ValHamster

ValHamster
Author: Angela Misri
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2022-05-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1770866523

Zombies beware. Emmy is back and fiercer than ever in ValHamster, a thrilling new adventure set in Angela Misri’s award-winning Tails from the Apocalypse universe. Being the greatest zombie fighter of all time is a lot for one animal, but Emmy’s the perfect hamster for the job. Fire, rage, and fury are her weapons of choice and woe to the undead human who crosses her path. That is, until the mammals she lives with invite a weasel, of all creatures, to join their camp. This unthinkable betrayal reminds Emmy that letting friends into your heart is always a mistake. A lone warrior at her core, Emmy takes this opportunity to leave on a solo mission to rid the world of zombies once and for all. But, to her dismay, she seems to attract every helpless animal possible — humans, rabbits, dogs, bears, you name it. When Emmy finally shakes her companions, she discovers that being alone and unloved is a fate worse than death. Maybe loving those animals is what gave her the courage to fight zombies in the first place.

Pickles vs. the Zombies

Pickles vs. the Zombies
Author: Angela Misri
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2019
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1770865594

The comfortable life of Pickles, the calico housecat, is turned upside down when humans succumb to a zombie apocalypse. She doesn’t know where her “pet” – human child Connor – has gone, only that there are zombies everywhere. Determined to find Connor, Pickles sets off with her cat friends and a streetwise raccoon, exploring a world she has only seen through a window. Fending off human zombies, street cats from the wrong side of the track, and a fearsome gang of chipmunks, Pickles and her crew search for remnants of human society.

Trip of the Dead

Trip of the Dead
Author: Angela Misri
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 131
Release: 2021-02-13
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1770865977

Every zombie apocalypse needs a hero. And that hero should be a raccoon. Trip, the clumsy but streetwise raccoon, has managed to survive the zombie apocalypse with the help of animal friends and a few kind humans. But he can’t help but notice one thing: he’s the only raccoon in his crew. In fact, he’s the only raccoon he’s seen in ages. Where have all the raccoons gone? The answer to that question is scarier than any zombie horde. People have discovered that raccoons are more than just rodents who knock over their garbage bins; they might be a tool for ending zombie-ism. And that is bad news for raccoons.

Home Truths

Home Truths
Author: Jill MacLean
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1770860193

Brick’s home life is a horror show. His dad has a temper like a pressure valve; you never know when he’s going to blow. His mom’s a self-absorbed flake who leaves the care of his little sister to Brick. A guy could go crazy with all that tension. It’s no wonder Brick has to let off a little steam of his own once in a while. It’s not like he’s anything remotely like his dad. The day he turns sixteen, Brick’s out of there. This summer he’s going to take up Mr. Larkin’s offer of work, even though he’s been forbidden to “fraternize with the neighbors.” And he’s going to earn enough money to escape. Get out and never look back. But who will his dad turn to when he doesn’t have a son to kick around anymore? A compulsive read by a two-time winner of the Ann Connor Brimer Award, Home Truths is a revealing portrait of a bully-in-training and his journey to redemption.

Shantallow

Shantallow
Author: Cara Martin
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2019-05-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1770865535

Shortlisted for the 2020 Ottawa Book Award Longlisted for the 2020 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Tanvi isn’t the girl of Misha’s dreams; she’s the girl from his nightmares. She has appeared in his chilling dreams before he even meets her; when he DOES meet her, he falls for her. Their relationship turns stormy, bordering on abusive, and takes a dramatic turn when they are held captive by a group hoping to extract money from Tanvi’s wealthy family. But there is something more sinister at work, and the kidnappers and their victims find themselves struggling for survival as a supernatural force from Misha’s nightmares makes itself known in the real world.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings

What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings
Author: John Lorinc
Publisher: Coach House Books
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2022-10-18
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 177056747X

