Sixteen-year-old Frederick has a lot of rules for himself. Like if someone calls him Freddy he doesn’t have to respond; he only wears shirts with buttons and he hates getting dirty. His odd behavior makes him an easy target for the “Despisers” at school, but he’s gotten used to eating lunch alone in the Reject Room. Angel, in tenth grade bu …

Growing up in the Fiji Islands in the late 1960s, Kalyana Mani Seth is an impressionable, plump young girl suited to the meaning of her name: blissful, blessed, the auspicious one. Her mother educates Kalyana about her Indian heritage, vividly telling tales of mischievous Krishna and powerful Mother Kali, and recounting her grandparents’ migratio …

The Trillium Award-winning autobiographical novel "La mauvaise mere" by Marguerite Andersen is now in English. Prolific author Marguerite Andersen traces the important moments of her life in this honest and harrowing examination of motherhood. She gives an unflinching account of her relationship with her three children and her years spent following …

A collection of true stories from 54 racialized immigrant and refugee women create an eclectic mix of three generations of voices. Women in their 20s to those in their 70s provide snapshots that begin in the 1960s and go to the present. Together these vividly recounted entries capture historical and everyday moments that reveal striking similaritie …

The Toronto Dressmakers’ Strike of 1931 brings young sisters Sophie and Rose together in their fight for better working conditions, decent wages, and for their union. It’s a tough battle as distrust and resentment of immigrants is growing, with many people blaming their poverty and difficulties on these workers. Sophie and Rose are faced with u …

In the 1940s it was unheard of for women to be members of a professional orchestra, let alone play “masculine” instruments like the bass or trombone. Yet despite these formidable challenges, the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) became the only all-women orchestra in Canadian history. Formed in 1940, the MWSO became the first orchest …

The Gold family lived an idyllic life in pre-war Poland, each doing their part to run the family grocery store and tobacco concession. The oldest daughter, Shoshana, had many friends, her sister Esther was meticulous as she worked at the family store, and young David was doted on by them all. But that life is shattered in 1939 when Germany invades …

In the late 1960s Penny is the youngest of four kids, known on her street as the girl with the mean brothers. She spends all year looking forward to her summers spent at Go Home Lake, where she passes the days in a soaked bathing suit, catching frogs, and getting her daily fill of fresh air.

Yet Penny's summers are far from pleasant. Her father’s …

Bruna is the youngest of seven children, living an idyllic life in a small Italian village in northern Tuscany. Though the Second World War has been raging in Europe for some time, the dangers haven’t seemed to reach her, and the Italian leader Mussolini’s allegiance with Hitler and the distant reports of fighting seem far away. But before long …

Thirteen-year-old Jakob’s family has hidden their true identity as Jews and are living as Catholics in Budapest during WWII. One day, in a burst of loyalty, Jakob decides to reveal that he is Jewish, a choice that puts his whole family in danger. Jakob hopes his best friend Ivan, a Christian whose father is a high-ranking military official, will …

Six girls just out of high school live together during the summer of 1943 on a farm as part of the Farm Services - doing the work of the men who are off fighting the war in Europe. We follow the stories of Helene, who sends her wages home to support her single mother; Peggy, a flirt with a secret she must keep; Binxie, whose rich family doesn't app …

After years of being passed around to various relatives, Cassandra Jovanovich has found a home where she feels she belongs. All she wants to do is forget her past and pursue her dream of becoming an actress. But her new friend, Leanna Mets, "the most annoying person she has ever met," wants to know how Cassandra became an orphan, and encourages her …

Immediately upon her arrival in London to train as a spy, sixteen-year-old Nicki Haddon is assigned to help the British Secret Service infiltrate a drug cartel that is smuggling large amounts of heroin into the country. Placing herself in the midst of a tough East End street gang, she uncovers a plot to create a super-potent opiate and also discove …

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with this overview of its activities--sometimes quiet and sometimes strident--as a watchdog and safeguard for Canadians and their rights as citizens. Through a series of discussions and interviews, a picture of Canada over the last half-century evolves. From the Charter of …

Rosemary McCarney, President and CEO of Plan International Canada, has followed up the her popular picture book Every Day is Malala Day with a book for middle grade readers, also inspired by her international development work. Working with Plan, Rosemary helped craft its Because I am a Girl global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls' …

In 1955, girls who played hockey were rare, and there was no chance for them to play on a boy's team. But Abby Hoffman loves to play hockey, just like her big brothers. So much so that she manages to bluff her way onto a boy’s team. With her short hair and using the name “Ab” Hoffman she can almost pass for one of the boys… But when her sec …

