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Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
While sitting in his mother's restaurant, Julien Roy overhears an elderly lady talking with a rather burly man. Suddenly, he and his friends Ariane and Philippe are in the thick of the kidnapping of a famous company's CEO. That very morning, Julien's father, the computer sales magnate, was going to the airport to pick up the head of the Orange company who was coming all the way from California just to promote a new video game… This was all Julien needed in order to set out to solve a conspiracy worthy of the king of curiosity!
Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
Arthur thinks his father is a monster! How dare he refuse to let him adopt the "stray" dog he found in the elevator. Furious, Arthur turns his room upside down and barricades himself in, thinking he can blackmail his father into changing his mind. But the improvised siege lasts longer than he intended. What an adventure! The writing is lively, descriptive, sometimes exaggerated, and highly rhythmical. Humorous illustrations are well suited to young readers.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Québec Amérique.
In a gentle and tender phantasmagoria, Christiane Duchesne tells us the story of Balthazar who, while telling his story about Lila, Bé and Croque, is mostly recounting his love for Marie. Except for Balthazar and Marie, all the characters are drawn from the tales of Balthazar. As he reveals his love for Marie, Balthazar must ingeniously make his other friends return to their own stories. La Bergère de chevaux calls upon experienced readers to use their imagination in order to help develop this sometimes intricate, but always enchanting tale.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions du Boréal.
After putting her message in a bottle and leaving it in the alley, Lolita Pinoteau's wish comes true. Cervantès the cockatoo arrives at her house. A series of mishaps occur that prove to Lolita's mother beyond any doubt just how deeply the bird is attached to this unusual family.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Québec Amérique.
Fred is astounded. First a message from his friend Klonk, on his answering machine, invites him and his wife Agathe to join Klonk and Karine in Venice on their honeymoon! Then a fax and a telegram arrive, both from different countries. What is happening to his friend? A few months later, a computer message arrives inviting him to go up North. What an unusual place for a honeymoon! Fred finds himself carried off into a mysterious world full of strange and terrifying creatures and we discover that Karine's world is just as astonishing as Klonk's. Together will they be able to escape this nightmare?
Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
Thomas hates hats, all hats. The only one he likes is his father's black felt hat, and it stays in the front closet except for very special occasions. That is until the day Thomas climbs on a chair, grabs the hat and puts it on his head where it begins to spin round and round, sweeping Thomas off on an amazing adventure. Each illustration in the picture book shows him in another world where he is a hero. He becomes a circus acrobat, a knight, a boat captain, a cowboy and he even pilots a space shuttle. Only memories of his family and happy times bring him back to earth. At last, he wakes up on the big living room couch, holding his father's hat and happy to be home.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions Héritage inc.
If words could be characters, this little book would make an excellent animated cartoon. This story begins with a slip of the tongue that leads Somerset, the story's hero, into a series of incidents that keep us smiling and chuckling from beginning to end. Somerset wants to be polite and greet the school's new principal, but he hesitates while trying to choose between saying "salut" or "allô". His tongue slips and he ends up saying "Sallô". The more he tries to fix his blunder, the more mistakes he makes. The illustrations present a perfect backdrop for the story and offer pleasant discoveries as the reader turns each page.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Pierre Tisseyre.
Jessie and her mother run a sanctuary for injured birds in the Yukon. Her younger sister, Érica, who is aphasic, has recently made friends with a trumpet swan. One day the swan escapes and Érica, distraught, leaves to find it. When she does, she also overhears a plot against her family. She tries to warn her parents but only Jessie understands her confused words. Jessie also hears the cry of the great raven and knows her family is in danger. With her friends and Myriam, the speech therapist, Jessie manages to solve the enigma and quell the conspiracy.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
A holiday "just for the girls" on a ranch in the Queen Charlotte Islands is pure happiness for eleven-year-old Avril and her mother Sara, and an opportunity for Sara to do some research for her next novel. There they meet Shawn, a young Métis, and his mother who tell them the story of Mark Mitchell, the previous tenant whose activities and death were highly mysterious. Sara's curiosity is instantly aroused. With the discovery of a gold nugget and numerous clues, they are soon on the trail of a treasure. An enjoyable adventure that makes you want to learn more about the ancestral life and customs of the Haïda.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
Méli is bored. Everyone is home, but no one wants to play with her. Her father is listening to music, her mother is reading, and her little brother is watching the same film for the hundredth time: La Guerre du dragon. The story never changes - a defenceless maiden who can be freed only by defeating the dragon that holds her prisoner. But suddenly, her little brother, Mimi, tries to help and the dragon lashes out at him! Will Méli come to his rescue? Finally, a story in which a girl must save a boy!
