Elem_ Extra Books from CanLit For Kids Books

Elementary Extras

Addendums to

Winter - 2008 - 2009

The book packages listed below are from our previous packages and are not currently for sale online.

They are presented here as a sample of the grade level appropriate type of books CanLit selects and offers to school libraries.

These book packages can be ordered (depending on availability of books) by email (canlit@shaw.ca) or by calling CanLit toll free at 1-888-656-9906.

PICTURE BOOKS	Back to Book Packages 2008 - 2009
	Clancy With The Puck by Chris Mizzoni Regular List Price: $19.95 Suggested Grades: Elementary The hapless-but-heroic Clancy has everything the fans love: he’s as skillful as Wayne Gretzky; as charismatic as Pierre Trudeau; and as arrogant as Don Cherry. But when Clancy is given the chance to win the hearts of hometown fans and take home the Stanley Cup, our hero blows it in the final period. This story is a delightful twist on the classic baseball poem “Casey at the Bat”and will be loved by hockey fans of all ages.
	Orphan Boy, The (rev.ed.) by Tololwa M. Mollel Paul Morin (Illustrator) Regular List Price: $21.95 Suggested Grades: Elementary This award-winning picture book is a retelling of a Maasai legend about the planet Venus and tells of a loyal affection between an old man and an orphan boy and of their broken trust. Elegant and tender text is accompanied by luminous paintings which capture the sun-baked earth and dramatic beauty of East Africa. First published in 1990 and met with national and international honors, this edition has been redesigned and added to. Reviewed by Gregory Bryan. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, January, 2009 Highly Recommended. “There is much about the book that cannot better be described than with the word, "beautiful." Morin captures the beauty of traditional African dress and, although written in prose, Mollel's writing has a beautifully poetic, lyrical quality to it. The writing is descriptive and engaging. ... a treat to the senses and has wide appeal. Children and their parents will be spellbound by Mollel and Morin's work.”
	Pounce de Leon by Tim Wynne-Jones Alfredo Tapia (Illustrator) Regular List Price: $19.95 Suggested Grades: K to 3 Pounce de Leon, a mischievous, loving cat, adopts Mrs. Florida Brown as his constant companion. Pounce’s job is to look after the aging Mrs. Brown. If her knuckles ache, he lets her pat him for a good long time. When her tummy acts up, he sits on her until she feels better. And if she’s lonely at night, he lets her curl up right there beside him. When Mrs. Brown speaks of a mysterious, beautiful girl and a lost fountain of youth, Pounce sets out on a quest to find it for his loving owner. What he finds might just be the ticket to rejuvenate Mrs. Florida Brown and rekindle her zest for life. Beautifully illustrated.
	The West Is Calling: Imagining British Columbia by Sarah N. Harvey & Leslie Buffam Regular List Price: $19.95 Suggested Grades: K to 7 Pages: 32 Combining evocative haiku, informative text and luminous illustrations, The West Is Calling is a celebration of one hundred and fifty years of British Columbia's history. Each detail-rich illustration depicts a particular moment in the province's dynamic saga, from pre-contact Haida culture, to the natural resources-fueled economic boom in the 1960s and beyond, to Expo 86, to the opening up of the North and the growing appreciation of First Nations' traditions. Reviewed by Ellen Heaney. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, December, 2008 Recommended. “The West is Calling is a picture book for the occasion, presenting snapshots of British Columbia history which feature places and periods deemed to be of importance. Our look at British Columbia's history begins in a Haida village and covers, among other things, the Cariboo gold rush, the building of the railroad, Emily Carr and the spirit bear before coming back full circle to the same native settlement in the present day.”
FICTION	Back to Book Packages
	Captain Jake by Shannon Stewart Ben Hodson (Illustrator) Regular List Price: $6.95 Suggested Grades: 2 to 4 Pages: 59 Jake loves to hunt for treasure, so when the famous pirate Captain Kidd asks him to be his cabin boy, he can't refuse. But Jake soon learns that bringing home an invisible pirate can be a real disaster, particularly when the pirate is mortally terrified of his teenage sister. There are many rules of the sea, and Captain Kidd's own cabin boy, Richard Barleycorn, teaches Jake how to face his biggest fear, Boris Baxter, the meanest boy in the whole school.
	How We Were by Teddy Jam Ange Zhang (Illustrator) Regular List Price: $25.00 Suggested Grades: 2 to 5 Pages: 56 Four of Teddy Jam's best-loved stories about the men and women who lived in and transformed Canada in the last century are collected in this handsome volume illustrated by Ange Zhang. Each story recaptures a time now past and a way of life now lost but vividly remembered. Fully illustrated throughout, How We Were is a great first story collection or read-aloud selection. It includes the following stories: The Year of Fire, The Fishing Summer, The Stoneboat and The Kid Line. Reviewed by Valerie Nielsen. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, December, 2008 Recommended. “Each story celebrates a way of life which, although lost, is remembered in vivid detail in the voice of a young narrator ... not only a fine tribute to the ordinary people whose courage and determination were instrumental in building this country, but also it is a loving and nostalgic collection of stories which need to be remembered and passed on to each generation. ”
	One Hundred Shining Candles by Janet Lunn Regular List Price: $19.99 Suggested Grades: K to 3 Ten-year-old Lucy is a pioneer girl in the Upper Canada of 1800. Her imagination fired by the schoolmaster’s stories of Christmas memories, Lucy sets about making a special Yuletide gift - something her frail mother will be able to remember and cherish forever. But even with the unwelcome help of her little brother, Dan, making one hundred handmade candles to light on Christmas night is a daunting task.
