National Network for Equitable Library Service

Winner of the Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year Award, 2006 Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival and Book Awards Kayâs is a young Cree man who is blessed with a Gift that makes him a talented hunter. He knows the ways of the Beings he hunts and can even talk with them in their own languages. But when he becomes proud and takes his abilities for granted, he loses his gift, and the People grow hungry.

This is the story of how the first beaver came to be. It tells of a young girl, Reedee, who is born with hair the colour of Mother Earth, not the colour of Raven like the rest of her people. It isn't just her hair that sets Reedee apart: at night, when everyone else sleeps, Reedee disappears into the forest. Her parents are dismayed, but when they learn that Reedee has a path she must follow on her own, they support her and allow her to become her true self.

This is Robert James Challenger's fifth collection of beautifully illustrated, easy-to-read short stories that impart practical, moral lessons about life in today's world. As in Aesop's fables and First Nations legends, animals, birds and insects are the ones who do the teaching. Mother Eagle helps her daughter overcome her sibling rivalry. An encounter with Mosquito teaches a little girl that revenge doesn't make a person feel any better. Little Orca learns from his grandfather that being grown up has very little to do with how big you are.

“The Grim Hill series gets another satisfying go-round with this fantasy/mystery romp…Another appealing mix of realism, whimsy, and legend.”—Booklist The third installment of the Grim Hill series unfolds during the season of romance, when an easterly fairy wind blows through town. For months, Cat Peters has been wishing to live the normal life of a thirteen-year-old, and finally things seem to be going her way. She has once again helped her town escape the evil clutches of Fairy, and now she can’t wait to turn her attention from magic to the upcoming dance.

In the fourth installment of the Grim Hill series, Cat, Clive, Jasper, and the rest of the crew are back, and everyone is buzzing about Darkmont High’s student exchange to Sweden. For Cat, it means hanging out with her friends in a foreign country, travelling without parents, and not having to keep an eye on her clingy kid sister. Even though Sookie’s magical meddling seems to be in check, Cat has been wishing for a break from the constant worry of living near Grim Hill. After all she’s been through, Cat has learned to be careful what she wishes for.

This fourth collection of short stories written by Robert James (Jim) Challenger combines the timeless appeal of Aesop's fables with the oral storytelling traditions of First Nations and other cultures. Each story stimulates conversation about the moral woven within. Go along on Salmon's journey. Learn how Hermit Crab found a new home. Discover why Halibut always looks up. Find out why we should be kind to Snake. Eagle's Spirit shows us how our life's energy lives on forever.

The new kid at Darkmont High, Cat Peters is already desperate to get out. So when she hears that Grimoire, the private school nearby, is offering scholarships to the winners of a Halloween soccer match, Cat jumps at the chance to apply, despite her sister Sookie’s warnings that there’s something creepy about the old school on the hill. Sookie’s worries are confirmed when they uncover a mystery about an entire soccer team that disappeared many years ago.

Shortlisted for Ontario Silver Birch Award 2010. Selected, Canadian Children's Book Centre's "Best Books for Kids & Teens" (Starred selection, 2009). Since Halloween, things are getting back to normal for Cat Peters. Now the big drama in her life isn’t a battle against diabolical fairies, but a battle of the sexes on the soccer field. Meanwhile, ever since Cat’s little sister, Sookie, was imprisoned on Grim Hill, she has only been interested in one thing: magic. When the aspiring conjurer takes her discoveries too far, it is up to Cat to set things straight.

When Cat and her friends are taken hostage and find themselves stranded in Headless Valley, it's clear they will need a miracle to get back home. Although they find an abandoned cabin for shelter, their supply of food and water is running out fast, their kidnappers are not on their heels, and a sinister threat lurks in the loft of the cabin. Cat has to make an impossible choice: risk the group's chance of survival, or risk her sister, who may be able to summon help using her magical skills. But if Sookie opens the door to Fairy, what will be the cost?

This collection of west-coast fables combines the approach of Aesop with the oral tradition of First Nations storytellers. Woodpecker shows how to be a true friend. Beaver demonstrates how to achieve dreams through hard work. Rainbow Trout finds that all things in nature have a purpose. Parents, grandparents and teachers will embrace Robert James Challenger's stories, which, like all fables, promote cultural values and respect among generations.