Cover reproduced by permission of Annick Press Ltd.
Léon Napoléon has just left home for a short walk when the wind blows a bit too hard and snatches his yellow hat right off his head. While trying to catch it, Léon is swept into a series of adventures. No matter how hard he tries, riding his 33-speed bicycle, taking a taxi, boarding an airplane, he can't catch his hat. He even chases it from a dugout canoe, on horseback and in a hot air balloon… to no avail. Not until he is returning home on a scooter does he finally grab his nice yellow hat. Happily donning it again, he suddenly sees another just like it still drifting high in the sky. Exuberant colours and exaggerated proportions illustrate this picture book.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Médiaspaul.
The sixth graders from Sorel, Quebec's Julie Massé School finally take their last trip of the school year to Parc Safari in Hemmingford. All goes well until the end of the day when the chaperones realize Gabriel is missing from the group. They organize a search quickly, but Gabriel is prepared. With the little money he has, Gabriel has planned to run away and hide from the authorities. He can't stand thinking about his father in prison and seeing all the animals in captivity for people's pleasure. This dual realization is so hard for him to accept that, as he runs away, he tries to free some of the animals. Despite the sophisticated themes of liberty and the collective responsibility towards humans and animals, the writing experience of this story's three accomplished authors makes it easy to read.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Hurtubise HMH Ltée.
Four travellers board a Beaver float plane to fly from Montreal to Northern Quebec where they work. During the flight, they encounter heavy winds that turn into a deadly snowstorm. The little plane crashes into an evergreen forest, killing the pilot instantly, but the four passengers survive uninjured. With grit and determination, they find ways to survive while waiting for the rescue they can only hope is coming. The author's extensive experience in the northern forests leads readers to discover not only the awesome power of Nature, but also its wealth and generosity. We are drawn deeply into this adventure tale by its detailed and sensitive descriptions of the environment that changes the characters. The highly rhythmical and gentle, yet forceful prose flows naturally.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Québec Amérique.
"Key in the war relic opens small box by all numbers added at the bank nearby". This is the riddle that almost 8-year-old Noémie and her inseparable accomplice, Madame Lumbago must solve when they find themselves involved in a tale of money and a bank. The walls in the house are full of change, a tidy little fortune saved from selling bottles over the years. They have to empty the walls, count the change and take it all to the bank in Noémie's small car. After more than a month of hard work, they finally discover the key to unlocking the treasure (not necessarily the one we thought!). You'll find tenderness and imagination in this third volume of the Noémie series.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Médiaspaul.
A couple of friends decide to visit a drop-in centre a few days before Christmas, wearing the elf and the Star Fairy costumes they have made to suit the spirit of the season. Although Rafaële is not very excited about her costume, nothing in the world will make her back down in front of her best friend Maxime. Although an anonymous message warning her about taking part in the evening makes Rafaële hesitate, it does not prevent her from going. However, when she recognizes who is hiding under the Santa Claus costume, her evening turns into a nightmare.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions du Raton Laveur.
Clotilde lives in the city. For her birthday, she receives a goldfish from her grandmother and an invitation to spend her next summer holidays at her home by the sea. Clotilde enjoys her grandmother's sea stories, so she and her goldfish Capuchon take the train to visit Grandma. The very next day, they have a fishing lesson. Unable to resist the attraction of the open sea, Capuchon jumps into the water. Thus begins his exploration of a new underwater world, many discoveries and some unpleasant encounters. The drawings are accurate, detailed and meaningful. The many colours in the illustrations are vibrant, attractive and lively. Adults and children alike will want to re-read the story, taking the time to stop and admire the images.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les éditions de la courte échelle inc.
Just like Ulysses, the author uses cunning to reach his goals. While telling the story of two very close friends, Adèle and Godefroy, he also tells the history of the "ancient Greeks". Adèle and Godefroy's fascination with Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey carries the reader along with them into the lands of the Greek gods, the Cyclops and all kinds of other perils. Le Plus beau des voyages is one of the most exciting ways for young readers to discover the adventures of Ulysses and is an excellent way to make the classics less intimidating.
