A refugee boy’s determination to ride a bicycle leads to an unexpected friendship.

Joseph wants only one thing: to ride a bike. In the refugee camp where he lives, Joseph helps one of the older boys fix his bike, but he’s too small to ride it.

Joseph and his mother travel to America, where everything is strange and new. One day, he spots a red bi …

There’s something very different going on in the raven’s nest.

When the eggs hatch, a pink girl emerges from one of the shells, along with her black raven siblings. Loving raven parents take their little Rosie just the way she is. In the beginning, Rosie tries to do everything her siblings do. She opens her mouth to receive worms from her parent …

Thomas would do anything to make his mother come back.

On his fifth birthday, Thomas’s mother left, and he hasn’t seen her since. The last thing he remembers is her making a delicious dish of poutine for his birthday. Into the concoction of French fries, gravy and melted cheese curds, she stuck five green candles for him to blow out.

On the day …

Navigate the fascinating twists and turns of rivers that have shaped history.

Rivers can be extraordinarily powerful, and not just because of their fast-flowing currents. They can make civilizations rise or crumble, divide cultures or link them together, and even provide crucial clues to where we came from. Dive into these 10 surprising stories abou …

The most unusual baseball facts you’ll ever find!

Whether they are die-hard baseball fans or casual spectators, readers will be captivated by this collection of fascinating, little-known facts about the game. For example, did you know that the yarn in a single baseball is long enough to nearly reach the top of the Empire State Building? With lots …

An indispensible guide for savvy teens to sort food myths from reality.

The everyday choices we make when it comes to food don’t just have an effect on us—they also affect other people and the planet. Today’s teens are more attuned to what they eat and where it comes from, but there’s still more to know. Foodprints enables readers to sort th …

An innovative infographic look at what makes our world light up, work, and run.

It's impossible to imagine our lives without energy, but how often do we really think about where it comes from? With Power Up!, learning all about energy is easy and fun. Each bright, dynamic spread illustrates cool facts about energy with colorful infographics, includi …

Powerful, spirited, and beautiful, horses have literally changed the world.

From the time people first rode horses, these amazing creatures have changed the way humans live, travel, fight, work, and play. In her captivating, storytelling style, author Elizabeth MacLeod brings to life six of the most exciting examples of how horses have influenced t …

How to study like a superhero.

The highly acclaimed book The Research Virtuoso helped high school and college students maximize their studying potential. Now, this second collaboration with The Toronto Public Library challenges younger students to develop the skills they need to become “lifelong super-learners.” Each of the four chapters focuses …

A heart-wrenching tale of selfless love and the powerful desire to survive.

When little Kai is brought to the orphanage, an older child, Pax, immediately takes him under his wing. Left on their own after the orphanage shuts down, Pax is determined to keep Kai safe, but life on the streets is tough—and dangerous. In a desperate attempt to make enou …

We get in position, about to start, around us the thumps of every heart—the hearts on the ice and the ones that came to watch an amazing hockey game. Third in Loris Lesynski’s popular Crazy About series, is this new collection all about hockey. In more than 25 bouncy poems, Lesynski’s signature humor and style shine through as she captures th …

Nothing—not even the chance to live—makes Dr. Korczak abandon the children of the Warsaw Ghetto.

November 1940. One hundred and sixty Jewish orphans, forced by the Nazis to leave their orphanage, walk through the streets of Warsaw towards the ghetto. Led by their beloved director, Doctor Korczak, the children are defiantly joyful. In the ghetto …

Counting and painting and sharing with friends—this girl’s ready for school!

Preparing for kindergarten is a huge step for young children. This charming tale of a little girl’s experience touches on the many milestones toward this big goal. The child can count out plates when she helps Dad set the table. She can call out letters when she walks …

Ordinary citizens risk everything to save a young Jewish girl in wartime Holland.

Five-year-old Beatrix looks on in horror as the soldier forces her mother off the tram. It is 1942 in Amsterdam, and everyone knows what happens to Jews who are taken away by the Nazis. The soldier turns his attention to Beatrix, when suddenly, the ticket-taker, Lars G …

Two brothers face cruelty, hardship, and hope, on the ultimate journey in search of freedom.

Eleven-year-old Tenzin hasn’t seen his older brother, Pasang, in five years, so he is thrilled when Pasang unexpectedly returns to their Tibetan village late one night. Now eighteen, Pasang is an educated monk whose return from India provokes the suspiciou …

Buckle up for true stories of the chiefs, strongmen, and outlaws who kept the peace.

Where did the concept of policing originate? Who fought crime in ancient civilizations like those of Greece and Rome? How did the monarchs of the Middle Ages keep the countryside free of bandits? Why were the frontier towns of the American West policed by gunfighter …

People overcome impossible odds where others surrendered and failed.