Elsie MacGill achieved many firsts in science and engineering at a time when women were considered to be inferior in the sciences. In 1923, at the age of nineteen, she became the first woman to attend engineering classes at the University of Toronto. She was the first woman in North America to hold a degree in aeronautical engineering and the first …

Rachel, a young Jewish woman from a small town in Russia, has made an incredible journey. Forced to leave her homeland because of the anti-Semitic violence that killed her father, she made her way across land and sea to find refuge in Shanghai, China where she not only survived but managed to establish herself as a newspaper writer — no easy task …

Over the last 50 years, the struggles to achieve equity in sport have become central to the feminist mission. This book contains an inspiring collection of stories from the women on the front lines: athletes, coaches, educators, and activists for women's sport, who have done so much to foster change. Many of the women profiled here reflect on their …

It's 1977, and Mary-Eve Hamilton (Mary for the Mother of God, Eve for the mother of mankind) is plodding through her final year at Eleusis High School. Mary-Eve's mother, famed prophetess at the Waiting for the Rapture End Times Tabernacle, regularly has visions, foams at the mouth, and falls down rigid. Her father, a popular deacon, hides his abus …

Severn Suzuki’s speech at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio caught the attention of the world. As the daughter of environmentalist David Suzuki, Severn's concern for the environment was fueled by a trip to the Amazon rainforest at age nine. Back home in Vancouver, she and her friends started ECO, the Environmental Children’s Organization, combining …

Before she began writing books for teens, Liane Shaw was an elementary teacher. She brings her gifts for storytelling and humor to this account of her journey into the lives of emotionally challenged students. With little in the way of experience or resources, she found herself thrust into the most challenging kind of teaching imaginable. From the …

When fifteen-year-old Elizabeth finds an antique doll in a garage sale, she thinks it would be a good gift for her dad who's about to ship out for Afghanistan. She doesn’t realize that the doll might be a missing (and very valuable) historical artifact. With the help of Evan, the cute guy who works at the local used bookstore, Elizabeth discovers …

Growing up in the ‘50s with a single mother and no father, Hope is a loner with a wonderful imagination. The letters she writes to her imaginary friend, Grace, help her cope with the difficult times in her life - her mother's sad days, their money worries, the pressures of not fitting in. On her eleventh birthday, Hope is shocked to learn that Gr …

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 pl …

It is the middle of World War II, and Gabi and her mother have been lucky so far, eluding the grasp of Nazi soldiers who are sending Jewish people away to unknown fates. But she, her mother and her young cousin, Max, realize that they will never be safe in their town. With the help of a trusted friend, a kind-hearted priest and a poor yet brave far …

It is 1904, and Rachel and her family are leaving Russia to escape the continuing riots against Jews. They take the Trans-Siberian Railway across the country and board a ship to Shanghai. Life is difficult and strange in this new city, but Rachel's luck changes when she finds a job writing for a newspaper. Meanwhile, Sergei finds that working in a …

The work of women designers touches every part of our lives. In the 1920s British furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray developed ideas for homes that still seem modern today. From chairs made of steel tubes to bare-basic rooms, she created an entirely new look. American Suzanne E. Vanderbilt was one of the first women to design cars for Gen …

Maria Montessori, founder the Montessori method of self-directed learning Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, her "miracle worker", USA Christa McAuliffe, high school teacher who died in the space shuttle Challenger, USA Dorval Onesime, a Native Metis educator in the early 1900s from Saskatchewan, Canada Denise Fruchter, a special education teacher wi …

Lily Toufar and her family arrive in Shanghai in 1938, having fled from Nazi-occupied Vienna and the persecution of Jewish families like theirs. Shanghai is a strange place for a young European girl, but it is one of the few places in the world to offer Jews refuge from the Holocaust. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and under pressure from Hitle …

Freedom 55? The so-called “Golden Years”? What if you are slowly losing your memories and your motor skills? Or what if you are the devastated witness as your partner struggles with dementia? Lewy Body Disease is a form of dementia second only to Alzheimer’s in numbers, yet many doctors and almost no lay people have ever heard its name. This …

Kat is alone with a secret she doesn’t want to keep, but can’t risk telling. A victim of longtime sexual abuse at the hands of her family’s trusted friend, Kat is torn between trying to protect herself and safeguarding her little sister, whom she fears might be next. With no one to turn to, Kat keeps a secret journal where she writes the trut …

Bernice Archer lives in a low-income downtown neighborhood where she has raised her blind twin daughters, Eva and Ava, in relative isolation. Every night she tells them regurgitated bedtime stories, sometimes magical and often cautionary, about the dangers of the world outside their small apartment. Eva and Ava, now middle-aged, still wait for thei …

