A young child reflects on the world and her place in it, and in an endearing way poses those big questions that children often ask and adults try answering.
“An odd shaped shell caught my eye. . . . I turned it over. . . . It was a tiny, perfect skull.” In the wake of a family tragedy, twelve-year-old Minn Hotchkiss is sent to spend the summer with her sour grandmother in the tiny seaside town of Boulder Basin, Nova Scotia. Almost as soon as she arrives, Minn discovers the skull of a human child on the beach. She is swiftly caught up in a mystery that reaches back more than a century, to the aftermath of the most tragic shipwreck in Maritime history before the Titanic. Over the course of this extraordinary summer, Minn will discover romance with a boy who turns out to be much more than he seems, and learn that the grandmother she resented is more curious, dedicated, and surprising than she had ever guessed. She might even meet a world-famous rock star! By summer’s end, Minn will solve a ghostly mystery and, most importantly, finally be able to give up the terrible secret she has kept locked in her heart.
This new collection of Sheree Fitch's poetry tickles the funnybones of children, teachers and parents everywhere. The illustrations perfectly enhance an atmosphere of frivolity, helping to make this an exciting book.
Julian's parents separated when he was a baby, and he is still hurt. On a road trip with his mother and her new beau, Julian finds that love comes in many different guises" Cf. Our choice, 2003.
Designed to cue imagination and enhance creativity, the guided exercises and fun-filled suggestions in this innovative book integrate elements of writing with simple movements and yoga principles to create a safe and joyful learning experience.
The award-winning, bestselling author takes readers on “a thrilling joy-ride through a week in the life of a self-made woman facing her deepest fears” (Sea and Be Scene). With all the wisdom, humor and joy we’ve come to expect from Sheree Fitch, Kiss the Joy as It Flies, first published in 2008, marked the well-loved author’s move from children’s literature to adult fiction. Set in the fictional Maritime town of Odell, with a cast of exasperating but lovable characters, Kiss the Joy as It Flies promises to be a remarkable debut and a reader’s favorite. Panic-stricken by the news that she needs exploratory surgery, forty-eight-year-old Mercy Beth Fanjoy drafts a monumental to-do list and sets about putting her messy life in order. Among other things (hide the vibrator!), she’s determined to finally uncover the identity of her secret admirer; reconnect with long-lost friend and rival Teeny Gaudet; and, most importantly, get her hands on the note her father left before committing suicide all those years ago. But tidying up the edges of her life means the past comes rushing back to haunt her and the present keeps throwing up more to-dos. Between fits of weeping and laughter, ranting and bliss, Mercy must contemplate the meaning of life in the face of her own death. In a week filled with the riot of an entire life, nothing turns out the way she’d expected. “Kiss the Joy as It Flies is funny and heartbreaking and thought-provoking and sometimes all three—and more—at once. Fitch made us wait a long time for her first novel, but it was worth it. It’s a rare and lovely book.” —January Magazine
The award-winning author shares her journey as a writer, offering valuable insights that will motivate young writers. Includes writing exercises, story starters and a glossary" Cf. Our choice, 2001
The award-winning poet and author of Summer Feet offers delightful rhyming picture book that helps children embrace diversity. If ever you go travelling On EveryBody Street You'll see EveryBody’s Different Than EveryOne you meet Sheree Fitch’s playful words lead you into this beautiful children's book and invite you to celebrate our gifts, our weaknesses, our differences, and our sameness. Fitch displays her wit and mastery of words in quick, rollicking rhymes that are complemented by Emma FitzGerald’s lively illustrations. EveryBody’s Different on EveryBody Street was originally produced in 2001 as a fundraiser to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Festival of Trees in support of the Nova Scotia Hospital and to raise awareness for mental illness and addiction. “With a style reminiscent of Quentin Blake, FitzGerald’s illustrations of people letting their freak flag fly complement Fitch’s exuberant, playful, and poignant rhymes.” ―Quill & Quire (Toronto, ON) “Fitch’s lyrical prose is enhanced by the very beautiful illustrations of Emma FitzGerald. The illustrations are done in bold and bright colors, and are very rich in detail which provides a superb backdrop for this poem about individual differences.” ―Canadian Materials Magazine
A playful, poetic picture book celebrating the coming of spring from the award-winning author of Summer Feet and featuring luminous original artwork by an internationally renowned quilt artist. Buds of leaves still curled in knots just like teeny polka dots spots of green on bare-branched trees soon buds will bloom and leaves unfurl yes, shimmery light on every thing. Spring is sometimes a long time coming. As snow melts and winter slowly blows away, the earth begins its unfolding of new life and hopeful greening. While we can still snowshoe through the soft white and sip the clear, wintry air, we dream of the sparkle of spring, that wind-chapped-cheek time, where "baby fiddleheads sleep/like so many questions deep" and the sun comes "smiling in/as longer days of light begin." A poetic celebration of the season, Spring Song! invites readers into a rural family home and the natural world that surrounds them. Tiny details and clues emerging from hibernation are a source of wonder, seeds hold secrets of sunflowers, and mudliscious puddles await! A collection of verse germinating for years, ever since author Sheree Fitch first experienced the magical artwork of artist Deb Plestid, whose luminous, original quiltwork illustrates this gentle, vibrant book, brimming with the joy of spring.