What would you do if you were stranded or trapped in a situation where you had to fight for your life? When the Worst Happens is a collection of intense, true stories set in distant corners of the earth.

After a fierce storm, the crew of the Polaris was stranded on an ice floe in th …

The stories of three young people who experience the tumult—in three eras—as new religions are about to be born.

Dina is a slave, a weaver for the royalty of Ancient Egypt. Summoned to the royal chamber, Dina learns she will move south with the Queen and the Pharaoh to a bountiful oasis, but far away from her family and her Jewish faith. When Mo …

Coltan, or “blue gold,” is a rare mineral used in making cell phones and computers. Across continents, the lives of three teen girls are affected by the “blue gold” trade.

Sylvie’s family had to lee the Democratic Republic of the Congo after her father was killed by a rogue militia gang in the conlict for control of coltan. The refugee cam …

Unbelievable facts about an amazing specimen—YOU!

Most of us eat, run, or sleep without thinking about it. But our bodies are masterful machines of intricate design that perform amazing feats daily.

The fifth book in Annick’s successful 50 Questions series guides readers through the details of how our bodies function, from the miracles of genetic …

Unbelievable facts about an amazing specimen—YOU!

Most of us eat, run, or sleep without thinking about it. But our bodies are masterful machines of intricate design that perform amazing feats daily.

The fifth book in Annick’s successful 50 Questions series guides readers through the details of how our bodies function, from the miracles of genetic …

Experience all the thrills and suspense of chasing down the world’s highest-profile criminals.

What does it take to catch a criminal? Not just any criminal, but one of the world’s most wanted? In Outlaws, Spies, and Gangsters, Laura Scandiffo chronicles eight of history’s most famous manhunts, from searches for drug dealers to dictators, hacke …

Two years ago, Margaret left her Arctic home for the outsiders' school. Now she has returned and can barely contain her excitement as she rushes towards her waiting family -- but her mother stands still as a stone. This strange, skinny child, with her hair cropped short, can't be her daughter. "Not my girl!" she says angrily.

Margaret's years at sch …

Uncover the spine-tingling mysteries and eerie surprises that lurk right under your feet!

In Secrets Underground, history buff Elizabeth MacLeod takes readers deep down, down, down below the earth’s surface, and introduces them to a completely different world—sometimes terrifying, often baffing, and always fascinating.

Discover: • the Civil War …

Enter a medieval world unlike any you've seen before.

Welcome to an innovative and reader-friendly approach to medieval history, one that combines visually appealing infographics, whimsical cartoons and lively, informative text. Every visual double-page spread highlights an aspect of the diversity and intercultural dynamics of the medieval world, fr …

A tsunami has swept everything away -- including Kenta's soccer ball.

When tragedy strikes Kenta's small village in Japan, he does all he can to hang on to the things that matter to him most. But amidst the chaos of an emergency evacuation brought on by the tsunami, Kenta and his family must quickly leave their home. Climbing to safer ground, Kenta …

Plants might start out as leafy things growing in the earth, but they can come into our lives in unexpected ways. And believe it or not, some have even played an exciting role in our world's history. Discover how:

- Countries went to war to control trade centers for pepper - A grass called papyrus became the first effective tool for sharing knowledg …

How did King Tut really die?

The mystery of the young pharaoh’s death is only one of the puzzles that modern science has helped solve. Thanks to forensics—the science of examining physical evidence—we now know that King Tut died of malaria. We also know that stomach cancer, and not arsenic as suspected, killed Napoleon.

Seven intriguing stories …

When fourteen-year-old Jacob is brutally abducted and forced to become a child soldier, he struggles to hold on to his sanity and the will to escape.

Daniel Lafrance’s striking artwork and the poignant, powerful text capture the very essence of life as a child soldier. Readers will never forget the experiences of this young boy struggling to survi …

This collection of ten true stories is based on interviews with people who, in their youth, lived with an addicted parent or sibling. The subjects speak honestly about what it was like to grow up with a family member addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, pills, or gambling.

While describing how they managed to cope, interviewees explore the full range o …

We might think of bodyguards as a modern concept, but they’ve been around since ancient times. The rich, the powerful, the famous, and the infamous have all placed their safety in the hands of bodyguards. From Caesar’s Praetorian Guard to Japanese samurai warriors to Wild West outlaws, bodyguards have played a vital role. They’ve even changed …

From high school students to high-rise dwellers, people—including Michelle Obama—are discovering innovative ways to grow fresh, healthy, and delicious fruit and vegetables at home, in community gardens, and at school. This brisk, informative overview explains how farming in the city is not only fun, but also important for the planet.

There are m …

Sam, an Israeli teen whose leg may have to be amputated, and Yusuf, a Palestinian teen who has lost his left eye, find themselves uneasy roommates in a Jerusalem hospital. One night, the boys decide to slip away while the nurses aren’t looking and go on an adventure to the Old City.