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 TASTE CANADA AWARD FOR CULINARY NARRATIVES Featured on "The Sunday Magazine" on CBC Radio Nearly every culture has a variation on the dumpling: histories, treatises, family legends, and recipes about the world’s favorite lump of carbs ​​​​If the world's cuisines share one common food, it might be the dumpling, a dish that can be found on every continent and in every culinary tradition, from Asia to Central Europe to Latin America. Originally from China, they evolved into ravioli, samosas, momos, gyozas, tamales, pierogies, matzo balls, wontons, empanadas, potato chops, and many more. In this unique anthology, food writers, journalists, culinary historians, and musicians share histories of their culture’s version of the dumpling, family dumpling lore, interesting encounters with these little delights, and even recipes to unwrap the magic of the world's favorite dish. With an introduction by Karon Liu. Illustrations by Meegan Lim. Contributors include: Michal Stein, Christina Gonzales, Kristen Arnett, David Buchbinder, André Alexis, Miles Morrisseau, Angela Misri, Perry King, Sylvia Putz, Mekhala Chaubal, Arlene Chan, Chantal Braganza, Naomi Duguid, Eric Geringas, Matthew Murtagh-Wu, Monika Warzecha, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, Tatum Taylor Chaubal, Domenica Marchetti, Julie Van Rosendaal, Amy Rosen, Cheryl Thompson, Jennifer Jordan, Marie Campbell, Navneet Alang

Oculum

Oculum
Author: Philippa Dowding
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2018-04-22
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1770865136

"I'm Mann, just Mann." The world is slowly recovering after environmental collapse, and the children of the automated, domed city of Oculum have begun to awaken. Miranda, William and the 998 other children wake to tend the fruit trees and gardens behind the thick, opaque walls of their world. Some speak quietly of Outside, which is forbidden. Until William finds a door ... The children outside the dome of Oculum — Mann, Cranker and others raised by Grannie — live amongst the rubble of the old destroyed city. They live with hunger, hard work, and stories about a time before the fall, of buggies without horses, light without fire ... and magical fruit called "peaches." But it must be lies, until one day Mann and Cranker get close enough to the ancient dome to find ... a door....

Fifteen Point Nine

Fifteen Point Nine
Author: Holly Dobbie
Publisher: DCB
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2018-05-12
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1770865241

No one at school knew that fifteen-year-old Aggie and her mother were hoarders until the Idiot Boys. That made her even more a target of bullies than she was before. At home, aka The Dump, her loneliness and despair are further punctuated by her mother’s alcoholism, neglect, and paranoia. But Aggie is a warrior and she devises a plan to fight back —?a plan that enlists a few of the other misfits at school. The plan isn’t an easy one, though, and when she is beaten by a group of girls, she finds strength and encouragement from some unlikely sources. Will it be enough to turn her life around? And will she somehow be able to save her mother, who continues a downward spiral of neglect?

The Girl in the Well Is Me

The Girl in the Well Is Me
Author: Karen Rivers
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2017-02-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1616206969

When you move somewhere new, you get to be someone new. I was ready. Sixth-grader Kammie Summers’s plan to be one of the popular girls at school hasn’t gone the way she hoped. She’s fallen into a well during a (fake) initiation into the Girls’ club. Now she’s trapped in the dark, counting the hours, hoping to be rescued. (The Girls have gone for help, haven’t they?) As the hours go by, Kammie’s real-life trouble mixes with memories of the best and worst moments of her life so far, including the awful reasons her family moved to this new town in the first place. And as she begins to feel hungry and thirsty and dizzy, Kammie discovers she does have visitors, including a French-speaking coyote and goats that just might be zombies. But they can’t get her out of the well. (Those Girls are coming back, aren’t they?) “Moving, suspenseful, and impossible to put down.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Darkly humorous . . . Honest and forthcoming.” —The New York Times Book Review “I dare you to pick up this riveting novel without reading straight through to its heart-stopping conclusion.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal–winning author of The One and Only Ivan

Live to Tell

Live to Tell
Author: Lisa Harrington
Publisher: Cormorant Books
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2012-08-07
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1770862188

When Libby Thorne wakes up in the hospital, they tell her she was in a car accident. They tell her it was her fault, and that an innocent victim is clinging to life. And they tell her that criminal charges are going to be brought against her. The problem is, Libby can remember none of it. She can’t remember the accident, the party, the drinking … She can’t even remember the guy who keeps sending her flowers and acts like he’s her boyfriend. With the help of her best friend, Kasey, Libby pieces together the events of the evening that landed her in the hospital. As memories start trickling through, she begins to realize that something is not right, and that what she’s been told about that night may not be what happened at all. But is she prepared for a truth that might be darker than the fiction? A riveting psychological thriller from Lisa Harrington, Live to Tell is filled with staggering twists and emotional punches.