodiles' mischievous activities after school. Just how will they use all of that sporting equipment? Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:09:06 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024269 It hasn't rained in the forest for many weeks. And in the sunny clearing, everything is dry and scorched. Then, late one afternoon, a hot wind begins to blow and storm clouds gather. But instead of rain, lightning fills the sky and strikes a tall tree beside the clearing. The lightning strike shoots down the tree and ignites the dry vegetation below. In no time, the forest is engulfed in flame. Soon there is nothing left but the charred ruins of the forest, devoid of life. But the story is not over. Slowly and gradually, life returns to the forest - from the seeds that blow in on the wind and germinate, to the small creatures that have survived in their burrows below the ground. It will take many years; but eventually the forest will return, filled with life once more. Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:09:06 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024268 Jake's little sister Louise really is a pest. She refuses to leave him alone to enjoy some quiet time. She stomps, shouts, bangs on his door, and will not leave the hall outside his bedroom door, declaring, "This hall is a free country." Jake leaves the house to find a private spot in the yard, but Louise follows, staying glued to the boy. Finally, Jake is driven to make a secret wish. For an instant he wishes that Louise was a dog. And lo and behold, Louise disappears. Jake looks everywhere, but when instead of Louise he finds a dog, a terrifying thought occurs to him-that his wish has actually come true. Frantically he tries to reverse his wish. He soon sees that Louise is still Louise, however; she has been playing with a next-door neighbour all along. And when she tells Jake to go away, he's happy to oblige. Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:09:06 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024267 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Written by the daughters of a survivor of the Holocaust. The research for the book came from a manuscript Benno wrote when he was 16, as well as the memories he shared with his daughters. When Benno was nine years old, he and his 13-year-old brother were sent by their parents from Germany to Holland. They eventually escaped to England on the Kindertransport (children's transport), a scheme whereby the British Government allowed in a maximum of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children. The rest of his family did not survive the war. This is his story. Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:09:06 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024484 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Did you know that early hockey pucks were made of cow poop? No? Well then crack open a copy of The Hilarious History of Hockey and get the all the funny facts and most ridiculous trivia about hockey history! Young hockey fans will learn the playful truth about the time the Montreal Canadiens left the Stanley Cup in the snow at the side of the road. Oops! And the real scoop behind the debacle of the Hockey Night in Canada Song contest. From trivia about the players to all of the gaffes, misses and downright embarrassing moments in hockey history, each page is guaranteed to bring a smile to the reader's face Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024488 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After his older brother is killed in World War I, a devastated 16-year-old Edward cares for the family farm while his depressed father lays mute in bed. In his pain and anger, Edward vows to continue his brother's fight and help defeat the Huns. Lying about his age, he enlists in the Canadian army and is shipped to England to embark on his tour of duty. There he is transferred to a cavalry unit destined to fight the Turks and begins a tentative romance with a young nurse. Edward's coming-of-age story culminates in the plains near Megiddo, the ruins of King Solomon's city, where it is said Armageddon will take place and Satan will "climb out of hell and gather his armies." Slade skillfully integrates the plot-driven war narrative with the more psychological underpinning of loss: loss of a loved one and loss of innocence Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024485 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This tale is rich in imagery that brings the setting to life. Mella is the daughter of a king in ancient Zimbabwe, when it was known as the Land of the People. Her father is ill and their land is withering along with him. Her brother, a warrior who has become proud and boastful, goes on a quest to fetch the python that the Great N'anga says can cure their father. Unfortunately for her brother, the ability to fight is not all that is needed to succeed on a treacherous journey. With N'anga's help, Mella and two other village girls are trained to reclaim their heritage as Daughters of the Moon. This story is told with a strength and dignity that shines through its characters. Like classic epics where the hero is tested and wisdom prevails, the girls come to trust their inner gifts and learn from the world around them. Complete with the threat of marriage to an awful old man and an auntie who gives classic stepmothers a run for their money, this story will resonate with folk- and fairy-tale readers as well as adventurers, and with girls who are looking for their own sense of purpose by learning to listen to their hearts Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024480 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Writers from the United States, Great Britain, and Australia are represented in this collection; interestingly, all have similar stories to tell. The title story is written from the point of view of an adolescent whose divorced dad plays with a band, Bucket of Snot, and is seldom there for his son. The selections cover myriad complex paternal dynamics including a devoted dad, a workaholic, a homosexual, a deceased father, and one from the future. The stories are funny, truthful, poignant, and bittersweet. Each protagonist has specific needs but the common thread is that each boy wants to spend more time with his father. This book gives teens a realistic picture of the variety of father/son relationships. edited by Tony Bradman. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024481 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The Mystery of the Frozen Brains is adapted from Marty Chan's successful radio series The Dim Sum Diaries. Set in a French Canadian town in rural Alberta, the novel develops the coming to awareness of a Chinese boy in a community under the myriad of ethnic influences including French, English and Ukrainian. As serious as the novel's thematic dispatch is, Chan's buoyant, gifted humour overrides the tone. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024483 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A compelling story based on the folk hero, Albert 'Ginger' Goodwin, also known as 'Red' Goodwin from the colour of his hair and his radical social ideas. Goodwin was originally a miner from the north of England, who came to Canada and took up the cause of the working man during the Trail smelter strike and at the coal mines on Vancouver Island. His ideas were eventually considered so dangerous that a special constable was hired to hunt him down in the forest near Cumberland. Wilson tells the story of a young boy, Will Ryan, sent out from England after his father was killed in WW I, to live with his uncle, a mine manager, at Cumberland. Through a chance meeting in the forest with Red Goodwin, young Will has all his ideas turned upside down, especially when he sees first-hand how the miners are treated in the community and at the pit face. He becomes friends with a Chinese boy who introduces him to the racism in Canada, where 'Chinks' are seen as expendable. Will is also deeply smitten by a beautiful Scottish girl, the daughter of a miner, who is working to help Goodwin and others hiding out in the forests. Soon, Will finds himself caught between the demands of his uncle, his loyalty to the memory of his father, and the new vision of Goodwin who argues that the European war between Britain and Germany has parallels with the war between the mine owners and the mine workers. In an exciting story, filled with sudden turns and tragic events, young Will discovers that he must make a choice, a choice that will change his life forever. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024482 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Shakespeare is a Seeing Eye puppy. But before the time comes for him to train with a blind person, he must spend six months with a girl who has never learned to love. He does all he can to teach her, but the job places him in some dangerous situations and by the end of the story he has earned the title Rescue Pup. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024487 MUST BE READ BY TEACHER BEFORE BEING USED WITH STUDENTS. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Travis's difficult life is examined over a period of three years, beginning in seventh grade. The only real constant in his life is Chantelle, a disfigured girl with a debilitating disease. Picked on unmercifully for no apparent reason by three bullies, Travis finds some balance through artistic expression (designing puppets and performing as a puppeteer), his encouraging teachers, some genuine friendships, and the support of his aunt with whom he lives. Plot development is mapped out well, but the characters are the strongest point here. Readers will empathize with Travis and Chantelle, and the mood of terror is caught very well. What begins as taunts of "girlie," "fruit fly," and "fag face" escalates as the bullies remove his pants and cover him with shoe polish, and later almost kill him. Quotes from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and rich descriptions of Travis's creations help to provide some much-needed contrasting beauty in the story. The dominant theme is obvious-people who are different are made to pay for it in awful ways. Sometimes, the differences can be a pay-off, if you are lucky. Students reading this book will be grateful that Travis is one of the lucky ones. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024486 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Keira, kidnapped from Ireland by Vikings, is a slave living in legendary Vinland. Two native bands, the Beothuck and the Thule, are also fighting over the land, thrusting the Norsemen into war. While the Vikings search for a new home, an accident at sea leaves Keira miraculously saved by a Beothuck warrior. Keira settles into the Beothuck way of life, learning their customs and coming to care for them. But she dreams of risking everything in order to find a way home. Ultimately, she is torn between the cultures in which she has lived-her homeland, the Viking world in which she was welcomed, and her new Beothuck family. This is a thrilling adventure and an exciting introduction to the history of Canada Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:01:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024490 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". An unfinished manuscript completed by her daughter after the author's death, this historical novel is based on Hunter's memories of her teen years on the World War II Canadian homefront. Told partly in the form of entries from a diary kept by the main character, Natalie, and partly in first-person narrative, this is the story of young men going off to war, young women taking on war-related jobs at home, and everyone left behind worrying about whether their friends and loved ones will return to them. Natalie, who has dropped out of high school to take a job at an aircraft plant, is especially concerned about her favorite cousin, Carmen, who eventually goes missing in action Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024489 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024495 In Nosy Fox's eyes, Jack the Bear seems to be doing nothing, just sitting under a tree and eating his honey with Grumpy Squirrel. But Brainy Owl says that Jack the Bear is making the world a better place. How can that be? This charming picture book, which features illustrations painted on recycled shopping bags, is both entertaining and educational, showing how the simple act of sharing can be as great a deed as the benevolent acts of kings, leaders, scientists, and philosophers. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024497 It's Jack's sixth birthday, and he's bored. Bored! Model airplanes, stuffed dinosaurs, not even a talking robot can free him of his festering funk. Then, a mysterious box arrives. Within is a think-a-ma-jink, a bizarre contraption that bends the very laws of time and space, with which no idea is too fantastic to be realized. A wild new universe of possibilities beckons. Cotton-candy-breathing dragons! Caramel rivers! Space-traveling hot-air balloons! But as he and his sister Marie engage in a boisterous, shape-shifting struggle, the future of the think-a-ma-jink hangs in the balance. Is Jack doomed to boredom . . . or is he on the verge of an amazing discovery? Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024494 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Neil Flambé is an interesting teen-a passionate chef, ignored son of a lawyer mom and an ad-executive dad, overwhelmed student, and the "Nose" to Inspector Nakamura, who relies heavily on him to help solve cases. When chefs across town turn up murdered, Neil sniffs some strange spices at the crime scenes, but he can't quite put his finger on what they are, which is unusual for him. When he stumbles upon a journal once owned by Marco Polo, he gives it to his cousin to transcribe. As the journal unfolds, it becomes more and more evident that the deaths are somehow tied to Marco Polo's long-ago journey to take a princess to her betrothed. Polo went to his grave with that secret, thinking no one would ever discover his terrible mistake Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024491 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When Chloe finds a body, everyone assumes that David Mitchell is the killer -- he was the one who vowed to defend his people's land by any means necessary. And two witnesses spotted Mitchell near the crime scene. So why isn't Chloe convinced? The trouble is, there's no evidence that points to anyone else. Not even a trace. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024492 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ten-year-old Norah's life, secure despite World War II, is changed drastically when she is evacuated to Canada with her five-year-old brother, Gavin. There she changes from a social child to a sullen bed wetter. Overwhelmed by her own difficulties, she is unable to look after Gavin. The wealthy widow and her browbeaten, spinster daughter who take them in offer little solace to lonely Norah. After an abortive attempt to run away, Norah realizes that as a child, she is helpless to do more than accept and make the best of her situation. Pearson convincingly reconstructs World War II British childhood and has created a whole character in Norah. In contrast to most evacuation stories in which children retain balance despite their world being shattered, Norah's dissolution is realistic and moving Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024496 Violet is happy that her father has come to pick her up after her first day at a new school. But as she races over to meet him, one of the other kids asks, "How come your dad is blue and you're not?" Violet has never even thought about this before. Her mother is red and her father is blue, so why isn't she red or blue? Why is she violet? Upset and confused, Violet goes to her mother. Using paints, her mother shows her that when you combine red and blue, you get violet! Like many people in the world, Violet is a beautiful mix of colors. But color isn't really that important. After all, it is what's inside us that counts. written by Tania Duprey Stehlik, illustrated by Vanja Vuleta Jovanovic. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024493 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Everything seems to be going wrong for 12-year-old Alex. He can't impress the girl of his dreams; Slug, the class bully, is demanding protection money; and his dad's Oddities museum is on the rocks. When his father adds a weird Greek mummy, Costas, to the rickety collection, Alex notices that it lacks the traditional gold coin that the dead need to pay Charon at the River Styx. The boy supplies one, but then retrieves it to pay off Slug. However, Costas needs the coin-and Alex's help. He was unjustly condemned for a murder he didn't commit and faces eternal punishment unless the crime can be undone. Alex and his friend Freddie travel to the Underworld, where they are faced with a labyrinth, the Minotaur, Medusa, and even Hades himself. Will the pair save Costas and themselves from becoming trapped forever? Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:37:12 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024499 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Josh Johnson's mother wants him to run for class president. Josh just wants to run and hide. If only there were a club to help downtrodden eleven-year-olds escape their parents' ambitions! But since no such club exists, Josh has to invent one-he calls it Dunces Anonymous, and before he knows it, the membership is up to three. Magnolia and Wang help Josh lose the school presidential election, but that's just the beginning of the club's activities. Magnolia, pressured by her mom into trying out for the role of Juliet in the school's play, finds herself fending off the advances of an overly amorous Romeo. Wang's father has forced him to join the school chess club, but Wang desperately wants to take fencing lessons instead. As the three friends try to free Magnolia from the school play, liberate Wang from the chess club and get rid of horrible Stacey Hogarth, who has vowed to become the new president of Dunces Anonymous, they realize that they all have talents-if only their parents could see them. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:37:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024500 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". IT HAPPENS SO QUICKLY: a car shoots out from the curb, hits Fiona's father and then speeds away. Is it an accident? Or is it a warning to Fiona and her Canadian cousin, Gavin, to turn back? Gavin is in Scotland to hike across the moors, and Fiona's dad isn't about to let a broken leg stop the kids' fun. Fiona and Gavin will go on without him. A broken leg turns out to be the least of their troubles as the cousins unwittingly stumble onto a monstrous conspiracy to kidnap a girl-and get caught by the conspirators. Managing to escape, Gavin and Fiona suddenly find themselves in the middle of a plot to assassinate a royal family member. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:37:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=S02701 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:37:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024498 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Twelve-year-old Lee Mets wants to be a writer, even though her mother tells her that good girls want to be either teachers or nurses. Growing up in the changing days of the 1960s, Lee secretly wishes that she were an orphan like her hero, Anne Shirley. When Cassandra, a real live orphan, moves in across the street, Lee is thrilled. With a name like Cassandra, she has to be interesting! Will they be kindred spirits like Anne and Diana? Or will Kathy, Lee's ex-best friend, come between them? As Lee and Cassandra's friendship grows, Lee comes to realize that being an orphan is not as romantic as she had imagined. A tragedy in Lee's life and the truth about Cassandra's past brings the two girls closer as they go through a summer that will change both their lives. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:37:29 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024501 A huge bear is wandering through the forest - but wait a minute! Who's that he's hugging? A beaver? And a moose? And a bird? And a tree? Welcome to the world of Big Bear Hug, a contemporary fable about a bear who has an appetite for hugging everything in sight - even creatures that bears have been known to eat. One day, the benevolent bear meets up with a human. This human proceeds to do something the bear cannot understand: he raises his axe and begins to cut down a tree. Suddenly the bear doesn't feel like hugging anymore and must make a difficult decision on how to stop this destruction in his forest. The environmental message of Big Bear Hug is both funny and powerful, while simple enough to engage very young children and show them the awesome power of a hug. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024503 Dog wants his very own boy. Though Mama warns him that a boy takes a lot of work, Dog is determined to find the perfect boy for him. Dog's search takes him from the pooch spa to the mall to the park, but none of the boys smell quite right. Finally, in an unexpected place, a promising-looking boy appears. Will Dog be able to train him? Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024509 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Evolution is the process that created the terrible teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex and the complex human brain, clever enough to understand the workings of nature. Young readers will learn how a British naturalist named Charles Darwin studied nature and developed his now-famous concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest. And how modern-day science has added to our understanding of the theory of evolution. Can something as complex and wondrous as the natural world be explained by a simple theory? The answer is yes, and now Evolution explains how in a way that makes it easy to understand. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024502 A broadly comic parody of self-promotion that invites its young readers to become critical consumers of advertising. Mr. Al Foxword, salesrat, makes a hyped-up pitch for the very book in our hands. Al's previous customers include a mole (buyer of the Deluxe Dirt Vacuum), a fish (happy purchaser of an umbrella), and a penguin (proud of his latest acquisition, a fridge). Watt lays out Al's pitch with characteristically zesty design and exaggerated, colourful cartoon images, playing off the stereotype of the sleazy salesman with plaid jacket, bow tie, and toupée. Throughout, she sends up advertising claims and sales pressure. ("Buy now! Quantities are limited!" "What's better than this book? TWO books!!!") Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024507 Theodora loved her grandfather's old garden. His new apartment's balcony is too windy and small for a garden. But what appears to be a drawback soon leads to a shared burst of creativity as Theo and her Poppa decide to paint a new garden. As they work side by side -- sowing seeds with brushes and paint -- a masterpiece begins to take shape that transforms the balcony into an abundant garden. When Poppa goes away on holiday, Theo helps nurture the garden and it begins to take on a life of its own. This garden grows not from soil but from love, imagination and creativity. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024504 A perfect snow has fallen, and first-grader Scott and fourth-grader Jim have been daydreaming the morning away, making plans, doodling sketches of snowmen and snow forts, all in anticipation of recess and the endless possiblities of this perfect snow. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024510 A companion novel to THE NINE LIVES OF TRAVIS KEATING. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". An alcoholic mother, a distracted father, a best friend who spends all his time with his new "girlfriend," and three relentless schoolyard bullies: Prinny Murphy's past, present, and future certainly are "tense." Adding to her misery, she still can't read well enough to escape from remedial lessons with the dour Mrs. Dooks. But when a kindly substitute teacher introduces her to LaVaughn's inner-city world in the free verse novel, Make Lemonade, Prinny discovers that life can be full of possibilities - and poetry. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024505 As questions come from a young grandchild, his grandpa talks about how, as a very young man, he was as proud as a peacock in uniform, busy as a beaver on his Atlantic crossing, and brave as a lion charging into battle. Soon, the old man's room is filled with an imaginary menagerie as the child thinks about different aspects of wartime. But as he pins medals on his grandpa's blazer and receives his own red poppy in return, the mood becomes more somber. Outside, the crowd gathered for the veterans' parade grows as quiet as a mouse, while men and women -- old and young -- march past in the rain. A trumpet plays and Grandpa lays a wreath in memory of his lost friend. Just then, the child imagines an elephant in the mist. "Elephants never forget," he whispers to his grandpa. "Then let's be elephants," says the old man, as he wipes water from his eyes and takes his grandson's hand. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024508 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Pets and their owners appear together in a book as heartwarming as it is informative. From our earliest beginnings, we have shared our lives with animals. Jane Drake and Ann Love explore the ties that humans and their pets have formed. With fun and fascinating facts, they address Dog People and Cat People. (Why does a cat wind around her owner's legs? She's rubbing her owner with glands on her face to say "you're mine.") They also introduce us to more unusual pets. There's Polly the parrot, who lived through the Klondike Gold Rush to be 126 years old by belting back whiskey, swearing, and biting gold miners. And, of course, there are fish and reptiles, rodents and horses, all of whom can be beloved pets. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024506 Willow is all too familiar with the problem of being ignored. No one listens to her, because "her words slipped out as soft and shy as a secret." Friends don't hear her when she says she'd like to sit beside them. The teacher doesn't hear her ask for apple juice instead of orange. A pushy student grabs one of the dolls that Willow wants for her doll picnic, and can't (or won't) hear Willow's request to have it back. That same student gets picked to be line leader over Willow simply because she speaks up louder and gets noticed. With the help of a cardboard microphone, Willow finally finds her voice. She announces her preferences, asserts her rights, and makes everyone at school sit up and take notice. By the time the makeshift microphone gets accidentally crushed at the end of the day, she is ready to speak for herself, clearly and with confidence. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024524 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Join the Binkertons -- twins Josh and Emma and their little sister Libby -- as they return to the Good Times Travel Agency and end up knee-deep in an ancient Chinese rice paddy! Adventures in Ancient China is an engaging mix of adventure and historical information about life in China during first century AD. Kids will learn about Chinese society, inventions, medicine, the Silk Road, the Great Wall, nomadic warriors and much more. They'll love the book's contemporary comic-book look, while parents, teachers and librarians will appreciate the well-researched story line and solid factual information. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024514 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Twelve-year-old Cody and his best friend Eric are spending a typically drowsy summer in Sultana, Manitoba, when the unthinkable happens. With the local MacFie River almost dry because of an extended drought, the business owners of the tourist-dependent, job-challenged small town make some painful cuts to survive. The most painful? Eric's mother is about to lose her job at the local diner, forcing the family to move elsewhere to find work. Barring a week of solid rain, the best friends are about to be separated forever. How can two tweens revive the local economy and save their friendship? Cody and Eric soon hatch a plan. What the town needs, they decide, is an instant tourist attraction, and what quicker way to draw tourists than to orchestrate a major archaeological find? With the help of Eric's twin sister Rachel, the trio creates a clay plaque inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphics describing an ancient journey of exploration that ended on the banks of the MacFie. The real trouble starts when a doctor finds the plaque and the plan succeeds beyond the young hoaxers' wildest expectations. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024523 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Discover how bikes evolved from two-wheeled toy horses into today's lean, mean, pedaling machines. Meet some of the world's great cycling heroes. Delve into the mechanics of how bikes work. Get gunky as you become a bonafide grease monkey. This high-energy, entertaining, and informative book is a must for all bike owners. Features include: Incredible facts about the history, invention, science, heroes, and culture of bikes; Lively language and illustrations demystify the mechanics of biking; Easy-to-follow illustrations with simple step-by-step instructions show kids exactly what they need to do to maintain their bikes; Amazing and off-the-wall biking stories, stunts, and feats pop up throughout the pages. Interactive puzzles, games, and activities get kids thinking about the mechanics of biking. An easy-to-use glossary of technical terms, such as crank, derailleur, and sprocket - valuable definitions in simple language. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024522 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When orphan Sophie is snatched from her bed by a Giant, she fears that he's going to eat her. But although he carries her far away to Giant Country, the Giant has no intention of harming her. As he explains, in his unique way of talking, "I is the only nice and jumbly Giant in Giant Country! I is THE BIG FRIENDLY GIANT! I is the BFG." The BFG tells Sophie how he mixes up dreams to blow through a trumpet into the rooms of sleeping children. But soon, all the BFG's powers are put to the test as he and Sophie battle to stop the other Giants from tucking into the children of the world. The RAF and even the Queen become involved in the mission. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024517 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". At age 11, Caddie Woodlawn is the despair of her mother and the pride of her father: a clock-fixing tomboy running wild in the woods of Wisconsin. In 1864, this is a bit much for her Boston-bred mother to bear, but Caddie and her brothers are happy with the status quo. Written in 1935 about Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother's childhood, the adventures of Caddie and her brothers are still exciting over 60 years later. With each chapter comes another ever-more exciting adventure: a midnight gallop on her horse across a frozen river to warn her American Indian friends of the white men's plan to attack; a prairie fire approaching the school house; and a letter from England that may change the family's life forever. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024519 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". No one ever said you had to be a grown-up to do something great. The girls in Canadian Girls Who Rocked the World have proved this to the world. Breaking world records, winning hearts in the limelight, changing the face of the scientific world - these girls have shaken the planet with their achievements. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024526 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Spotlights 20 notable highs and lows in engineering. The "feats" celebrated include the Sydney Opera House, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Canadarm (a huge, Canadian-built robotic arm used for repairs in space). Among the "failures" are the space shuttle Challenger, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Hubble Space Telescope fall into both categories. Well organized and engagingly written, the one- to four-page chapters present good overall views of these endeavors as well as amusing and intriguing details of their design and construction. Excellent photos, most in color, illustrate the places and events discussed, while colorful drawings visually represent concepts such as the elevations of water and locks along the Panama Canal. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024525 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Many veterans of the conflict that occurred there half a century ago worry that their time spent fighting in the "Forgotten War" will not be remembered or understood unless their story is told. Award-winning nonfiction author Linda Granfield has collected the personal accounts of 32 men and women who served with the Canadian and U.S. forces in Korea during the years 1950-53 and has described the main events of the war. The veterans in this book represent different branches and aspects of the military, including medical, supplies, infantry, and naval. Their moving, sometimes graphic, recollections are illustrated with their own photographs, Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024513 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In 1877 in Rochester, New York, George Eastman couldn't understand why picture-taking was so difficult. Having left school at fourteen to support his mother and two sisters, George decided to find out by making photography his hobby. He packed up glass plates, a plate holder, a tent, a heavy tripod, a thick piece of black cloth, a water jug, and chemicals and set off to take his first photograph. George realized that not many people could own a camera -- they were too expensive and the size of today's microwave ovens! But how could he make picture-taking easier? Eventually, George created dry plates, and they were such a success that he opened his own dry-plate company in 1881. But this was only the beginning -- George went on to invent film and the Brownie camera. The rest is history. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024515 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In 1944, Lily's eagerly awaited summer vacation becomes a time of anxiety when her widower father, Poppy, announces that he's off to Europe with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lily's lonely in Rockaway with both her father and her summer friend, Margaret, gone, until she meets an orphan from Budapest living temporarily with her grandmother's neighbor. At first she responds coldly to Albert, but is soon drawn to him by his awkward dignity and his tragic tale of dead parents and ill sister, Ruth, left behind in France. As they care for an abandoned kitten together and wistfully watch ships passing on the horizon, a solid friendship develops, and by the time they part, Lily and Albert have helped each other through difficult times. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024527 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Aimed at young naturalists, this project-oriented study combines basic facts about worm anatomy and behavior with general instructions for building, maintaining, and performing simple experiments with both a plastic-bottle "wormery" and a more ambitious compost bin. A mix of color photos and simple paintings offer cutaways views of worms and their burrows, representations of several types of earthworms, and pictures of finished projects. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024511 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Aims to allay kids' fears by showing them what a remarkable time they live in: smart technologies, innovative ideas, and a growing commitment to alternative lifestyles are exploding around the world. Each chapter begins by taking familiar objects from a kids' world -- T-shirts, video games, bikes -- and using these as launching pads to delve into related environmental issues. Plus, profiles of unexpected personalities, like a sustainable hapiness researcher or a young chef committed to the local food movement, show how many are seeking viable solutions to the serious problems facing our planet. It's not that there isn't a problem. There is. But this book shows how this time of crisis can instead be seen as a time of great opportunity! Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024520 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024512 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Brings together acclaimed photographer Norbert Rosing's vibrant images and his firsthand knowledge of the Arctic to chronicle a year in the life of the polar bear, the Earth's largest land predator. The book is organized into four sections, spring, summer, fall and winter, each with an introductory essay. Young readers will learn about tiny newborn cubs, weighing barely 2 pounds, and see them follow their mother across the frozen tundra, playing and learning survival skills as they go. Informative captions describe a polar bear's physical characteristics and how it survives in the bitter Arctic. The book also shows the other animals that share the Far North's breathtaking scenery. Each year more than 10,000 people travel to remote Churchill, Manitoba, to watch and study polar bears, but the Earth's climate is changing, and the bear's future is in question. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024521 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Come on in! Don't be shy. Bizarre, hilarious and just plain gross moments are waiting inside Sports Hall of Weird. From yucky bathroom accidents and crows hungry for golf balls, to cursed teams, haunted stadiums and spectacular losers, this Hall's got it all. Find out why some hockey fans throw an octopus on the ice for good luck. How the hand of God might have decided a soccer game. How a dead guy got drafted ? all this and a lot more is immortalized in Sports Hall of Weird! Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024518 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Living with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether he's throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the walls at Hamburger Heaven, or scribbling all over Peter's homework, Fudge is never far from trouble. How can Peter get his parents to listen to him for a change? Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024528 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A fascinating look at 10 wildlife biologists and their work. Each chapter contains sections describing a field experience, biographical data on the scientist, goals set and procedures followed, and pertinent facts on the animals themselves (including classification, habitat, food, and so on). The disparate experiences include rescuing a stranded young blue whale in a Norwegian fjord, teaching a young sea otter to forage for crabs in Monterey Bay, and tracking bats in the Chiricahuas in Arizona. The readable text is conversational in tone, with frequent quotes from the scientists themselves, and is spiced with full-color photos of both animals and biologists Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024516 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A moving novel about Athabascan life. But instead of a wilderness survival tale, this story is an uplifting portrait of a dedicated teacher, set mostly in a cozy village classroom in 1948. Fred, a ten-year-old girl, describes the year Miss Agnes takes over the one-room school. Unlike the school's other teachers, none of whom have lasted, Miss Agnes encourages the children to explore art, literature, and their own potential. She also teaches basic subjects in relevant ways and shows sensitivity to the rhythms of village life and to each child. The students are devastated when it's time for Miss Agnes to leave, but the story ends with a happy surprise. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:59:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024535 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Kids probe the secrets of illness and sniff out what germs are, why they sometimes make us sick, how our bodies battle them and how vaccines protect us against them. This unique series explores the mysteries of the human body using a mix of thoroughly researched factual information, amazing anecdotes and surprising try-it activities. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024534 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Orbiting 220 miles above Earth, the International Space Station is a technological marvel and a remarkable symbol of the advances that are being made through peaceful cooperation. Thanks to the combined efforts of sixteen countries worldwide, this permanent orbiting laboratory will provide all of humanity with research into new technologies, and will allow us a dazzling glimpse into the future. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024532 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ever wondered what Mrs. Claus's first name is? Or where the funny bone got its name? Why is it that people's tattoos never come off? All of these fantastic questions, along with others kids have wondered about, are answered. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024533 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". History comes alive as the offbeat style of Joanne Stanbridge offers up the amazing life stories of over a dozen famous Canadians explorers, inventors, scientists, adventurers and more. A unique approach to Canadian history! Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024537 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A cross-cultural exploration of fashion in some of its weirdest, wildest, and most wonderful forms. The book is arranged in broad chapters, covering women's and men's clothing; hairstyles and facial hair; accessories such as jewelry, umbrellas, and hats; makeup and tattoos; and shoes. Throughout, Weaver discusses fashion fads and the social and historical changes that fostered them. The invention of the bicycle, for example, is cited as contributing to alterations in women's dress. The author does a good job, too, of mentioning vocabulary that has entered our language via the world of apparel, including words such as "denim," "parasol," and "hoodwink." Sidebars focus on particular trends, and textual borders contribute interesting tidbits as well as visual diversity. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024538 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Starting with China's Shaolin temple arts (the basis for kung fu), Scandiffio traces the spread of martial arts from China to the island of Okinawa (where fishermen used karate to defend themselves from pirates). From there they migrated to Japan (home of kendo, judo, and aikido) and Korea (where tae kwon do was developed in the 1950s). Young readers will be intrigued to discover that the first system of martial arts was conceived in order to help monks sit still and that girl ninjas were called "deadly flowers" for their ability to infiltrate enemy households as servants or dancers. Also explores the spiritual side of martial arts. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024540 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fourteen-year-old Irish orphan Davy Shea is shipped off to Jamaica to live with his uncle Patch, a surgeon with a somewhat mysterious past. Patch takes Davy as an apprentice, and when Patch is hired as the surgeon on the Royal Navy frigate HMS Retribution, Davy goes along. When Lieutenant William Hunter, Patch's best friend on the ship, leads a failed mutiny, Uncle Patch is found guilty by association, and he is condemned to death along with the other mutineers. The rebels escape, however, and they steal a sloop, hoisting the Jolly Roger once they are out to sea. But things aren't quite what they seem: Patch and Hunter turn out to be secret agents, and the uprising is part of an elaborate scheme to rid the Caribbean of pirates Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024529 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Orphaned by the Adana massacre in 1909, Mariam and her siblings, together with their friend Kevork and his aunt, travel home to Marash hoping to find their remaining family still alive. Six years later, when the teens face deportation from Turkey, they are torn apart despite their best efforts to stay together. One thing sustains them throughout their horrifying ordeals -- the hope that they might one day be reunited. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024530 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". June 6th, 2004 will mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day, when Canadians landed on Juno Beach. This outstanding book contains unpublished accounts of D-Day eyewitnesses and participants, and through their eyes we are able to see what it was like to live through the assault on Hitler's Atlantic Wall and the massive invasion that followed. Captivating photographs and memorabilia bring these stories to life. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024536 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Comprised of eight chapters and an extensive time line, the book is an account of Macdonald's entire life, from his birth in 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland, to his death in 1891 in Ottawa. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024531 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". From our language (eh?) to the maple leaf flag, from loonies and toonies to the Mounties, Canada has many unique characteristics. Written in the form of bright, irrepressible Rachel's school report, That's Very Canadian! is a witty, informative and entertaining look at every corner of our nation-and a fond celebration of what makes us so ... Canadian. With a wacky cast of characters that includes a talking moose, a Canada goose and a stuffed beaver, this title is an irreverent exploration of our national heritage and customs. A valuable resource for students seeking information on Canada's national, provincial and territorial symbols, this exploration is also an engaging way to educate young readers about Canadian culture and identity. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024539 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Readers can get a grasp on the secrets of perception and discover what the five senses are, how we use and depend on them, what happens to our senses as we age, the five senses in other species and more. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:37:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024549 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". On September 13, 1882, The S.S. Asia, dangerously overloaded with 100 or so passengers, crew and horses and cows, sailed from Ontario's Collingwood harbour into a rising gale on Georgian Bay. Only two people survived the journey... But what if there was a third survivor? Tommy Smith is an orphan, working at the stables in Collingwood, Ontario. He witnesses the president of the shipping company, his henchman, and a shareholder arguing, an argument that results in the shareholder's death. Unfortunately for Tommy, he is discovered and in his effort to get away from the henchman, Harry Jones, he sneaks aboard the Asia. Tommy miraculously survives, and is found washed up on shore by two natives, who care for him for six months before taking him to thetown of Midland. There, Tommy reads the papers and discovers he is being blamed for the death of the shareholder and that he is also presumed dead. Under a new name, Tommy travels to Toronto and ends up joining a circus that needs help with some horses. There he is happy until Harry Jones chances upon him... Based on a true piece of Northern Ontario history. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024547 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Tom is handsome and Bill is clever, but Jack, the youngest son, only causes his mother trouble because he is too kindhearted. When the older brothers leave to seek their fortunes and do not return, Jack is sent to look for them. Along the way, he shows kindness to every creature he meets no matter how seemingly insignificant. When he finds out that his brothers have tried to win the hand of a princess but have failed the tests required by her evil guardian and are being forced to quarry rocks, he attempts the tests himself. The creatures he helped on his journey come to his aid, and he and the princess escape on a unicorn. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024551 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In Book Two of The Summer of Magic Quartet, the four children from The White Horse Talisman seek Ava's circlet, buried within the ancient stone circle of Avebury. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024552 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Rose, a chemistry professor, makes the forensic science a gripping part of this entry in the new Traces series, set in a near-future world where Authorities raise kids in boarding school and everything is controlled by computer technology. With help from his computerized sidekick, Malc, newly graduated forensic investigator Luke Harding, age 16, takes on his first case-a murder in school, followed by two more killings. Unfortunately for Luke, all the evidence points to him as the villain. Who is trying to frame him? The sf stuff is minimal. Malc is basically the classic investigator's sidekick, and Luke is both bossy and ironic as he orders Malc to scan for evidence and draw on suspects' records. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024553 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When her mother and younger brother, Everett, head off to Mountain Ash, an Oregon spiritual retreat, Frances Cressen is left to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Blue and to attend camp with her best friend, Agnes. Over the summer, Frances comes to love her aunt, but she becomes convinced that her mother doesn't want her and may not return for her. When her brother goes missing, Frances' part in the search helps her to realize what readers will understand all along: that she is smart, resilient, and lovable. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024548 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". From the first Black person who came to Canada about 400 years ago to the most recent wave of African immigrants, Black Canadians have played an important role in our country's history. In this informative overview, kids will discover the inspiring stories and events of a people who fought oppression as they searched for a place to call their own. Featuring fact boxes, mini-profiles, a timeline and more, this book in the acclaimed Kids Book of series offers a glimpse into an often-overlooked part of Canadian history. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024541 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Whether it is caused by an ordinary boy whose nose is invaded by an alien from Jupiter, or a tea party gone terribly wrong, or a well-meaning lie that goes out of control, there is a belly laugh waiting for every reader of this hilarious collection. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024543 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A pictorial introduction to the famous Canadian author. Thirteen double-page chapters tell her story. Historical facts about the times are interspersed with information about the writer and mention is made of the things that happened to her that are paralleled in her characters' lives. Captioned illustrations, photographs, and quotations fill each right-hand page and spot art and reproductions add additional snippets of information. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024546 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Nelson Mandela comes to life in this portrait of a diplomatic man whose commitment to freedom gained him both the Nobel Peace Prize and Time's Man of the Year honor. The son of a Thembu chief in South Africa, Mandela began his life-long campaign against white colonial rule while a college student. Kramer's eloquent, yet approachable text describes the leader's dedication to nonviolence, his role in the African National Congress and his arrest in 1962 for sabotage and conspiracy. During his 27 years in prison, Mandela continued his fight for a democratic and free society, and ultimately was released and elected president of South Africa. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024545 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A biography of the Baptist minister who worked unceasingly for his dream of a world without hate, prejudice, or violence, and was assassinated in the attempt. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024554 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Three teens are excited to be taken on as junior snowboard and skiing guides with Sam's Adventure Tours, but their first training expedition doesn't turn out quite as expected. Just after being deposited on top of a mountain, Jake, Peter, and Moses witness a helicopter crash and rescue a 15-year-old survivor named Fiona. When bad weather triggers an avalanche, they must work together to stay alive. Fiona is a world-class snowboarder and the boys have survival training, but it will take all of their skills to fend off one disaster after another as they try to reach town. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024542 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The heroine, Gabi, recounts how as a young Jewish girl she lived on a family farm in Eastern Europe during the Second World War. She describes her community before the Nazi occupation and the events that unfolded afterwards. When the Nazis conducted house searches for Jewish children, Gabi successfully hid in the dining-room dresser. The only thing retrieved from the home after the war was the dresser that saved Gabi's life. It now sits in author Kathy Kacer's home in Toronto. Kacer is Gabi's daughter and has based the story on her mother's experiences. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024544 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Straight from the pages of the Noted Personalities section of The World Almanac comes this refreshingly original series of biographies. Chronicling the lives of the most important people of the 20th century, these books give student readers a powerful resource for understanding how their world came to be what it is today.Enriched with historic photos of the life and times of the people being profiled, and with excerpts from primary source documents, this series will inspire critical thinking, further research, and additional reading. Each book is more than just the story of an individual. It is a powerful social history of the world one person was born into. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024550 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". One day, while surveying the docks of a fishing village, Torrie witnesses a scuffle aboard a pirate ship. He intervenes and convinces the newly minted captain to take him aboard. The captain, a young girl named Anna, is anxious to set sail to rescue her father, held for some months by the Pirate Queen, Nevilla. But Anna is not a pirate, nor is her father. Before his death, Anna's pirate grandfather told Anna, and no one else, where a valuable treasure was hidden. Anna plans to use the treasure to negotiate her father's release. With the help of Torrie, Anna and her aged crew of retired pirates embark on a wild and colorful sea journey. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:42 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024556 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The Tubmans and the Hatchers return in this latest chronicle of the hilarious escapades of Fudge, Pete, and Tootsie Hatcher and Sheila "Queen of Cooties" Tubman. Their parents decide to spend their summer vacation in the woods of Maine right next door to each other-but "next door" turns out to be in the same house. Fast-paced mayhem becomes the order of the day as children, adults (including Grandma Hatcher and Grandpa Tubman), and assorted pets find themselves in daily (hourly?) predicaments. Not to be outdone in the madcap pace, Grandma and Grandpa announce their intention to be married. The story concludes with the solemn pact between Pete and Sheila that even though they'll be related, they will always hate each other. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024557 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". As George seeks a cure for his grandmother's grumpiness, his creative elixir produces surprising results. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024560 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Has facts, figures, and fun for everyone -- from the rookies of the rink all the way up to the triumphant triple lutzers. Unique insider information includes the science behind a figure skate's special design, a catalogue of the most inventive (and strangest) moves, stories of Olympic judging and score-keeping, and the secrets behind some of the greatest partnerships and rivalries in skating. Plus, "Quick Answers to Speedy Questions" sidebars explain all things figure skating, "Legends on Ice" profiles introduce young fans to some of the most inspirational skaters in history, and the "Rules and Regs" section at the back of the book provides all the terms and need-to-know information to make every reader a master of figure skating basics. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024558 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". seeks to raise preteens' awareness of themselves as targets and vectors of advertising messages. Brimming with anecdotes, facts, and quotes ("In our factory, we make lipstick; in our advertising, we sell hope"), the text covers controversial programs that bring ads into the schools, and describes traditional marketing methods as well as "stealth" techniques: hiring "cool hunters" to hang around trendsetters, using movie product placements, drawing on the media resources of a conglomerate to tout entertainment products under the guise of objectivity. Graydon never simply holds forth. She often ends sections with a provocative question ("How many female mascots can you think of?"), and she helpfully includes addresses of watchdog organizations, tips for writing effective complaints, and an impressive set of endnotes. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024559 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Focuses on the life and works of Marc Chagall and presents a selection of great works that illustrate the artist''s development. Also includes the story of the artist''s personal life and highlights the important social and historical events of the time. Full-color photographic reproductions, detailed time lines, an explanatory glossary, and a comprehensive index. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024561 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In a distinctive "scrapbook" style, more than one hundred photos, paintings, and documents are displayed to help paint an intimate portrait of a true hero. Readers will learn about his life as a doctor and teacher of medicine, about his tour of duty in the Boer War, and of course, about his service in WWI, where he experienced a loss so profound, it moved him to write "In Flanders Fields". Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024555 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". All too often, we forget that the most inspired cities are the ones which attract all people, especially young people, out of their homes and into the streets, plazas and parks. Watch this Space compresses all kinds of intelligence from academia into a first-rate, enticing book for teens about why public space matters. Readers are introduced to some of the world's most meaningful public spaces, from the Ganges River to Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia to a reinvented water tower in Soweto, South Africa. This is a book that equips teens to become advocates for beautiful public space wherever they may be in the world. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:20 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024568 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This collective biography profiles four Canadian athletes (Bobbie Rosenfeld, Sandra Schmirler, Chantal Petitclerc, and Hayley Wickenheiser), four Americans (Annie Smith Peck, Julie Krone, and Venus and Serena Williams), one Australian (Cathy Freeman), and an Olympic contender from China (Chen Lu). The sports that are highlighted include: mountain climbing, track and field, curling, wheelchair racing, ice hockey, ice skating, horse racing, and tennis. The four- to six-page sketches present brief information on each athlete's childhood, family, goals, and achievements within her sport. The profiles have from one to three small black-and-white photographs and some interesting sidebars. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024564 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A nature book like no other, as children learn about wildlife, the environment, and conservation through first-person accounts from one of Canada's foremost animal adventurers. In this book, lavishly illustrated by his own photographs, Keating describes ten of his most memorable wildlife-watching trips in his trademark energetic and upbeat style. