National Network for Equitable Library Service

Ten short and engaging biographies of First Nations/Native writers complete with photographs, sidebars, and a complete catalog of their work. These writers draw on their cultural history to create novels, poetry, and plays, and are an inspiration to any aspiring writer or avid reader. Includes Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Joseph Boyden, N. Scott Momaday, Marilyn Dumont, Tomson Highway, Joseph Bruchac, Maria Campbell, Nicola Campbell, and Tim Tingle.

Each year since 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a person who has made a difference in the world. Twelve women have been given this award, and each has her own fascinating story. Each had to struggle to be heard because she was a woman, and each one shares an incredible determination, commitment, and hope for the future. The most recent winner, Wangari Maathai of Kenya, has helped African women plant more than 30 million trees. How does planting trees promote peace? By improving the lives of communities.

Space is the final frontier, and these ten women have established their place in it. This collection of ten biographies features women who have made an important contribution to the exploration of space. Included are Jerrie Cobb, who could only dream of flying above the atmosphere; some of the first women in space, Valentina Tereshkova and Sally Ride; and members of the current generation of women astronaughts such as Julie Payette and Ellen Ochoa. This book shows the particular challenges faced by women in their quest to discover more about our universe.

Since the days of ancient Egypt, women have demonstrated their skills as leaders. The last couple of hundred years, however, have seen increasing numbers of self-made women of distinction take their place on the world stage, many in positions of leadership.

Short-listed for the 2009 Red Maple Award for Non-Fiction, OLA Forest of Reading and commended for the 2009 OLA Best Bets This book presents the story and issues of the First World War in a clear, concise and objective manner, accompanied on every page by photographs, original sketches or maps. Focussing on social as well as political issues with a Canadian perspective, Wilson presents the issues of the war with depth and compassion. This book will be a very useful tool for educators in explaining the hows and whys of this most important period.

An exploration of Canadian Remembrance Day history, customs, and traditions. Who are the people who offered their lives in war? Why do we remember them? How do we honour their memory? For children learning about remembrance and the human toll of war, there can be hard questions to answer. This book is meant to answer the questions kids ask about Remembrance Day and to explain how and why we honour the men and women who have served our country. Canada has developed unique ways of honouring and demonstrating respect for its war dead and veterans.

Struggling for Perfection is the story of the famous pianist, an enigmatic figure who made some of the most acclaimed classical recordings of the last century. A former child prodigy and an unpredictable, passionate man, Glenn Gould was known as much for his eccentricities as his vast musical genius. After retiring prematurely from performing, Gould branched out into work in film and radio and helped bring classical music recording technology into a new age. He has became a national icon in Canada.

This book tells the story of the unique bond between Captain Walters and his schooner the Bluenose. The ship is a Canadian icon and an icon of nautical competition, unbeaten between 1921 and 1939 in the races for the International Fishermans Cup. Its success galvanized a young nations national pride, and the ship remains an important symbol in Nova Scotia today. Walters skill and devotion to his ship helped the Bluenose hold off all challengers, even at the end of its illustrious career.

Yousuf Karsh emigrated to North America from Turkey in the 1920s, eventually settling in Ottawa. An early interest in photography inspired him to open his own studio. As he became known for the quality of his work, Karsh’s close proximity to powerful leaders in Ottawa led to commissions of portraits of politicians. He became known as the worlds’ finest portrait photographer for his gift of drawing out and capturing a subject’s character in a photograph. Over a seventy plus year career, Karsh photographed many famous musicians, artists, actors, captains of industry and politlcians.

David Thompsons story is one of the great tales of North American adventure. His life was a mixture of truth and legend, but he was without a doubt one of the greatest surveyors and mapmakers of the North American continent. Raised in a charity school in London, England, and apprenticed to the Hudsons Bay Company as a teenager, he then travelled extensively, recording valuable navigational information. His life was one of adventure and hardship but also of incredible accomplishment.