National Network for Equitable Library Service

In the wake of family collapse, a writer moves to London with her two young sons. The process of upheaval is the catalyst for a number of transitions—personal, moral, artistic, practical—as she endeavors to construct a new reality for herself and her children. In the city she is made to confront aspects of living she has, until now, avoided, and to consider questions of vulnerability and power, death and renewal, in what becomes her struggle to reattach herself to, and believe in, life.

Beginning the day of the devastating Halifax Explosion of 1917, Dazzle Patterns is an unforgettable story about resilience, the power of art, and the casualties of war. Halifax, 1917. Clare Holmes, a flaw checker at the local glassworks, is saving up for passage to England, to work for the Red Cross and be near her fiancé, Leo, who is fighting in France. But one normal Thursday morning, a deadly explosion in the Halifax harbour shatters the city – and Clare is caught up in the blast.

The American Revolutionary War is being waged, and the fate of slaves in the colonies is on the line. Sarah Redmond, a slave on a South Carolina plantation, watches as her father steals away in the dead of the night to join the British army, enticed by promises of freedom for his whole family. But before her father can return, the war draws ends and the Loyalist slaves are all freed. After months of waiting, the Redmonds are assigned to a ship bound for the first all-black community in North America: Birchtown, Nova Scotia.

When Cass's estranged grandmother unexpectedly leaves her house and savings to Cass and her mom, it is just the thing they need to change their lives. Cass is being bullied at school, and her mom just lost her job—again—so they pack up and move in.

A dazzlingly imagined novel that embraces two centuries, two women, a long-lost Journal and the mystery behind the legendary Casanova’s last great love.

After losing her parents, 14-year-old Victoria and her young twin brothers move in with their aunt. But shortly afterward, her aunt’s boyfriend attempts to assault her, and she runs away and learns to survive on the dangerous streets of Paraná, Argentina. Encountering a world of street kids, gangs and drug dealers, Victoria overcomes deprivation and great hardship. With the help of newly found friends and her single-minded determination to survive, she carves out a new life for herself and her little brothers.

In 1923 Alberta, Leroy "Doodlebug" Barnstable runs away from his aunt and abusive cousins and finds work with a travelling Chautauqua show.

With purple hair and '90s retro clothes, Ash Perrault is a modern-day Cinderella. She has a new stepmother, annoying stepsisters and a rocky relationship with the school prince. But she has a problem Cinderella didn't have - a dangerous problem that keeps on getting worse.

"Seventeen-year-old Sherri arrives in Lewton excited to start a summer job working as a student reporter. Instead of a thriving community, she finds a creepy ghost town, gripped by a dark secret. Most of the local stores have been boarded up, and their now zombie-like owners are working at the new big-box superstore, Shopwells. Sherri takes it upon herself to investigate what is going on but hopes her new romance will not get in the way"--Book description.

Chosen by Ricepaper magazine and the Asian Canadian Writers’ Collective, these stories by emerging and established writers such as Evelyn Lau and Governor General Award winner Paul Yee reflect the experiences and sentiments of North-American Asian teenagers. Featuring work by Annie Zhu, Kwai-Yun Li, Marty Chan, Evelyn Lau, Kellee Ngan, Tony Wong, Fiona Tinwei Lam, Paul Yee, Hanako Masutani, Kagan Goh, Taien Ng-Chan, Linda Mah, and Kentaro Ide.