English Language Arts 7
Social, Cultural, and Historical
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R039113
The Winter People
This historical novel is based on Bruchac's family history. Major Rogers leads an attack in 1759 on the Abenaki village of St. Francis in Quebec. The people of the village are closely tied to the French colonists. The story is narrated by Saxso, who feels he did not do enough to protect his mother and little sisters. The readers will follow Saxso in his efforts to save his family. Saxso is depicted as religious with beliefs from both the Abenaki and Christian teachings. The Winter People is a heartbreaking story that depicts the Abenaki viewpoint of the war.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.50
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R055434
For the Children
This collection of poems speaks of Mi'kmaq life and the hope for a better world. Elder Rita Joe addresses topics such as residential schools, a cure for an ingrown toenail, pollution and death. In some of the poems, the Mi'kmaq words are translated as Joe had done in her original manuscripts. The book includes a table of contents.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$18.95
Record posted/updated:
November 28, 2018
R025835
Caged Eagles
This sequel to War of the Eagles is an account of one family's struggle to understand the injustice that has overtaken their lives and the racism that has imprisoned their community. Set during World War II, Caged Eagles follows a 14-year-old Japanese boy, Tadashi Fukushima, as he and his family are forced to evacuate the coastal area of British Columbia. They are detained in Hastings Park, a guarded area surrounded by chain link fencing topped with barbed wire. This historically accurate account of the treatment of Japanese-Canadians will provide young adults with a memorable reading experience.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$10.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R045442
My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary
It is June 6, 1995, and the first day of the seige of Sarajevo. Twelve-year-old Nadja Halilbegovich's life changes forever. Constant tank and sniper fire forces the people of Sarajevo to live in fear. Sarajevo is blockaded and has no reliable electricity, water or medical supplies. As with all Sarajevians, Nadja must scrounge for basic necessities.
Written in diary format, the book tells of Nadja's teenage years during a time of war. The book includes black-and-white photographs of Nadja, her family and Sarajevo.
Written in diary format, the book tells of Nadja's teenage years during a time of war. The book includes black-and-white photographs of Nadja, her family and Sarajevo.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R019211
Concentus Citizenship Education Resources. Grade 7: The Intentional & Explicit Teaching of Essential Citizenship Competencies
Students begin to investigate and understand the various types of power and governance within their own country at the local, regional, provincial, national and global levels. As the understanding of the levels of power that govern Canada develop, students compare and contrast those structures and processes with countries operating within Pacific Rim and circumpolar regions that do not operate as democracies.
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Download
Media and Formats :
Document
Price :
Free
Record posted/updated:
January 21, 2019
R030201
John McCrae's War: In Flanders Fields
The First World War's terrible Second Battle of Ypres has just broken out in Belgium. Canadian troops, stationed along the Yser canal, are under heavy fire and the number of casualties is mounting. Among the dead is Alexis Helmer, killed early on the morning of May 2, 1915 - the victim of a direct hit from a German shell. Dr. John McCrae, a friend of Helmer's, is there to pick up the pieces of the body and deliver a burial service over the gun blasts. McCrae would later pen the poem, "In Flanders Fields," while looking out over Helmer's grave.