The escapade turns dangerous when they realize they’re hopeless …

Between 1882 and 1968 there were 4,742 lynchings in the United States. In Canada during the same period there was one—the hanging of American Indian Louie Sam.

The year is 1884, and 15-year-old George Gillies lives in the Washington Territory, near the border with British Columbia. In this newly settled land, white immigrants have an uneasy relati …

Determined to beat the odds, professional thieves spend their lives figuring out ingenious ways to steal other people’s possessions.

In ROBBERS! you’ll uncover the dirt on eight cunning master thieves, including: -Master-of-disguise Willie Sutton, who robbed banks in costume -D. B. Cooper, who hijacked a plane, demanded $200,000, and parachuted …

Sometimes it’s okay to ignore the rules or break the law. In fact, it’s essential! This thought-provoking book features people who did just that: Sophie and Hans Scholl, siblings who distributed antigovernment pamphlets in Nazi Germany; and Andrei Sakharov, who helped develop the nuclear bomb in Cold War Russia, but then spoke out against its u …

China was one of the most advanced societies in the ancient world. Whether in medicine, the arts, or education, the Chinese far outpaced the Europeans. Although most people were peasants, society included a myriad of other jobs.

It may sound like a great position, but being emperor had its downside. If you displeased the gods, you could be put to de …

Armed with this lively guidebook, students will be ready to face the often daunting prospect of conducting serious research in the information age. Fully revised, The Research Virtuoso covers all aspects of research: how to decide on a topic, take notes, skim material, evaluate which sources (especially those on the Internet) are most reliable, org …

Climate is a hot topic. Turns out, it’s been a major mover and shaker since time began. Climate has made it possible for new species to evolve, yet has wiped out others. We might not think about it this way, but it has a hand in determining where we live, what we do, and how well we survive.

The fourth book in Annick’s highly engaging 50 Questio …

When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname.

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly …

As long as there have been people willing to believe the unbelievable, people have been duped. In the best storytelling tradition, readers can follow the tales of:

• How the Nazis planned to destroy the British economy during World War II by flooding the world with millions of fake British banknotes • How an infamous radio broadcast had American …

Kip is addicted to the pure adrenaline rush that hits when the stakes are high and the bets are laid down. His gambling addiction uses up his money, his mother’s money—and then their real trouble begins.

Dennis Foon’s believable portrait of a teen caught in a gambling addiction crackles with suspense and a foreboding sense of where Kip will la …

Françoise Laurent has never had an easy life. The only surviving child of a destitute washerwoman and wayward soldier, she must rely only on herself to get by. When her parents die suddenly from the smallpox ravishing New France (modern-day Montreal), Françoise sees it as a chance to escape the life she thought she was trapped in.

Seizing her newf …

Most of us take our underwear for granted, but throughout history our undies have revealed a lot about who we are (king or peasant), how we work (in fields or factories) or the shapes we value (manly calves or tiny waists).

The third book in Annick’s 50 Questions series tackles questions such as “What’s that smell?” (Medieval Europeans thoug …

Award-winning photographer Rafal Gerszak spent a year embedded with the American military in Afghanistan, where he used his camera to document everyday life in the war-torn country. While there, he developed a deep affection for the land and its people, and he later returned on his own. Despite the dangers around him, he continued taking photos, ex …

Vladyana Krykorka brings the arctic world to life with her signature illustration style. This board book focuses on a particular aspect of arctic wildlife — often showing a mother with her young — and pairs lovely watercolor paintings with simple and expressive language. ARCTIC LAND introduces young readers to mammals, such as the musk ox and a …

Vladyana Krykorka brings the arctic world to life with her signature illustration style. This board book focuses on a particular aspect of arctic wildlife — often showing a mother with her young — and pairs lovely watercolor paintings with simple and expressive language. ARCTIC SEA introduces young readers to marine animals, such as the narwhal …

Vladyana Krykorka brings the arctic world to life with her signature illustration style. This board book focuses on a particular aspect of arctic wildlife — often showing a mother with her young — and pairs lovely watercolor paintings with simple and expressive language. ARCTIC SKY introduces young readers to birds, such as swooping owls and gr …

In THE LOWDOWN ON DENIM, narrators JD and Shred take readers on a trip through the history of jeans, demonstrating that, whatever their style, jeans have always driven and reflected popular culture. They use their interest in denim to escort readers from wartime to the rodeo circuit and from environmental concerns to the rock and roll stage.

When bl …

In this second collection of plays based on the stories of Robert Munsch, experienced playwright Irene N. Watts has adapted eight more of his best-loved tales for the stage, classroom or backyard! Complemented by the fun and familiar artwork of long-time Munsch collaborator Michael Martchenko, each story is presented in an accessible play format, m …