National Network for Equitable Library Service

A massive earthquake forces Amy and her estranged half-sister to work together to survive. Amy is happy it's the last day of school...until a huge earthquake hits. She's surprised that it's Mara, her half-sister, who finally comes for her, since they hardly know each other. There's no word from any of their parents, and their homes have been destroyed. So Amy and Mara set out on a perilous journey from their suburb into the city to search for their parents. As they walk day and night, the scope of the horrific destruction becomes clear.

Harold Macy's newest book, a collection of short stories depicting life in British Columbia, resonates with the land and the people who inhabit it. Whether he's chronicling the death song of a Douglas fir, the brassy orchestra of trumpeter swans, or the sweet sap symphony of a tapped maple, Harold Macy contemplates the beauty of all that British Columbia has to offer with graceful lyricism and appreciation for the natural world, highlighting the particular magic of the West Coast.

"In this new collection Gaston's range is so wide, his technique so masterful, his tenderness, humour and intelligence so finely measured that he stops my heart."—Barbara Gowdy. A Mariner's Guide to Self Sabotage is populated by the lonely and alienated, holders of secrets, members (or would-be members) of shadowy organizations, screw-ups, joyriders and runaways.

Frida, and her husband Blake have chosen not to have children. Concentrating on her artistic career instead, Frida has mostly managed to accept this difficult decision while putting her own traumatic childhood behind her. That is, until a stranger knocks on their door with a child she insists is Blake's daughter. From that moment on their fragile marriage, their lives are devastatingly changed forever.

Wedding bells, a grisly murder, and a defecting Russian spy bring drama to King's Cove in the newest Lane Winslow mystery, a series that the Globe and Mail calls "terrific." A wedding is on the horizon for Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling. As one of the few Russian speakers in her community, Lane is obliged to act as translator and hostess for Countess Orlova, an elderly Russian woman who has tracked her missing brother to the Nelson area. Nelson PD investigates, but then the murder of a lone hunter in the hills above King's Cove takes top priority.

Chrissie Crosby is young, split-second smart and completely pissed off at just about everything. Ginger Flynn is pushing eighty and still seeking answers the way wise people do. These two have much to show each other. Years earlier, a charismatic young professor, Nigel Childes, captivated Ginger while she was one of his students. Their furtive romance and eventual wedding appalled Ginger's disapproving parents, resulting in the family home, Stone House, falling into the hands of a questionable religious sect.

From one to ten and well beyond, explore the Salish Sea in this visually striking, high-concept counting primer. Acclaimed West Coast artist Nikki McClure uses a single piece of paper and an X-ACTO knife to create her simple yet exquisite images. Whether it's one stubby squid or one million raindrops, readers young and not-so-young will delight in this distinctly Pacific picture book.

A true-to-life nature story for young readers, from the multi-award-winning creators of Tale of a Great White Fish. This moving, beautifully illustrated story follows a black bear cub's life in the Pacific Northwest from his birth to his first salmon catch, uniting the cycles of bear and fish. A map and further information about bears and salmon are included. The book is based on a top-selling plush toy named Fraser Bear, created by the Pacific Salmon Foundation and Rocky Mountaineer Vacations.

A nameless boy finds treasure, courage, and clues to his past in this hilarious high-seas adventure. The Greasy Lobster, a pirate ship run by the notorious Captain Gallows, is no place for a kid. But when a young orphan arrives on board, the boy has no choice but to take the captain's orders and get to work gutting fish in the galley. Without family, freedom, or even a name to call his own, the boy's fate appears to be sealed, until fortune appears in the least likely (and most disgusting) of places.

Set in Vancouver in 1907, Better the Devil You Know is the outrageous tale of three unique and curious characters: the small-time con man who passes himself off as an evangelical preacher, the scrawny lady of the night whom he reluctantly befriends, and the five-year-old hellion left in his care by a former lady friend.