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Media and Formats :
Video
Price :
Free
Record posted/updated:
November 28, 2018
R070659
Samuel de Champlain. Father of New France
This book provides an historical view of the life of Samuel de Champlain. The reproductions of the original documents and the pictures from his journal add to the authenticity of the era. Legaré documents Champlain's efforts to start a settlement on the shores of Quebec and the St. Lawrence Valley. Champlain devoted all his time to give France a foothold in the New World. Champlain dealt with the hardships of the Canadian winters and explored the country with the Huron people as his guides. Champlain played a significant role in the development of New France and the birth of Canada as we know it today.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$15.95
Record posted/updated:
November 1, 2019
R036477
Rapid Ray. The Story of Ray Lewis
The achievements of Ray Lewis, a medal-winning track-and-field athlete, are depicted in this biography. Drawn from personal interviews, the author describes the prejudice endured by the African-American athlete while training and working grueling hours as a porter. Photographs of the runner and his achievements paired with a story of an Olympic medalist who defied societal and cultural norms paint a picture of a true hero.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$12.99
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R039147
Picasso. Soul on Fire
This short biography of Picasso, illustrated in visual text format, introduces students to one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The text and visuals highlight Picasso's experiences, both positive and negative, that contributed to his unique style. Dramatic descriptions of Picasso's working methods permit the reader to see Picasso's environment through his eyes. This book uses a unique layout to present the work of Picasso on one page and on the other side, the oil paintings of the illustrator and author.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$22.99
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R036150
Run
A blend of fact and fiction, this novel highlights Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope's ability to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. A young, troubled boy accompanies his newspaper-columnist father to the marathon. Inspired by the Canadian hero's courage and determination, the young boy quickly befriends Fox. The boy's newfound friendship is then threatened by his father's exploitive article.
Endorsed by the Terry Fox Foundation, this drama enlightens readers to one of Canada's unforgettable heroes.
Endorsed by the Terry Fox Foundation, this drama enlightens readers to one of Canada's unforgettable heroes.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$12.99
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R070663
The Underground Reporters
The Underground Reporters tells the true story of John Freund and Ruda Stadler, two Jewish boys who encourage their community to endure through the atrocities of the Holocaust. The boys create an underground newspaper that instills hope within the Jewish ghettos. The boys wrote 22 editions of Kleppy (which means gossip in Czechoslovakian) before being sent to Auschwitz.
This book explains the many struggles that the Jewish people faced during World War II. The numerous photographs and visuals from the original newspapers make this book interesting to read. One of the survivors, John Freund, immigrated to Canada in the 1950s.
This book explains the many struggles that the Jewish people faced during World War II. The numerous photographs and visuals from the original newspapers make this book interesting to read. One of the survivors, John Freund, immigrated to Canada in the 1950s.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$15.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R070658
Rebel Women: Achievements Beyond the Ordinary
This book highlights eight women in Western Canada who dared to choose their own lifestyles rather than what society prescribed. For example, Nell Shipman (1892-1970) opened an independent production company to make films in Canada, Isobel Gunn (1780-1861) was an Orkney woman who disguised herself as a man to work as a labourer for the Hudson Bay Company and Georgina Binnie-Clark fought against unjust laws such as the Homesteaders Act that did not allow women to own land in Canada.
This book provides information about western women not often mentioned in the history books.
This book provides information about western women not often mentioned in the history books.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R033028
Clara's War
Clara and her family leave their home in Prague and the privileged life they enjoyed before the war broke out, simply because they are Jewish. They are taken to the city of Terezen, a concentration camp. The Nazi guards force the people to stand outside in the cold and rain. This is not a typical concentration camp. Some of the inmates are quite well known in their fields of art, poetry and music, and they decide to produce a children's opera called Brundibar to offer some hope to the children in the camp. Clara manages to make friends in spite of the horrible circumstances and even secures a lead role in the opera. The Red Cross sends a group of observers to inspect conditions at the camp and they see improved buildings and white picket fences as well as an opera for the children as planned by the Germans. This novel reveals the horrors and tragedy that the Czechoslovakian Jews endured during the war.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$8.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R044123
Under a Shooting Star
Readers will be plunged into 1812 Canada, as Edward, Kate and Anne deal with danger and intrigue in their adventure. Edward Wolf McNeill, a 15-year-old Canadian of British and Oneida heritage, is escorting two American sisters home from England when their journey is interrupted by the War of 1812.
This historical novel is more than an adventure story. The novel considers pacifism at a time when war was considered to be an honourable activity. The strength of the novel lies in the search for individual and internal acceptance of young people from different cultures and family relationships.
This book was an honour title for the 2001 Bilson Historical Fiction Award.
