Tundra: 431 books

In all their permutations, these unforgettable stories explore one of the irresistible facets of human nature, the fact that everyone has a secret. Marthe Jocelyn has selected twelve stories by several of the best authors in North America to explore the nature and the power of secrets. Sometimes secrets...

The story of one boy’s experience with the (not so) sweet hereafter. Fresh from having stolen a piece of fruit and taunting the grocer, Jim, a fourteen-year-old wannabe gangster, bully, and car thief, is run over by a car. What follows is a hilarious, bleak, and ultimately hopeful visit to...

“First times” can be life-changing experiences. Marthe Jocelyn has selected fourteen unforgettable stories, written by several of the best authors in North America, which explore human nature and take the reader on a transforming journey. From innocent firsts, such as first blue jeans, first boyfriend,...

Nominated for the Governor General's Literary Awards 2005, (Children's Literature, Text) Fifteen-year-old Francis’s father has committed suicide and nothing will be the same again. Suicide is ugly, unglamorous, and it is never a solution. Its aftermath is dreadful. At first, Francis...

From the early days of the antislavery movement, when political action by women was frowned upon, British and American women were tireless and uncompromising campaigners. Without their efforts, emancipation would have taken much longer. And the commitment of today's women, who fight against human...

Elizabeth Quan’s father had made a success in the New World, but he longed for his home in China. So in the early 1920’s, he and his family set out on an arduous trip to the far side of the world. By train, ship, ferry, cart, and on foot, Elizabeth, her parents, and her brothers and sisters set...

MOONGATES DOTTED THE LANDSCAPE OF OLD CHINA. Ancient Chinese architects had sculpted stone piled on sculpted stone to form round doorways, with the spiritual symbolism of the full moon. To step through one of these doorways was to step into a world of peace and happiness.... And so it was in...

Three friends frighten each other with tales of haunted beach houses, sinister cats, and witches in this trio of cautionary stories from Japan and the United States. Beginning readers come away with a satisfying experience and the benefit of good advice!

Nominated for the Governor General's Literary Awards 2005, (Children's Literature, Text) The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons. Fourteen-year-old Amrith is caught up in the life of the cheerful, well-to-do household in which he is being raised by his vibrant Auntie...

In short lines, large type, and text broken into phrases, three more stories are told. Marcos, Leon, and “I” try to out-do each other with warnings against tasting things that may not be safe. Dire consequences and ridiculous outcomes take the boys to new heights of hilarity in these spooky tales from Australia, Italy, and Eastern Europe.

A haunting, beautiful middle-grade novel about fractured relationships, loss, ghosts, friendship and art. Annie and her mother don't see eye to eye. When Annie finds a painting of a lonely lighthouse in their home, she is immediately drawn to it--and her mother wishes it would stay banished...

Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn't enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed....

A fast-paced mystery, The Voice inside My Head is expected to be a commercial success and a hit with teens. Seventeen-year-old Luke's older sister, Pat, has always been his moral compass, like a voice inside his head, every time he has a decision to make. So when Pat disappears on a tiny island off...

Anyone who thinks ancient history is dry will think again after dipping into these ocean blues. Here, political corruption, intrigue, high-seas adventure, romance, and comedy are all presented in abundance by the likable Marcus Oppius Sabinus, a teenager with a very contemporary attitude. Marcus is...