Cover reproduced by permission of Scholastic Canada Ltd.
Marjolaine, a little gypsy who knows how to read crystal balls and dance with bears, dreams of being a princess and living in a beautiful castle. When princess Cyprine visits the gypsy camp to have her fortune told, Marjolaine's dream comes true. She follows the princess into a glittering and bustling new life. But why does she feel so alone? Bravely facing the unknown, Marjolaine finds her way back to the people and the life she loves.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions Héritage inc.
What an adventure Romeo the rat is having! In his search for peanuts to impress Juliette, the love of his life, nothing matches his determination except perhaps his ingenuity. His search for peanuts takes him to the land of his cousins the squirrels, but why on earth would a rat choose peanuts? Dominique Jolin's highly colourful illustrations are all so full of details that readers will be held spellbound. How surprising that such a familiar story always provides renewed pleasure.
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions Héritage inc.
Super Trompe is a very brave little elephant. He is not frightened by monsters, ghosts or dragons or climbing the highest mountains. His secret admirer, Lili the mouse, follows him in his adventures. One day, they are both invited to a masquerade ball at Trolon the giraffe's castle. When Lili arrives in her wonderful costume, everyone gathers around to admire her. Everyone except Super Trompe; he runs away, shaking with fear. Perched on a chandelier, he is astonished to see all the feats the little mouse accomplishes so expertly. Their meeting is inevitable… This is a very lovely picture book, full of adventure, ambience and friendship.
Cover reproduced by permission of Groupe Beauchemin, Éditeur Ltée.
The best way to conquer your fears and to stop being considered a child is to venture into the city at night. That's what Thomas thinks and that's what he does. Fear is a topic more often approached in books for the very young, rarely for an older audience as is the case with this story. Rather than having a conventional picture book format, or being a traditional novel for adolescents, this work falls between the two. It will require special promotion in libraries similar to that used for older audiences. Although the format is surprising, the story and the illustrations in Thomas et la nuit are captivating and thought-provoking. The rhythm of the text is calm, intriguing, mysterious. The illustrations' sombre colours suit the text perfectly, creating depth and a film-like setting.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Médiaspaul.
Thirteen-year-old Alec'h and his master Llyr face their city's prejudices when a child suddenly disappears. In 1595, roaming the countryside in search of grave mounds and holding gatherings among the druid stones are activities that are frowned upon. The alchemist and his apprentice have to separate. Thanks to his uncle Dérec'h, captain of the Saint-Brendan, Alec'h finds himself sailing to the New World; experiencing the surprises and routines of life on board a ship; the ridicule of the sailors; the presence of the strange Loïc Lehon; and, the return of his visions of the future. The crossing and his stay in Canada become the initiation rites that reveal the path awaiting him.
Cover reproduced by permission of Éditions Québec Amérique.
When Guillaume Cormier finds an 18th-century cross with a coded message on it, he just knows there is a treasure waiting. He and his friends begin their treasure hunt and come up against competitors who are as determined as they are dangerous. In this novel, Jean Lemieux demonstrates a deep understanding of the adventurous spirit and concerns that can overwhelm adolescents. Simple illustrations give readers a better idea of how to find the treasure by following the constellation Sagittarius, which is the key to solving the riddle.
Cover reproduced by permission of Annick Press Ltd.
What happens when the mother of ten children (not counting the dog) wins a fabulous holiday in the sun for two and all the children, plus the dog, decide to follow her by hiding in the trunk? Imagine! Only Stéphane Poulin could sweep us into the ensuing series of whimsical adventures. Let yourself fall under the spell of this incredible tale, the playful narration, and especially the magnificent illustrations that will whisk grown-ups back to their childhood. Bon voyage!
Cover reproduced by permission of Les Éditions Logiques.
Zoé finds herself in the hospital after climbing a tree in order to collect some robins' eggs. The adventure takes a new twist when she understands she is in Emergency. Seeing specialist after specialist, Zoé also realizes things are moving too fast for her and, to make matters worse, she has to stay in the hospital overnight! Zoé invites us to share this unusual trip with her. 
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