This historical novel is more than an adventure story. The novel considers pacifism at a time when war was considered to be an honourable activity. The strength of the novel lies in the search for individual and internal acceptance of young people from different cultures and family relationships.
This book was an honour title for the 2001 Bilson Historical Fiction Award.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R036166
A Company of Fools
Henri, a quiet and sickly choirboy, chronicles the events of the previous year when the Black Plague struck France and a street urchin arrived at the abbey. Although astonished by the waif's outlandish antics and angelic voice, Henri is drawn into a needed friendship with the boy. The two boys accompany a troupe of monks, called A Company of Fools, who entertain the sufferers of the plague. During a performance, Micah's voice is believed to have cured a sick child. Micah is revered by the Parisians and his inflated ego results in a horrific tragedy.
The diagram of the abbey, a map indicating the spread of the Plague, a glossary and a historical note provide additional information about 14th century medieval Europe.
The diagram of the abbey, a map indicating the spread of the Plague, a glossary and a historical note provide additional information about 14th century medieval Europe.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$11.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R025658
The Hydrofoil Mystery
Set in 1915, William's mother feels that her son is socializing with the wrong crowd and is headed for trouble. In an attempt to turn this around, she has arranged for William to spend his summer working for an inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, on a hydrofoil boat. The boat is to assist the Allies in defending coastal waters against the Germans. William expects the summer to be boring, but the few months turn out to be action-packed as he and his co-workers get involved in a frightening mystery. The reader gets a good sense of what life was like during this time as well as some insights into the historical context of Bell's inventions.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$8.99
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R032725
Camp X
The setting is Whitby, Ontario in the summer 1943. Two brothers, 12-year-old George and 14-year-old Jack, are left on their own a lot while their father fights overseas and their mother works in a munitions plant. As the boys explore the town they have moved to, they play war games. One game brings them to what looks like a military base. They are escorted home and ordered to stay away, but curiosity brings them back to Camp X. The boys become involved in the work of the top-secret spy camp and soon learn that everyone is under suspicion, including themselves.
The story is fictitious, but a spy camp was established in Whitby in 1941 by the Canadian who headed British security during the war. This Canadian, Sir William Stephenson, appears in the novel in a minor role as Little Bill.
The story is fictitious, but a spy camp was established in Whitby in 1941 by the Canadian who headed British security during the war. This Canadian, Sir William Stephenson, appears in the novel in a minor role as Little Bill.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$11.99
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R037224
Tunnels of Treachery: Moose Jaw Time Travel Adventure # 3(Updated edition)
Readers will learn about the discrimination against Chinese-Canadians in the 1920s through the time-travel experience of the twins, Kami and Eddie. The twins learn first-hand what their grandparents experienced as they were forced into work gangs at laundromats and grocery stores. The government forced the people to pay a head tax to become legal immigrants. As the plot develops, readers will witness a period of history in Saskatchewan that is not usually discussed. This republished, updated third book in the children’s adventure series features more contemporary phrases and storyline, the addition of 12 black and white illustrations, historical notes, reference to other useful resources on the topic, discussion questions, and a Get Creative section.
Awards: Best Books for Kids and Teens 2023, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Awards: Best Books for Kids and Teens 2023, Canadian Children's Book Centre
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$19.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R034153
Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories
Yee has created 10 stories of Chinese immigration to Canada. Infused with the supernatural, the tales detail the hardships, prejudice and gruelling labour endured by the immigrants. Stark illustrations add to the dark and serious tone of the book. Arranged chronologically, the stories shed light on the Chinese experience in North America.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R037143
The Perilous Year
A sequel to The Hungry Year finds the O'Carr family living in Upper Canada for 10 years. The boys, Alex and Ryan, are looking for more adventure than just working for their father on the farm. Their father brings home a new wife and their older sister, Kate, marries and moves away. Alex gets involved with a group of pirates and his family presumes he has drowned until he walks into his own funeral. The boys are not prepared when the pirates return to the farm and want their help to recover their hidden gold.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$12.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R070654
Little Voice
Ray, an impoverished young Ontario girl of Ojibway and Caucasian heritage, is having difficulty dealing with the death of her father and accepting her cultural background. She does not get along with her peers and she feels that her mother has no time for her. Life improves for Ray when her grandmother, an Elder and healer, helps Ray to accept herself and maintain her cultural heritage in a modern world.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R070656
Andrei and the Snow Walker
In this book, Warwaruk celebrates the diverse cultures of Canada in the early 1900s. Andrei and his family have left the Ukraine and settled on a homestead near Batoche, Saskatchewan. Andrei's grandfather shares stories from the past with his grandson about the horsemanship of the Cossacks and the Scythian Cup, a relic of the ancient Ukrainians. The cup brings strange, magical visions to Andrei. When Andrei is caught in a blizzard, he is saved by the Snow Walker, a wise man with unique powers.