This collection of biographies profiles ten creative business leaders who have proven that entrepreneurial women can not only succeed in business, they can also bring about positive change. Against all odds, African-American Madam C.J. Walker, born in 1867, became a self-made millionaire who promoted civil rights and opposed racism. Designer Doroth …

A history of the persecution of gay men by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. When the Nazis came to power in Europe, the lives of homosexuals came to be ruled by fear as raids, arrests, prison sentences and expulsions became the daily reality. When the concentration camps were built, homosexuals were imprisoned along with Jews. The pink triangl …

When Lillian and Audrey hatch a plot to escape from Tranquil Meadows Nursing Home, “borrow” a car, and spend their hastily planned vacation time driving to destinations west, they aren’t fully aware of the challenges they will face. All they know is that the warm days of August call to them, and the need to escape the daily routines and humil …

Alex is seventeen years old and she feels her life has come to an end. After being involved in an accident that killed her best friend, she doesn’t see why anyone would want her around and she refuses to talk. Ordered by a judge to do community service, she must spend time at a hospital with a girl named Joanie, who has minimal control of her bod …

Tory has been bumped from foster home to foster home for most of her nine years. Living with yet another new family, this time on a horse ranch for the summer, she falls in love with Lucky, the friendly pony she is allowed to ride. A nearby forest fire forces the family to evacuate, and Tory is devastated when Lucky has to be left behind. With no c …

Ten biographies of women reformers from around the world who have made a difference in the realms of politics, social equality, disability, and women’s rights. From the work of abolitionist Sojourner Truth and women like South Africa’s anti-apartheid activist Ruth First and America’s feminist leader Gloria Steinem. Also included are Michelle …

When Tamara Levine received her breast cancer diagnosis, in a state of shock, she decided to inform her friends and colleagues by writing to them. That letter was the first of thirteen communications she calls her healing journey. As well as sharing the letters, Tamara tells us what she learned maneuvering through the black hole of cancer treatment …

In the mid-1800s, southern Alberta was dominated by the tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Snake Woman, from the Blackfoot Blood tribe, was born into a life of respect and cooperation with the rhythm of the natural world, a rhythm that seems to be irreparably disrupted by the advance of European traders and settlers. Eleanor, newly transplanted t …

Ten short and engaging biographies of First Nations/Native writers complete with photographs, sidebars, and a complete catalog of their work. These writers draw on their cultural history to create novels, poetry, and plays, and are an inspiration to any aspiring writer or avid reader. Includes Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Joseph Boyden, N. Scott …

Born in China, Nicki was abandoned to an orphanage before being adopted by a wealthy North American family. Now 16, Nicki divides her time between Hawaii and Ontario and is all set to train with a king fu grand master. When she reports to his studio, she finds him stabbed and near death. As he lapses into a coma, he begs her to find a priceless Min …

David’s younger sister Ivy, born with multiple disabilities, needs constant attention. She may be eleven years old, but in many ways she’s still a baby. She embarrasses him in public. She takes all of their parents’ focus, to the point where David wonders if they see him as anything more than a helper for Ivy. But despite it all, he loves her …

Thirteen-year-old Rabia, along with her mother and younger brother, flee Afghanistan and the brutal Taliban for Pakistan. Relocating to North America, their flight falls on the fateful morning of 9/11. After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, their plane is diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Also on the plane is an Amer …

Do young people today find meaning in the Holocaust? That’s the question that prompted a writing project across North America, Italy, and Australia asking young people to share their ideas about this time in history. Some students wrote short stories. Some discussed the impact of books they had read and wrote about the messages that they understo …

It is the end of the First World War, and thirteen-year-old Meredith yearns to become a teacher. But she must leave school to help support her family, moving to the city to work as a maid in a wealthy doctor's home. As the deadly Spanish Flu sweeps across the city, members of the household fall ill one by one. With the doctor working night and day …

Rachel is a Jew living in Kishinev, Russia. At fourteen, she has dreams of being a writer. But everything is put on hold when a young Christian man is murdered and Rachel is forced to keep the murderer’s identity a secret. Tensions mount and Rachel watches as lies and anti-Jewish propaganda leap off the pages of the local newspaper, inciting Chri …

Bernadette Inez O’Brian Schwartz is back with her friends Annie, Keisha, and Megan, aka The Lunch Bunch. In this third adventure, Bernadette finally gets the puppy she has been dreaming of for so long. She asks her Lunch Bunch friends to help out at her street's garage sale to raise money to save the animals of the rainforest. When school ends, t …

When Michele Landsberg’s first column for the Toronto Star hit newsstands in May 1978 it was the first time a feminist interpretation of the news had made it into daily circulation in a Canadian newspaper. While not sure initially if she wanted to be the Star’s “woman columnist”, Michele tried to use her column as a voice for those who had …