“An odd shaped shell caught my eye. . . . I turned it over. . . . It was a tiny, perfect skull.” 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.

How can Canadian educators begin to instill cultural sensitivity and social awareness in elementary and secondary school students? This vital text attempts to answer that question by bringing together literacy scholars and practicing teachers in a unique cross-Canadian exploration of children’s literature and social justice. Through reflection on the experience of teaching with various Canadian texts including picture books, novels, and graphic novels, the contributors behind Challenging Stories create a “pedagogy of discomfort” that will encourage both educators and their students to develop critical literacy skills. The compelling contributions to this collection highlight the complexities of teaching with texts that address issues of discrimination, historical marginalization, colonialism, racial and gender intolerance, sexual orientation, language, and cultural diversity. The authors offer first-hand insight into the possibilities and challenges of implementing curricular and pedagogical changes to promote equity and social justice in the classroom. Featuring the stories of participating teachers and an annotated bibliography of children’s literature, this invaluable resource will prove to be essential reading for current and future educators.

Designed to cue imagination and enhance creativity, the guided exercises and fun-filled suggestions in this innovative book integrate elements of writing with simple movements and yoga principles to create a safe and joyful learning experience.

Organized around the 6+1 writing traits, this practical book is chock-full of writing tips, strategies, and fun activities.

This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt’s Nova Scotia remains the most comprehensive guide available to this increasingly popular region of eastern Canada. New direct flights from the UK make visiting easier than ever before, helping to fuel the growth of tourist numbers to the many new distilleries and wineries, all of which are covered in this new edition. Virtually surrounded by the sea, the region boasts 4,600 miles of coastline, superb seafood, a rich folklore, quiet roads and a wealth of outdoor pursuits. Travelling here feels like going back to a time when life's pleasures were simpler: shopping at a Farmers’ Market or a roadside fruit stall, buying lobster fresh off the boat at the wharf, or photographing the lighthouse by the old fishing village. What’s more, it's not hard to get off the beaten track here.

Shannon is thrilled when her mom becomes pregnant. After years of hoping and praying, Shannon will be a big sister. They will be a normal, happy family. Shannon likes normal. As an experienced middle-schooler, she knows that she does not want to stand out, to be weird or different. But when her baby brother is born, things do not go according to plan. God does not seem to be following the rules. And Shannon does something that is so out of character, not even she can explain it. Sent away to Camp Outlook, Shannon has several bizarre experiences, crushes on the student minister, and starts to re-consider how important being "normal" really is.

"Murderer. It's one kick in the belly of a word isn't it? Has a taste, too. It tastes like barbed wire and has wild hyena eyes. Murderer. Murder-her. Did he? Did I? That's when I remember what I want to forget." Jake Upshore has loved Skye Derucci since before he can remember. Volatile, complex and frustrated (he's got a label disorder from all the labels he's been given) at the best of times, Jake's on a desperate quest to find Skye before she aborts the baby he believes is his. As he hurtles headlong toward certain tragedy, Jake relives the fatal choices he's made and the powerful forces that have led him to this to end. A gripping thriller and a heart-wrenching love story, Pluto's Ghost is a raw and powerful novel about anger, escape, and redemptive love.

Helps students choose novels to match reading interests and abilities and suggests response activities to demonstrate the students' growth as literate learners.

Based on extensive research on the features that make children's books appealing and appropriate, this valuable teacher resource offers guidance on selecting books, strategies for specific grade levels, suggestions for extension, and tips for assessment. This teacher-friendly book is organized around the major genres -- traditional literature, picture books, nonfiction, poetry, and multicultural texts -- that will inspire young readers. Throughout the book, teachers will find suggestions for using literature to implement shared reading, reading aloud, and response strategies with emergent, developing, and independent readers.

The award-winning, bestselling author takes readers on “a thrilling joy-ride through a week in the life of a self-made woman facing her deepest fears” (Sea and Be Scene). With all the wisdom, humor and joy we’ve come to expect from Sheree Fitch, Kiss the Joy as It Flies, first published in 2008, marked the well-loved author’s move from children’s literature to adult fiction. Set in the fictional Maritime town of Odell, with a cast of exasperating but lovable characters, Kiss the Joy as It Flies promises to be a remarkable debut and a reader’s favorite. Panic-stricken by the news that she needs exploratory surgery, forty-eight-year-old Mercy Beth Fanjoy drafts a monumental to-do list and sets about putting her messy life in order. Among other things (hide the vibrator!), she’s determined to finally uncover the identity of her secret admirer; reconnect with long-lost friend and rival Teeny Gaudet; and, most importantly, get her hands on the note her father left before committing suicide all those years ago. But tidying up the edges of her life means the past comes rushing back to haunt her and the present keeps throwing up more to-dos. Between fits of weeping and laughter, ranting and bliss, Mercy must contemplate the meaning of life in the face of her own death. In a week filled with the riot of an entire life, nothing turns out the way she’d expected. “Kiss the Joy as It Flies is funny and heartbreaking and thought-provoking and sometimes all three—and more—at once. Fitch made us wait a long time for her first novel, but it was worth it. It’s a rare and lovely book.” —January Magazine