Students will learn about the customs of both Cree and Ukrainian people through this novel.
Students will learn about the customs of both Cree and Ukrainian people through this novel.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$9.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R036853
Initiation
The novel is based on the Kwakiutl transformation narrative that centres on the belief that when the salmon are scarce, a warrior can call them back by diving into the water and turning into a salmon. Nano and her twin brother Nanolatch, children of a chief of the Kwakiutl Nation on the Northwest Coast, are about to embark on their initiation into adulthood. Nanolatch is destined to become the chief and Nano faces marriage to a boy from another nation and a life apart from her family.
The twins' father leads a war party that destroys a neighbouring village. The captive of the raid, Noh, is the daughter of a shaman, who has a strong spiritual affinity to the Spirit World and to nature. The fate of the twins and Noh converge, thus altering their lives. Together, the young people work to save the nation from becoming extinct, in spite of the predetermined positions expected by the adults. This novel takes a look at the traditional roles that society expected in the 15th century and, at the same time, is a plea for the conservation of the endangered migrating salmon.
The twins' father leads a war party that destroys a neighbouring village. The captive of the raid, Noh, is the daughter of a shaman, who has a strong spiritual affinity to the Spirit World and to nature. The fate of the twins and Noh converge, thus altering their lives. Together, the young people work to save the nation from becoming extinct, in spite of the predetermined positions expected by the adults. This novel takes a look at the traditional roles that society expected in the 15th century and, at the same time, is a plea for the conservation of the endangered migrating salmon.
(More information)
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$12.95
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R040966
The Real Winnie: A One-of-a-Kind Bear
When Harry Coleburn was a military officer and a veterinarian in 1914 during World War I, he acquired a female black bear named Winnipeg. The story takes place against the backdrop of World War I and moves on to the London Zoo. Author A. A. Milne and his son Christopher meet the bear and the children's story of Winnie-the-Pooh begins.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$16.95
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018
R044122
Susanna's Quill
Johnston has written a fictionalized account of the life of Canadian author, Susanna Moodie. In the early 19th century, Susanna makes a name for herself as a poet even when writing was not socially acceptable. Susanna falls in love with John Moodie and moves to Canada with the promise of free land and opportunity. John Moodie makes several poor investments and the family is haunted by debt. Susanna struggles to maintain her status as an author. While they lived in a log shanty, Susanna Moodie became depressed trying to cling to her Victorian ideals of rank.
Students will observe the perseverance and determination it took to survive as a pioneer in Canada.
Students will observe the perseverance and determination it took to survive as a pioneer in Canada.
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Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$14.99
Record posted/updated:
July 8, 2024
R036395
The Silent Boy
Katy, a doctor's daughter, lives a privileged life in New England and often accompanies her father on his visits to families during which she witnesses the harsh realities of life. Peggy, the hired girl, has a 13-year-old brother, Jacob, who is silent and has a fondness for animals. A fragile companionship develops between Katy and Jacob and Katy learns that Jacob is at fault for a baby's death. The photographs of characters and scenes add to the historical detail of the story.
Media and Formats :
Book
Price :
$11.99
Record posted/updated:
November 22, 2018