In 1945, Alfred Adams, a respected Haida elder and founding president of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia (NBBC), was dying of cancer. After decades of fighting to increase the rights and recognition of First Nations people, he implored Maisie Hurley to help his people by telling others about their struggle. Hurley took his request to bot …

Charlotte Summers is sure that summer camp is going to be a disaster.

And she’s right. But it’s not as disastrous for her as it is for her counselor, Abby. Abby has no control over the girls in her charge. The control is held by the cabin’s mean girl. Charlotte realizes that she could tip the balance of power and unseat the bully, but does she …

At thirteen, bookish Veronica Reid lives in a world inside her head, even if she isn’t entirely successful at resisting the intrusions of the world outside. It’s bad enough that she has to wear awful new glasses; it’s downright disastrous that she’ll have to spend the summer at Laughing Willows Trailer Park with her obnoxious younger brothe …

"Who owns my life?" Sue Rodriguez was dying of a form of ALS (or Lou Gehrig's disease) when she asked this question of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1993. She was fighting for the right to a physician-assisted death before she became fully paralyzed. At the time, assisted suicide could result in jail time for the participating physician. In a narr …

During Passover, Jews are reminded of how, more than three thousand years ago, their ancestors emerged from slavery to become free men and women.

Bestselling author Monique Polak explores her own Jewish roots as she tells the Passover story, which reminds us that the freedom to be who we are and practice our religion, whatever it may be, is a great …

Clara Hughes has won multiple medals in both summer and winter Olympic Games. As a cyclist and speed skater, Clara pushed through pain to get to the finish line, trying to have her best race every day. Few knew that the same determination and focus were also needed to fight her own personal battles. Abusing drugs and alcohol from her early teens, C …

Sous la Lune de Corbeau est un récit enchanteur qui raconte la création de grand-mère Lune et la façon dont elle a exercé son pouvoir sur un jeune couple qui ne se doutait de rien. L’histoire se déroule sur le territoire du peuple Kwakwaka’wakw, aussi connu de nos jours sous le nom de passage de l’Intérieur, en Colombie-Britannique. Câ …

On the occasion of the press’s 40th anniversary, Brick Books is proud to present the fourth of six new editions of classic books from our back catalogue. This edition of A Really Good Brown Girl features a new Introduction by Lee Maracle, a new Afterword by the author and a new cover and design by the renowned typographer Robert Bringhurst.

First …

There are as many Creation stories as there are First Nations on Turtle Island. The story of a Great Flood is known to indigenous people in every corner of the world. But what about the Moon? Who made her? What was her intended purpose? Beneath Raven Moon is an enchanting tale of the creation of Grandmother Moon and of the first time she wove her s …

I am often asked how a person comes to know their totem. When I am, I answer by asking this question: "If at night, before you close your eyes to travel to your dream time, if then you picture one of your wild cousins to whom you might ask guidance or give thanks, what would it be?" More often than not, your totem will be there, right before your e …

First published more than twenty years ago as My Dear Maggie, this new edition of William Wallace's letters home to England provides rare documentation of the earliest days of settlement in the West. The correspondence conveys a sense of unspoken courage--the courage that was needed to make a fresh start in a strange new land.

"William's letters con …

Lucy has a new luge sled, but she isn’t sure about this unique sliding sport.

You have to lie on your back and steer with your legs? The luge track’s twists and turns look pretty scary too. But with her parents’ support and a bit of courage, Lucy jumps on her sled for a speedy adventure!

Lucy Tries Luge is the first book in the Lucy Tries Sport …

Alex gets a paper route, dreaming of the money he will make and how he will spend it. But it's more work than he bargained for. Not only does he have to figure out how much money he gets to keep, but he also has to face dangers like the savage Yapper Snapper and the dreaded Four-Headed Gargantuan.

Illustrated comic-book-style with the adventures of …

Cody and the Lions are playing great soccer, even if their team has only eleven players. But the arrival of an international company to build a factory on a nearby lake splits the team in two: Cody and his teammates who are worried the factory will pollute the lake vs. the players whose families will benefit from the jobs and opportunities the comp …

This much-loved Hans Christian Andersen classic is repopulated with a cast of penguins, and the Emperor is the best dressed of them all. When two scoundrels convince him that they can make him a suit of magic cloth, it’s not just the Emperor’s vanity that is showing when he wears it in the grand parade for all to see! Recommended reading ages 4 …

The New Land is the story of a 19th-century European immigrant family’s first year of homesteading on the prairie. Mother, Father, John and little Annie travel across the Atlantic by steamship and then the country by train and ox cart to the prairies where they build a sod house and prepare for their first winter. In the Spring, they plant their …

