Other Inspirational Books Suitable for Children 

Published by Zondervan

Where were the angels when God created the world?   Why did an angel force a donkey off the road?   Who did the angels get out of jail twice?   Young readers can find answers to these and other questions in this exciting storybook, written by bestselling author Allia Zobel Nolan with breathtaking illustrations by artist Alida Massari.   This charming book gives children a fascinating look into how God’s powerful behind-the-scenes helpers interacted with Bible greats from Abraham, Lot, and Gideon to Zechariah, Mary, and Jesus himself, acting as messengers, protectors, warriors, and more.

Under the Maple Tree Books a division of Knox Robinson Publishers Also available from Amazon A Canada Book Award winner.

Kat’s Mom and Dad have lots of rules for her to follow...SO many, in fact, she’s sure they belong to a Meany Club! What’s a girl to do? Kat dreams of slipping away to find fun in all sorts of places...Who knows where her journeys will take her? Have a rollicking time with Kat as she devises clever ways to avoid unwelcome rules and set her parents on a kid-friendly course. Does she love her parents? You bet! But how to convince them that anything is possible -- and fun -- from painting the house with toothpaste to flying to the moon? Stephanie Hill's inspired illustrations bring the generational clashes to riotous life." - Sylvia Adams, award-winning poet and novelist, founder of Canada's Field Stone Poets Kat and the Meanies' is a must-have book that should be in everyone’s library—young and old alike." - Christine Davis, Author and Illustrator Delightful story, such fun to read, and beautifully told and illustrated. I can see this becoming a bedtime favorite. - Irene Davis, writer and editor. Awarded the Peter Gzowski Literacy Award of Merit, 2006

An Amazon best-seller: http://tinyurl.com/mepswvm

When God Turned On the Light is another delightful children's book from the author of Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones. Written by Allia Zobel Nolan with illustrations by Linda Clearwater, this book gives young readers a front-row seat as God's love explodes and the world gets its start. The book then shifts to the important role light plays in a child's everyday world, and finally segues to God's gift of the ultimate Light of the world: Jesus. Writing in rhyme, Zobel Nolan demonstrates how God's light gives life to everything, from the corn in the field to the cat's tiger-like shadow on the wall. What's more, it teaches children that Jesus is indeed the holy personification of Light, the One who makes their the universe brighter, the One Who lives in their heart. From Harvest House Publishers.

The Black Pearl of Osis introduces a boy named Jonathan, a Princess called Magenta and Monte, a fearless Chihuahua. This tale of courage, loyalty, fear and tragedy appeals to both children and adults. Volume Two,  The Curse of Lake Osis, brings a new character, Bruno, a strange, mute boy, with whom our heroes leave for Pebble Island where Commander Sepio, the new owner of the Black Pearl of Osis, resides with his army of Warriors. But Bruno seems to have plans of his own. He often disappears, which makes Jonathan and Magenta suspicious of his loyalty. When Bruno abandons them, they lose their way and fall into the clutches of savage humans along with a vicious dog; adopt a monkey and nearly drown crossing Lake Osis. When, at the end of their journey, Jonathan and Magenta confront Sepio and the Black Pearl, they find themselves trapped and must use all their wits to outsmart the enemy. While events unfold, they discover the secret of Bruno's plan, which leads to tragic consequences. The story concludes in the third book, The Battle of Osis, which begins  in Ottawa.  Ingrid McCarthy is an Ottawa author and watercolor artist who has lived in Germany, Spain and the U.S. 

THIS is MUST-READING for TEENS  Raylaina tells the tale of a high school girl growing up in an old farmhouse in the middle of a modern subdivision. She loves her heritage but feels out of place with all the new structures surrounding her. Daren moves in across the street. She and Kimmy melt on Ray's front porch when they see him, only to be thrown off the property when the walk over to introduce themselves at Kimmy's insistence. Daren spots Raylaina in school and also spots her vulnerability. He has a past. His family has a past. Ray grows up a great deal in learning to deal with Daren. Order from Amazon and see Carol's other books HERE.

Nominated for a Red Maple Award by the Ontario Library Association Originally established to honour fiction books, in 2005 the award was expanded to include a non-fiction category which is presented every other year. The winner is selected by Ontario’s young readers, rather than adult judges. Running to Extremes, has been recently made the Globe and Mail's Best-Seller for Non Fiction list where Steve Pitt was shocked to see his name sandwiched between Arnold  Schwarzenegger and Salman Rushdie. Running to Extremes is about the amazing life journey of Ray Zahab, a Canadian who made a millennium New Year's resolution to give up smoking and became a world class athlete in the sport of Ultramarathon running.  Published by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin. See Steve's other books on his website: http://stevepitt.ca and his blog is at: http://youdontknowspitt.wordpress.com/

Brian: a new beginning is the first Young Adult book by Wanda P. Thompson, an award-winning writer who has studied at the Institute of Children's Literature in Redding Ridge, Connecticut, and at the Banff Fine Arts Centre. 10-year-old Bronislav finds that immigrating from the Soviet Union means facing bullying and other hardships. But he triumphs over adversity, handles a serious crisis, makes friends and even finds a way to make some money for his struggling family. This book will appeal to youngsters who like realistic adventure with a touch of history, and parents who feel a book should help kids handle bullying and adjusting to new circumstances. Readers will gasp at the crisis Brian faces, sympathize with his family, and delight at his triumph. Nominated for a Global E-book award, this book is available now as an e-book. Go to: www.wandapthompson.ca to download.

