New Leaves!

Congratulations to all SCBWI Canada East members whose work was released this year! This adds many new leaves to our tree. If you are a member of SCBWI living in eastern Canada and would like us to add your book(s) to this listing, please enter your request here.

Be sure to visit our Leaves Index to view books published by our talented members in previous years.

For information about the winners of SCBWI-Canada awards, please visit our Hall of Fame.

Becky Lennox has an opinion on simply everything to do with grade six, but hers are not the kinds of tips you get from teachers.

The five interconnected stories in this middle-grade comedy take Becky through an entire school year, as she shares everything she learns about the real problems tween girls face, from jealousy and forgiveness to crushes, first dates, and class trips to remember.

Posted: November 2011

Quick-witted, prank-pulling graffiti artist Maxwell Connors is more observant than the average New Middletown teenager. And he doesn't like what he sees. New Middletown's children are becoming frighteningly obedient, and their parents and teachers couldn't be happier. As Max and his friend Dallas watch their classmates transform into model citizens, Max wonders if their only hope of freedom lies in the unknown world beyond New Middletown's walls, where creativity might be a gift instead of a liability.

This book is for those who like their dystopias with a rich character sauce and a side of humour.

Posted: November 2011

My Cat Isis
by Catherine Austen
illustrated by Virginie Egger
Kids Can Press, 2011.
ISBN 978-1-55453-413-5 hbk.
32 pages

Thousands of years ago, Isis was worshipped as an Ancient Egyptian goddess, the revered daughter of Earth and Sky. Today, there is a cat named Isis who is just as special in one boy’s eyes.

This dazzling work of paper- and photo-collage, painting, and pen-and-ink illustration is both an homage to a beloved family pet and a journey into the realm of Ancient Egyptian myth. Through a series of light-hearted comparisons between his cat and its goddess namesake, a young boy reveals surprising and playful similarities and differences between their two worlds. The most obvious similarity? Isis the cat may not be a goddess, but her people couldn’t adore her more!

My Cat Isis is an ideal book for pet lovers and lovers of ancient history alike. Tongue-in-cheek text and striking illustrations bring this unusual story to life.

Posted: March 2011

Based on the idea that knowledge is power, The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea shows how the ocean works and why this immense ecosystem needs our protection. Experiments using everyday materials help explain scientific concepts, such as why the ocean is salty, how temperature affects water density, and why fish don't get waterlogged.

A focus on pollution and other ecological hazards raises awareness. Young scientists will gain a hands-on understanding of how "booms" clean oil spills and how a garbage patch roughly twice the size of Texas came to exist in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Newsy sidebars bring readers up to date on efforts to combat environmental hazards—such as the use of oysters to help squelch pollution in urban waterways. An ideal tool for classroom use, or the perfect way to spend a rainy day, The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea is an essential part of any science library.

Posted: February 2012

Traditional “juba” rhythms have a long history. They originated in Nigeria as hand-clapping games. People who were brought to the New World as slaves fought hard to keep their culture alive against terrible odds. They transformed “juba” rhythms into work songs that were passed down orally.

Juba This, Juba That is based on one of the most popular songs. With its strong beat and read-along repetition, it will delight small children. Along with all the fun, there’s fascinating history, as well as concepts including opposites and prepositions. Children will have fun discovering the story told in the art about a boy named Juba who follows a mysterious yellow cat on a magical, middle-of-the night adventure that leaves them both happy . . . and ready for slumber.

Posted: February 2012

It’s all about YOU!

Are you BFF material, or a drama queen? Are you a chocolate-chip cookie or an oatmeal-raisin? Just how much do you know about vampires?

In this hilarious quiz book, you’ll find out the answers to questions like these and more. With a mix of jokes and facts, there’s something for everyone!

Posted: February 2012

Set in the Rocky Mountain borderlands, Trouble in the Hills is an action-packed adventure that pits an injured teen against the elements as he tries to elude kidnappers and drug runners.

After a fight with his father, Cam takes to the hills that surround his small, mountain community where an error in judgment leads to a serious mountain biking accident. As he slowly makes his way back to town over cold, inhospitable terrain, he encounters a trio of kidnappers, the girl who escaped them, his former best friend, and a gang of drug runners.

Posted: February 2012

Champions of Women's Rights; Leading Canadian women and their battles for social justice
by Moushumi Chakrabarty
James Lorimer
ISBN 1-55277-727-8 pbk.
128 pages

The stories of Canadian women who challenged the establishment and paved the way for greater equality are compelling. From the mid-1800s to the 1920s, when women had few civil rights in Canada, pioneering women activists made their presence strongly felt in political life and achieved important early gains. There were the Famous Five, now honoured with a statue on Parliament Hill, agitating for the vote for women, but there were many others. In the fields of politics, medicine, agriculture, trade unions. and education, women like Lea Roback, Charlotte Whitton, Anna Leonowens, and Emily Stowe showed everyone that it was no longer a man's world. Their stories are told in this lively book.