Everyone loves going to the annual fall fair. There are clowns, farm animals, sticky cotton candy and antique tractors on display. Erin can't wait to meet up with her friends at the fair grounds. And, if she's lucky, she may even win a prize ribbon for her giant pumpkin! Going to the Fair is a picture book invitation to visit the annual fall fair a …

From the era of wooden sailing ships and Europe’s golden age of exploration, the story of famed British navigator Henry Hudson tells a classic tale of courage, ambition, and treachery on the high seas. As the leader of four Arctic voyages in 1607, 1608, 1609, and 1610, Hudson searched in vain for a navigable route through the polar ice that would …

In the ultra-competitive junior hockey leagues in the early 1960s, a young man could tolerate nearly anything that helped him stand out from the hordes of other prospects, so John Paris, Jr. did just that. The African-Canadian from Nova Scotia dazzled and dominated on the ice -- often facing racism on and off the ice. It took courage.

They Called Me …

A real fish tale! When "the big one" gets away, Amy figures the day is ruined. Or is it? Set on Canada's west coast, A Morning to Polish and Keep is a story of adventure, family interaction and the lasting comfort of memory.

Beautifully Illustrated by Sheena Lott.

Recommended reading ages: 4-10

Sam’s sister, accompanied by their father, is in a hospital far away from their home on a remote island off the West Coast. Determined to be with his family for Christmas, Sam catches a ride on a Santa Boat, a vessel that will bring Santa Claus and gifts to the children all along the coast before delivering Sam at last to the hospital.

Recommended …

Based on a traditional Japanese folktale, The Magic Ear is a timeless story of true nobility and the importance of respect for all life, however humble. Recommended reading ages: 4-10

More than 250,000 courageous men and women were enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. These Canadians fought valiantly in every major air operation from the Battle of Britain to the bombing of Germany. Thousands lost their lives. Those who survived to tell their stories were forever changed. Here are some of their incredible …

It’s bedtime, but sleep will not come to Tabitha. The bed is cozy. The room is dark and quiet. Her favourite things surround her. She should be able to go to sleep, but something is missing. What can it be? As she lies waiting, the animals call to her. Will the whale lull her to sleep? Can the eagle carry her to dreamland? Or the horse? The frog? …

Meet Justine McKeen, the Queen of Green. She's trying to save the planet, one person at a time, and when she decides to get something done, it's a lot of fun.

When a small bird is injured after flying into a school window, the students are shocked and upset. But they are even more shocked when school bully Jimmy Blatzo rescues the bird and nurses it …

The Legend of the Buffalo Stone is based on the history of the Blackfoot people—specifically their dependence on the buffalo and how they hunted the great animals on foot before horses were brought to North America—and is retold with the permission and under the advisement of a First Nations scholar and member of the Blackfoot nation.

The story …

Throughout the day, April daydreams her way to her favorite place in search of elusive moonsnails. A rhythmic text and Sheena Lott’s beautiful watercolors make it easy for readers to follow April into a world of misty morning fogs, sea stars, sand dollars and sideways scuttling crabs. Readers will discover hermit crabs, tidepool sculpin, sea urch …

Cale Finch has just won second place in a skateboarding competition when he's ambushed on his way home by a member of a rival crew, the Mental Posse. They steal the money that Cale was going to use to replace his broken skateboard. Cale feels embarrassed by what happened, so he doesn't tell anyone right away.
Eventually, Mark Skinner, an older skat …

If This Is Freedom continues the story of struggle for Loyalist settlers in Nova Scotia after the American Revolutionary War. In the black settlement of Birchtown, times are especially hard for the former slaves. They face the difficulties of a hardscrabble existence and continued discrimination from their white counterparts.

Like many desperate Bi …

One Peace celebrates the "Power of One," and specifically the accomplishments of children from around the globe who have worked to promote world peace. Janet Wilson challenges today's children to strive to make a difference in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled and fascinating volume of portraits of many "heroes for today."

Canadian Craig Ki …

In a joyful celebration of both the mountains and winter, a young girl recounts and anticipates a memorable family holiday. Recommended reading ages: 4-8

An original folk tale set in old Japan; The Fox’s Kettle celebrates the triumph of a brave and gentle heart over the forces of cunning and trickery. Recommended reading ages: 4-10

Jessie lives with her parents on a farm a long way from anywhere. There are no other people for miles around. Often, she is lonely. More than anything, Jessie wants a dog; a friend who will play with her, come running when she calls and sleep with its head on her lap. Her mother and father can’t see any need for a dog on a wheat farm. Besides, th …

Amy and Eric are the perfect couple. Popular, good-looking, happy. But after they are seen quarreling at a party, Amy disappears and Eric is the number-one suspect. Amy wakes up alone in a windowless, all-white room. She has no idea how she got there, or who put her there. All she knows is that she has to get out. Eric wakes up to news of Amy's dis …

Eric and Chris are avid geocachers who stumble into a very strange search.

