Top Grade: Fall 2011

Winner of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Picture Book Award, the TD Norma Fleck Award, the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award, and a USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor Book. Nominated for an OLA Silver Birch Express Tree Award and a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award.

The haunting call of a loon is quintessential summertime for many people. These majestically beautiful birds breed on northern lakes during the spring and summer, and when fall arrives, …

Twin brothers Andre and Lucas are looking forward to a fun summer of body boarding in Prince Edward Island National Park-until they find out that the part of the beach with the best waves has been closed for piping plover nesting season. Their mom, the park warden, lets them help her protect the piping plover nests so the eggs don't get crushed. But when they find evidence that someone-or something-has been sneaking onto the beach, the boys have to work together to find the culprit before it's t …

After her triumph at the science fair – winning a special award even though she wasn’t technically old enough to enter – Bernadette is ready to continue on with grade three. Her friendship with Annie, Keisha, and Megan – also known as “the Lunch Bunch” – continues to blossom. Bernadette and Keisha befriend an elderly neighbor, Mrs. March, and help her with her garden. As a bonus they get to play with Mrs. Marsh’s beautiful cocker spaniel, Lady. Could this bring Bernadette’s dre …

Marwa and Ahmad live in an unnamed country that could be any one of dozens touched by war. While they know that there is a war going on, life in their village goes on largely as normal. Marwa is the narrator of the story, and she tells of a day when planes flew over their village "like a cloud of angry wasps". They are warned that these planes dropped bombs, but after being frightened for a few days they forget of the danger. Until a day when the two are playing and Ahmad finds a small yellow bo …

In Binky's third adventure, our intrepid, sometimes accident-prone hero is shaken out of his routine when he's forced to contend with Gracie, a dainty striped foster kitty who comes to live at Binky's space station (aka his home at 42 Sentinel Parkway). Binky instantly resents the new arrival, whose cute face and perfect manners are downright annoying. Indeed, Gracie seems too perfect. So Binky decides to do some undercover investigating and discovers a shocking truth about the family guest. Soo …

Winner, Mom's Choice Silver Award
After their dog Bubbles chases after the recycling truck, Tiana and her family set off on a search to the Materials Recovery Facility, learning about recycling along the way. Exploring the MRF on their adventure, they see how papers, plastics, metals, and glass are collected, sorted, and baled, and then sent to be made into new products. Based on facts about the process of recycling in industrial countries, this book will help children understand the importance …

Winner, Mom's Choice Silver Award
With colorful illustrations and fact-filled diagrams complementing the adventure, this picture book tells the story of how Peter and his friends help Mr. Ogilvy rediscover forgotten belongings in his shed. They help him organize and distribute the unwanted stuff to reuse centers in the community, learning the many ways and benefits of reusing. The children have fun with forgotten treasures such as old toys, electronics, art supplies, and even a broken-down car, …

Having recently returned from their journey to Thatchwych in book one of the Sir Seth Thistlethwaite series, Mighty Knights Sir Seth and Sir Ollie are doing some well-deserved relaxing on a raft in the local pond. That’s when they notice the water level is suspiciously low. And there’s a strange bubbling coming from the pond, too. Could it be a sea serpent? A strange spell? Or is someone stealing the water? What follows is the second animated, alliterative adventure for this knightly duo, wh …