Books

Bright, bold and full of fun activities, this book teaches the basics to learn French. The 20 large ereasable boards and the wipe-clean pen will allow children to start over if they make a mistake or just want to redo a fun activity over and over again.
Activities are presented in both English and French to encourage children to practice both their early-learning and language skills.

This wipe-clean bilingual board book is the perfect way to learn French!

Raffi's hilarious version of the classic song about strange events that happen down by the bay, where the watermelons grow...

Singing supports and encourages even the youngest child's speech and listening skills, which makes Down by the Bay perfect for early learning. In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them.…

If you could travel through time, who would you want to meet?

Lucas Finnigan eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. With his friends Edge, Swift and Crunch, Lucas plays on his hometown’s rink, dreaming of the day when he knows he’ll make the NHL. But lately money has been tight at home, and, after a major growth spurt, Lucas is forced to wear hand-me-down gear that doesn’t quite fit right. Now he’s not sure he’ll ever make it to the Hall of Fame like his hockey heroes.

And that’s not the only problem. With the community arena’s chiller on the fritz, and replacement parts too tough to come by, it looks like Lucas and his friends may be doomed to a season on a plastic rink—or worse, no hockey at all!

But with a magical discovery, and some help from one of hockey's greatest players (who was a kid once, too!), their final skate might turn into their first great adventure . . .

From award-winning author of Canadian Whisky,Davin de Kergommeaux, comes an up-to-the minute and definitive guide to over 200 distilleries across Canada and the array of spirits they make.

The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is an indispensable guide to the past, present and future of Canada's distilleries. Written by bona fide Canadian spirits expert Davin de Kergommeaux, this book covers more than 200 of the most exciting and cutting-edge distilleries, large and small, who are shaping the industry today.

Just a decade ago, fewer than a dozen distilleries, concentrated in two provinces, produced almost all the spirits (mainly whisky) made in Canada. Today, there is a movement afoot in Canada's spirits world. There has never been a better selection of rich specialty spirits--from gin to moonshine, from flavoured vodka to liqueurs--to tempt the palate and supplement your long-time favourites. Despite flourishing public enthusiasm for Canada's distillers, other than incomplete and inaccurate web-based information, no one has offered consumers an all-inclusive guide... until now.

     Using a trademark (and witty) blend of narrative, tasting notes, inventive cocktail recipes and vibrant photos, de Kergommeaux shares the unique genesis of each of these distillers who are pushing the boundaries and flavours of spirits of all kinds. Divided geographically with suggested distillery routes, and filled with key tour information as well as breakout features of the most exciting people and spirits today, The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is a treasured souvenir and fun companion to the distilleries in every corner of the country, and a must-have guide for curious drinkers and expert connoisseurs alike.

From Green Gables in Prince Edward Island to the rugged coast of British Columbia to the majestic North, colour your way across Canada with scenes that capture our country from coast to coast to coast.

Carry your favourite puzzle in your pocket!

Steal a minute for some quick, on-the-go fun! Enjoy 250 mini crosswords in a range of difficulties, organized from easy to hard, and written for Canadians of all ages. Start off with a warm-up puzzle, then move on to more challenging ones—including word scrambles. Grab a pencil and make the most of every minute!

We like beer in Canada. We really, really like it. And it’s not just a fly-by-night, sordid little affair. We’re in it long term. We spend something like $8 billion a year on beer. From barley growers to label designers, more than 170,000 Canadians owe their full time jobs directly or indirectly to beer. The rest of us just do what we can to help.

In the long-awaited follow up to Notes on a Beermat, Pashley explores beer in Canada, covering many salient points, including chapters on

• Frère Ambroise, Who Started It All (Unless He Didn’t)

• Us Against Them: Canadians and Our Neighbours to the South

• When Canadians Knew Squat: The Stubby in Our Lives

• Beer: Isn’t It Bad for You and Bad for the Planet?

• Ale or Lager? East Is East and West Isn’t

• Barkeep! Gimme Another Light Dry Low-Carb Ice Beer with No Aftertaste

• Are You a Beer Geek? (There’s No Right Answer)

• The Future of Beer: Can I Afford to Drink Beer? (Can You Afford Not To?)

And much, much more!

________________

AINSLIE HOGARTH is the author of the YA novels The Lonely and The Boy Meets Girl Massacre (Annotated). She lives in Canada with her husband, kids, and little dog.

Raffi's delightful rendition of the classic song about the bus that goes "all around town!"

Singing supports and encourages even the youngest child's speech and listening skills, which makes Wheels on the Bus perfect for early learning. With its charming illustrations, this is the ideal sing-aloud for a whole new generation of readers.

A mini version of your favourite classic Munsch stories! Kids will love these little books from Canada's best-loved storyteller, with all of the original illustrations by Michael Martchenko. These mini books made especially for children—small enough to fit into tiny hands and pockets. Each book measures 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" and contains full colour pages.

