Fiction: Stoneheart

One of the most gripping and exciting fantasies I've read this year, Stoneheart tells the story of George, a schoolboy in London England. When George accidentally breaks off a carved stone dragon's head at the museum, he is propelled into an alternate London, where statues come to life in the streets. George quickly finds that statues in human form are called spits; they can be friendly, if prone to trickery. But taints, statues with animal or monster forms, are always evil, and seek to kill George or use him for their own ends.
George must survive the night, and return the dragon head to the heart of London if he is to return to his former life. He has only the Gunner, and old World War I spit, and Edie, a strange girl who attracts trouble, to help him. And at the end, George must decide whether to abandon his friends in return for safe passage, or to join the war that is raging between the spits and the taints.

Watch for the sequel, Ironhand, in the library now!

Fantasy
Grades 5-10
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Fiction: Red River Girl

For kids who like historical fiction, Red River Girl is the story of Metis Josette Dupre. Josette is the daughter of a French voyageur and an Ojibwe woman, and she dreams of travelling east for a higher education. But when her mother dies, her restless father decides that the family will head south, to the newly founded town of St. Paul, Minnesota. There, Josette finds that she can make a place for her deams after all. Josette's journey is told in diary format, and kids will get an excellent idea about how frontier folk lived; the characters are bright and friendly, and the historical details are well researched.

Fiction

Grades 5-8

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Fiction: The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn

Fourteen year old Seikei would like to be a brave and loyal samurai, but he was born the son of a tea merchant, so that is what he must become. His destiny takes an unexpected turn, however, when Seikei sees a ghostly thief steal a priceless ruby intended for the shogun! Can this son of a merchant prove his courage and worth to the shogun himself?

Part mystery, part adventure, this book is sure to appeal to kids who like their fiction with a dose of historical fact.

Fiction

Grades 5-8

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Fiction: The Ogre Downstairs

Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite fantasy authors. Her books keep you laughing until the last page, and there's always a twist at the end. In this book, Caspar Johnny and Gwinny hate their ogre of a stepfather and his two sons with their whole hearts. Jack (the ogre) gives each set of kids their own chemistry set as a present, and some truly hilarious magic results as the kids find that their potions and concoctions have unexpected power! The kids discover they can fly, switch bodies, and even disappear! Now if only they could figure out how to undo all of this...

Fiction
Grades 4-8
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Fiction: Kensuke's Kingdom

Kensuke's Kingdom is a modern day Robinson Crusoe, written by one of Canada's best children's authors.
11 year old Michael is washed up on the shore of a remote pacific island after a freak storm sweeps him off his parents' small sailboat. With no food or water to be found, Michael has resigned himself to a lonely death. Amazingly, when he wakes a mysterious person has left food and water for him! He soon comes face-to-face with Kensuke, an old Japanese soldier who cautiously protects Michael in spite of the boy's dogged determination to build a bonfire that will signal potential rescuers, defying Kensuke's wish that the outside world never learn of his existence on the island. For nearly a year, the man and boy help each other, moving from an uneasy d‚tente to a deep friendship. What might have been just a gritty tale of survival evolves into a gentle parable about trust, compassion, love, and hope.

Fiction
Grades 4-8
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First Fiction: The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean

When Harriet’s detective (and mind-reading) aunts Thessalonika and Japonica invite her to accompany them on a trip to America, Harriet can’t resist – especially when she learns that there’s yet another long-lost aunt waiting to be found there. And, as if meeting her Aunt Formica weren’t exciting enough, there’s a mystery to solve, too: who has been rustling Aunt Formica’s cattle? This is the third title in Alexander McCall Smith's early chapter book series, and they just keep getting funnier!

First Fiction
Grades 2-4
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Nonfiction with DVD: Holocaust

This 190 page information book is filled with detailed information about judaism, the story of the holocaust, and personal anecdotes from survivors. As well as providing excellent report material, many kids will be fascinated by the historical facts and photographs. The accompanying DVD has video footage of survivors as they share their testimonies from the past.

Nonfiction

Grades 4-7

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