With Sheree Fitch's wonderful and unusual sense of humour, and her alluring way with words, here's another chapter book for young readers about a mix-up that could happen anywhere.
No matter how hard he tries, even with the help of his classroom aide, Ian Goobie can't do the things that the other children in his class can do. Every day he dreads going to school. Then he finds a rock, a rock that fits perfectly in his pocket, a rock that touches all his senses and whisks him away into a whole other world. From then on, as long as he has a rock in his pocket, Ian Goobie can manage his daily challenges. That is, until he stuffs so many rocks in his pockets that his pants fall down right outside in the schoolyard, in front of all his classmates. This might be the biggest challenge Ian Goobie has had to face yet.
Murderer. It's one kick in the belly of a word isn't it? Has a taste, too. It tastes like barbed wire and has wild hyena eyes. Murderer. Murder-her. Did he? Did I? That's when I remember what I want to forget." Jake Upshore has loved Skye Derucci since before he can remember. Volatile, complex and frustrated (he's got a label disorder from all the labels he's been given) at the best of times, Jake's on a desperate quest to find Skye before she aborts the baby he believes is his. As he hurtles headlong toward certain tragedy, Jake relives the fatal choices he's made and the powerful forces that have led him to this to end. A gripping thriller and a heart-wrenching love story, Pluto's Ghost is a raw and powerful novel about anger, escape, and redemptive love.
Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens at Upper Millidocket Elementary School. All that changes the day Mr. Tiggle, the principal, forgets to recite his daily poem over the intercom" Cf. Our choice, 1998-1999
Our young heroine awakens one morning to total chaos when she discovers hordes of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans have taken over her home. "Baboon catastrophe" continues despite her valiant efforts to restore order, until official help arrives--and something else!
Shortlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour. A new smaller format of Fitch's critically acclaimed adult novel. Panic-stricken by the news that she needs exploratory surgery, forty-eight-year-old Mercy Beth Fanjoy drafts a monumental to-do list and sets about putting her messy life in order. But tidying up the edge of her life means the past comes rushing back to haunt her and the present keeps throwing up more to-dos. Between fits of weeping and laughter, ranting and bliss, Mercy must contemplate the meaning of life in the face of her own death. In a week filled with the riot of an entire life, nothing turns out the way she expected.
Upper Millidocket Elementary School is an exceptionally lovely place to be. The children are excited to learn, the teachers are excited to teach, and the school secretary holds everything together. But when Mr. Tiggle, the principal, forgets to recite his daily poem during the morning announcements, everything goes upside down. Miss Argyle, the school secretary, disappears (and decides to stay disappeared for a while), tarantulas escape their cages, and the school comes very close to falling completely apart. A second edition of a Sheree Fitch classic with new illustrations from Kelly Ulrich.
In this classic children's book, a girl wakes up in the middle of the night and wants some cake. But to reach the refrigerator, she has to tiptoe past a host of sleeping dragons, like Priscilla in her pink pantaloons, the punk rock dragon Fagan with spiky green hair, and Beelzebub (who sleeps in the tub). When she stubs her toe, the dragons wake up, and she has to think fast to befriend the dragons. An award-winning bestseller first published in 1989, Sleeping Dragons All Around is back to spark the imaginations of a whole new generation. Sheree Fitch's celebrated lipslippery poetry and Michele Nidenoff's colourful illustrations combine to make one of the most delightful children's books ever published in Canada. Sheree Fitch has read this book to audiences from sea to sea to sea in Canada, in the Himalayas, and along the eastern coast of Africa. Her first two books, Toes in My Nose and Sleeping Dragons All Around, launched her career as a poet, rhymster, and a "kind of Canadian female Dr. Seuss." Fitch has won almost every major award for Canadian children's literature since then, including the 2000 Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work Inspirational to Canadian Children. She has over twenty-five books to her credit. Fitch's home base is the east coast of Canada. She dances with dragons daily. Michelle Nidenoff's illustrations have been featured in magazines and children's books, including The Canadian Children's Treasury. Among her credits is a bronze award from the Broadcast Design Association in Ontario. She lives in Toronto.
From questions and short tasks to full classroom events, this playful, powerful guide offers strategies to help student reflect on and determine what poetry means to them.
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