Posted: June 2011

Posted: February 2012

Tooter's Stinky Wish
written by Brian Cretney
illustrated by Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2011.
ISBN 978-1-55455-165-1 Hbk
32 pages

Posted: August 2011

If It's No Trouble . . . A Big Polar Bear
by Lisa Dalrymple
illustrated by Elizabeth Pratt
Tuckamore Books, 2012.
ISBN 13: 978-1897174951
32 pages

Posted: January 2013

Gabby
written by Joyce Grant
illustrated by Jan Dolby
Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishers, 2013
ISBN 978-1-55455-250-4
32 pages

Posted: March 201344444444444

The Orphan Rescue
by Anne Dublin
illustrated by Qin Leng
Second Story Press, 2010.
ISBN 978-1-897187-81-4 pbk.
124 pages

Posted: June 2011

The Midnight Curse
by L.M. Falcone
Kids Can Press, 2010.
ISBN 9781554533589 hbk.
ISBN 9781554533596 pbk.
208 pages

"You can eat as much as you want; play as much as you want. You'll never have to go to school; you'll never have to work." Sound good? Think again. In order to get these wonderful things, all 11-year-old Charley Darcy has to do is sleep in water—from midnight till dawn—every night of his life.

Posted: December 2011

What if animals and plants knew math, just like you? Would leaves fall in patterns? Would whales enter a race?
In Counting on Fall, the first title in the Math in Nature series, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of number sense and numeration. The engaging “What if?” format of this informational picture book is sure to delight five- to seven-year-olds.

Each of the four books in the Math in Nature series will cover one season of the year and one area of the math curriculum. Colorful, cut-paper collage art uniquely evokes the natural world, while two levels of text—one a lyrical story, the other asking children to problem-solve—bring the reader to a full understanding of the math concept being covered.

Posted: October 2012

Every night, Sam scurries to his covert dog house. It’s filled with computers, security cameras, and a police scanner so he can get the 411 on what’s going on in the neighborhood from his boss, Officer Stone. When Sam hears about a burglary taking place, he rushes to the scene and saves the day, leaving everyone confused—because only Officer Stone knows that Sam is an undercover police dog.

Posted: May 2012

In a village devastated by a flood, a young girl, Chandra, must find the strength and courage to survive—with the mysterious help of her mother’s old flute.

An exquisite original folk tale set in India, this is a story of the power of music to inspire resilience and hope.

“Gilmore knows how to tell a compelling tale and make a picture book story sing.”
—Quill & Quire, July/August 2011

Posted: September 2011

That Boy Red
by Rachna Gilmore
HarperCollins Canada, 2011.
ISBN 978-1-55468-459-5 pbk.
208 pages

First came Anne Shirley-now meet Red MacRae.

Eleven-year-old Roderick “Red” MacRae never has much spare time. It is the Depression and times are hard. When he isn’t at school, he’s helping Pa with chores on their P.E.I. farm or being nagged to do his homework by his older sister Ellen, who is also his teacher. Red tries to be responsible and help his family, but all too often he gives in to impulse-and lands himself in the midst of hair-raising and hilarious misadventures involving runaway horses, cow dung, lost sisters, outhouses, and even aeroplanes. But when Pa is seriously injured, Red must step up to the challenge to finish the tobacco caddies his father makes for credit at the local store.

An episodic novel, That Boy Red traces the coming of age of a resourceful, pig-headed young lad during a particularly difficult year, while celebrating the strength and spirit of a large, lively Canadian family living through the Depression.

Posted: September 2011

Cape Town
by Brenda Hammond
Great Plains Teen, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-926531-18-2 hbk.
328 pages

In 1989, South Africa is on the brink of dramatic change. Oblivious and unaffected, Renee Pretorius, the daughter of strict Afrikaans parents, leaves her beloved Karoo farm to pursue her dream of studying ballet at the University of Cape Town.

Plunged into the turmoil of a city gripped in a struggle for freedom, Renee begins to understand the horrific impact of the apartheid system, and the racial prejudices she never questioned while growing up. When Renee falls in love with a student activist, she’s forced to make the most heart-rending choice of her life.