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024571 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024565 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Scientists are smart people, trained to be skeptical and to test their hypotheses. But sometime hoaxes, fakes and mistakes rock their world. Hoaxed! uncovers and explains 17 brilliantly bogus stories from the history of science. You'll find usual suspects such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, as well as some lesser known but fascinating stories: phony ancient bones, a "lost" tribe who weren't what they seemed, a UFO crash landing and many more. The combination of far-out facts, archival photos and comical illustrations keeps science interesting for youngsters. Hoaxed! is a sure way to promote a high level of science literacy, keep kids questioning their world and get their hoax antennae twitching. Hoaxes include: * Crop circles made by a couple of British hoaxers that ended up creating a cultural phenomenon * Cold fusion, the scientific "discovery" that promised humanity cheap, clean fuel forever * A fake "Stone Age" tribe in the Philippines that caused a global media frenzy. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024569 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Wyatt's lively, joke-filled text, complemented by quirky illustrations from Fred Rix, lists all of the things you need to start a country (a chunk of land, a name, a constitution, people to live there), as well as what you will need to do to run it (set up a government, hold elections, establish a currency, make laws, etc.). Wyatt speaks directly to the reader about what this imaginary country will need to flourish: "So your citizens have elected a bunch of representatives, and they're all milling around wanting staplers and parking lots. Why not put them to work governing the country?" As well, she provides real-life examples of how country-builders have succeeded or failed in the past. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024570 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thirteen-year-old Phoebe, born a slave on an Alabama cotton plantation, has a powerful dream that fills her with light-a dream about flying to "the freedom place." Her mother warns that "dreamin' leads to trouble," but Phoebe decides to follow her vision and, joined by another slave, named Liney, and Liney's two children, flees the plantation. A series of harrowing adventures follows as the two young women search for the Underground Railroad and a conductor who will guide them to freedom in Canada. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024562 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Who knew that some insects can create explosions to get food? Or that fireworks were once used to fight wars? Explosions are all around us, from the Big Bang that created the universe to the "pop" of a seedpod, and from solar flares to the explosive gases lurking in a coal mine. Full of fun facts, dramatic images and highlights of momentous blasts in history -- including the infamous Halifax explosion of 1917, which killed thousands of people -- Kaboom! Examines an astonishing variety of explosions and the science behind them. Many remarkable blasts are a result of human ingenuity, from carving the faces of four American presidents into a wall of granite on Mount Rushmore to the development of asthma inhalers based on a beetle's explosive pulses to scare predators. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024563 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Discover how missionaries and settlers established communities across Canada and how they survived the harsh winters and political battles. Invites readers to develop an understanding of the important people and events that helped shape Canada's development. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024566 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Shows how life-changing, earth-shattering inventions fit into human beings' desire to fill six basic needs: food, security, shelter, companionship, good health, and the need to make tasks easier. What's the Big Idea? takes an in-depth look at 32 of our most important inventions and tells the story of how one invention led to the next. From the wheel to the spinning wheel, the alphabet to the printing press, steel to steam engines, and parachutes to...diapers?! For each invention, a "Big Idea" sidebar answers the question "why this invention and why now?" Plus, inventor biographies grant glimpses into the lives of geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, and a host of others. What's next in the exciting world of innovation? And where will it ever end? Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:54:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024580 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Introduces readers to three great historical figures: Chinese Buddhist Xuanzang, whose 16-year journey from China to India and back (629-645 AD) is the only source we have for huge chunks of the history and geography of this time. His successful search for Buddhist scriptures changed the course of two great nations. Genghis Khan, bred from infancy to be a warrior, brought the Mongol clans together. He established the greatest empire the world had seen, which ruled the Silk Road from 1201 to 1227. Italian merchant Marco Polo journeyed through China from 1271 to 1295. He changed the way Europe saw the world, and his book even inspired Columbus to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of China. Beautiful photographs and art depicting the ancient routes and peoples bring the stories to life. Maps, sidebars and an afterword that updates the story of the Silk Road are also featured Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024584 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does. Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first real friend. But as desperate as Jason is to met her, he's terrified that if they do meet, Rebecca will only see his autism and not who Jason really is. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024574 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". At the age of 12, Sierra Leoneon Mariatu Kamara suffered more trauma than most adults could endure. Shortly after being raped (and impregnated) by a family friend, Kamara was captured by rebels who cut off her hands. Despite her wounds, Kamara walked out of the bush and sought help. En route to the hospital in Freetown, she was reunited with many of her family members, several of whom had also lost their hands in the rebel attack. They moved to an amputee camp in the city, where Kamara gave birth to a son, who died at 10 months from malnutrition. When foreign journalists interviewed Kamara in the camp, her story garnered international interest, including from a man in Canada who began sending aid to her. Through this and other assistance, Kamara was sent first to England, then Toronto, where she met journalist Susan McClelland (a past recipient of the Amnesty International Media Award), with whom she collaborated on this autobiography. The Bite of the Mango testifies to Kamara's horrific trauma, but with the aim of fostering hope and reconciliation. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024579 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The story of the 100,000 British children who came to Canada as child immigrants between 1870 and 1938 is not well known. Yet the descendants of these "Home Children" number over four million people in Canada today. The author is one of them. Charlie was her father. Charlie is a compelling account of a poor English boy who works his way out of poverty to eventually become a high-ranking member of the RCMP. Charlie's story, like many others, is an inspiring part of our Canadian heritage, and will fascinate adults as well as children. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024585 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Strange things are happening at Ho-Ho-Kus Junior High. The cafeteria's covered in a sea of burger wrappers. Bullies aren't bullying anymore. And there's an eerie growling coming from the walls. If anyone can get to the bottom of these mysteries, it's Denton, Wendell, Eddie, Elijah, and Bijay. They may be misfits, but they're also the smartest kids in the eighth grade. There's just one problem. Vice Principal Snodgrass has framed them for a crime they didn't commit and imprisoned them in a secret room in the bowels of the school. His terms: Ace the dreaded Idaho Tests and all will be forgiven. Their plan: figure out who-or what-is to blame for the changes at school. It will take the nerdiest of skills. It will be a test that can be passed only by a select few, a.k.a. Dweeb. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024586 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". It's 1947. Danny, 17, survived Buchenwald Concentration Camp but lost his entire family. Now all he wants is to come to Canada, go to school and get a job. Lilli, an Auschwitz survivor, has also been orphaned and is waiting patiently for a new life in Canada. Dreaming of a place where food doesn't have to be secretly hoarded, where dogs are friendly and people don't treat you like cattle, the two teens-like all teens-just want to fit in. But Canadians turn out to be strange and perplexing people. Haunted by their past, Danny and Lilli fear they will always remain outsiders. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024567 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". From 1832 to 1937 more than four million people sailed across the Atlantic to the port of Quebec with the dream of creating better lives for themselves in the New World. During this period, a tiny island called Grosse Île, located fifty kilometres downstream from the port, served as a quarantine station. Its mission was to prevent ship passengers from spreading diseases to the mainland. Readers will learn about the thousands of immigrants who stopped at Grosse Île before becoming part of the growing nation of Canada; the caring island workers who welcomed them; and the tiny island which served both as gateway and graveyard. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024578 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A brief history of the life and work of the Canadian artist and founding member of the Group of Seven. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024582 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". It's 1935, and Ellen and her mother must leave their dried-up Saskatchewan farm to board with Aunt Gladys in Toronto. Intimidated by her new surroundings, Ellen chooses to hide in the branches of the large leafy tree outside her window and watch the neighbourhood children playing, rather than joining in their games. But when Ellen overhears a plan to evict the family-next-door from their home, she must overcome her fears and help her neighbours. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024572 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Seven brave women are profiled in No Girls Allowed, a slim graphic novel written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Willow Dawson (both of whom are based in Toronto), including the Egyptian pharaoh, Hatshepsut; Alfhild, a ninth-century Scandinavian princess; and Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, a soldier in the American Civil War. All have one thing in common: they lived (and some died) disguised as men. A few did it for love, others for family, and some out of personal ambition - such as James Barry, an early 19th-century Scottish girl who reinvented herself as a man so she could attend medical school and become a doctor. These brief biographies are told through a comic book format that employs Dawson's black-and-white illustrations. She used ink and acrylic on cardboard to create stark images of Hughes' heroines. The panels are full of detail - maps, letters, and several full-page illustrations are added to the mix, making for a varied read. And most of the stories are told through dialogue that is accessible to a third grader and entertaining to those much older. Readers not only learn the biographies of these women, they get a lot of historical context, too. We encounter the complex royal-family line in ancient Egypt, the slave trade, anti-Semitism in 18th-century France, and British colonies in South Africa. As a bonus at the back of the book, Hughes suggests kid-friendly biographies and picture books about her ladies. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024573 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The most notable feature of The Salmon Bears is the profusion of stunning photography from McAllister, the founding director of the Raincoast Conservation Society and Pacific Wild and a dedicated advocate for the protection of the B.C. rainforest and its wildlife. His images provide an intimate view of the bears in their natural environment. The Great Bear Rainforest ranges along the coast of B.C., from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaskan border, and much of it is difficult to access. But access is exactly what the book grants: there are cubs and their mothers, an adult grizzly with its salmon dinner, and a number of portraits of the spirit bear, one of the rarest creatures in the world. The book follows a year in the life of these rainforest bears, from the birth of the cubs in winter through to the hunt for salmon when the fish return in the fall. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024575 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A curious child named Jo, asks how people can be so cruel to each other, why so many bad things happen, and, most importantly, what one person can possibly do to help. Well-known Canadians, including Craig Kielburger and Maude Barlow, share their suggestions, as do international activists such as Jane Goodall. Each response starts with a brief biography, followed by a letter to Jo offering personal experience, advice, and further questions. Some letter-writers talk about global tragedies, others discuss more personal experiences. Each explores the reasons behind and the effects of these crises, and the steps he or she took to create change. One of the book's strengths - and it has many - is its refusal to sugar-coat or alter the material for a younger audience. Roméo Dallaire saw people die, Kim Phuc felt her skin burned off by Napalm, and they describe those experiences for the reader. Maude Barlow doesn't simplify her vocabulary when she refers to complex issues such as the problems of a "materialistic, competitive and hierarchical society" or "income disparities." Young readers are treated with respect, an approach that is particularly important in a book that wants to encourage its audience to tackle challenges that even adults don't seem able to resolve. Also effective are Walters' profiles of five young Canadians who have taken on causes ranging from homelessness to cancer research to clean water in Africa. These stories of resourcefulness and resolve serve as a reminder that anyone can bring about change, no matter how young or unconnected they may feel themselves to be. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024581 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be honest. They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the school newspaper would never say, and to give everyone a chance to say what they want to say, too. But given the chance, some people will say anything-anything to hurt someone else. And when rumors about one popular student escalate to cruel new levels, it's clear the truth about Truman School is more harrowing than anyone ever imagined. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024583 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". THE GREAT ESCAPE was the most daring and meticulously planned prisoner-of-war breakout of the Second World War. Yet not many Canadians-least of all children-know the heroic story of Wally Floody, a Canadian airman imprisoned in Stalag Luft III, who was a key figure in digging a set of sophisticated tunnels. Now acclaimed children's writer Barbara Hehner has penned a gripping action- adventure that tells Floody's incredible story, and how he eventually became the consultant for the movie The Great Escape. Packed with the kind of details kids love-like the fact that the prisoners built their own radios from empty cookie tins, or how the tunnels were shored up using 4,000 boards from the prisoners' beds-The Tunnel King also provides an informative and dramatic Canadian context to the Second World War. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024577 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Vince Carter began defying gravity in seventh grade, when he threw down his first rim-rattling dunk. Today, his game has joined his body at cruising altitude...and suddenly the NBA is a much cooler place to play. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024576 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Co-authors Kathy Kacer and Sharon McKay have collected 12 stories of survivors of Europe's Jewish ghettos from the Second World War, told from the point of view of their younger selves. Although many of the accounts invoke similar events - the isolation created by the erecting of ghetto walls, the struggle of parents to feed their starving families, and the sudden disappearances of friends and family - the authors avoid numbing the reader with repetition by focusing each account on a theme or incident that makes it unique. And so there is the story of George Berman, who escaped the initial death camp roundups because his mechanical skills made him invaluable to Nazis who needed their cars serviced. To alleviate his guilt, George acquired diluted acid from a local chemist - who asked no questions - which he used to sabotage over a hundred motors. Kacer and McKay are masterful at simplifying and focusing their material without lessening the impact of the horrors depicted. As one survivor puts it: "It was 1939, and in Germany the bogeyman was real. He really did crash through doors, yelling and screaming, to snatch innocent children from their beds." Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:58:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024599 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen in remission. Even though the cancer should be far behind him, life still feels fragile. The after effects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, who has always been Jeffrey's main support system and confidant, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too. He needs to tell Steven how he feels about basically being abandoned. His best friend, Tad, is hatching some kind of secretive, crazy plan, which is driving him bonkers. And, there is a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024600 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After eight-year-old Kevin Mason's mother abandons him, he takes refuge in his fantasy of becoming Knuckles McGraw, a tough cowboy roaming the plains on his legendary horse, Burlington Northern. But instead of riding the range, Kevin is stuck in a foster home with a pierced and tattooed teenager named Ice and a mute girl named Breezy. While he waits to be claimed by the father he barely remembers or the mother who left him a good-bye note in his lunchbox, Kevin (aka Knuckles McGraw) tries to communicate with Breezy, learns to get along with his bunkhouse-mate Ice, and discovers that memories can be as deceptive as family secrets Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024593 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The strangeness begins on Camrose's twelfth birthday. As she dives into the Ottawa River with her friends, a creepy, disembodied voice speaks: "It's begun." She is unsure what, exactly, has started until she opens a mysterious letter from her long-deceased great-aunt. Camrose has become the Keeper of an ancient bone flute, which, if returned to its "rightful claimant," will settle a dispute between ancient rivals from other worlds. If Camrose gives the flute to the wrong party, as her great-aunt did, she could mortally endanger her loved ones. With the help of her best friend, Mark, Camrose bravely pieces together the mystery of the flute's power, even as she fights terrifying supernatural forces. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024597 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The principal announces that the school is implementing uniforms, and Ian finds himself caught in a conflict. His friend Julia wants him to devise a plan to fight the decision, and the principal is determined to convince Ian the uniforms are a good idea. Ian wants nothing to do with the issue. While doing research for a social-justice class, he learns that the manufacturer of the uniforms is on the top-ten list for human-rights violations. When he tells the principal this, all he gets is a reminder that the penalty for refusing to wear the uniforms is suspension, and Ian finds himself caught in a whole new conflict-one with himself. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024603 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A haunting story about the survival of joy in the midst of human misery. Set in 1348, the year the Black Death first swept through France, A Company of Fools is vividly narrated by a young choirboy at the Abbey of St. Luc, near Paris. Quiet and sickly, Henri has been with the monks since he was 5 years old, when it became apparent that his sea-captain father was not coming back. "I'd spent all my life around choirs and music," he says, "and the sound of yet another boy raising his voice in song should have done nothing to me." But from the moment Henri hears the voice of Micah, his orderly life is never the same again. Rescued from the gallows and brought to the abbey by a wandering Brother, Micah is a coarse, self-aggrandizing street urchin who sings like an angel. He and Henri become friends, and before long the two are performing together in one of the more bizarre theatre troupes to emerge out of the plague years. St. Luc's "Company of Fools" is supposed to make the sick laugh, to release plague victims from their pain and suffering for a few precious moments of joy. But when the crowds of Paris become convinced that Micah is a saviour whose singing can cure the Black Death, even the sheltered world of the abbey begins to crumble. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024601 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". While Coyote prepares for a winter feast with friends, a young girl knocks on his door, explaining that she wants "to find friendship and goodwill and peace." When his animal friends arrive, they all set off to find the girl's parents and come to a brightly lit shopping mall, crammed with frantic shoppers. After Coyote's wild, hilarious shopping spree, which fizzles when he has no money, the girl rejoins her parents, and the animals return to Coyote's cozy cabin where they share a meal, stories, and songs, and pray for clean water and air. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024589 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thirteen-year-old Johnny Anders is something of a misfit, with no friends and a poor school record, but all this changes when he is awakened one night to find a soldier-ghost in his bedroom. Johnny is taken back into a series of graphic events in Canada's war history. Whereas his teachers tell him that there were no Chinese-Canadians involved in World War II, Johnny meets Bill Chong of Vancouver who is working as a courier between Hong Kong and mainland China. Johnny must also learn about the role of Canadian women in war when he watches as Joan Bamford Fletcher commandeers Japanese soldiers to take hundreds of wounded civilians to safety through the jungles of Indonesia. Johnnny is even more surprised when he meets the much-decorated Raymond Collishaw and learns that Canada played a role in the Russian Revolution. Even as he is making his discoveries, Johnny becomes close friends with Casey Collishaw, the great-granddaughter of Raymond Collishaw. Together the pair set about uncovering why it is that Johnny has been chosen to be a witness to Canadians at war Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024604 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Gilly Hopkins is a determined-to-be-unpleasant 11-year-old foster kid who the reader can't help but like by the end. Gilly has been in the foster system all her life, and she dreams of getting back to her (as she imagines) wonderful mother. (The mother makes these longings worse by writing the occasional letter.) Gilly is all the more determined to leave after she's placed in a new foster home with a "gross guardian and a freaky kid." But she soon learns about illusions-the hard way. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024590 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Since the days of ancient Egypt, women have demonstrated their skills as leaders. The last copule of hundred years, however, have seen increasing numbers of self-made women of distinction take their place on the world stage, many in positions of leadership. This new title in our Women's Hall of Fame Series profiles a fine selection of these trailblazers, past and present. They include Roberta Jamieson, Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory; Golda Meir, first female prime minister of Israel (and third in the world); Marie Therese Casgrain, first woman to head a political party in Quebec (CCF Party, which later became the NDP); and Wangari Maathai of Kenya, the first woman in central or eastern Africa to hold a PhD or head a university department, a member of parliament, and founder of successful grassroots movements on issues of the environment and sustainable development. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024591 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This inspiring guide to green careers includes profiles of 30 young professionals who have found success in environmental careers. Along with the fascinating interviews, readers will discover interesting eco-tidbits, career-planning resources, and useful information about universities and environmental organizations. Now more than ever, teens need to hear a positive message about the economy, and here it is: the eco-job market is BOOMING, big time, all over the world. There are jobs for conservation biologists. Jobs for wind turbine fabricators. Jobs for environmental engineers. Jobs for eco-activists. Jobs for green business experts. Jobs for oceanographers. Jobs for air quality specialists. Jobs for meteorologists. Jobs for eco-fashion designers. Jobs for organic chefs. Jobs for ... you get the picture! Now how about some incredible examples to get readers thinking about the possibilities? Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024587 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Offers the enjoyment of a good story along with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations. Follows three friends who love to share stories. In this book, one is reminded of a well-known story: Hansel and Gretel in It's Not About the Crumbs! As one friend starts, the others are reminded of versions they know and each book has three stories within one framework. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024588 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". On New Year's Even Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning... "They killed you father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days!" Hurled into a life on the run, with a price on his head, the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead? The clock is tinking. Any second could be his last. Callum Ormond is still mourning the mysterious death of his father, and now he is on the run. From what, he still doesn't know. Ever since he was warned by a sickly stranger, danger follows him everywhere. Armed with only a few clues about a family secret, Callum must dodge the criminal masterminds who are after him. The clock is ticking and Callum can't trust anyone... Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024592 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Undoubtedly, getting to Mars is not going to be easy. The voyagers will face extreme physical danger-from asteroids and massive Martian dust storms to erupting giant volcanoes. Could humans survive the Red Planet? Drawing on the latest scientific research, and delving into humankind's fascination with Mars, Jonathan Webb creates a lively picture of what a Mars expedition would be like-from life aboard a Mars habitation module, how the astronauts would explore the planet's surface, to their triumphant return to Earth. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024598 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In 1933, as the Great Depression hits his Pittsburgh neighborhood, Mike Costa has a handful of problems to face. The family business is in financial trouble, his grandfather is losing his memory, and he faces bullying and anti-Italian prejudice at school. Meanwhile, his job as family rat catcher leads him to investigate the mysterious sickness that has killed some local hoboes, and affected his own grandfather. From the start, this fast-paced novel puts readers right into the vivid world of "the Strip" where Mike lives. His confused feelings of guilt about the neighborhood homeless and the squalid home of his bullying classmate add powerful human touches to the effects of the Depression. Though Mike has to rely on help from his archenemy, and helps him in turn, the boys quite realistically remain foes afterward. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024596 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". It is no small thing to care for those we love, as 12-year-old Nathaniel comes to understand in this innocent story, set in Canada in 1977. Nathaniel is one of three siblings who become the owners of a beautiful stallion named Smokey. Smokey is the bright spot in their lives, an antidote to having their world disrupted when their father walked out on them four years earlier. While their mother struggles to pay for food and rent, Nathaniel's paper route provides money for the pony's upkeep. Eight-year-old Queenie, who finds safety in "a secret place in her head," and tough, 10-year-old Cid help with Smokey's care. Then the children's hard-won happiness is threatened again-by a riding accident, a broken heart, and a barn fire. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024602 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Parents, beware of this book. With 100% Pure Fake, the art of scaring the pants off friends and family reaches new levels of ease and sophistication. Pranksters can now amaze, alarm and totally disgust everyone with these easy-to-make Pure Fakes. These 25 safe, kid-tested recipes that can be made with ingredients found in most households, including corn syrup, rolled oats, makeup and pasta. Other ingredients, such as school glue, food coloring, tempera paint and gelatin, are widely available in grocery or craft stores. Each project is presented with step-by-step instructions and includes warnings for allergy and mess alerts, non-edible and edible projects, and when kids should get adult help. A few 100% Pure Fakes: Rotting Skin * Eggs, oats and other ingredients give kids a putridly convincing case of rotting skin. S'not Snot * Gelatin, food coloring and other ingredients create slimy matter dripping from noses? 100% pure disgusting. Chocolate Milk Spill * White school glue, brown tempera paint and other ingredients make a life-like spill that will deceive and annoy to the max! Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024605 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Blake Raintree, the heroine of The Secret Under My Skin, is now eighteen. She returns to the city of her birth as an aide to a justice council charged with trying to address the wrongs of the technocaust. While there, Blake submits the ID code from the microchip that was implanted in her arm by her parents in infancy, hoping to find out more about her past, and especially her father. What she learns will cause her to question everything she knows about herself. Torn between a terrible anger and a search for love and acceptance she has been denied her entire life, Blake must face a harsh choice. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024594 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Nathalie Vaughan, 13, and her mother live in the Northwest Territory of Canada. Many townspeople work in the mine at Turtle Mountain. One morning, Nathalie is jolted awake by a rock slide that buries part of the town and its inhabitants, and also traps a group of miners inside the mountain. She and others work frantically to find survivors, and the teen heroically saves a baby. In addition to a description of her part in the rescue, there are perspectives from the trapped miners and from a railroad worker trying to stop an oncoming train. Readers are not spared the terror and impact of the rock slide, and the protagonist must wrestle with the horror that she has witnessed. An authors note contains information about and photographs of the real incident on which the story is based. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024595 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A stunning collection of paintings depicting the world's most threatened habitats and the animals that live there. In the tradition of his other award-winning titles for children, Vanishing Habitats is the ultimate pairing of Robert Bateman's role as artist and as passionate ecological advocate. His tireless quest to study and protect the world's biodiversity has taken him to every continent and inspired art that has found its way into homes everywhere. Here, his breathtaking artwork and moving commentary will introduce readers to the Bowhead Whale, imperilled by pollution and climate change in the Bering Strait; the Mountain Gorillas of the Congo Basin, facing extinction due to uncontrolled deforestation; and so many more. A true celebration of the beauty and perseverance of endangered animals, and a cautionary tale of our relationship with the natural world. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:34:09 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024609 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Binky, a charming and chunky black-and-white house cat, isn't your average feline. He's a space cat, a card-carrying member of F.U.R.S.T (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel). Binky is also the self-appointed protector of his household. When Binky's beloved owners, "one big human" (a woman) and "one small human" (a boy), leave Binky at home alone, the cosmic kitty gets busy. If he isn't preoccupied with the day to day rhythms of cat existence (e.g., raiding his bag of kibble), he's fending off the pesky aliens who have descended upon his otherwise peaceful home. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024616 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". shows the domestic side of the Second World War, telling the story of two young boys and their wartime adventures in Canada. Even though all the fighting was happening overseas, the two brothers realize that another type of crucial struggle is taking place right under their noses. George, 12, and Jack, 14, live in the town of Whitby in rural Ontario. Their mother works in a munitions plant nearby, and their father is fighting overseas. It's summer vacation, so the boys have plenty of time on their hands, and Jack is typically leading George into trouble. While playing in the forest, they become lost and stumble across a strange military base, but are quickly told by a soldier to leave and not return. Driven by intense curiosity, the boys return to the base, where they're discovered again and interrogated by the head of the camp, a lieutenant-colonel. They've wandered into a top-secret spy training facility. They also learn that not all dangers in the war are overseas, and that spies can lurk in the most unexpected places, even in their own town. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024607 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Daniel, 14 in 1941, describes first his family's sense of belonging in Germany and their refusal to flee their country despite the initial instances of anti-Semitism they experience. By the time the family is ready to acknowledge the seriousness of their situation, no country is willing to accept them. They are first deported from Frankfurt to the Lodz ghetto in Poland; from Lodz they are sent to Auschwitz, and finally, Daniel and his father are marched to Buchenwald. They are the only two members of the family who survive, and are liberated by the Americans. Daniel tells his story through the "pictures" he has; at first real photographs, and then the images in his head. He is a courageous, sensitive, heroic individual who personalizes the events of the Holocaust. His voice rings true; he is portrayed as an extraordinary youth, but these were times that demanded an exceptional response to increase the likelihood of survival. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024618 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When Nat Field, an orphan living with his aunt, is chosen for an all-boy acting troupe traveling to London to perform Shakespeare in the reconstructed Globe Theatre, he hopes it will help him escape from his family's tragedy. Instead he finds himself switched in time with another Nat Field, who carries the Plague. In the past he performs with the Bard himself, who becomes a surrogate father and helps him deal with his sorrow, while preparing to play Oberon to Nat's Puck in a performance before the Queen. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024606 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In 2085, when Sean's foster mother asks him to join her on Mars, he has no qualms about leaving his birth planet, for his trusted intuition suggests that Earth is in danger of self-destructing. However, Mars holds perils of its own, and as one of only 20 teenagers brought to the colony through the Asimov Project, Sean must prove himself capable of contributing to this community if he wishes to remain a part of it. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024613 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In was a one-in-a-million chance. A bag crammed with cash comes tumbling through the air and lands right at Damian's feet. Suddenly Damian and his brother, Anthony, are very rich. Very rich indeed. And the boys can buy everything they like - except the one thing they really need. Millions can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you: - 7,692 Shogun BMX Bikes - 66,589 travel-size monopoly sets or - 168,656 stuffed-crust pizzas. They had millions. Pity they only had days to spend it. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024608 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Growing up poor in rural Maine, Ricky Gordon, 11, is dealing with the death of his abusive, alcoholic father and the still-fresh loss of a neighbor who was a surrogate grandmother to him. To top matters off, he is tormented by the local bully. These events have left Ricky confused and angry. In order to avoid trouble with Bugsie on the bus, he starts to walk back and forth to school. Over time, he begins to jog and ultimately picks up speed. Long-distance running proves to be what Ricky needs, as he finds in the physical exertion an escape from his problems and a boost to his confidence. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024611 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". tells the story of Winston MacDonald. In trouble again after a suspension from school and a runaway attempt, Winston is sent to spend time with his father-a journalist who hasn't been around much since his family split up a year ago. Travelling to Nova Scotia with his father, who is covering what he thinks is just a human interest story about a man trying to run across the country, Winston spends a day with Terry Fox and his best friend, Doug. Their determination to achieve what seems like an impossible goal makes a big impression on Winston, and he takes courage and inspiration from Terry's run. He is overjoyed when his father's article about the Marathon of Hope ignites public interest across the country. But when Winston discovers that his father's next article about the Marathon of Hope will characterize Terry and Doug in an unflattering way, he is furious with his father and fearful of betraying his friends. Unsure of what to do or where to turn, Winston decides it is time to make a run for it himself... Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024612 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Abram know only slavery, but from the moment he holds his baby cousin in his arms, he is determined to protect her from the harsh realities of life on the plantation. As she grows, however, Eliza cannot escape notice. Her fair skin and blue eyes invite the hatred of the master's daughters, and the young slave's fate seems all but assured. Abram knows that freedom appears impossible, but somewhere - through the scorching heat and the overseer's whip - lies hope. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024610 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Portia White, born in 1911, had a dream: to sing on stage. Even as a little girl in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she could imagine an audience before her, clapping as she took her bow. But how could a poor girl growing up in a family with ten siblings make that dream come true? At that time, there were few opera roles available for black singers. To become a recital singer, she would have to go to Europe to study. How could she ever afford that? But Portia was not only a talented contralto, she was determined. With the support of her family and community, she eventually climbed onto stages across Canada, the United States, and Central and South America in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She crossed the colour barrier to enter concert halls and sing before white and black audiences on both continents. Later, she became a teacher and mentor of other well-known and successful singers. When Portia White died in 1968, she left a legacy of living to her belief that "first you dream and then you lace up your boots." Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024615 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The year is 1988 in Gaza City, and it has been a month since eleven-year-old Malaak's beloved father left to look for work in Israel, only to disappear. Every day Malaak climbs up to the roof and waits for him, imagining that she can fly to the prison cell where she is sure he waits, too. She speaks little to anyone, preferring to commune with the loyal little bird she has tamed. But her twelve-year-old brother, Hamid, has a different way of coping. He feels only anger, stoked by militant extremists who preach violence as the only way to change their fate. Malaak's mother and sister beg the boy to stay away from harm, but now Malaak lives in fear that she may lose her only brother as well. What will it take for her to find her voice -- and the strength to move beyond the violence that surrounds her? Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024617 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". News comes to the village by way of a messenger carrying a wampum belt from Chief Pontiac. A great race is to be held for the chance to marry Swan, a young woman known for her kindness, beauty and hunting skills. Swan's father, seeing his only daughter sad and uninterested in the men who had previously pursued her hand in marriage, decides to hold a race for any person to enter. The winner of the race will have the chance to marry Swan. The entire village decides to travel to watch the race, and some have decided to enter the race, like Swaying Tree, a man who knew Swan years ago and wishes to win her hand in marriage. In a race of this size, accidents are expected to happen, and the race is a four way tie between Swift Horn, White Owl, Rabbit and Bear Paws. The Elders conclude that four people winning the race must be the will of the Creator, and decide that four more contests are needed to find one finalist for Swan to marry. Will Rabbit's pride get the better of him, forcing him to marry a woman he knows nothing about? Or will Rabbit finally understand what LOVE is and help True Hearts join as one? Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024614 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In a Quebec village during the French and Indian War, 14-year-old Saxso, an Abenaki, is caught in a struggle of survival and rescue when his mother and sisters are kidnapped during a massacre raid by the English Rangers. Bruchac has based this historical novel on an event that took place in the fall of 1759 when Major Robert Rogers of the English forces led a group of 200 men in an attack on St. Francis. For the Abenaki, the struggle to survive, rebuild, and continue throughout the generations was nearly lost. Through Saxso's own words, Bruchac leads readers through the boy's pursuit to save his family. He is also depicted as religious, with beliefs that are a mixture of Abenaki and Christian teachings. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024623 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Rosie's father invests in the nickelodeon business and her mother becomes ill, so the 11-year-old fills in at a shirtwaist factory in order to support the family. She quickly-perhaps too quickly-makes the transition from carefree schoolgirl to oppressed factory worker, and participates in the 1909-1910 strike. In the end, Papa moves the family to Chicago, and Rosie, while sad to leave her friends, looks forward to new adventures. The story is told from the child's perspective, and Matas provides good background on the working conditions and hardships faced by the strikers, including the girl's arrest and appearance in court. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024620 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When an aged lunatic named Putnam arrives at a poorhouse farm in rural Vermont in 1855, he is treated as little more than a beast by everyone except the orphan Jip, who himself arrived at the charity orphanage/asylum after being found abandoned by the roadside. Jip and Putnam become friends, then allies of a sort, as Jip struggles to improve his own lot and that of his friend Lucy, the unfortunate daughter of the late town drunk. This historical tale by Katherine Paterson involves its young protagonist in the great 19th century struggle between slave owners and abolitionists while sending him into a test of his own loyalty and courage. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024624 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Spaz, a boy who lives on the fringes of his surreal future world, partly because epilepsy prevents him from using the mind probes most people use to blot out reality, sets out on a classic quest to save his ill foster sister. To do so, he must cross forbidden territory and face frightening gangs and their leaders. He picks up companions as he travels: Ryter, a philosophic old man whose treasure is the book he is writing despite knowing that books and reading are of the past; Littleface, a young almost speechless child; and Linnea, a "prove" (genetically improved person). In saving his sister, Spaz learns about himself and his parentage. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024627 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A year, two years, three years pass and Joe still takes solitary bike rides into the countryside, one day meeting an attractive woman named Anna, who valiantly maintains her smallholding all alone. But Anna also lives with sadness - the death of her baby son, buried in the local churchyard. As their friendship grows, Joe finds an old, weathered, half-buried backpack - Jonah's backpack - on Anna's land. Now his life is in danger as he realizes that Anna has a terrible and terrifying secret ... Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024626 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Dumped at summer camp while her parents travel abroad, 12-year-old Margaret Rose Kane opts out of activities by quoting Melville ("I prefer not to") and is quickly labeled "incorrigible." When her two doting, elderly uncles whisk her away from the hated camp, she blissfully anticipates helping to build and maintain "the towers," sculptures her uncles have constructed in their garden. But Margaret soon learns that yuppie neighbors want the 45-year-old towers demolished. Appalled, she and a network of warm, smart, slightly kooky adults, hatch an ingenious plan to prevent the "cultural Armageddon." Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024625 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Parzival, born of royal blood but raised as a peasant, leaves his humble home as a boy to seek adventure. His nobility is immediately recognized in Arthur's court, where, despite his lack of gallantry, he wins the Red Knight's armor in a duel. Still a green youth, he stumbles from one adventure to another, learning lessons about chivalry, compassion and God's grace. During a quest to find the keeper of the Holy Grail and break a curse plaguing the mysterious "Wild Mountain," Parzival commits a nearly tragic error, but in his struggle to atone for his mistake, he sheds his childlike innocence and grows into a respected hero. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024622 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Willow Kingswell thinks of herself as an ordinary fourteen-year-old girl. Although she has been hearing her grandmother's stories about the enchanted realm of Mistolear for as long as she can remember, being a princess is the furthest thing from her mind. What's worrying Willow these days is finding a way to get accepted by the in-crowd at her high school without betraying her friend Abby. What's also worrying her is Nana, who is her only family, and who seems increasingly frail and confused. Suddenly, Willow finds herself magically transported to the real Mistolear, where it turns out she actually does have a large family - and a royal one at that! Willow's courage and intellect are put to the test as she attempts to save the kingdom from a terrifying spell. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024619 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Despite her name and early contrarian beginnings, 14-year-old Rebel, who is really a pretty agreeable girl, opts to spend some time with her grandmother, helping to rehab an old boarding house in Seattle. There she meets 15-year-old Moses, an aspiring filmmaker and the grandson of Gram's business partner, Viola. While walking a dog, the young people inadvertently videotape a robbery/counterfeiting incident. They realize they should turn the matter over to the police, but the chance to solve the crime on their own is very appealing, even in the face of the danger that it causes them and their families. Roberts usually excels at mystery plotting and suspense, and this novel is no exception, with criminal suspects lining up to rent rooms from Gram at an alarming rate. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024621 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024634 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. Getting them back means getting involved in a murder investigation rivaling those solved by her idol, Sherlock Holmes, and Ingrid has enough on her plate with club soccer, school, and the plum role of Alice in the Echo Falls production of Alice in Wonderland. But much as in Alice's adventures down the rabbit hole, things in Ingrid's small town keep getting curiouser and curiouser. Her favorite director has a serious accident onstage (but is it an accident?), and the police chief is on Ingrid's tail, grilling her about everything from bike-helmet law to the color of her cleats. Echo Falls has turned into a nightmare, and Ingrid is determined to wake up. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024629 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Hank Zipzer, a learning-challenged fourth grader, gets himself into lots of trouble when he tries to hide the fact that he received a number of "D's" on his report card. The fantastical, suspend-your-disbelief, rollicking and very funny solution that he and his friends invent, not to mention the desire to decipher the meaning of this book's title, will keep young readers turning the pages. Hank's relationship with his grandfather, his two best friends, his little sister, his parents, and, last but not least, his dog show that despite his problems at school, he has a big, loving heart and a way with people. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024635 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Alex and his friend Sam have been called a lot of things at school, but being called "dangerous"--especially by Twilight Stevens, the new sixth-grader with flaming red hair and multiple ear piercings-is something new. It's true that Sam's ideas have sometimes got them introuble with the principal before, but never anything serious. Not like Twilight's idea of sneaking away to New York City to see a rock concert, or hiding out in her father's apartment while trying to escape from a gang of thugs. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024632 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". James Henry Trotter is a lonely nine-year old orphan who lives with his greedy aunts, Sponge and Spiker. James dreams of going to New York City; a place, his father told him, where dreams come true. One day, a mysterious old man presents James with a bag of magic, glowing crocodile tongues. When James spills them on the barren peach tree next to his home, a peach appears on the branch and grows to epic proportions. That evening, James sneaks out for a bite of the peach and discovers a tunnel leading inside. Entering it, he encounters a group of amazing insects, who will become his friends and take him on a magical journey to the place of his dreams. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024631 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". During the first two decades of the 20th century, when long-distance running was a sport with few participants but thousands of spectators, Tom Longboat was the dominate competitor. A Canadian-born Onondaga Indian, he battled racism, rumors of alcohol abuse, and poor training habits to rise to the top of his sport. Longboat won scores of road and track races in North America and Europe from 1905 to 1930, including the Boston Marathon. Batten presents a balanced portrait of this preeminent sports personality who is still considered Canada's greatest marathon runner. In addition, he provides insight into how the sport was viewed at that time and explains the significance of the Olympic and Boston marathons and other races. The book provides a glimpse into life at the beginning of the 20th century and insight into media influence. The two dozen black-and-white archival photographs, many of Longboat competing in various races, add to the book's value. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024628 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Tells of how eleven-year-old Rosie and her grandmother Bubba Sarah arrive in Toronto from Russia after fleeing one of the purges that carried away Rosie's mother, a famous Russian dancer. To help make endsmeet, Rosie works in Yitzy's factory sewing velvet capes for Eatons, all the while dreaming of making such a cape from scraps, and wearing it to Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre. Although Yitzy warns Rosie, "don't steal the scraps," she cannot resist, and each evening when she dumps the scraps in the garbage, she hides the best ones in her apron. At home, she sews her cape. One of the girls sees Rosie stealing scraps, and threatens to tell. Frightened, Rosie returns the cape and confesses. Yitzy is furious. Since he needs his order of capes finished by Christmas, and Rosie is the best "finisher," he makes her work late, work Sundays, and withholds her pay. Then things get worse. The inspectors show up, and Rosie is faced with tremendous obstacles. However, by her own hard work, and a stroke of luck, Rosie's dream comes true. And Yitzy delivers his capes on time to Eatons. This tale provides a wonderful insight into how an immigrant child survives with her values and dreams intact despite the harsh working conditions of a 1921 garment factory. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024630 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". It's summer 1950, and for 11-year-old French Canadian Sophie LaGrange, Camp Latona on British Columbia's Gambier Island promises to be pure bliss. But then Sophie has to buddy up with a strange, unfriendly Jewish refugee girl named Ginette and things go sour. Soon Sophie learns that Ginette has her own secrets and anxieties, worries that explain the girl's seemly bizarre behaviour. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024636 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024633 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024639 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Alexander's family life, education, and early experiences are summarized briefly-much of it surmised from historical records. Illustrated with maps and many color photographs of art and sculpture that give substance to eras long past. A simple time line runs along the bottom of each page. Small, informative sidebars decorate most pages while several illustrated boxes add substance. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024644 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". An affecting portrait of two young sisters in a struggling family. In the opening entry, readers learn why older Essie is smart (she "could read hard library books/ .../ thread a needle,/ cook toasted cheese sandwiches/ make cocoa") and why Amber is brave ("She could get the grocery man/ to trust them for a container of milk/ though their mother/ couldn't pay him till payday/ Amber wasn't afraid of the rat/ in the wall under the sink"). Gradually, readers learn about the challenges they face: their mother works long hours, their father is in jail for check forgery, the radiator grows cold in the evenings and there is little food. Yet there are lighthearted moments, as when the sisters make a "best sandwich" (with Amber on one side, Essie on the other, and Wilson The Bear in the middle), shriek with laughter as they jump on the bed and share a weekly ritual of playing beauty parlor with their mother. In perhaps the most poignant passage, Amber cuts off her braids "to send to Daddy/ so he'll be sure to remember me." The tale closes on an upbeat note when Daddy appears at the door. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024642 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A well-rounded selection of archival photographs and other images illustrate this title in the World History Biographies series. Double-page spreads describe phases in Gandhi's life, from childhood to his tragic death, detailed in Wilkinson's straightforward, succinct language and in anecdotes, which will capture young people's attention and also humanize the great leader: as a young lawyer, for example, Gandhi was too shy to speak in courtrooms. Some spreads offer background on related subjects, such as the roots of Indian-British confrontations. Maps and photographs of Indian locations and a time line (running in a banner along the bottom of most pages) give further context, and a bibliography and a glossary conclude. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024646 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This offers tips, fascinating factoids, and need-to-know anecdotes, such as how Michael Jordan was motivated by his failure to make the varsity team in high school or how Sheryl Swoopes worked as a bank teller before the 1996 Olympics spurred the birth of the WNBA. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024637 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Enriched with historic photos of the life and times of J.K. Rowling, and with excerpts from primary source documents, this series will inspire critical thinking, further research, and additional reading. This book is more than just the story of an individual. It is a powerful social history of the world one person was born into. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024641 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Culled from the archives, these profiles include famous and infamous names from the worlds of politics, sports, business, entertainment and the arts. From Diefenbaker to the Dionnes, from Mary Pickford to Mary Walsh, from Oscar Peterson to Peter Gzowski, and from Barbara Ann Scott to Wayne Gretzky, this gallery of great Canadians will delight, inform and often surprise the reader. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024638 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". An easy-to-read biography of J.K. Rowling, the English author of the popular Harry Potter series of children's books. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024645 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This well-written and engaging biography of the first Canadian-born black athlete to join a Canadian Olympic track-and-field team, winning a bronze medal (1932), is also a history of racism and prejudice in Canada and the United States. Lewis's experiences, written in his voice and based on personal interviews, are described in 16 chapters of lively prose. Eight pages of fair-quality, black-and-white photographs of the runner, his family, and his awards are positioned in a center section. Considering his long hours of work as a porter, Lewis's accomplishments are amazing as he often practiced by running alongside the train. Students interested in sports should find this biography captivating as a personal story and as an informative look at changes in society and culture during Lewis's lifetime. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024643 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Opens with the figure skater's gold-medal performance at the Salt Lake Ice Center then chronicles the career of the Long Island teen from learning to lace her skates at age three to life after the Olympics. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024640 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The book begins with an introduction titled "Howard Carter, King Tut, and Me," and sets the tone for the rest of the text. The remainder of the book is divided into six chapters beginning with "The Great Discovery" and ending with "After King Tut." Throughout, Hawass does an exceptional job of weaving together factual information, solid inferences, and strands of his own story. Browsers as well as budding Egyptologists will find much of interest in this fascinating book. Hawass describes Tutankhamun's life of luxury, his interests (sports), his coronation, his responsibilities, and reign. Too, Hawass provides context by including descriptions of Egyptian life in general as well as Egyptian mythology. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:37:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024647 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Every spring, Canada's capital bursts into color with thousands of tulip blooms. The inspiration for the Canadian Tulip Festival was not only a love of flowers, but also a friendship that blossomed between two countries during World War II. Photos, artifacts, military maps, and colorful illustrations bring history to life in this uplifting story of the enduring friendship between Canada and the Netherlands. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024660 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The Boggart, a Scottish spirit delighting in practical jokes, is "one of the Old Things of the world" and belongs "to the cold separate heart of the Wild Magic." When the Volniks, a Canadian family, inherit the castle where the Boggart has lived for centuries, the shape-shifting mischief maker is accidentally transported to Toronto, where he discovers greater opportunities for trickery than he has ever imagined. Much gentle slapstick ensues when the ancient being visits Mrs. Volnik's antique shop and the theater run by Mr. Volnik. It falls to the Volnik children, Emily and Jessup, to befriend the prankster and send him home. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024653 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Chock-full of amusing things to do, including tricks readers can play on their friends, yummy concoctions to make and eat, brain teasers, and some unusual games. Many of the activities are old favorites (each new generation needs to learn how to stick spoons to their noses), others are brand new, and all are geared for fun. Each suggestion has clear, step-by-step directions. The ingredients, number of players, and/or equipment needed are listed at the beginning of each endeavor. There are also fun facts, jokes, stories, and comics that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. The attractive layout features helpful diagrams and colorful illustrations. A great choice for beating the rainy-day doldrums. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024654 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024650 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". As a social-studies assignment, Alicia, Dan, and Jeff form the Money Cent$ Gang and embark on a journey into the world of consumerism, banks, credit cards, philanthropy, employment, and the stock market. Complex subjects are presented in short, easy-to-understand chapters. Thomas includes realistic examples of banking issues, quizzes, and suggestions on earning money and starting a business. Explanations are clear, concise, and age appropriate. Comic-strip scenes show the characters conversing through dialogue balloons about the various topics and provide specific examples (e.g., Jeff gets scammed when he answers an ad and doesn't receive the merchandise he thought was promised). The accessible layout and colorful cartoon artwork will grab readers' attention. Report writers and budding entrepreneurs will welcome this book. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024651 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". This fully updated and expanded reference guide includes sixty top Canadian authors and illustrators of children's books, including Robert Munsch, Barbara Reid, Dennis Lee, and many others. Each author/illustrator spread features a detailed bio with extensive interview quotes, a photograph, a list of selected book titles with award information, book cover images, and do-it yourself tips for aspiring writers and artists. This handy, fact-filled guide is a must for every school and home library. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024656 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The weather forecast for the evening of October 15, 1954 was simply "rain tonight." In fact, the hurricane was a devastating one. The storm swept from North Carolina up into Canada. In Toronto, Ontario, the official death count was 81, but it was probably much higher because the many people living in the ravines were not part of the census. Penny Doucette was 8 years old on the night the storm raged in Toronto. She, her parents, and their elderly neighbor found themselves clinging to the roof of the house as they watched the house next door float away on the swollen Humber River. Augmenting the dramatic story are illustrations, archival photographs, and fascinating information about hurricanes: their causes, their history, and lore. Published for the fiftieth anniversary of Hurricane Hazel, this is a valuable resource for young readers. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024659 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Hurray for Rowan Hood, the girls' answer to swashbuckling Robin Hood! Rowan, a.k.a. Rosemary, is forced to disappear into the woods disguised as a boy after her mother, a woodwife with healing powers, is murdered by the local lord's henchmen. Ro's only option, other than "toiling in some lord's cabbage patch," is to find her fabled father, Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. Along the way, this outlaw-in-training is joined by a motley crew of characters: a wolf-dog that catches arrows midflight, a giant of a boy with a spellbinding musical talent, and a runaway princess. Rowan finds Robin Hood and his merry men, but she soon discovers her troubles have only just begun. Packed with magic, valiant warriors, nasty villains, and edge-of-your-seat adventure, this story is also a poignant search for identity and family. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024658 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". fascinating collection of stories about forgers, con artists, and other individuals who duped the public for fame, money, love, or power. The 10 selections include an elaborate counterfeiting scheme by Nazi security officer Bernhard Krueger, who used concentration camp inmates to create millions of flawless British banknotes. In the 1970s, Manuel Elizalde, Jr., "discovered" primitive cavemen on an island in the Philippines who became the focus of a National Geographic documentary and caused excitement among the world's anthropologists. Elizalde's tribe was actually a cleverly staged ruse with local islanders willing to put on a show for journalists in exchange for cigarettes, watches, and Levis. Schroeder's lively narration with undocumented dialogue breathes life into characters whom readers can't help but marvel at for their sheer ingenuity. P. T. Barnum is portrayed as an extraordinary showman and opportunist whose moneymaking schemes included the promotion of a cranky and misbehaved elephant named "Jumbo" as a national media "darling" and an elderly black woman as George Washington's beloved nanny. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024655 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Think about your worst fears -- being attacked by a wild animal, swept away by a killer storm, trapped in a wrecked car or a burning building. Here are stories of real people who survived life-threatening situations. They kept their cool in the face of everything from nature's fury to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. This gripping book features twenty-nine hair-raising stories plus over forty dramatic photos. Each section includes Survival Tips that give readers essential information about what to do in dangerous circumstances. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024657 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024649 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Strauss's clearly written text first introduces the concept of a family tree for all living things, then goes on to name the five kingdoms of scientific classification. On two-page spreads, the author describes the life-forms included in each species, with specific examples shown in the softly colorful illustrations accompanied by informative captions. The Animal Kingdom comprises the longest segment as it is broken down into invertebrates and vertebrates, with the latter divided still further into fish, birds, and so on. Two closing units discuss habitat loss and its effect on biodiversity, and how one can protect the environment. A final entry aimed at "Parents, Teachers and Guardians" explains the history of scientific classification, discusses the importance of biodiversity to this planet, and provides some suggestions for fostering a biodiversity ethic in young people. This book might be paired with Steve Jenkins's equally attractive Life on Earth (Houghton, 2002) to demonstrate just how biodiversity became such a rich, multilayered conglomeration. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024652 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In this photo-essay, Conlan details her three-month stay in Antarctica, highlighting some of her experiences and her involvement in ongoing experiments relating to the effects of human waste on marine life. Youngsters will enjoy the scientist's accounts of harrowing underwater experiences and diving in the polar regions-suiting up, the dive hut, safety precautions, and dangers-and descriptions of how it feels to be under six feet of ice. Information on the animals that Conlan observed, an introduction to U.S. McMurdo Station (base camp), and a brief history of the first two expeditions to Antarctica in the 1900s allow readers a glimpse of a continent that most people will never have the opportunity to visit. Descriptions of the marine biologist's encounters with playful Weddell seals and Adelie and Emperor penguins and trips to neon-blue caves full of giant ice crystals, underwater sponge gardens, and glacier caverns add interest, as well. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024648 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". As entertaining as it is informative, this comprehensive volume traces the evolution and remarkable service history of man's best friend. Kids will certainly enjoy reading about daring real-life rescues and celebrity dogs such as Air Bud; equally fascinating is the information about the dog's evolution, from wolves and then into the assortment of breeds that we know today. Children will also be amazed to learn how specially trained dogs can sniff out bombs, drugs, and missing people, and even sense ahead of time when their owners are going to have an epileptic seizure. Other chapters have information on the instincts of hunting dogs and the role dogs have played in war throughout history. Includes numerous archival photographs and reproductions of artwork. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:48 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024670 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Featuring a wild and unpredictable dreamscape, this surrealistic tale begins 90 years after the Pied Piper of Hamelin's tale ends. Penelope, at age 101, is the only villager old enough to remember the events, and she records her account of what really happened to her town's children. She begins with her 11th birthday, marked by three significant occurrences. First she is mysteriously struck deaf. Then she watches helplessly as the piper lures her older sister and friends out of the city with an enchanting melody (her deafness spares her from the same fate). Next a mysterious town elder informs Penelope that she alone can rescue the children by journeying to a magic land that can be entered only through dreams. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024665 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Luke Garner is finally adjusting to his new life at Hendricks School as Lee Grant. While the Grants belong to the highest class of society called the Barons, Luke avoids snobbish affectations and befriends his classmates, who are also illegal thirds. When the real Lee Grant's younger brother arrives at the school, along with his fierce body guard, Luke worries that Smits will expose him to the government. However, Smits has come to enlist Luke's help in discovering how his older brother really died, suspecting that he was murdered. The intrigue and danger grow more acute when both boys are called "home" and Luke discovers that the Grants have plans for him that could turn out to be fatal. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024672 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When a book of unexplainable occurences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI? Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024666 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Centered on the theme of cherishing the past, Covered Bridge pits earnest Hubbo O'Driscoll against two determined, cynical land developers. Hubbo is beginning to enjoy the pleasures of country life while staying with his guardian aunt and uncle, and he even has a job as curator of the area's rustic covered bridge. When the old bridge -- home to a wayward ghost and her lovelorn postman -- is suddenly threatened by builders Ovide and Prootoo Proulx, Hubbo searches for a way to save it. Accompanied by his personable dog, Nerves, Hubbo tries to reconcile the charms of days gone by with the profit-driven demands of the present. At the last minute, help arrives in unexpected form: Foolish Father Foley from Farrelton, the two ghosts, and a crazy goat. But will it be enough to keep the old bridge of Mushrat Creek from demolition? Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024673 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Young Jason Lurcher learns the hard way that a single hand up a puppet can lead you straight to hell...Frank Lurcher and Tolstoy the Long-Eared Bat! Twenty years ago they were the biggest names in ventriloquism, with their own TV show and endless summer season and panto bookings. But all good things come to an end. Now, Frank Lurcher's a washed-out, grumpy has-been and his scraggy puppet Tolstoy is stuffed away in a trunk in the loft. But trouble is brewing. Frank suddenly declares that his teenage son, Jason, must follow in the family tradition and get a puppet of his own! But someone's got a shrewd idea who that puppet should be. Someone with green eyes, moth-eaten velvety wings, a snarling snout and two extra-large pointy ears...Tolstoy the Long-Eared Bat is making a comeback - with Jason as his new chosen puppeteer. He's out for another shot at TV superstardom, and a gruesome revenge on the showbiz puppets and people that wronged him in the past. Can Jason fight his evil controlling power? Will the lovely Lisa Turmoil, hair-stylist to the stars, help him in his battle - or just go off and give someone a perm? And if you cook a puppet ostrich in a microwave oven, does it count as murder? Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024664 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Rose Dunlea is slow. At least that is what she is being constantly told by the Sisters at school in Halifax during the early 1900s. She's been held back twice now and if she fails again, next year she'll be in the same class as Winnie, her younger sister. Although the war against Germany seems far away - her most pressing fears are the words that inexplicably tumble together on the page whenever she tries to read them. They don't make sense to her. Isolated from her schoolmates and ashamed of her inability to read, Rose tries to escape into her Mam's Irish Chain quilt, a handmade emblem of the family's past laden with love. But when that doesn't help, Rose desperately prays to God so that she doesn't have to go to school anymore. Exactly one day later on December 6, 1917, two ships explode in Halifax's harbor, resulting in the greatest human tragedy Canada has ever seen. Rose's life changes forever - and she's sure it's all her fault. A stunned and grief-stricken Rose draws on the heroic stories of her great-grandmother stitched into the Irish Chain quilt to find her own courage and inner strength. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024667 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". An information-packed, visually exciting biography of John F. Kennedy. Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts, definitions of key words, and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relevance to stories of famous lives that students will love to read. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024669 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Teresa stays with her aunt and uncle in Vancouver and spends her days at the hospital preparing to walk on a new prosthetic leg. Her teenage brother, Tom, stays with her for the first weekend. He surprises her by playing enthusiastically with two old dolls and a log dolls' house that Teresa's relatives gave to her. When Tom leaves, Teresa is bereft, even more so when he doesn't call or answer her letters. Finally, she reaches out to him, but in so doing pushes him further away. Now, Teresa must find a way to confront her brother and to master her new leg so that she can go home in time for Christmas. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024663 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Joelle, 13, has just moved from Minneapolis, where she was a star baseball player on her school's boys' team, to a small, rural Iowa town. At Hoover Middle School, there is only a girls' softball team and Joelle is not allowed to play with the boys. Upset by this and the fact that no one seems to understand that baseball and softball are not the same game, she is determined to play her sport of choice. Appealing first to the coach, then the principal, and next to the superintendent, Joelle is foiled at every step. Eventually she becomes involved in starting a girls' league with neighboring towns. When the school board finally changes its rules, Joelle turns down the offer to play with the boys. Filled with realistic emotions and dialogue, this involving tale has just the right amount of baseball action. It also provides an honest look at what it's like to be the "new kid" at school. The main character's thoughts are expressed in italics, which can be a bit distracting. Still, this is a winning story that will appeal to many readers. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024661 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". There is life pulsating through the story-pods. As she holds a vibrant, colourful orb between her hands, Calantha feels it giving her purpose and delight. Despite her mother and 'perfect' sister Freya's discouragement, thirteen-year-old Calantha longs to follow her dreams and become a story-teller. The people around her mock and laugh at the value she places on story. Yet they all sense something is deeply wrong when new story-pods stop growing. Alone and afraid, Calantha is propelled into a quest to seek the Sower of Tales and restore to the people the hope-inspiring tradition of telling their stories. The process of working out whom she can trust, facing her deepest fears and trying to fulfill the task set for her by the Sower creates a chronicle filled with frustration, danger and excitement. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024668 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After a hang glider crashes into the pool of the house where Dinah and Madge are house-sitting, the hapless pilot creates more than a splash of suspicion in Dinah's mind. Why does this itchy intruder make off with Dinah's inflatable turtle? Why is someone trying to drive their cat-mad neighbor away? And what is the connection with the stranger seen lurking behind the hedge? And when Madge's boyfriend starts a campaign to save an endangered owl, it seems that a crooked politician may be out to destroy the habitat of the near-extinct animal. While Madge paints, Dinah brushes aside suggestions that she be a quiet, well-behaved guest in this posh neighborhood. There's just too much for Dinah and her friends (tree-fanatic Pantelli and conscientious Talbot) to investigate in this hilariously suspenseful adventure. Along with learning about endangered animals, Dinah runs across bad reporters and greedy developers, all the while continuing to belt out her songs and satisfy her appetite. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024662 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Trying to overcome the sadness of his mother's death and his father's melancholy and inattention, Skiff Beaman, sets out to sea in a small wooden boat to catch a giant fish with a harpoon made by his Dad, hoping to earn enough money to repair the family boat. Landing a giant tuna in open water, Skiff, fights the forces of nature and finds the strength to catch the record-breaking fish. A compelling coming-of-age tale of adversity, heartache, and triumph. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:46 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024677 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, 10-year-old Opal learns 10 things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends among the somewhat unusual residents of her new hometown, Naomi, Florida. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to find her place in the world and let go of some of the sadness left by her mother's abandonment seven years earlier. With her newly adopted, goofy pooch at her side, Opal explores her bittersweet world and learns to listen to other people's lives. This warm and winning book hosts an unforgettable cast of characters, including a librarian who fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace, an ex-con pet-store clerk who plays sweet music to his animal charges, and the neighborhood "witch," a nearly blind woman who sees with her heart. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024674 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After seeing his father hauled off to debtor's prison, Tom Tin sets out to take revenge on Mr. Goodfellow, the man responsible for his family's misfortunes. But the fog-filled London streets are teeming with sinister characters. Tom encounters a blind man who scavenges the riverbed for treasure-and wants what Tom digs up; Worms, a body snatcher who reveals a shocking surprise; and a nasty gang of young pickpockets who mistake Tom for someone ominously known as the Smasher. And ultimately, Tom comes up against the cruel hand of the law. Accused of murder, Tom is given a seven-year sentence. He is to be transported to Van Diemen's Land with other juvenile convicts. But Tom can't abide life on the Hulk, the old ship where the boys are temporarily held. He decides to escape. But if he's to succeed, his luck needs to turn. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024678 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fudge is back and he's discovered money in a big way. He's making his own "Fudge Bucks," dressing as a miser for Halloween and thumbing through catalogs before bed, choosing birthday and Christmas presents years in advance - much to the embarrassment of his family, especially older brother Peter, who's just starting 7th grade. But things begin to change when the Hatchers discover their long-lost relatives, The Howie Hatchers of Honolulu, Hawaii - not exactly your everyday family. With new cousins, Flora and Fauna, and 4 year old Farley Drexel - yes, that's right, another Farley Drexel! - the stage is set for a wild and wacky beginning to a new school year. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024680 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thirteen-year old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He'd never flown before, and he'd never seen the Pacific Ocean. Kyle's perfect vacation becomes a nightmare while he's babysitting his sister, BeeBee. An earthquake hits the coast and starts afire in their hotel. While fighting their way through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers seeing a sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far from the ocean as possible. Tsunamis, giant waves that often follow earthquakes, can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who doesn't escape fast enough. Can Kyle and BeeBee outwit and outrun nature's fury to save themselves from tsunami terror? Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024681 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Robert Nobel is a misfit. Bespectacled and gangly at age 12 (his arms and legs are "like white string loosely knotted at the elbows and knees"), the self-confessed "class squit" is perfect bully bait, and the misery of his daily existence seems assured, until an arts project at a local nursing home pairs him with Edith Sorrel. Edith is considered quite mad, haunted by the unhappy memories of a past incident involving her old home, Chance House. Her son died there under tragic circumstances that Robert compulsively needs to find out about and examine. Yet Edith is a fascinating enigma. Clearly very ill, she confides all sorts about her life in Robert yet denies the existence of her doting husband at her bedside. As Edith's condition deteriorates and the Elders Project heads towards its conclusion, Robert is drawn deeper and deeper into her story. His visits to the derelict Chance House become more frequent, and one fateful trip to sleep there overnight as a dare with his biggest bully Niker heralds the first step on Robert's own journey to finding out about his real self. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024671 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A biography of the man elected thirty-fifth president of the United States, discussing his personal life, education, and political career. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024675 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When her (Eastern) Indian grandparents arrive for a year-long visit, outgoing eighth grader Sunita Sen feels caught between two cultures. Her Westernized upbringing is threatened when her parents discourage visits from boys; her cosmopolitan mother dons traditional dress and takes a sabbatical from her college teaching job; and the aroma of curry fills the house each day. Embarrassed by her heritage, Sunita withdraws from her classmates. But her friends are admirably patient and tolerate her rebuffs, and gradually she begins to appreciate her grandparents' wisdom and values. In a cathartic moment, she discovers that her mother has been under pressure, too, and is also unhappy with the family's altered lifestyle. This novel realistically addresses numerous issues, including Sunita's temporary rejection of an African-American classmate when both girls are referred to as "colored." Her adolescent angst over social acceptance, family discord, and personal identity will be familiar to readers; positive solutions and role models are presented for dealing with cultural differences, peer relationships, and domestic problems. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024676 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners -- and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady's companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust -- or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets -- including those of her own past. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024679 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The two teenage apprentice witches Beatrice and Teddy are on their way to the shopping mall. But before reaching their destination, they have a frightening encounter with a strange young man who identifies himself as Ganef, a pickpocket. It soon turns out that Ganef means no harm to the young witches. He has traveled from a town near the castle of Bailiwick, and now hopes to bring Beatrice and her friends back with him to assist in the long-running struggle against the evil sorcerer, Dally Rumpe. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:35:39 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024692 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fourteen-year-old Samuel Russell hates being called a coward because he is a Quaker, and he vows to defend his family if Loyalists or Indians try to harm them. Stands Straight, an Abenaki boy whose mother and brother were murdered by white men, has joined his uncle's scouting party, though he questions why Indians should fight in the white man's war. In alternating narratives, the two boys tell this quietly compelling story, which is based on an actual incident that took place in 1777, just before the Battle of Saratoga. As Samuel's family sits in the meeting with the rest of the Quaker congregation, the Indian scouting party to which Stands Straight belongs surrounds the cabin. Stands Straight follows his uncle Sees-the-Wind inside, and after being assured that there are no weapons in the cabin, the Abenakis leave their bows and arrows outside and sit with the Quakers in silence. At the end of the meeting, the Quakers and the Indians share the handshake of peace, and Sees-the-Wind places an arrow over the cabin's door to show the Abenakis that the Quakers are people of peace. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=S02734 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024688 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". 