At first they are merely curious, but as the stakes rise and the challenges become more trying, the boys get truly hooked. Convinced they are indeed on the trail of treasure, they become consumed with the search, and though their quest tests their strength, intelligence, cour …

Since women started working in the trades in the 1970s, very little has been published about their experiences. In this provocative and important book, Kate Braid tells the story of how she became a carpenter in the face of skepticism and discouragement.

In 1977 when Braid was broke and out of work, her male friends encouraged her to apply as a labo …

In the early morning of August 19, 1942, over five thousand Canadian troops landed on the beach at Dieppe to reclaim the shore from German troops occupying France. It was a mission doomed from the start. Mere hours later, over two-thirds of the men were dead, wounded, or taken prisoner by German forces. It was the worst disaster in Canadian militar …

Gavin and his friends Mido and Critter are starting high school this year, which means moving from a school with a championship-winning soccer team to a school that doesn't have a team at all. With a little encouragement from his friends and granddad, a former "footballer" from England, Gavin musters up his courage and makes a deal with the school …

Set on the prairies during the twenties, Belle's Journey is a moving story of steadfast devotion and a heroic fight for survival. Reading ages 4-10. This 20th anniversary eBook edition features beautifully enhanced colour illustrations.

An Ottawa Citizen Notable Book for 2012

When Jack Layton died unexpectedly in the summer of 2011, millions of people mourned the loss of a man who had emerged as a much-loved political leader. They saw him as someone who combined values they shared with a personal style they admired.

In this book, co-editors James L. Turk and Charis Wahl have gathere …

When Morgan starts swimming lessons, he has lots of problems to deal with. There is the towel flicking and the slimy floor in the change room. There's the jiggles in his tummy he needs to cover up with his t-shirt and the scary possibility that his suit will drop to his knees when he jumps in. Worst of all, Aldeen Hummell, the Godzilla of Grade Th …

Isaac Brock is the best-known figure of the War of 1812. He is widely credited as the military leader who frustrated the United States in its ambition to invade and take over Canada.

Brock was born in the English Channel Island of Guernsey, where his limited combat experience did nothing to shake his moxy. Before coming to Canada, he faced a challen …

Dorf a toujours été fidèle à sa devise : « Si ça en vaut la peine, fais-le. Si ça n'en vaut pas la peine, fais-le quand même. » Mais il a déménagé à la ville et le terrain est différent. Il ne peut plus faire rouler sa planche oû bon lui semble et il a de la difficulté à s'intégrer à sa nouvelle école. Ses tricks audacieux lui a …

When we think of wild animals, we don't immediately associate them with the cities we live in. But a closer look soon reveals that we share our urban environment with a great many untamed creatures. Heavily illustrated and full of entertaining and informative facts, City Critters examines how and why so many wild animals choose to live in places th …

Cameron has been in trouble with the law more than once for breaking and entering.

After Cameron's latest conviction, he's sent to an outdoor program for young offenders rather than a standard juvenile detention facility. There he meets Brianna, a girl who has been caught selling drugs at her school. They bond quickly, and she convinces Cameron to s …

When twin brothers Evan and Brynley Selkirk move with their family from the remote Cree community of Whapmagoostui to bustling Calgary, their worlds turn upside-down. In place of the grey, frigid waters of Hudson Bay, they see the downtown canyons of a modern city.
Bryn, a musical prodigy, trades piano practice for hockey practice to impress a ne …

Fast-paced sports action novels that get kids reading.

In this sequel to Interference, Josh is off to an elite hockey camp for the summer, where he shares a room with a talented player from the Northwest Territories named Peter Kuiksak. Peter is skilled enough to give Kevin, the star junior player, some serious competition, which creates trouble on …

Les Lewchuck is a rink rat--he loves hanging around his neighbourhood park in East End Toronto, playing hockey whenever and with whom ever he can. He's keen to hit the ice, then, when he finally gets to join a real team, the Metro Cats.
He soon finds, however, that Roddy and Lenny Smith, a couple of tough, bullying brothers, run the team. When Le …

In his third novel, Richard Scarsbrook returns to the fictional Faireville of his previous novels Cheeseburger Subversive (2003) and Featherless Bipeds (2006) to present Philip Skyler in a three part chronicle: his eighth-grade introduction to public school, his twelfth-grade challenges, and his recovery from a life-threatening motorcycle accident. …

With a completely selfless indifference to enemy fire, the quiet heroes featured in this book faced danger and atrocity. With courage and audacity they fought for their lives - and they fought for ours. From the whistling of enemy shells and pounding of explosives come these inspiring stories of friendship, loyalty, determination, and bravery. Reli …