Posted: August 2012

Time Meddlers Undercover
by Deborah Jackson
LBF Books, 2009
ISBN 9781897562437
135 pages

One of Canada’s top scientists has found the secret to time travel. But something has gone horribly wrong . . . again.

Dr. Barnes’s son, Matt, learns that his time-travelling father is trapped in war-ravaged Holland. With his best friend, Sarah Sachs, he travels to occupied Holland—in that time-period a hornet’s nest of danger and intrigue—to rescue his father. Everything runs amuck when they have difficulty convincing others they’re telling the truth. They encounter courageous pilots, determined spies, gallant members of the Dutch resistance, and ordinary heroes. Amazing circumstances even bring Matt and Sarah face to face with legendary Anne Frank.

Can Matt and Sarah rescue the Allied spies and others destined for terrible fates? Dare they interfere with history . . . again?

Ultimately, Matt faces a choice that could mean a sacrifice greater than he ever dreamed. Will Matt be able to live with his decision, or will it rip his heart in two?

Posted: February 2010

Dogsled Dreams
by Terry Lynn Johnson
4RV Publishing, 2010.
ISBN 9780982642344 pbk.
36 pages

Twelve-year-old Rebecca dreams of becoming a famous sled dog racer.

Rebecca runs her huskies along the crisp trails near Thunder Bay, Ontario, where northern lights flare and dangerous beavers lurk. A self-doubting but inventive musher, she tackles blinding blizzards, wild animal attacks, puppy training, and flying poo missiles.

All of these challenges seem easier than living up to the dogs' trust in her abilities. But through the bond they share, Rebecca learns that hard work, dedication, and living in the moment bring their own rewards.

Posted: November 2011

A Tour of Your Circulatory System
by Karen Ballen
illustrated by Chris Jones
Capstone Press, 2012.
ISBN 13: 9781429686044
ISBN 10: 1-4296-8604-9
24 pages

In graphic novel format, follow Ruby the red blood cell as she travels through and explains the workings of the human circulatory system.

Reading Level: 1-2
Interest Level: K-3

Posted: August 2012

A Tour of Your Digestive System
by Molly Kolpin
illustrated by Chris Jones
Capstone Press, 2012.
ISBN 13: 9781429684309
ISBN 10: 1-4296-8430-5
24 pages

In graphic novel format, follow Peter Pea as he travels through and explains the workings of the human digestive system.

Reading Level: 1-2
Interest Level: K-3

Posted: August 2012

A Tour of Your Muscular and Skeletal Systems
by Katie Clark
illustrated by Chris Jones
Capstone Press, 2012.
ISBN 13: 9781429686051
ISBN 10: 1-4296-8605-7
24 pages

In graphic novel format, follow Bradley Bone as he travels through and explains the workings of the human muscular and skeletal systems.

Reading Level: 1-2
Interest Level: K-3

Posted: August 2012

A Tour of Your Nervous System
by Molly Kolpin
illustrated by Chris Jones
Capstone Press, 2012.
ISBN 13: 9781429687393
ISBN 10: 1-4296-8739-8
24 pages

Posted: August 2012

A Tour of Your Respiratory System
by Mary Reina
illustrated by Chris Jones
Capstone Press, 2012.
ISBN 13: 9781429686525
ISBN 10: 1-4296-8652-9
24 pages

Posted: August 2012

Jackson Jones: The Tale of a Boy, an Elf, and a Very Stinky Fish
written by Jenn Kelly
illustrated by Adrianne Elsammack
Zondervan, 2010.
ISBN 978-0310720799 Hbk.
272 0 pages

Sometimes you have to get lost to figure out where you're going. All Jackson wants is to be the hero, for just once in his life. The hero who steps in at the last minute to save the universe. The hero who saves the entire village from a raging fire.

Great Aunt Harriett is always telling Jackson to find his own story, but so far his story doesn't seem very exciting. Until he falls into Great Aunt Harriett's hair, that is. There, Jackson will encounter a world of elves, trap doors, bubblegum-blowing birds, hairy-backed spiders, kangaroo meat, and perilous danger that requires ... a hero.

Posted: January 2011

It’s 1944, and the world is at war. While most seventeen-year-old girls in London are running air-raid drills, Betty Sweeney is determined to make a real difference. Lying about her age, Betty joins the Special Operations Executive, a top-secret government agency that trains spies and sends them behind enemy lines.

Now known by her alias, Adele Blanchard, she parachutes into Nazi–occupied France, under cover of darkness. Joining forces with the underground Resistance movement, Adele must relay crucial messages in anticipation of the Allied invasion on D-Day, although even a small mistake could land her in the hands of the ruthless Gestapo. Prepared to die for her cause, Adele doesn’t expect to become best friends with her fellow agent nor that she will fall for a handsome American pilot.