	Sharing Snowy by Marilyn Helmer Kasia Charko (Illustrator) Regular List Price: $6.95 Suggested Grades: 2 to 4 Pages: 61 More than anything else in the world, Ali wants a pet cat for her birthday. Unfortunately her brother Jay is allergic to cats. One day, Ali discovers that something is sharing her clubhouse with her. To Ali's delight, the new resident is a beautiful white cat, who she names Snowy. Ali thinks that the clubhouse is the perfect home for Snowy. But is she right and, more importantly is Snowy really hers to keep?
	Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger by Kevin Bolger Regular List Price: $12.00 Suggested Grades: 3 to 7 Pages: 224 Something’s rotten in the Kingdom of Armpit, where naughty Prince Harry's pranks around the castle have earned him the nickname The Royal Pain. He loosens the tops on all the Royal Pepper Shakers, riles up the moat monster, and sabotages poor Sir Bedwetter's lances before jousting matches. Enter Sir Fartsalot, the boldest, bravest, and most, potent knight in all the land. He's on a quest to solve the riddle of the Foul West Wind—a ghastly odor that turns up wherever danger's lurking. When Prince Harry convinces him the kingdom is imperiled by a terrible monster called the Booger, Sir Fartsalot thinks he's finally discovered the object of his search. Together they set off to track down the elusive Booger. A riotous read-a-loud full of sly humour, this is not generally an enjoyable genre for us but this one is very funny – honest! Reviewed by John Wilson. Quill and Quire, June, 2008 "Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger is Don Quixote for nine-year-olds, filtered through Captain Underpants and Monty Python. ... The accessibly short chapters are wonderfully enlivened by Stephen Gilpin’s black-and-white drawings, which often sprawl luxuriously over a couple of pages. Those who don’t like this genre might be surprised, and those who do will discover an entertaining and fun example. "
	Yeny and the Children for Peace by Michelle Mulder Regular List Price: $14.95 Suggested Grades: 3 to 7 Pages: 118 Yeny and her family have escaped from the violence in their mountain village in Colombia to live in the city. But danger remains all around her — from groups of armed men who have kidnapped her uncle to a scary bully at school. Yeny feels powerless until her new friends decide to organize a peace carnival. Before long, the peace movement has attracted young people from across the country, and they decide to hold a national vote for peace. Inspired by the Colombian Children’s Movement for Peace - on October 25, 1996, millions of kids throughout Colombia held a vote that resulted in one full day with no bombs, shootings, or kidnappings. The group has been nominated every year since then for the Nobel Peace Prize. Reviewed by Gillian Richardson. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, December, 2008 Highly Recommended. “Yeny and the Children for Peace is highly readable in style, authentic in detail and tough to put down. The fiction-based-on-fact approach, which uses a lively young character to whom preteens will easily relate, is a perfect way to engage interest and initiate discussion. The nonfiction-style cover may present a challenge for librarians in terms of where to shelve this book, as it deserves to be included in curriculum areas of global communities and human rights. It includes photos from UNICEF, which has supported the Children’s Movement for Peace since 1996.”
FOR TOP READERS IN UPPER INTERMEDIATE GRADES	Top of Page
	Archipelago by David Ward Regular List Price: $12.95 Suggested Grades: 5 to 8 Pages: 143 Twelve-year-old Jonah and his mother, a well-known photographer, are on a self-healing mission, exploring the natural beauty of the Queen Charlotte Islands. They are each trying in their own way to get over the tragic loss of father and husband who died in a rock climbing accident months before. Right away Jonah is plunged into a time travel adventure that takes him back 14,000 years when the Charlottes were one of the stops for the ancient peoples making their way from Asia over the Bering Strait and down through the Americas. For Jonah this is a healing quest, teaming with Akilah, the girl from that other time who teaches him survival skills he has never dreamed of. There is menace in the confrontation with the Crossers - more recent arrivals from the Bering Strait - and from all manner of natural hazards. The burgeoning friendship with Akilah arouses all Jonah's generous instincts and yearning for love. Above all, he discovers personal strengths that help him get past the loss of his father, qualities and realizations that he brings back to his mother when the adventure is complete . Reviewed by Dana L. Coates. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, December, 2008 Highly Recommended. “If you like the notion of traveling back in time, then Archipelago by David Ward is a must read for you. Archipelago, which is a fantasy and mystery novel intended for juveniles, takes readers back 14,000 years to the Charlotte Islands. It is based on the theory of the First Peoples crossing from Asia to North America.”
	Chantel's Quest for The Golden Sword by Oliver Neubert Regular List Price: $9.95 Suggested Grades: 6 to 9 Pages: 224 Unleashed by a vengeful spirit, a force of evil is slowly destroying nature and corrupting minds. Chantel, the Princess of Freedom, is the only one who can save the world from darkness — but only if she can retrieve four ancient relics, each hidden in a far-flung corner of the world. With the help of a warrior mouse and a fox bat, Chantel begins her search in the Land of the North, where she must find the powerful Golden Sword. Unfortunately, someone else is determined to locate the sword first: the Snow Walker, the brutal Warlord of the North. As she struggles though icy, unfamiliar territory to unearth the magical relic, Chantel makes an amazing discovery that holds the key to the planet’s future. But is it too late? With an exciting plot and a simple writing style, Chantel's Quest: The Golden Sword is perfect for reluctant readers, while Chantel’s journey away from the security of her guardian and into the unknown resonates with all young readers. Reviewed by Daphne Hamilton. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, August, 2008 Highly Recommended. “Oliver Neubert has created an intriguing world, full of interesting creatures and beings. Neubert has managed to create a wide variety of creatures and beings without resorting to the stereotypes of the genre. ... has created an engaging first book about the Four Lands, with fantastic characters and a solid story.”