Can a llama that travels all the way from Peru to Scotland become a guard llama for a herd of sheep in the Scottish Highlands on the banks of Loch Ness? Witness the birth of a new modern-day legend as author Franny Syufy brings you Lucy the Loch Ness Llama, a charming picture book with fantastic illustrations by artist Martine Carlsen. With its brilliant artwork and plot, Lucy the Loch Ness Llama will surely appeal to adults and children alike. This book is set Lucy the Loch Ness Llama is set in the present day, in a sheep farm tucked away in the hills on the banks of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is written in a language intended to encourage young readers to expand their reading vocabulary, and their understanding of language. The vividly colorful illustrations form a synergy with the story line as the plot unfolds with twist after twist, leading to a spectacular ending that is the birth of a new modern-day legend. This charming tale teaches young readers to embrace their differences, follow their dreams, expand their horizons, and that kindness to others always wins out in the end. Available for Kindle at Amazon.com www.amazon.com/Lucy-Loch-Ness-Llama-ebook/dp/B006PHYIVO/

Books by Steve Pitt:

Rain Tonight - a Tale of Hurricane Hazel. They predicted a few centimetres of rain. What they got was a three-meter high wall of rushing water. In this true tale of horror and heroism, nine-year-old Penny Doucette and her family are trapped in a flash flood and their lives depend on the death defying courage of strangers. Non-fiction.Ages 8 to 12.

Guyness: Deal with it body and soul. Tradition tells boys they have to be tough but society now tells boys it is okay to be gentle and sensitive. Using cartoons and quizzes, this book explores the changing perception of what it means to be male. Non-fiction. Ages 7 to 10.

Teasing: Deal with it before the joke's on you! Everyone likes a good laugh but there is a fine line between being a hit and being a twit. Using humour, cartoons and quizzes, this book helps young readers understand why some things are funny and others are not. Non-fiction. Ages 7 to 10.

To Stand and Fight Together: Richard Pierpoint and the Coloured Corps of Upper Canada. In 1812, Black Loyalist Richard Pierpoint helped form an all-Black military unit that fought bravely for Canada during the War of 1812. This book explores nearly 200 years of Blacks in the Canadian military. Non-fiction. Ages 8 and up.

Day of the Flying Fox. Spitfire pilot Charley Fox was already carving out an impressive career as a ground attack pilot during World War Two. By an ironic twist of fate, German General Erwin Rommel, the famous Desert Fox, crossed paths with Charley and the General's famous uck rank out. Non fiction. Ages 8 and up.

Faster than Wind. In 1907, young Bertie McCross takes up ice boat racing partly to win prize money, partly to impress a beautiful girl and partly to stay out of the clutches of the Kellys, a Toronto street gang who want to hurt him very much. Based on real events, this novel is a humorous look at the underbelly of Edwardian Toronto. Fiction, ages 10 and up.

The Honourable Athletes is a charming book that imagines what would happen if  animals held their own Olympics. Readers are introduced to Carlo Jones Coyote, who runs the Marathon, even though Everyone knows coyotes are sprinters, not pacers, Anisette Thorbjornsdottir Arctic-Fox, from Iceland, who doesn’t allow injury stop her from competing in snowboarding, and Denis Rebazov Silver-Fox, a black-furred Russian fox, born of red-furred parents, who’s determined to prove that it’s not what colour your fur is that’s important, but what’s in your heart.

Ideal for younger children, this book was written by Neven Humphrey, an Ottawa author whose non-fiction titles include Black Glasses and White Canes: 50 Stories of Triumph Despite Visual Disabilities and Guide Dogs and GPS: More Stories of Triumph Despite Visual Disabilities, which he wrote for the Canadian Council of the Blind. 

Helena Katz's books are for both young adults and adult readers:        www.katzcommunications.ca/
        The Mad Trapper: The Incredible Tale of a Famous Canadian Manhunt  (Altitude Publishing, 2004)     This is the incredible story of Canada’s largest manhunt. Hundreds of men spent 7 weeks tracking the         elusive Albert Johnson for 240 kilometres across the frozen North. By the time he was caught and killed,       he had seriously wounded two of his pursuers and murdered a third one. The identity of Albert Johnson,          the Mad Trapper of Rat River, remains a mystery to this day.

       Gang Wars: Blood and Guts on the Streets of Early New York  (Altitude Publishing, 2005)
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the streets of New York were overrun with a
 succession of brutal gangs. For nearly 100 years, these gangs terrorized Lower Manhattan, doling out 
 violence with bludgeons, pistols, fists, and teeth. Whether members of the city's early gangs were striving
 for power, out for revenge, or seeking riches, their activities almost always resulted in bloody warfare
 and horrific loss of life.

Everyone's favorite pair of furry crimefighters are at it again. Purrlock Holmes the cat and Watson the Basset Hound hit the street in search of missing treasure. But will they find it in time to help one old dog?  Purrlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Treasure is a middle-grade mystery novel for ages 7 and up that takes real life, real pets and real people and turns them into a story that will entertain children and adults alike. It can be ordered from any online store like Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble, or directly from Felinity Publishing, sales@purrlockholmes.com. The author is Betty Sleep.  See more at: www.purrlockholmes.com

Pirates of Nirado River: A Thunder Bay Adventure, by Michael Setala, River Rocks Publishing.

Sir John S. D. Thompson: The Pushover Who Died Too Soon, By Elle Andra-Warner, Jackfruit Press.

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