With the brutality of war ever present, can Adele dare to dream of a future where the world is at peace and she is free to live and love of her own accord?

Posted: January 2013

In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice, the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read.

Posted: July 2011

In Glory's world, “different” means “deviant”—and dead.

In a post-apocalyptic world, where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders. Glory would give anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But when her brother is discovered, and she learns that their father, who was expunged for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s been her entire world.

Outside in the ruins, Glory and her brother are pursued by the authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quest to transport herself and her brother to safety is the focus of this thrilling and fascinating first volume of The Dust Chronicles.

Posted: January 2013

In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice, the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read.

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is an entirely new type of fairy tale–one that will keep today's kids guessing and offer them hours of magical fun.

Posted: July 2011

Wild Geese, the sequel to the Governor General’s Award–winning novel Greener Grass, follows Kit Byrne and her friend Mick O’Toole after their flight from famine-ravaged Ireland. Across the Atlantic aboard a notorious "coffin ship," through quarantine, and into the heart of North America, the two displaced teenagers endure storms, epidemics, and discrimination. Desperate to find her family in the New World, Kit is willing to sacrifice everything, even her love for Mick, to reunite the remaining orphaned Byrne children. Jack and Annie are out there somewhere, and Kit will not stop searching until she finds them and her family is together again.

The original "Wild Geese" were Irish soldiers fighting outside of Ireland, but the term later came to encompass all the expatriate Irish. People fighting for survival a long, long way from home. People like Kit. This is her Wild Geese story.

Posted: January 2011

Katie of the Sonoran Desert/Katie del Desierto Sonorense)
by Kate Jackson
illustrated by Natalie Rowe
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press, 2009
ISBN 1-886679-15-3 Hbk.
70 pages

This is the true story of Katie, a meter-long western diamondback rattlesnake, and her adventures as she struggles to make a life for herself in the harsh Sonoran Desert. We share Katie’s determination as she hunts for the food she needs, her terror when attacked by vicious predators, and her devotion to the litter of babies she gives birth to.

Although the story is told from Katie's point of view, the reason we know so much about her life is due to the work of scientists, who also appear in the story, using the latest technology to learn more about the private lives of snakes, and ultimately facing a terrible decision when Katie's life is in danger.

This is the perfect read for any child who wonders what it might be like to be a rattlesnake, as well as for older children who want to know more about biologists and the study of reptiles and amphibians (herpetology). This bilingual book, which features side-by-side English and Spanish pages and an extensive reference and glossary section, is suggested reading for children aged 6 to 12.

Posted: April 2010

Blood Brothers in Louisbourg
written by Philip Roy
Cape Breton University Press, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-897009-72-7
141 pages

As the son of an officer, Jacques is expected to pursue a career in the military. In the spring of 1744, at the age of fifteen, Jacques and his father leave France for Louisbourg, the French capital of Île Royale, where Jacques would learn the military arts.

In the Acadian forests that surround the French fortress of Louisbourg, a young Mikmaw man named Two-feathers watches soldiers and citizens whose strange ways are a constant source of wonder. Two-feathers is hoping to find his father who, he has been told, is an important man among the French. They have never met.

Jacques’s life in Louisbourg is a curious mixture of military duties and frequent visits to the Governor’s apartments, where he is teaching the beautiful young daughter of a visiting merchant to play the violoncello.
From his discreet camp outside the walls of the fortress, Two-feathers lives off the land and watches the French, believing that he will know his father when he sees him. At night, he moves silently about the city, and even into the apartments of the Governor, where he befriends a beautiful young woman.

The story culminates in the violent siege of Louisbourg in 1745.

Posted: March 2013

Outlaw in India (Book 5 in the Submarine Outlaw series)
written by Philip Roy
Ronsdale Press, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-55380-177-1
212 pages

In Outlaw in India, the fifth volume in the best-selling Submarine Outlaw series, Alfred and his crew of Seaweed the seagull and Hollie the dog begin their exploration of India with a piece of bad luck when they surface behind a frigate and bring the wrath of the Indian navy down upon them. After a near-fatal encounter off Kochi, Alfred befriends a ten-year-old homeless and illiterate but highly intelligent boy, and is given the chance to explore the changing face of India through the eyes of one of its untouchables. Alfred finds India to be an ancient land filled with extremes of beauty, wealth, tradition, and danger, and is tricked into making an overland pilgrimage to Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest cities. On the journey, he witnesses practices that deny human equality and dignity as well as happy events that celebrate the spirit of new beginnings, as personified by Ganesh, the Hindu god with four arms and the head of an elephant. Alfred cannot help falling in love with India, the most beautiful place he has ever seen. And for the first time, he leaves a part of himself behind.