	A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson Regular List Price: $8.99 Suggested Grades: 5 to 7 Pages: 224 Kit Pearson’s long-awaited new novel tells the story of the five Bell children, each of them coping in various ways in the aftermath of their mother’s death. Set in the 1950s and seen through the perspective of the middle child, 11-year-old Corrie, Pearson’s story illustrates how a rich fantasy life both helps and hinders children trying to cope with loss, loneliness, and growing up. While elder sister Roz is maturing and out of the desire for fantasy games, eldest brother Sebastian, who fancies himself Sir Lancelot in their Round Table game, continues to need them as much as ever, creating tension in the family. Corrie becomes concerned and worries that Sebastian may have lost his grip on reality. A beautiful family story – nostalgic really – for those days before computers and video games when imaginative games were complex and creative. A Perfect Gentle Knight shows Pearson at her best: Great writing in a great and gritty tale, told with realism and compassion. Reviewed by Gregory Bryan. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, September, 2007 Highly Recommended. “Young adults will enjoy Pearson's well-crafted, multi-dimensional characters. Despite a setting 50 years distant, the characters resonate with realistic depth and complexity that will intrigue readers who are themselves making the often-difficult transition from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. This is an extremely well written, intriguing book from a superb storyteller.”
NEW IN A SERIES	Top of Page
	Graveyard of the Sea (Disaster Strikes, Book IV) by Penny Draper Regular List Price: $8.95 Suggested Grades: 4 to 7 Pages: 188 High above the crashing waves on the rugged west coast of Canada stands the lighthouse Nell calls home. It’s a tiny world, just the ocean in front and the rainforest in back, but she loves every inch. To make herself helpful she studies the Morse code manual, teaching herself how to be a telegraph operator. And her study pays off the night she sends an S.O.S. for a stricken ship, aground on the rocks. This title is based on two famous west coast shipwrecks. In January 1906, The Valencia, carrying over 100 passengers and 65 crew, missed the turn into Juan de Fuca Strait and ran aground on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A mere eleven months later the Coloma followed. It was a deadly year for the Graveyard of the Pacific, one that spurred the government to build the West Coast Lifesaving Trail, now a world class destination for advanced hikers, as a rescue route for shipwrecked mariners. An important and interesting piece of history.
NON-FICTION BOOKS	Top of Page
	Animals at the EDGE: Saving the World's Rarest Creatures by Jonathan Baillie & Marilyn Baillie Regular List Price: $9.95 Suggested Grades: 2 to 7 Pages: 48 Animals at the EDGE introduces readers to eleven extraordinary animals at the edge of extinction, and the intrepid scientists and researchers who are working hard to ensure a safe future for them. These compelling stories offer a unique perspective on endangered species in hope that we are actively seeking solutions to protect the world’s most vulnerable creatures. Reviewed by Janice Foster. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, December, 2008 Highly Recommended. “Animals at the EDGE provides young readers and researchers with a different take on the topic of endangered animals. Not only are readers introduced to 11 unknown and unusual species, they are also introduced to young, enthusiastic scientists. In the scientists' first person accounts, readers discover what inspires young people to become involved in a scientific program like EDGE.”
	Courage and Compassion: Ten Canadians Who Made a Difference by Rona Arato Regular List Price: $19.95 Suggested Grades: 4 to 8 Pages: 96 Courage and Compassion profiles ten Canadians whose incredible acts protected the human rights we hold most dear. The names and accomplishments of some will be immediately familiar to readers while others may be more unsung heroes, but all shared a strong belief that they must act according to their conscience to make the country and the world a better place. Profiles include Lester B. Pearson, Craig Keilburger, Elijah Harper and others.
	CTON's Super A-Maze-Ing Year of Crazy Comics: Puzzles, Mazes, Blobs, and More! by Clayton Hanmer Regular List Price: $19.95 Suggested Grades: Elementary Pages: 56 For young readers who enjoy super, crazy, ridiculous fun, this is the ultimate action-packed-comic-maze-fun book ever made! Themed by the four seasons, with captivating choose-your-own-adventure comic mazes and ridiculous make-believe contraptions, this book is immediately engaging and endlessly re-readable. There is a lot of entertainment and detailed reading contained within. Just the thing to capture the attention of reluctant readers. NOTE: The mazes are about direction and detail and are not consumable.
	Dominant Dany Heatley by Dany Heatley; Lorna Nicholson (Forward by Wayne Gretzky) and Unbeatable Martin Brodeur by Andrew Podnieks Regular List Price: $14.95 (per title) Suggested Grades: 6 and up Pages: 80 These titles chronicle the careers of their particular subject from their early childhood playing amateur hockey to their NHL debuts. Both have interesting stories to tell about games played and lessons learned. This informative, clearly written and up-to-date series draws the reader into the world of professional hockey.