11-year-old Gregor and his little sister, Boots, return to the Underland to battle the evil giant rats, which have conspired to kill Boots in order to destroy Gregor, their primary obstacle to conquering all the Underland. To save his sister, Gregor sails across a subterranean sea with his bat and cockroach allies to find and kill the prophesied rat leader of the Underland war. Most of the action takes place on the water, including a memorable battle with a sea serpent, and there are plenty of suspenseful moments and exciting developments. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024683 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Amen McBee, the youngest of five sisters, gobbles up words the way other children gobble up sweets. She couldn't be more different from her elder twin sisters Arabella and Annabella-called the Bellas. The mischievous Bellas constantly frighten Amen with stories of Mr. Tominski-the old recluse who lives in the woods nearby and mysteriously tends to a flock of doves. The Bellas insist that Mr. Tominski is a dangerous bogeyman who eats children whole, but Papa vows that the "keeper of the doves" wouldn't hurt a soul. When tragedy strikes the family, Amen must decide once and for all who is right. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024689 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Annabelle Doll and her best friend, Tiffany Funcraft, take an inadvertent ride to a human school in a backpack and end up in a house where most of the dolls live in terror of Mimi, a princess doll of small stature but with a diabolical nature. They help the dolls but earn the enmity of Mean Mimi, who manages to sneak back to their house with them. After she sows seeds of discord among the Doll and Funcraft families, her destructive streak leads to her own downfall. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024684 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Tom Blake is a likeable but shy high school student, who fantasizes about adventure, romance, and discovering "portholes" to the past. Little does he know that all are about to come his way. Tom discovers that a local computer company is conditioning his fellow students for what he suspects is some evil purpose. He soon finds himself up against a corrupt organization with an agenda of genetic experimentation. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024686 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy. Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius's where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024690 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Shauzia, 14, has traded her war-ravaged home in Kabul, Afghanistan, for the misery of refugee life in a Widows' Compound in Pakistan. The compound is a city made of mud which lacks food, water, and hope. Shauzia dreams of a life in France, convinced that it will be like the photo of lavender fields she keeps tucked in her pocket. Determined to work her way out of the misery, she dresses as a boy and escapes to the city to earn her passage. There she must compete with thousands of street children and learn tough lessons about survival. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024691 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Life in Chicago sure is busy for Rosie. Between school and working as an usher in her father's nickelodeon, she has little time for play. She hears all about the Chicago baseball scene, though, from Abe, one of her younger brothers. He's always talking about the fierce rivalry between two teams, the Tigers and the Chavarim. Things really heat up when the Chavarim's top player gets hurt, with only one deciding game left in the season. The team's in a bind and they need help...fast! With an arm and a spirit stronger than most boys', Rosie seems to her brothers an obvious choice for a substitute player. Maintaining her disguise as a boy to play with the all-male Chavarim is a big enough challenge without having to deal with bullies on the other team -- and the sidelines -- who are standing between her and a win. But fortunately for the Chavarim, nothing can stop this girl! Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024687 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ricky has always loved animals. After all, he shares his house with 29 weird and wonderful creatures. So when vandals break into his school and destroy many of his beloved science teacher's animals, including Ricky's favorite, Bogart the boa constrictor, Ricky is shocked. Now it's up to Ricky and his best friend, Augie, to devise a plan to raise money to replace Bogart-and to surprise Mr. Johnson, the science teacher, at the same time. Raising the money is easy: what's tough is getting the rather large new reptile-who happens to be smart and slithery-safely to school! Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024693 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A suspenseful, cautionary science fiction tale. In a future dystopia, cities have become for-profit businesses. Orphanages are not exempt from the struggle to make money, and at the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, kids are forced to endure product testing and frequently end up injured as a result. With orphans facing an average life expectancy of 15, 14-year-old Cosmo Hill knows that he is on borrowed time. Unfortunately, his escape attempt nearly proves fatal. While he's lying there dying, a small, hairless blue creature lands on his chest and begins to feed. He is rescued by the Supernaturalists, a motley crew of young people who have dedicated their lives to destroying the Parasites, which feed on the essence of the living. Cosmo joins the group as a Spotter, someone who can actually see the creatures and thus destroy them. However, facts soon emerge that cause the Supernaturalists to question everything they believe in. Is it possible that the Parasites don't feed off of the energy of dying people, but remove pain? Are they actually beneficial to society? The plot's twists and turns will keep readers totally engrossed until the last page Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024685 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to "honor her." But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024682 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In this sequel to TJ and the Cats, TJ and his best friend Seymour are back, joined by a classmate Amanda. TJ does not believe in ghosts, so when he agrees to create a haunted house in his own home as a fundraiser, he does not anticipate problems, at least not until it turns out that a ghost may inhabit the spare room in his century-old house. The ghost, real or imagined, leads TJ to some fascinating family history. TJ finds a way to bring that history alive for his family. The kittens, offspring of two of the cats from the first book, lead the way. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:34:54 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024695 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Alison is held captive by the powers of a mysterious pipe bowl belonging to a Mi"kmaq shaman. The bowl takes her back in time where she forms friendships with troubled ghosts who need her help. She must uncover the history of the pipe, and she must do it quickly, before she too is consumed by the grim fate of the pipe's beholders. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024702 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Young Hélène St. Onge and her older sister Catherine are orphans. When King Louis XVI orders all men in New France to marry, Catherine becomes a fille du roi, one of the many young women sent to the new world as brides. Hélène will accompany her on the long sea voyage and live with her sister's new family. But Catherine dies during the grueling journey, and Hélène finds herself alone in a strange new country. New France is a far harsher place than she imagined, with bitter winters and the threat of attack from the Iroquois. Will the few friendships she has made on her long voyage enable her to survive? Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024705 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A highly readable, worthwhile overview for young people that introduces both personal and wider background and historical issues. For Anne Frank, Sawyer drew extensively on several sources, including the diary in its various versions and accounts by Anne's father and their rescuer Miep Gies. Her clear history makes this a good place to start research. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024703 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Robert has come back from a horrible ordeal in a strange parallel world. Now he can't stop thinking about the people he left behind to face a winter that most won't survive. When Robert sees a chance to save his friend Lorn, he is desperate to succeed. But is he prepared for the realities of her world? Meanwhile, Lorn struggles to lead the little band of survivors, even as she feels herself drawn to a secret tunnel where an unknown menace lurks. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024700 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Twelveyearold Martin Jessup, teller of tall tales and other untruths, cannot understand his sister's objections to the family's move from Winnipeg to smalltown Ontario. With Dad in the military, moving is a fact of life. Settling into his new home, Martin is intrigued by a deserted house across the street and by an unfriendly neighbour, who seems to be waiting for something to happen. Martin and new friends Granger and Holly form a club that meets in the deep end of an empty swimming pool. The friends tell Martin that the deserted house is all that remains of the Govier estate and about an unsolved mystery the disappearance years ago of Victor Govier. One night, Martin sees a light in the deserted house and the adventures of the Deep End Gang begin. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024711 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024699 Sequel to: Bringing up Beauty. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Elizabeth Kerr, a freshman, is raising another future guide dog. Kyle, 16, is blind due to diabetes. Although the two attend the same high school, they have never met. Elizabeth struggles with having to give up Beauty, and Kyle struggles with his recent loss of sight. At the same time, they must deal with typical adolescent concerns: unrequited love, family, and friendships. The teens meet as the story draws to a close, and Beauty becomes Kyle's dog. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024707 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Riding into a war that's heating up on the border, Ward, the new lord of Herzog, is sure he's on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep. The bones could prove to be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024694 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration-at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment-the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory-he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024709 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In the early 1600s, England was among the many countries in search of a northern passage to trade with the Far East. After many explorers failed, Henry Hudson was asked to try. This fascinating new book describes Hudson's exciting voyages and the many hardships he encountered, from becoming frozen in ice to the eventual mutiny of his crew. Features include: map of Hudson's routes; the Muscovy Company; the customs and cultures of the Penebscot, Lenape, and Mahican tribes; the ships and their cargo; the duties and pastimes of the crew while at sea; early navigational equipment; Hudson's discoveries of Hudson's Bay, Greenland, and the Hudson River; the Hudson's Bay Company and the fur trade; a recipe from the period; how England benefited from Hudson's expeditions. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024701 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ten-year-old James, doted on by his three aunts, is haunted by the loss of his mother. He doesn't know where his mother is-only that she is sick and he has to live with his aunts in a shoddy city apartment. One day he skips school to go to his secret place, a deserted house. What follows is a roller-coaster-like adventure story ride through the streets of New York City. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024697 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Joey Pigza suffers from severe attention deficit disorder and struggles to remain calm when his world chaotically slips through his fingertips. When his medicine wears off, he cannot concentrate or sit still and is constantly in trouble at school. After leaving him for several years in the care of his abusive grandmother, his mother returns to reclaim him and her parental responsibilities. But Joey remains a challenge: he continually disrupts his class, swallows his house key, and runs away during a field trip. Eventually, he injures a classmate and is sent to a special education center for six weeks; here his medication is regulated and he learns how to manage his behavior. Joey leaves the center feeling strong and in control and he triumphantly returns to his old school. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024704 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Trouble begins when flashy boy-from-the-future, Theodore Pine Four, a seasoned recreational time-traveler, wins a contest that allows him to briefly visit a special, never-before-seen place and time with the brand-new, handheld TimeMaster JumpMan Pro. Unfortunately, contest director Quincy Blake gives Theo the wrong JumpMan prototype. He doesn't end up somewhere amazing like the Great Pyramids, but, to his dismay, in an incredibly boring bedroom in Mil3 (the 21st century), populated by a 14-year-girl named Genevieve and her childhood friend, Jules. Unfortunately, Jules has just mustered the nerve to ask Gen on a date. Budding romance is not the only thing Theo interrupts. If he breaks the one TimeJump rule--"don't touch anything"--he will change history forever. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024696 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Arthur Penhaligon's school year is not off to a good start. On his first day, he suffers an asthma attack while running cross country and dreams that a mysterious figure hands him a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. However, when he wakes up, he still has the key. That's when strange things begin to happen. Mister Monday dispatches terrifying, dog-faced Fetchers to retrieve it, a bizarre sleeping illness sweeps the city, and only Arthur can see the weird new house that appears in his neighborhood. The seventh grader knows it all has something to do with the key, one of seven elusive fragments of the Will to which he has become heir apparent, and a mysterious atlas. When he ventures inside the house, he meets more strange characters than he could have imagined, none of whom are what they seem. And, of course, he must battle Monday, who will do anything to get the key back. With the help of the key, Arthur must fight his way out. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024710 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". What would you do for absolute power? For many monarchs throughout history, it was a question that ruled their lives. Step into the world of palatial intrigue, where holding the throne means evading death... or causing it. Some sovereigns were cunning at avoiding their killers. 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. Vlad the Impaler's monstrous methods inspired the legend of Dracula the vampire. From monarchs murdered at the hands of their subjects to kings killed on the battlefield, the stories of these ten royals are told: Cleopatra of Egypt (69 BCE-30 BCE) - Vlad III the lmpaler of Wallachia (1431-1476)- Richard III of England (1452-1485) - "Bloody Mary" 1(1516-1558)Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) - Elizabeth I (1533-1603) - Louis XVI (1754-1793) - Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) - Elisabeth of Austria (1837- 1898) - The Romanovs of Russia (1872-1918). A final section offers examples from the 20th century -- from assassination attempts in England to a royal massacre in Nepal. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024706 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Limpy, a young cane toad, is horrified at how many of his family members have tragically died, flat as a pancake, on the road. He cannot understand why humans seem to go out of their way to run over toads. Desperate to save the rest of his family from the wheels of passing cars, Limpy decides he must do something to close the rift in human-toad relations, and he embarks on a risky campaign to show humans how nice cane toads can be. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024698 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thirteen-year-old Sophie, skipping between "dreamland or earthland or muleland," hears the sea calling her. Much to the concern of her adopted parents, she decides to join her uncles and male cousins on a sailing voyage from Connecticut across the Atlantic to England (and her grandfather Bompie) on a 45-foot sailboat. Not only does she want to make the trip, she feels she has to. Along the way, Sophie proves her bravery and competence to the rather grumpy all-male crew; intrigues and captivates her cousin Cody with her beautiful, odd stories of Bompie that always somehow end in underwater disaster and apple pie; and spills her heart into a daily journal. Readers get another angle on her, too, as Cody keeps a log that alternates with hers. He grows to know, and like, and wonder about, his new cousin Sophie along with the reader, and as her mysterious past reveals itself bit by bit, we are all right there on the edge of our seats, ready for the boom to crash over to the other side. Sophie's adventures take her not only straight into perilous waves higher than buildings, but deep into her hidden past. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024708 Previously published under title: We all have scars. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Coming to Canada had been a great thing for Tranh. This was a country of peace and wealth and happiness. So why did Martin Beamis keep picking on him? Did this rich kid have nothing better to do than make life rotten for someone who had already suffered so much? Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:35:53 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024714 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When Schaefer first showed up unannounced at Mother Teresa's headquarters in Calcutta in 1995 and begged to be allowed to do a photo book of the nun's life and work, the answer was a humble but firm "no." Instead, Mother Teresa put Schaefer to work as a volunteer, changing diapers and playing with the children in one of the Missionaries of Charity's 40-odd orphanages. Over time, as Schaefer's motivations shifted from a drive to merely document to a desire to participate in the ministry, the nun permitted her to bring out the camera. The result is this unique, behind-the-scenes collection of photos from various outreach centers throughout India, including a leper colony and a hospice for the dying. Schaefer draws on her own experiences and on interviews with other volunteers, who come from many different nationalities and religious backgrounds. In all, this is a very appropriate tribute to Mother Teresa on the eve of her canonization, since it celebrates not just the woman's life, but the people who were her life's work. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024722 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". During one long summer Ellen Fremedon decides to write a novel. Her small village, Partridge Cove, is full of interesting people to write about. There's Larry, the librarian who let her photocopy her sneakers, and crotchety old Mr. Floyd, the shopkeeper with an insult for every customer. There's also Ellen's family: her philosopher father; her mother who suffers from multiple sclerosis; the twins, who thrive on making her life miserable; her opinionated grandmother; and her grandmother's boyfriend, who has charmed everyone except Ellen with his good manners and fancy car. With the help of her friend Jenny, Ellen realizes there's plenty of mystery and intrigue in town to create a plot for her novel. Why did the loathsome new neighbors purchase the house next door? Who will benefit from the housing development being built right on top of the village's aquifer? But just when Ellen's story gets going, her novel must take a back seat to real life when things suddenly become very complicated and very personal. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024718 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Eleven-year-old Laurie Valentine has a lonely life but an active imagination. When her one and only friend, Dickie, is diagnosed with polio in 1955, she visits the hospital to tell Dickie and other stricken children a magical story about Jimmy, a destined giant slayer. Besides Dickie, there is Chip, an orphaned farm boy, and Carolyn, a 14-year-old girl who has been inside an iron lung for eight years. The three are transformed by the story and begin to see themselves in Laurie's characters. When the unthinkable happens, Chip, Dickie, and Carolyn narrate the tale without Laurie, revealing truths about themselves. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024717 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A fast-paced adventure set in the Canadian wilderness in 1787. Kate and her family have left their farm outside Albany, NY, to settle near Lake Ontario. The deaths of her mother and her grandmother have left the 12-year-old to do most of the chores and care for her four-year-old brothers. During the long, harsh winter, Kate's father is often away from the family's makeshift cabin to hunt for food. When he doesn't return from an excursion, Kate is forced to fend for herself and her siblings. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024720 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Mitch is tired of being called Midget and being picked on by the class bully and he is tired of his mother's refusal to tell him anything about his father, whom she calls The Creep. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024723 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". All 11-year-old Jared St. George can think about is making his school basketball team. What Jared refuses to think about is math, and the fact that he' s failing it. The problem is tough: a poor math grade plus an unsympathetic coach equals no basketball team. Jared' s only hope is peer tutoring from Ellie Brejovic, the weirdo classmate whom everyone teases. To his surprise, Ellie makes math make sense, except that Jared would rather admit to cheating than let the guys know about her. Turns out that' s the really big mistake, one that could cost Jared not just a spot on the team, but something far more valuable. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024713 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In the summer of 2003, Ellis traveled to Malawi and Zambia and met with children and teens whose lives have been touched by AIDS. In short, autobiographical vignettes, the young people, many of whom are orphans or living on the street, discuss their families, their favorite pastimes, their fears, and their dreams. Poignant and often bleak, the stories paint a portrait of life in Africa and the epidemic that goes far beyond impersonal news headlines. Photographs, printed in sepia tones, give a face to each story. Facts about AIDS are interspersed throughout the text and quotes from writers and public figures set the tone for each chapter. Ellis presents the stories in a matter-of-fact and compassionate manner that maintains the children's dignity. Despite the tragedies, hardships, and grief expressed, many of the young people face their day-to-day lives with courage and manage to maintain hope for the future. Several describe efforts to help others and to bring about change in their society. An impressive offering whose chilling accounts remain with readers long after the book is finished. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024712 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". What was the daily grind like for the ancient Egyptians? Imagine it's your job to carve elaborate tombs out of rock formations (it will take years to do) or man an army outpost in the extreme heat of the desert. You might have worked transporting some of the over 2 million stones for the Great Pyramid or engineered irrigation projects along the Nile. Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers offers an innovative look at the jobs that kept Ancient Egypt running for 3,000 years. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024715 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The Artists in Their Times series takes its emphasis on setting artists in their time seriously: a time line runs along the bottom of most pages, putting events of the artist's life in context. Anderson treats the oversize personality of the surrealist Dali well and does a fine job of illustrating how the surrealist vision has permeated the images and advertising now seen everywhere. He made the seminal surrealist film Un chien andalou with his friend Luis Bunuel; refused to take sides during the Spanish Civil War even when the Nationalists executed his friend, the poet Garcia Lorca; and fled to the U.S. during WW II. Dali's melting clocks, and his telephone with the lobster receiver, still offer viewers a gasp and a shiver. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024716 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024724 Jill Winters, 14, has been sent to stay with her grandmother in Maine while her father, a famous singer, is on a U.S. tour and her mother is visiting her dying brother in Newfoundland. It is the summer of 1942, and German U-boats patrol the shores of the North Atlantic. Jill is terrified that her mother's ship will be torpedoed and nervous about the possibility of U-boats in the area. Adding to her worries are the mysterious goings-on in Winter Haven. Even her grandmother is secretive about the Sunday night meetings she has with her friends. When Jill intercepts a carrier pigeon with a message in German, she begins to suspect that someone in the community is guilty of treason, and she has no idea whom to trust. After the town's July 4th clambake, her life is threatened when it becomes clear to the spies that she has figured out their identity. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024721 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". High jinks reign in the latest adventure of the Time Warp Trio, which finds friends in the heart of ancient Egypt. This time, they square off against a pharaoh's evil priest as they search for the all-important Book, Joe's little sister, Anna, and Cleo the cat. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024719 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". There's a place the slaves been whisperin' around called Canada. The law don't allow no slavery there. They say you follow the North Star, and when you step onto this land you are free. Taken away from her mother by a ruthless slave trader, all Julilly has left is the dream of freedom. Every day that she spends huddled in the slaver trader's wagon travelling south or working on the brutal new plantation, she thinks about the land where it is possible to be free, a land she and her friend Liza may reach someday. So when workers from the Underground Railroad offer to help the two girls escape, they are ready. But the slave catchers and their dogs will soon be after them. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:34:40 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024725 12-year-old twins live a privileged but uneventful life in New York City until both John and Philippa need to have their wisdom teeth extracted. Afterward, the children begin to experience strange growth spurts, have cravings for smoke and heat, and gain the ability to grant wishes. After inviting them to visit him in London, their Uncle Nimrod informs them that they are descended from the Marid tribe of djinn. As he begins their training, they travel to Egypt, where they are pursued by Iblis, the leader of an enemy tribe who thinks Nimrod knows the location of the lost tomb of Akhenaten. This pharaoh bound 70 djinn to his service and whoever finds his tomb will have the ability to command them and shift the balance of power from good to evil. As they travel around the world, the siblings and their uncle have numerous adventures, culminating in an encounter with Akhenaten's ghost. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024731 Chronicles the tremendous competition between a couple dozen kids to be selected to fill one of the four slots on the team which will make history as the youngest to ever climb Everest -- if they make it! And if you think there can't be all that much excitement when they haven't even reached the mountain yet, just read and see! Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024726 A shallow grave... human remains... an unsolved murder from years ago... It looks like the past is coming back to spin Mike's new life out of control. What's making the usually cool Riel so rattled, and what does a beautiful but manipulative girl have to do with it all? Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024739 In this novel by Ted Stenhouse we return to the community of Grayson first introduced in Across the Steel River. It's 1952 and in this small prairie town not too many white kids have an Indian for their best friend. Will tries not to care what the townsfolk think. No matter what anyone says, Arthur's been like a brother to him. So when they witness a young Indian being hunted down like an animal by Old Man Howe, the town's richest man, they set out to find the facts -- only to uncover dirty dealings that hide generations of disgrace in the Howe family. As a story of deception and cruelty unfolds, Will discovers that everyone has something to be ashamed of -- and that no amount of money or power is enough to ease that shame. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024733 We meet Kaz, Dante, Adriana and Star, four teens who have been chosen for an internship with the Poseidon Oceanographic Institute. The question is, why have they been chosen? Three of them have very little skill and experience in diving, and Star, who actually is an accomplished diver, is also handicapped. Not one of the four can figure out why they are here. But when they stumble onto a strange artifact while diving, they come to realise they have been chosen because of their inexperience. For there are members of the Poseidon team that want to hunt treasure, and they want to be sure there are as few eyes as possible that can figure out what they are doing. Now that the teens are on to them, the excitement has increased ... but so has the danger. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024730 Life is pretty dark for Charlie. He is blind, and his dad has just been arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Now, with the help of his friends Bernadette and Lewis, Charlie is determined to find the real Stocking Bandit-a masked man who has been robbing banks up and down their metropolitan city. In addition to solving a crime that the police think is a wrap, the teenagers must deal with a bully in their seventh-grade class. Despite the serious subject matter, the book elicits plenty of laughs with main characters who are smart, funny, and likable. Fate also seems to take a liking to them, in the form of a classmate named Gideon who mysteriously shows up at just the right times to save the trio from certain doom. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024735 In the wake of a family tragedy, twelve-year-old Minn Hotchkiss is sent to spend the summer with her sour grandmother in the tiny seaside town of Boulder Basin, Nova Scotia. Almost as soon as she arrives, Minn discovers the skull of a human child on the beach. She is swiftly caught up in a mystery that reaches back more than a century, to the aftermath of the most tragic shipwreck in Maritime history before the Titanic. Over the course of this extraordinary summer, Minn will discover romance with a boy who turns out to be much more than he seems, and learn that the grandmother she resented is more curious, dedicated, and surprising than she had ever guessed. She might even meet a world-famous rock star! By summer's end, Minn will solve a ghostly mystery and, most importantly, finally be able to give up the terrible secret she has kept locked in her heart. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024728 Wycca, a small dragon called a wyvern, is looking for the perfect place to lay her egg when she stumbles into a bolt-hole that transports her from 13th-century England to 21st-century Boston. Although she is quite unbothered by this change in locale and proceeds to lay her egg, her wizard Gideon needs to find her fast, before the evil wizard Kobold and his demon can locate her and use her against him. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Theodora, an avid fan of a game called Wizards & Wyverns, finds a magical card and unwittingly summons Wycca's hatchling, which draws all the other magical folk to her, as well. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024734 A tenderhearted story told in spare, free-verse poems. Annie, 12, takes great pleasure in running, but has no interest in racing or becoming a member of a team. For her, the pure joy comes from feeling the earth beneath her bare feet and the wind in her face. The experience is totally different for her moody friend and running partner, Max. For him, running is a way to escape his personal problems. Annie's comfortable, tightly knit world begins to unravel when she learns that her mother is pregnant and she becomes increasingly aware that her beloved Grandpa, a former champion racer, is slipping into dementia. She is a resourceful, self-possessed kid who takes comfort in the familiar but is able to face change and take it in stride. She marvels at the new life taking shape in her midst (her father provides month-by-month summations of the baby's development) and mourns the loss of her grandfather's strong and nurturing wisdom. School, art class, and chores appear throughout the verses, creating an everyday rhythm that matches the footfalls of this engaging heroine who loves to move, but who is willing to stop and smell the roses. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024729 The sunny expectations of a counselor-in-training at her childhood camp on a Canadian island become overcast when teen Anna's best buddy, Zoe, can't make the trip. In years past, Anna had traveled the path of least resistance, the one right behind Zoe; but now her experiences give her new strength and insight. Venturing forth on her own, she meets Isabel, an enigma with rainbow-colored hair, whose blunt approach to life doesn't fit in with perfectionist Jennifer's ambitions for their cabin to be the best at all costs. She befriends Isabel, assists the cute but infuriating swim coach, and helps a struggling young camper. Then Zoe shows up, throwing Anna's world out of balance, as she faces a test of character, and friendship. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024740 On the shores of Bedford Basin in Halifax, 12-year-old Selina Palmer is growing up in the community of Africville in the 1960s. Struggling with what it means to be the only black student in her Grade 6 class, Selina takes comfort in the fact that every day she goes home to a loving and vibrant neighbourhood, where friends and family accept her as she is. But ugly rumours are starting to surface about the fate of Africville... Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024737 Thirteen-year-old Norah Bingham and her mother plan to spend Christmas in the country with Caroline Stoppard, Norah's great aunt. When her mother is called away on business, Norah goes on her own to stay with the aunt, someone she has never even met. From the start, the woman makes it plain that she does not welcome Norah's company, nor that of Norah's cousins, Andrew and Becca, who arrive two days later. The isolated Stoppard mansion is as dismal as the Ontario winter. But the cousins soon discover there are puzzles to solve. Great aunt Caroline has many secrets. Among them is the identity of the boy Norah sees in the backyard. Who is he? And why is he watching the house? Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024732 The story of six troubled kids, forced to participate in a kind of character-building experience, spending a few weeks at sea on a small sailboat. They are supposed to learn to work together, and to steady themselves. The participants are all involved for different reasons, but when an unexpected storm combines with willful stupidity to destroy their craft, the six youths will be in for far more character building and survival training than anyone ever expected. How well they'll survive is anybody's guess. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024736 In Newfoundland in 1929, 13-year-old Tom Campbell, an orphan, travels to Back o' the Moon Island to live with and work for Enoch and Fiona Murray. On his first fishing trip, he rescues a young Newfoundland dog from the sea during a storm and names him Thunder. A local boy, Bert Bosworth, and his father, Amos, also want the animal, and they go to great lengths to find his original owner out of spite. Thunder is a kind, intelligent creature who several times saves the islanders from danger. After a harrowing episode in which Amos shoots and slightly injures the Newfoundland while he tries to pull villagers away from a pending tidal wave, the Bosworths realize that the dog truly belongs with Tom. When Fiona needs help with a difficult birth, Tom and Thunder prove their courage by taking her across the ice by sled during a blizzard. The book concludes with Enoch and Fiona officially adopting Tom and with Thunder's original owner giving the dog to the boy and his new family. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024727 Toby's always had a weight issues, thanks in part to the free food his team gets from his friend Maddie's dad's restaurant and their soccer team's sponsor, Vinnie's. But Vinnie's sponsorship also provides the kids with team shirts, equipment, even cleats for some of the players. So when a city-wide ban is placed on sponsorship of teams by companies that promote unhealthy eating, many of the kids might not be able to play. Can the kids of Brunswick Valley come up with a way to keep their team going and still stay on the right side of the ban? Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:05:25 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024744 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you." Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives. Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024743 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice-but odd-new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. Incredible. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but they're haunted by the fact that the moment they turn thirteen, their abilities will disappear-along with any memory that they ever had them. Is a memory-stealing supervillain sapping their powers? The answers lie in a long-ago meteor strike, a World War II-era comic book (Fantastic Futures, starring the first superhero, Johnny Noble), the green-flamed Witch Fire, a hidden Shroud cave, and-possibly, unbelievably--"powerless" regular-kid Daniel himself. Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024742 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Still swooning over the romantic conclusions of Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, twelve-year-old Polly decides her purpose in life: helping along lonely hearts in search of love. Polly's only task this summer is to make deliveries for her parents' bakery, leaving ample time for this young cupid to find hearts to mend-beginning with the kite-store owner, Mr. Nightquist, who will pair perfectly with Miss Wiskerton (the unfairly labeled town curmudgeon). Polly's best friend Fran Fisk is in desperate need of a mother ever since hers ran off with a man she met on the Internet; Polly must find a match for Mr. Fisk. And while she's at it, it wouldn't hurt to find Clementine, Polly's teenaged sister, a beau worthy of her (so she can shed that brute, Clint). Polly's plans are in full swing, so she definitely cannot be bothered by the advances of classmate Brad Barker. But maybe Polly should have turned her attention to Miss Austen's Emma next, because she quickly learns the pitfalls of playing matchmaker. How will Polly patch up her own relationships, while ensuring that destined love can take its course? Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024741 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In Florida 2035, the world is sharply divided by wealth and race. Kidnapping has become a "major growth industry," and everyone knows the rules: pay up within 24 hours, and the child is returned. Thirteen-year-old Charity's rich family lives in the Highlands, a tightly secured gated community; they have a butler who doubles as a heavily armed security guard. Even so, Charity is "taken." But for some reason, the payoff goes tragically wrong, and Charity is forced to step outside the rule book and fight for her life. Although many of the secondary characters are flat, Charity is an appealing observer who looks beyond class and begins to think for herself. Her calm recounting of the kidnapping scenario increases the tension, while interspersed flashbacks provide believable details of her disturbing world. Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:34:58 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024746 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". What is it like to be a major league ball player? Cal Ripken, Jr. plays third base for the Baltimore Orioles. In this autobiography for beginning readers, he talks about growing up in a baseball family, and about his love for the game. He reveals his primary goal-- to play well and play every day. And he tells how, in 1995, he broke the record for playing the most games in a row. Here is Cal's story, with over 30 action-packed photographs and illustrations. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024738 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Els is a courier, a girl who takes Jewish children on the back of her bike to safety on farms in Friesland. When she leaves Isaak, disguised as Jan, at a farmhouse with kind people, he is miserable until he makes friends with a beautiful black horse, Hero, a Frisian wanted by the Germans. The first time the Germans come for the horse, Isaak comes up with a plan to save him, but the second time they come, Isaak can do nothing to protect the animal he loves. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024751 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Bannon cannot face another boring summer in Springhills. She convinces her mother to let her spend July at her grandmother's cottage in Hawk's Creek. She does not reveal that her plan is to live with her grandmother forever in order to avoid the problems back home. But Hawk's Creek holds dark secrets, and Jennifer is soon drawn into the troubled world of Audrey Musquash, a Native girl accused of stealing and being out of control. In this tale of suspense and haunting friendship, Jennifer must face truths that will change her perspective on life forever. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024754 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". "If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character-that in fact the warden is seeking something specific-the plot gets thick. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024753 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Nick, Kia and their teammates embark on a letter writing campaign to persuade the Toronto Raptors community relations department to send one or more of the players to visit Clark Boulevard Elementary School. Unfortunately they are too late in applying and the team's school program has already been set for the year. But Nick and Kia do not give up easily, and their efforts become increasingly dramatic until Nick finally comes up with an idea that the team will be unable to ignore. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024748 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Horace, who measures 30 inches tall, is the shortest 10-year-old in the town of Blootinville. When his taller, smarter, younger sister makes him eat her experimental cupcakes and wear a purple costume, he becomes a superhero. After flying around town and visiting friends, he decides to go after the man-eating giant guinea pig that has been cruising the school playground. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024750 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The mates are approaching Year Ten at school and Izzie has decided that she wants a whole new image, including a belly-button ring and a dangerous boyfriend. Then along comes Josh, who is older, rides a motorcycle, and is a stranger to her friends and parents. Izzie experiments with drinking and smoking pot, and sneaks out of the house while searching for her grown-up self. She swings between trying to have a good time being bad and quarreling with her mum and friends about her behavior. She is thrilled to land a singing gig at a local club, but her enchanted evening turns to disaster when Josh tries to get beyond snogging and she throws up on him. This embarrassing moment, along with his continued pressure to get her drunk, makes her realize that growing up means being true to one's self and not trying to be someone different. Izzie's mid-teen crisis and interactions with her mates, mother, and stepdad are authentic, and it's refreshing to see a stepparent portrayed as a good guy. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024745 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". He is known as "The Greatest" but what was the amazing boxer really like? How did he get started? Find out all about the man behind the legend. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024747 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Meet Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers and read all about how he bacame a basketball star! Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024749 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Louise Tolliver loves Tolliver's Hollow, the "peculiar" place where she lives with her mother and brother. She just wishes that her father hadn't disappeared seven years ago, and that her brother didn't tease her so much. Still, when she calls Willie a pig as the evening star appears, she never meant for him to become one. Then certain folks become a little too interested in the new pig, whom they think would be perfect to serve at the town's picnic, and the sheriff and his brother both want to court her mother. When Louise's first attempt at rectifying the wish gone awry only causes more problems, she has to think very carefully about how to put things right. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024752 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After a devastating forest fire, a ranger discovers a litter of wolf cubs. He and his wife soon learn that they are no ordinary wolves. They are both animal and human. Although the young ones try to fit into the human world, their true nature makes the challenges of being teenagers all the more difficult. When one of the pack is kidnapped, the others must draw on both sides of their nature - human and wolf - to find the cunning, the strength, and the courage it takes to rescue her. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:35:28 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024766 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". David, 14, must assume responsibility for his younger sister, Laura, after their parents separate because his father is unable to deal with their mother's depression. When the siblings return from a weekend with their dad, they learn that their mom has been hospitalized; they are sent from Toronto to live with an aunt at her isolated, rustic home on Fern Island, near Vancouver. The experience turns out to be filled with adventure (a ride in a seaplane, whale sightings), some of it dangerous, particularly after they steal a dinghy and take off for a deserted island rather than go to live with their father. By book's end, the youngsters have developed a better relationship with one another, and their troubled family has found new ways to cope. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024757 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In this sequel to Murphy and Mousetrap, Murphy and his three friends, Danny, Jeff and Albert, are making the transition from the tribal elementary school to the community middle school. They are all trying out for the middle school's soccer team, and they're pretty confident that The Formidable Four will all make the team. But once the tryouts begin, Albert, the tribal-school superstar, plays like a second stringer. Murphy's new friend, Molly, is determined to help the boys find out what's wrong with Albert, but when they discover the truth, they realize that Albert is playing a whole different game. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024755 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The deep bond between a boy and his grandfather may be the only thing that can save the old man's life when he suffers a heart attack. But first the boy must overcome his feelings of helplessness and guilt. With the imaginative assistance of Dooley, the nephew of a local nurse who knows a mysterious ritual called "soul switching," the narrator discovers, in a reluctant flight to the farthest edges of faith, the miraculous and healing power of love. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024763 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Twelve-year-old Martha Boyle stands on the brink of discovery: about her family, about first love, and mostly about herself. As her family prepares for the annual visit to her paternal grandmother, Martha is given a journal entry from her classmate, Olive, who was killed in an automobile accident. Martha didn't really know Olive, but the journal entry makes Martha reflect on what might have been if Olive hadn't died. In her two weeks on Cape Cod, Martha learns to deal with the changing emotional landscape that comes with adolescence. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024758 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Kate and Phil Reynolds think they belong to an ordinary family. That is until a larger-than-life old lady turns up on a Harley Davidson with her golden retreiver Fearless in the sidecar, and introduces herself as their Great Aunt Elizabeth. And that is until they discover that their own cat, Barking, can talk, and that their legacy is ownership of some unique stones that have very special properties but come with a whole heap of reponsibility. And finally they find out that they are pitted against Lorabeth Lampton, an evil villainess of Cruella De Vil proportions, who is causing natural disasters on a worldwide scale in her quest for eternal youth. Kate and Phil Reynolds' lives are about to be irreversibly turned upside down... Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024760 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". The story of ten-year-old Rachel, who in 1783 arrives in northern Nova Scotia with her mother, where they reunite with Rachel's stepfather after escaping slavery in South Carolina. Like many slaves during the American Revolution, Rachel's family aided the British war effort, in return for which they were promised their freedom as well as title to land in the British Colony. Their joy at gaining freedom in a safe new home is dashed when they arrive, for the land they are given is barren, the weather frightful. Worse still, Rachel's mother is pregnant. For a while, Rachel even believes they were better off as slaves - at least they were warm and didn't go hungry. Despite the adverse conditions of their new life, Rachel is determined not just to survive, but to make the most of her freedom. She wants to learn to read and write, and to help her family turn their squalid hovel into a home. With perseverance, pluck, and the help of a native girl named Marie-Andrée, she will help herself and her family to survive their first winter of freedom. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024764 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". 14-year-old Matt is arrested at the scene of an electronics warehouse break-in. Soon, he's remanded to the home of a crone in a country village. She's ornery, but the village is out and out creepy: he can't find a road that goes anywhere but in a circle and it seems everyone to whom he turns for help winds up dead. Matt's situation is even worse than he thought-his opponents are witches. Matt struggles from quicksand, is chased by dinosaurs through the Natural History Museum, and finds himself about to be sacrificed by the coven in a secluded wood. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024761 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Meet Leonardo. His family calls him sardine, as he often feels smashed between Contento, his moody older sister, and his two younger brothers, Pietro and Nunzio. His life is filled with possibilities; he's a dreamer (which gains him the additional nickname of fog boy). But two events converge in unexpected ways, leading to new understanding, growth, and insight. Leo finds a journal written by his father at age 13 and is chosen for a part in a play written by the drama teacher entitled Rumpopo's Porch. To his dismay, he is given the role of the Old Crone and the journal presents a person whom Leo doesn't know. Gradually, however, the Old Crone comes to appreciate Rumpopo just as Leo begins to see glimmers of the 13-year-old boy who matured into his now-frazzled father. Life, like plays and replays, has a cyclical nature. A rift in Leo's large, noisy, and completely realistic family begins to heal after a near disaster when Nunzio is injured, just as a hole created by loss can heal. Leo's fantasies intertwine with actual events, adding humor and insight. Characters are brilliantly delineated by their actions, reports of Leo's observations, and short dialogues presented in both conversations and in screenplay form. As Leo matures, nuggets of wisdom emerge from the simple text in this beautifully crafted novel. The script of Rumpopo's Porch is included to further clarify parallels. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024768 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024762 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In this breathtaking sequel to the Governor General's Award-winning fantasy novel Airborn, 16-year-old Matt Cruse flies higher than he ever dreamed. The former Aurora cabin boy, now a student at the prestigious Paris Airship Academy, is on a two-week training tour with a run-down cargo airship when his captain sights a legendary ghost ship. Matt recklessly heads skyward in pursuit-only to risk sacrificing his entire crew to altitude sickness. The Hyperion, lost in a storm in the dawn of the aviation age and buoyed high above the clouds for 40 years, is rumoured to hold great wealth, and Matt is suddenly the only person on earth who knows her coordinates. Soon, he and his upper-class sweetheart, Kate de Vries, are embarked on a dangerous aerial treasure hunt, along with Hal, the conceited pilot of a sleek, new altitude-friendly airship, and a mysterious gypsy girl named Nadira, who claims to have the key to the Hyperion's booby-trapped treasure troves. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024765 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In a hidden drawer in the base of an old wooden box, Jack discovers a letter from a boy calling himself Edward. Penning a reply, Jack is astonished to be corresponding through time with the boy king Edward V, one of the famous Princes in the Tower, murdered by King Richard III. Travelling back in time, Jack attempts to rescue Edward V and his brother from their fate, but is soon fighting for his life in the terrifying London of 1483. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024756 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". In the isolated Canadian fishing village where best friends Thumb and Susan live, mystery abounds. How did an eighteenth-century cannonball wash ashore? Why does the new schoolteacher wear a wig and pancake make-up? And why, when the village's lone "bad guy" sneaks off into the woods at night, do eerie screaming noises follow? Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024767 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Roscoe Wizzle leads a fairly ordinary life, despite his quirky parents and their practice of serving him alternating dinners of mashed potatoes and tuna surprise. But after a Gussy's Restaurant franchise is built atop an empty lot which is rumored to be oddly polluted, strange things start happening. First, Roseville's children begin disappearing. Then, after months of nightly meals at Gussy's (his relieved parents find it a good alternative to cooking), Roscoe finds himself undergoing a metamorphosis. Could it be his steady diet of Jungle Drums ("just about the biggest hamburgers in the world")? With the help of his brainy best friend, the vegetarian and junior anthropologist Kinshasa Rosa Parks Boomer, Roscoe solves the mystery and helps rescue his kidnapped schoolmates. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024759 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Jed Blackburn's English father is in Europe flying fighter planes for the RAF during World War II. Jed lives with his mother and grandmother, Tsimshian Indians, on the west coast of Canada. He and his mother work at an army base, where Jed, with the help of his best friend Tadashi, is nursing a bald eagle back to health after it was shot by soldiers at the base. The boy's world is severely shaken when Tadashi's family, and the entire Japanese-Canadian community, is sent to detention camps in central Canada after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is not primarily an action-adventure story. Its strength lies in Jed's growth through the course of the novel. He confronts racism directed at him because of his native heritage and at the Japanese-Canadians, the complexity of friendship, and his own cultural identity. At the same time, he must deal with a world conflict that has taken away his father and his best friend. Jed's mother and grandmother are strong and intelligent characters who help him come to terms with these issues. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:57:52 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024813 We live on a bug planet. Not only are insects the most numerous species on Earth, they've survived for 400 million years and show no signs of slowing down. Take a look outside: little creatures are creeping, jumping and flying everywhere. Did someone say little? Not in this book. In these eye-popping, oversized pages, bugs say cheese big time! Through Paul Davidson's powerful camera lens, see a fly the size of a man's shoe, the 30,000-odd lenses in a dragonfly's eyes, the hair on a bee's legs and much more. Bug-loving science writer Diane Swanson delivers fascinating info about buggy lives, buggy eating and lots of buggy bits, such as antennae, wings and weapons, that help make insects the most widespread animals on Earth. written by Diane Swanson ; photographed by Paul Davidson. Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:57:22 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024814 Text in Dogrib and English. Discover one small part of Dene history and the lessons that have been passed on for generations. It is winter and the people are starving. There are no fish. They must seek the help of a medicine man to save them. This story tells of medicine power, the struggle for survival and an important part of the history and culture of the Dene people as it has been passed down through stories and legends for generations. Includes multimedia CD which allows readers to hear and see the Dogrib legend in Dogrib or English. Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:57:22 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024824 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". A novel about discovering alternatives and doing your best to achieve the highest goals Theo Gordimer is a couch potato who prefers playing video games to playing sports. Then his world is rocked when his favorite aunt is diagnosed with cancer. Theo wants to do something --anything-- other than visit the hospital and bring flowers. But what? Then a friend tells him about a 5K road race for cancer. All monies made by the race goes to research. Though he's nervous about trying to run such a long race, Theo decides it's time to get off his couch. And so he begins a training program that opens a new door for him-and helps his aunt to boot. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:34:57 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024839 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Based on a Canadian Broadcasting radio documentary produced by Levine, this book tells the story of Hana Brady, a girl killed at Auschwitz, and how her suitcase came to be a part of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center. A CD recording of the radio program is available and adds to the impact and power of the book. The story ends on a positive note by ultimately uniting Japanese schoolchildren fascinated by Hana's story with her brother George Brady, the only member of their immediate family to survive the war. The book alternates between past and present, one chapter telling the story of Hana's childhood in the Czechoslovakian resort town of Nove Mesto, and the next relating the experiences of Fumiko Ishioka, a teacher dedicated to educating the children of Japan about the horrors of the Holocaust. Black-and-white photographs of Hana and her family and Ms. Ishioka and her students accompany each chapter. As Hana's narrative draws her to Auschwitz and to the end of her life, Fumiko's story brings her closer to the solution of a puzzle that began with only a suitcase and a name. Can be used in conjunction with "Inside Hana's Suitcase (024071, DVD) and the Hana's Suitcase classroom kit in your school library. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024842 MUST BE READ BY TEACHER BEFORE BEING USED BY STUDENTS. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Dee is feeding the chickens the morning they discover the bones on the mountain. A sense of foreboding strengthens when the police show her a ring found with the remains. It belonged to a friend of hers, Mary Ann Simpson, who had disappeared four years ago. Strangely, other girls have also disappeared from this small town nestled in the shadow of the Bruce Peninsula-the "mountain" that Dee knows like the back of her hand. Like her grandmother, Dee has "The Sight," an ability not only to see spirits from the afterlife but also to experience their deaths-a "gift" that becomes more troubling as this story takes darker turns. While trying to help local police with the investigation, Dee is drawn into a deepening mystery that soon strikes terrifyingly close to home. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024845 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When the Grade Four teacher at Trillium Elementary in Toronto assigns a new project, Jude Bhandari is sure that he'll be paired up with his best friend Sanjay. Everyone knows they both love everything to do with outer space. But instead Jude is paired up with the tough new kid from England who likes to pick fights. Will Jude be able to find common ground with the new kid-or will he end up as his latest victim? Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024841 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". USES HISTORICALLY CORRECT DEROGATORY TERMS. Based on the life of Henry Bibb, an American slave who after repeated attempts escaped in 1841 to become an anti-slavery speaker, author and founder of a Black newspaper. Cooper takes painstakingly researched details about slavery and weaves an intimate story of Bibb's young life, which is overshadowed by inconceivable brutality. At nine years old, Henry is separated from his mother and brothers and hired out, suffering abuse at the hands of cruel masters so severe he almost dies. Henry's courageous life is described in intimate detail and young readers will learn about everyday slave life on a plantation and in towns and cities, the coded language of slave escapes and the dangerous routes over land and water to safe houses. As Henry Bibb moves from boyhood to manhood, he knows that one day he will "fly away" as in the old legend of the Africans who flew away to freedom. The first-person narrative, convincingly told in Henry's voice, traces Bibb's boyhood, marriage, fatherhood and the developing awareness of his bondage and his determination to break free of it or die. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024843 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Robin has everything a girl could want. Thanks to her mother the internationally beloved talk show host Mimi Schwartz-Robin's got the money, the means and the connections to make even her wildest dreams come true. So why, then, does she choose to sit alone in a dark room watching endless reruns of You, You and Mimi? Don't ask Robin. She doesn't know-not, at least, until the bizarre discovery of an old high-school ring propels her to ditch New York for a tiny Nova Scotian fishing village. In her quest to solve the mystery behind the ring's origin, Robin finds more than a renewed joie de vivre. She discovers love, the truth of her own background-and the shocking secret that helped make her mother a star. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024840 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Marcus is new in town and is hoping to make the championship high school football team, but it seems like a closed club, run by current star Troy. One day, while tossing the ball around in a park, Marcus meets Charlie, a man in his fifties who can play football like an old pro, which is exactly what he happens to be -- a former NFL player and local celebrity. Charlie has boundless energy and coaches Marcus on his fear of being tackled, but as Marcus becomes more involved in this friendship it becomes painfully obvious to him, through the simplicity of Charlie's thoughts, that the long-term effects of the violent plays he suffered during his glory days have taken their toll. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024844 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Nestled in the heart of rural Manitoba, the fictional Pembina Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium is full of fragile souls struggling against illness. At the same time that Canada is sending out its best and bravest to battle the Nazis, the characters in Queen of Hearts are leaving their homes to begin a fight of their own. When Marie-Claire Côté arrives at the sanatorium, she feels as though she has been ripped from her former life. As the bedridden teenager chases her cure, she is confronted by the realization that the real world is happening "out there." For Marie-Claire and the other patients, the outside world is an intangible place, but subtle reminders of its existence pepper the plot: there are letters written to and received from young men fighting in the war, infrequent visits from Marie-Claire's mother, and dreams of a 16th birthday party that will never happen. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024846 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". After years of frequent moves following her mother's death, Chloe Saunders's life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she's not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts-everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe's small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home-charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a "thing" for fire-Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn't your usual "problem kid" behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either... Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024847 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Marcus and his sister are counting down the days until their father comes home from Afghanistan. When the big day arrives, the family is overcome by happiness and relief that he is safe, but as the days pass Marcus begins to feel that there is something different about his father. Barely sleeping, obsessed with news from Afghanistan, and overly aggressive, his dad refuses to seek counselling. Marcus knows post-traumatic stress disorder affects many soldiers, and he needs to get his dad some help before it is too late. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:37:10 -0400 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024872 This kit supports the study of Graphica in keeping with Ministry K-8 guidelines. It can be used in the study of Text-Forms as well as Media Study. This Graphica kit contains guides as well as a variety of graphic materials. Contents: In graphic detail / D. Booth - Adventures in graphica / T. Thompson - The Lion graphic Bible / J. Anderson (2 copies) - Nancy Drew girl detective series (What goes up...) - Hardy Boys undercover brothers series (D.A.N.G.E.R. spells the hangman) - Indiana Jones adventures (vol. 1; Curse of the invisible ruby) - Thumbelina: the graphic novel / Martin Powell - Hansel and Gretel: the graphic noval / Donald Lemke - Cinderella: the graphic novel / Beth Bracken - The three little pigs: the graphic novel / Lisa Trumbauer - The story of Jack and the beanstalk as told by the Giant / Eric Braun - The story of Cinderella as told by the Wicked Stepmother / Trisha Speed Shaskan - The story of the three bears as told by Baby Bear / Nancy Loewen - Knights of the lunch table series (The dragon players; The dodgeball chronicles) - Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws series (The sugar bush; True hearts; The voyageurs) - Tiger's challenge / Suzanne Muir (Boldprint kids series) - Lunch Lady and the cyborg substitute / Jarrett J. Krosoczka - Lunch Lady and the league of librarians / Jarrett J. Krosoczka - Lunch Lady and the author visit vendetta / Jarrett J. Krosoczka - Babymouse burns rubber / Jennifer L. Holm - Babymouse Dragonslayer / Jennifer L. Holm - Babymouse the musical / Jennifer L. Holm - The Boxcar Children graphic novels (Snowbound mystery; The haunted cabin mystery; Blue bat mystery; The pizza mystery; Tree house mystery; The castle mystery) - Geronimo Stilton series (The secret of the Sphinx; The Coliseum con). Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:34:52 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024887 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: A flock of shoes / Sarah Tsiang - Giraffe and bird / Rebecca Bender - Kiss me! / Heather McLeod - The little hummingbird / Michael Nicholl Yahgulanaas - Making the moose out of life / Nicholas Oldland - Noni says no / Heather Hartt-Sussman - One hockey night / David Ward - Roslyn Rutabaga and the biggest hole on earth / Marie-Louise Gay - Small Saul / Ashley Spires - Stanley's little sister / Linda Bailey. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024892 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: Connais-tu?: Maurice Richard / Johanne Menard - Coup de theatre a Stratford / Mireille Messier - Le maitre de zions: Capitaine Static / Alain M. Bergeron - Une petite bouteille jaune: Tourne-Pierre / Angele Delaunois - Peur, voleur et film d'horreur / Sylvaine Thibeault - Pierre et les voyous / Matthieu Boutin - Le reveil du dragon chinois / Stephanie Decelles - Rouge-babine et l'operation Jade / Lili Chartrand - Les rouges de Tokyo: les dragouilles / Maxim CyrLe zaillemeur / Marie-Pier Meunier. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024893 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: Anne Frank: une jeune ecrivaine juive / Marie Sylvie Legault - Cristal qui pousse: le cratere / Steve Proulx - Les echecs: curieux de savoir / Sylvie Roberge - L'etrange affaire du 413 / Nadya Larouche - Une fin de semaine mouvementee / France Lorrain - Le garcon qui aimait les contes de fees / Lyne Vanier - Philibert Tanguay: l'ere glaciaire dans la glaciere / Sylvie Desrosiers - Secrets de famille / Sylvie Marcoux - Vlad et moi et les nids-de-poule / Brigitte Huppen - La zone: les aventures d'Edwin Robi / Stephanie Hurtubise. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024891 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: Dear George Clooney, please marry my mom / Susin Nielsen - Dust city / Robert Weston - Fanatics / William Bell - Fly boy / Eric Walters - Half brother / Kenneth Oppel - Haunting Violet / Alyxandra Harvey - Home truths / Jill MacLean - No safe place / Deborah Ellis - Thunder over Kandahar / Sharon Mckay - Torn from Troy: odyssey of a slave / Patrick Bowman - Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024888 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: All aboard! Elijah McCoy's steam engine / Monica Kulling - Banjo of destiny / Cary Fagan - Canadian railroad trilogy: Gordon Lightfoot / Gordon Lightfoot - The gargoyle overhead / Phillippa Dowding - The last loon / Rebecca Upjohn - Our Earth: how kids are saving the planet / Janet Wilson - Saving arm pit / Natalie Hyde - The time time stopped / Don Gillmor - Uumajut: learn about Arctic wildlife / Anna Ziegler - When apples grew noses and white horses flew / Jan Andrews. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024889 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: Better than weird / Anna Kerz - Crossing to freedom / Virginia Frances Schwartz - Ghost messages / Jacqueline Guest - Ghosts of the Titanic / Julie Lawson - The glory wind / Valerie Sherrard - The McGillicuddy book of personal records / Colleen Sydor - Milo: sticky notes and brain freeze / Alan Silberberg - Neil Flambe and the Aztec abduction / Kevin Sylvester - That boy Red / Rachna Gilmore - Undergrounders / David Skuy. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024890 This kit contains 3 copies of each of the following 10 titles: 50 poisonous questions: a book with bite / Tany aLloyd Kyi - Africans thought of it: amazing innovations / Bathseba Opini - Animals that changed the world / Keltie Thomas - Case closed? Nine mysteries unlocked by modern science / Susan Hughes - Don't touch that toad and other strange things adults tell you / Catherine Rondina - Game day: meet the people who make it happen / Kevin Sylvester - Highway of heroes / Kathy Stinson - Mathemagic! Number tricks / Lynda Colgan - Totally human: why we look and act the way we do / Cynthia Pratt Nicolson - Who wants pizza? The kids' guide to the history, science & culture of food / Jan Thornhill. Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:47:38 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024901 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Benny loves to help out at his grandpa's bakery in the morning, and the customers love the crusty bagels with their soft insides. When Grandpa explains to Benny that God, not him, should be thanked for the wonderful bagels, Benny sets out to do just that. He decides to leave God a bagful of bagels in the synagogue at the end of each week. And each week God eats the bagels -- or so Benny thinks ? Lovingly told, Bagels from Benny explores the values of caring and sharing, building a strong sense of community and finding joy in giving thanks. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024903 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Ben likes nothing more than to go over to Peter's house. When the two friends play together, Ben can be anything he wants: a pirate, a musician, a cook. He can even be a potato! But when it comes to sleepovers, all Ben can think about is going home - right away. He doesn't like the strange bed or the unfamiliar noises in the night. And he doesn't have his own cat to warm his tummy.Mum and Dad try to come up with some ideas, but flashlights and familiar blankets don't make Ben feel better. Joe offers to come along for protection, but Ben doesn't want his big brother going on sleepovers with him. It looks like Ben just can't be a sleepover-nighter. Or can he? Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024902 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When a young boy launches a tiny paper boat downstream, he wonders about the adventures it will have on its voyage. The little vessel sails past goggling frogs and hovering insects, houses and stores along the shores, roads and railways, and eventually into the shadows of giant ships. Though the big river becomes a dangerous place for the small boat, there are enough helpers on the water to keep the vessel afloat and on its way. The paper ship is safely passed from canoe to riverboat and finally to the crew of an ocean liner. "Someday I'll follow, just to see," thinks the boy, "but for now it sails for me." Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024895 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Two award-winning Canadian authors team up to tell a story of race prejudice that divides a high school after Azeem, a Muslim student, is arrested following a bomb plot. The story is told in the alternating voices of two students: studious Haroon, Azeem's academic-bowl teammate; and Jay, a popular football player. Neither boy seems to be aware of much prejudice in the school, although Jay describes the seating in the cafeteria as "divided in as many subgroups as tables." As Azeem's trial progresses, vandalism and racial slurs escalate, and the narrators are jolted by the actions and attitudes of people they thought they knew. Their individual struggles to understand the flaring prejudice and their journeys toward self-discovery are subtle and authentic. Secondary characters, such as Haroon's sister, who wears the abaya, and biracial Steve, raise interesting side issues but are less well developed than Haroon and Jay. This is a story that will leave readers looking at their schools and themselves with new eyes. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024905 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Nate discovers Gramps' attic and a treasure trove the likes of which he's never seen. There's even a real pirate's hook! But when Nate reaches out to touch it - BA-ZANG - suddenly he's not in the attic any more, but aboard a ship and surrounded by pirates. [By Evan Solomon ; illustrated by Bill Slavin] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024900 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". When not panning for gold with his father, Cameron spends all of his free time reading about camels and dreaming about one day crossing the ocean to see one. Amazingly, the camels come to him when a businessman imports a herd, thinking that they could be used to transport supplies. Unfortunately, Mr. Laumeister knows very little about the animals and is unprepared for the problems that arise. Cameron, with the help of his patient and understanding father, ends up taking care of the Dromedary Express and uses all of his knowledge to help the camels stay healthy and fit into their new surroundings. Still, even with the boy's bright ideas, the venture can't be saved and, in the end, he must make a difficult decision. [Written by Lynn Manuel ; illustrated by Kasia Charko] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024899 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". It is 1965, and 12-year-old Emaline, living on a wheat farm, must deal with a family that is falling apart. When her dog, Prince, chases a hare into the path of the tractor, she chases after him, and her father accidentally runs over her leg, leaving her with a long convalescence and a permanent disability. Even worse, from Emaline's point of view, is that in his grief and guilt, her father shoots Prince and leaves Emaline and her mother on their own. Despite the neighbors' disapproval, Emaline's mother hires Angus, a patient from the local mental hospital, to work their fields. Angus is a red-haired giant whom the local children tease and call "the gorilla." Though the small town's prejudice creates a cloud of suspicion around Angus that nearly results in tragedy, he just may hold the key to Emaline's coming to grips with her injury and the loss of her father. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024904 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". By daylight, the Drumheller dinosaurs rest their ancient bones. But when the moon rises, so do these slumbering skeletons - ready to tango, fandango, shimmy and shake! This exuberant read-aloud imagines what the dinosaur skeletons of world-famous Drumheller, Alberta, get up to when everyone's asleep. [Written by Robert Heidbreder ; illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperança Melo] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024896 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Fourteen-year-old Sam McLean is less than thrilled with the prospect of moving to a collection of old mansions on the northern fringe of a small town called Ringwood. A nobody at his old school, Sam is desperate to be accepted by the cool kids and latches on to Cody Barns, aka Maniac. Cody's claim to fame is performing wild stunts -- the crazier the better -- and posting them on his blog. When Sam reluctantly joins Cody and his sidekick, Javon, on their midnight ghost riding, a practice in which the driver and passenger climb onto the hood of their moving car and dance, something goes terribly wrong. Cody convinces Sam to flee the scene, leaving Javon for dead. But soon mysterious messages appear on Cody's blog and anonymous notes are slid into Sam's locker. As Sam struggles with his conscience, a haunting question remains: Who else knows the truth? Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024911 This kit supports the study of Graphica in keeping with Ministry K-8 guidelines. It can be used in the study of Text-Forms as well as Media Study. This Graphica kit contains guides as well as a variety of graphic materials. Contents: In graphic detail / David Booth - The strongest man in the world / Louis Cyr - The Lion graphic Bible / Jeff Anderson (2 copies) - The after hours / Mark Kneece (Rod Serling's The twilight zone series) - Unbelievable Philip / Caitlin Brubacher (Boldprint series) - Daniel X: alien hunter / James Patterson - Comic books and manga / Eddie Robson (Crabtree contact series) - Good-bye Marianne: the graphic novel / Irene N. Watts - Rapunzel's revenge / Shannon and Dean Hale - Calamity Jack / Shannon and Dean Hale - Saint Joan of Arc: quest of peace / Brunor & Dominique Bar - Saint Bernadette: the miracle of Lourdes / Brunor & Dominique Bar - Saints of note: the comic collection / Diana R. Jenkins - Stepping stones: the comic collection / Diana R. Jenkins - Media meltdown: a graphic guide adventure / Liam O'Donnell - Max Finder mystery collected casebook: volume 4 / Craig Battle - Amulet series (The stonekeeper, book one; The stonekeeper's curse, book two / Kazu Kibuishi) - Prince of persia: the graphic novel / Jordan Mechner - Amelia rules series (The tweenage guide to not being unpopular; Superheroes; The whole world's crazy / Jimmy Gownley) - The Elsewhere chronicles (The shadow door, book one; The master of shadows, book three (2 copies); The calling, book four / Art Bannister). Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024898 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Jack Fountain knows that what's happened to his family sounds like the most horrible soap opera anyone could ever write. But it happened-to Jack; his parents; his sisters, Smithy and Madison. And to his baby brother, Tris. What made it worse was that the media wanted to know every detail. Now it's almost Tris's third birthday, and everything's starting again. Aunt Cheryl, who's living with the Fountain children now that their parents are gone, has decided that they will heal only if they work through their pain-on camera. The very identities they've created for themselves are called into question. In less than twenty-four hours their fate will change yet again, but this time they vow to not be exploited and to discover the truth. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024908 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Includes index. This guide to decorating and design covers everything they don't tell you on those home-improvement shows - from choosing colors that complement each other to using textures and shapes that spice up your space. Each chapter includes insider advice from the pros, quick tips and bright ideas for the do-it-yourselfer, and side bars that explain how to make or use many handy tools of the trade, including a color wheel, a floor plan, and a sample board. [Janice Weaver and Frieda Wishinsky ; illustrated by Claudia Davila] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024897 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Life is smoothest for thirteen-year-old Ellie when she keeps her opinions to herself, gets good grades and speaks carefully when her parents ask her to settle their arguments. She feels guilty that she welcomes the chance to spend the summer in another city with her mother's older sister, Jeanette. Ellie makes a new friend and learns to play an Argentine instrument called the bandoneón, which she finds in her aunt's basement. When she goes searching for the bandoneón's original owner, she discovers a story of political intrigue and family secrets that help her start to figure out where her parents end and she begins. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024906 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Includes index. Think science is a bunch of test tubes, microscopes and guys in lab coats? Think again! Science is bursting with far-out but true stories, fascinating puzzles and mind-boggling mysteries. Science Detectives follows fearless and dedicated science sleuths tracking down leads and solving cases all over the world -- in cities and in deserts, deep underground, high in the sky and even in your DNA. Science Detectives includes five fascinating projects to test your science-detection skills. [By the editors of YES Mag ; illustrated by Rose Cowles] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024894 CONTAINS PROFANITY. MUST BE READ BY TEACHER BEFORE BEING USED WITH STUDENTS. To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Until she was fourteen, Josie was pretty ordinary. Then her Mom meets Martin, "a real ponytail Indian," and before long, Josie finds herself living on a reserve outside town, with a new stepfather, a new stepbrother, and a new name-"Blondie." In town, white was the ambient noise, the no-colour background. On the reserve, she's White, and most seem to see her only for her blond hair and blue eyes. Her mother's no help. She never leaves the house, gripped by her fear of the "wild Indians" beyond Martin's doorstep. But Josie can't afford to hide out forever. She has to go to school, and she has to get herself a life, one way or another. So bit by bit, she finds a way through the minefields. She makes a friend, Rose, with whom she tries to bridge the chasms between out and in, white and Indian, town and reserve. She finds a family in Martin, Luke, and Grandma. And bit by bit, the place itself, the reserve-the run-down houses, the way the people live in them and around them, the forest and the sea-finds its way into her, like nothing else ever has, or ever will. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024910 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Includes index. Young readers can dive into The Wonder in Water and discover just what's in the wet stuff, from the tiniest raindrop to the largest ocean. There's enough water on this planet to fill 325 million trillion large milk jugs. Start with our own salty sweat. It not only keeps us cool but also feeds the masses of microbes that live on our skin, repelling germs and keeping us healthy. From sprinkles of sweat, readers can journey on to: Falling Raindrops -- Water from the sky can contain life as small as an amoeba and as large as a turtle; Patchy Puddles -- Nurseries for toads, bistros for bugs, or bait for the meat-eating pitcher plant; Freshwater Marshes -- Where fish and frogs frolic, muskrats and moose mingle; Quiet Lakes -- Roads for water-walking lizards; winter homes for microscopic life in ice; Fast-flowing Rivers -- Only for the strong (salmon) or the clingy (black fly larvae); Salty Seas -- Home to more life than anywhere else on Earth. Young children will thrill to this watery expedition with Diane Swanson as their guide. There is microscopic photography to amaze, along with images that enhance the engrossing facts in the text and sidebars. [By Diane Swanson] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024909 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Includes index. Over the course of history, humankind has achieved remarkable things: the Great Pyramids, space travel, and the World Wide Web. But what about the eccentricities, the famous bloopers, the bits that have been edited out for so long, like pet rocks, air guitar contests, and turkey-and-gravy soda? It's time to embrace, not erase! With They Did WHAT?!, Jeff Szpirglas awards the booby prize to history's most absurd behaviors and creations. "What if" scenarios parody ridiculous events: "What if the latest fad was barracuda swallowing?" (Forget goldfish.) Recurrent characters, Professor and Student, engage in a witty banter, offering quirky facts and related information. Dave Whamond's playful illustrations complement this satirical mix of history, science, and culture. [Jeff Szpirglas ; illustrated by Dave Whamond] Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:49:35 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=S02762 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:52:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024915 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Seventh-grader Steve Brixton is an avid reader of the Bailey Brothers series, and he's about to get a chance to put the detective tactics he's read so much about into practice. He's out to solve a mystery being investigated by America's most secret crime solving agency: the United States Department of Library Sciences. It will take all of Steve's skills to navigate this story of intrigue and crime as he tracks down the missing quilt (yes, quilt) containing all of America's secrets. Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:52:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=S02763 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:52:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024917 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Jon and Tania attend a costume party at a New York City museum full of ancient arms and armor. They discover a ghost lurking in the shadows, trying to protect a sword for the French knight he once served. Tania is determined to help the ghost move on -- but how, when the knight who could release him from his promise is long since dead, and they can't even speak his language? Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:52:27 -0500 http://media2.hwcdsb.ca/display/226?t=024916 To be used with the HWCDSB Teacher's Guide: "Literature circles, introduction : getting started with literature circles". Take one prankster, put her together with the editor of the world's most boring school newspaper, add one over-worked principal, and you've got a recipe for the most chaotic few weeks in the history of Upland Green Elementary. The unlikely duo of Martin Wettmore, editor and expert grammarian, and Trixi Wilder, prankster extraordinaire, is given the task of improving the pathetic sales of their school newspaper. Martin and Trixi clash over everything from journalistic integrity (Trixi has none) to imagination (Martin has none). But when the paper starts to wreak havoc at the school, Principal Baumgartner shuts it down and assigns Trixi to Saturday morning bus-washing duty. To redeem themselves, Martin and Trixi resolve to create one very special edition of the Upland Green Examiner. Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:52:27 -0500