Posted: March 2013

How to Tend a Grave
by Jocelyn Shipley
Great Plains Teen Fiction, 2012.
ISBN 13: 978-1-926531-19-9
178 pages

When Liam’s mom is killed, he thinks life can’t get any worse. He’s wrong. He’s forced to live with a grandfather he’s never known, in a small town where kids called Youth and Crime lead the local gang. They’re posers, but they mean trouble, and their favourite hangout is the cemetery where Liam’s mom is buried. But the cemetery is also where Liam meets Harmony, a gorgeous but unusual girl who records the names of all the babies buried there long ago. Besides their grief, both Liam and Harmony have secrets.

The very different stories of these two fifteen-year-olds interweave brilliantly in this fast-paced, engaging, and unforgettable novel about family, love, and healing.

Posted: January 2013

Stolen Child
by Marsha Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada, 2010.
ISBN 13: 978-0-545-98612-0
160 pages

Nadia arrives in Canada after the end of World War II, from the Displaced Persons’ camp where she has spent the last five years. But troubling memories and dreams begin to haunt her. Who is she really? She sees images of another family, Nazi uniforms, and Hitler. But can she believe what her dreams are telling her?

Posted: November 2011

The Kayak
by Debbie Spring
Thistledown Press, 2010.
ISBN 978-1-897235-71-3
190 pages

Living life in a wheelchair makes Teresa feel helpless and trapped. All year, she looks forward to her family’s summer trips to Georgian Bay, where she spends as much time as possible in her kayak. On the water, she is strong and unstoppable. She lives for the rush of freedom she feels as she paddles away from shore, leaving teenage stresses far behind.

One day, during an unexpected storm, Teresa rescues a windsurfer and her life changes forever. She learns that things aren’t always as they seem, and that beneath the surface lurk unknown forces that threaten to sweep her away.

Posted: February 2011

The Last Loon
by Rebecca Upjohn
Orca Book Publishers, 2010.
ISBN 9781554692927
144 pages

Posted October 2010

The Secret of the Village Fool
by Rebecca Upjohn
illustrated by Renne Benoit
Second Story Press, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-926920-75-7 hbk.
36 pages

Posted December 2012

Patrick's Wish
by Karen Mitchell with Rebecca Upjohn
Photographs provided by Patrick4Life
Second Story Press, 2010.
ISBN 978-1-897187-70-8 pbk.
24 pages

Posted April 2010

Gift Days
by Kari-Lynn Winters
illustrated by Stephen Taylor
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012.
ISBN 9781554551927 Hardcover
32 pages

Young Nassali longs to read and write like her brother and the other boys in her village, but since her mother's death, Nassali is responsible for looking after her younger siblings and running the household. There is no time for books and learning. Then one day, she wakes up to her first gift day. From that day on, once a week, her brother gives Nassali the gift of time so that she can pursue her dream of an education, just as her mother would have wanted.

Word searches and other literacy activities will soon be available at http://kariwinters.com.

Posted: October 2012

Runaway Alphabet
by Kari-Lynn Winters
illustrated by Ben Frey
Simply Read Books , 2010.
ISBN 9781897476246 Hardcover
32 pages

Join Nan and Pa as they experience the sights--and especially the sounds--of the winter carnival.

This unique phonetic alphabet book can become an adored read-aloud or an early reader. Additionally, it includes a recorded cd.

Posted: May 2010

When Chickens Fly
by Kari-Lynn Winters
illustrated by Izabela Bzymek
Gumboot Books, 2010.
ISBN 9781926691008 pbk.
32 pages

Posted Feburary 2010

Yours Truly
by Nuzhat Kamal
illustrated by Chrissie Wysotski
TRIMATRIX Management Consulting Inc., 2011.
ISBN: 078-1-926863-52-8
40 2 pages.

A heartwarming story of the awesome honour and privilege of raising children. The demands and rewards of childhood and motherhood are captured in this beautifully illustrated story.

Posted: February 2012

There's No Crying in Baseball
written by Anita Yasuda
illustrated by Jorge H. Santillan
Capstone, 2011.
ISBN 1434222268 hbk.
ISBN 1434230775 pbk.
56 pages

Tyler can't wait to play baseball against the teachers at Victory. It is a big event to celebrate school spirit. But before game day arrives, Tyler sprains his ankle. Since he can't play, Tyler wants to skip the game altogether. Will he learn that there's no crying in baseball?

Posted: January 2011