	Our Powerful Planet: The Curious Kid's Guide to Tornadoes, Earthquakes, and Other Phenomena by Tim O'Shei Regular List Price: $16.95 Suggested Grades: 4 to 7 Examining how climates create and affect weather, this book provides a close-up look at the science behind some of the most common phenomena (like thunderstorms), some of the most destructive phenomena (like hurricanes and floods), and some of the most rare and mysterious phenomena (like rogue waves). It also discusses how changes in the Earth's environment are affecting these powerful phenomena. A glossary of terms is included. Given the winter weather recently experienced by many Canadians, this book is a timely one! Reviewed by Gail Hamilton. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, November, 2008 Highly Recommended. “Following the introduction, the book is divided into three main sections - air phenomena, land phenomena and water phenomena. The focus of the section on air phenomena is thunderstorms, lightning, hurricanes, floods and ice storms - their formation and the damage that they can cause. Land phenomena include earthquakes and volcanoes, while the section on water phenomena concentrates on tsunamis...Excellent colour diagrams, maps and photographs serve to further explain the concepts.”
	The Unknown Soldier by Linda Granfield Regular List Price: $19.99 Suggested Grades: 4 and up Following World War I, countries mourned their fallen. In 1920, both France and England erected memorials to lost heroes who had remained anonymous. Around the world, countries followed suit, each country creating its own version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This book looks at over a dozen memorials around the world, with over 100 photos that helps us to remember those who served, both known and unknown. Readers learn how DNA testing has identified many unknown Canadian soldiers and how today, the burial of today’s fallen soldiers is handled much differently, thanks to new technologies. Reviewed by Thomas F. Chambers. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, September, 2008 Highly Recommended. “The book deals with the history and traditions regarding unknown soldiers from the First World War to the 21st century. Each page is illustrated with functional photographs in both colour and black and white. In addition, the book has an index, a useful glossary, and “Significant Events,” a timeline from 1914-2004. ... An innovative teacher will find numerous ways in which to use The Unknown Soldier beyond Remembrance Day, and its contents will provoke many questions from eager young minds.”
ABORIGINAL EDUCATION	Top of Page
	Qanuq Pinngurnimata: Inuit Stories of How Things Came to Be by Rachel A. Qitsualik & Sean A. Tinsley Emily Fiegenschuh & Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall (Illustrators) Regular List Price: $14.95 Suggested Grades: 7 and up Pages: 56 Two northern writers have collaborated to produce mesmerizing prose interpretations of Inuit creation stories. Readers will be drawn in by the humour, wisdom, and depth of these inspired tellings, which invite a contemporary audience to learn from and be moved by the rich mythology of Canadian Inuit. Richly illustrated and published in Nunavut.
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