When the fiercest dragon in the whole world smashes Princess Elizabeth’s castle, burns all her clothes, and captures her fiancé, Prince Ronald, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands. With her wits alone and nothing but a paper bag to wear, the princess challenges the dragon to show his strength in the hopes of saving the prince. But is it worth all that trouble?

In You Are Here, astronaut Chris Hadfield creates a surprisingly intimate and compelling visual essay about the planet we live on, choosing the best from the thousands of photos he took on the International Space Station.

     Chris Hadfield's new book shows us our home--our city, country, continent, our whole planet--from a unique perspective. The millions of us who followed Chris's Twitter feed from the ISS thought we knew what we were looking at when we saw his photos. This photo documentary shows us we didn't. We caught the beauty but missed the meaning. Curated from images never before shared, Chris's big picture reveals why our planet looks the way it does and why we live where we do. Chris sees more in these images than we do, not just because he's spent months in space but because his in-depth knowledge of geology, geography and meteorology allows him to read the mysteries the photos reveal.

     Divided by continent, You Are Here represents one (idealized) orbit of the ISS. This planetary photo tour--surprising, playful, thought-provoking and visually delightful--is punctuated with fun, fascinating commentary on life in zero gravity, too. In the spirit of his #1 bestselling An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here opens a singular window on our planet, using remarkable photographs to illuminate the history and consequences of human settlement, the magnificence (and wit) of never-before-noticed landscapes, and the power of the natural forces shaping our world and the future of our species.

Perfect for long afternoons and rainy days, The Great Canadian Cottage Puzzle Book is packed with family fun: word searches, crosswords, word ladders, quizzes and much more. Puzzles feature Canadian clues and use Canadian spelling and references. With trivia, unique Canadian place names, and tips to make the most of a cottaging day, The Great Canadian Cottage Puzzle Book is a must for every Canadian family.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Popular blogger and lifestyle influencer Monika Hibbs shares her favourite recipes and crafts to bring thoughtful touches to all of life's moments--big or small.

Monika Hibbs has found joy in planning gatherings since she was a little girl, but it's not just the hallmark occasions she spends time thinking about. Over the years, she has learned just how important it is to slow down and savour life's simple, everyday moments, in addition to the holidays and milestones. In Gather at Home, Monika Hibbs shares her favourite relaxed and easy ways to make your everyday moments and seasonal celebrations special. Use Monika's collection of over 100 simple recipes, crafts, and do-it-yourself projects, conveniently divided by season, to turn your Friday family games night, Mother's Day brunch, holiday dinner, or outdoor evening barbecue into something memorable, and to create other effortless moments that your friends and family will cherish for years to come. You'll find breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert ideas to fit the mood of every season, as well as crafts and do-it-yourself projects you can easily get the kids involved with. Draw inspiration from the lush photography, and add Monika's extra-special touches to make every moment a well-crafted one that will show your family and friends just how much you care.

In the days of Roch’s childhood, winters in the village of Ste. Justine were long. Life centered around school, church, and the hockey rink, and every boy’s hero was Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Maurice Richard. Everyone wore Richard’s number 9. They laced their skates like Richard. They even wore their hair like Richard. When Roch outgrows his cherished Canadiens sweater, his mother writes away for a new one. Much to Roch’s horror, he is sent the blue and white sweater of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, dreaded and hated foes to his beloved team. How can Roch face the other kids at the rink?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award

Cityline Book Club Pick 

“A deep, unflinching yet loving look at injustice and power.” —Chatelaine 

“A powerful and unforgettable novel” (Quill and Quire, starred review) about a young woman who must find the courage to secure her freedom and determine her own future

Set in an imagined world in which the most vulnerable are forced to buy their freedom by working off their debt to society, Gutter Child uncovers a nation divided into the privileged Mainland and the policed Gutter. As part of a social experiment led by the Mainland government, Elimina Dubois is one of just one hundred babies taken from the Gutter and raised in the land of opportunity.

But when her Mainland mother dies, Elimina finds herself alone, a teenager forced into an unfamiliar life of servitude, unsure of who she is and where she belongs. Sent to an academy with new rules and expectations, Elimina befriends children who are making their own way through the Gutter System in whatever way they know how. But when her life takes yet another unexpected turn, Elimina will discover that what she needs more than anything may not be the freedom she longed for after all.

Gutter Child reveals one young woman’s journey through a fractured world of heartbreaking disadvantages and shocking injustices. As a modern heroine in an altered but all-too-recognizable reality, Elimina must find the strength within herself to forge her future in defiance of a system that tries to shape her destiny.

____________________________________________________________

JAEL RICHARDSON is the executive director of the Festival of Literary Diversity, a books columnist on CBC Radio’s q and an outspoken advocate on issues of diversity. She is the author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life, a memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey, and the children’s book Because You Are. Jael Richardson received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph. She lives in Brampton, Ontario.