New Releases by Budge Wilson

On September 2, 1998, Swissair Flight 111 plunged into the sea near the mouth of St. Margaret''s Bay in Nova Scotia, killing all 229 on board. Thousands of people responded immediately to help. Local residents and ordinary people supported the investigation in any way they could and they also sought to comfort the families of the victims. Many experienced enormous suffering and world views were changed forever for the survivors - both the friends and relatives of the victims as well as support teams and the local communities. What carried so many of them through this tragedy was the astonishing generosity and kindness each group gave to the other. As Wilson writes, "We all needed the families as much as they needed us." She wrote this collection of poems "in gratitude and in celebration of the thousands of men and women who suffered - and sometimes triumphed - during the months and years that followed the crash."

This favourite tale of Christmas gone awry is now available for a new generation of readers! This year, Lorinda and her brother James want to buy their mother the best Christmas present ever. Lorinda has her eye on one very special item, but they''ll need to come up with some brilliant money-making ideas if they want to get it in time for Christmas! Of course, nothing goes according to plan . . . but the siblings are determined to make this a holiday their mother will never forget. Young readers will identify with this familiar holiday dilemma, and delight in Lorinda and James''s creative solution (not to mention all the bumps along the way). The Best Worst Christmas Present Ever is an earnest, uplifting story that will get kids in the holiday spirit at Christmas time -- and all year round!

An authorized prequel to L.M. Montgomery''s classic series about the irrepressible red-haired orphan follows Anne''s early years before her adoption by the Cuthberts.

Nova Scotia, 1945: With reports that the war is coming to an end, the Publicovers eagerly await the return of Izzie and Joey''s father. But peace will also mean other, less welcome changes for Izzie''s best friends, Roberta and Patricia. Patricia fears having to return to her uncaring mother in England, never to see her dear friends--or Jasper--again, and insecure Roberta will be left all alone if Izzie''s family decides to go back to Granite Cove. How will they manage without each other?

Friendships is a subtle and moving collection of stories about surprising moments of understanding from unlikely sources. In “The Snake,” a girl faces her fears with help from a strange ally; in “Father by Mail,” a teenager writes down all the things he could never say to the parent who has left him behind; and in “Bruno,” a boy discovers a way to deal with a bully. These perceptive and contemporary stories, by one of Canada''s best-loved and award-winning authors for young readers, show struggling boys and girls making a connection with someone who can bring them to a kind of balance.

"Everyone in Angus'' family plays a musical instrument. So when Angus gets his own fiddle, he''s thrilled. But who knew that playing the fiddle would take so much practice"--Cf. Our choice, 2002.

Elizabeth tries to get her two friends to like each other by involving them in an adventure.

Nova Scotia, 1942: Izzie and her family have been living a new kind of life in the town of Woodside. Her mother has a job on the assembly line at the sugar refinery, and Izzie and her brother, Joey, have found new friends. Still, with Izzie''s father in the navy, it''s impossible for the family not to worry about him when they see explosions in the night just beyond Halifax Harbour or when they hear news of the sinking of another ship. When Izzie''s family learn they can return to Granite Cove for the summer, Izzie is delighted and invites her friend Patricia to stay with them. But there is no escaping the reality of war, and one fateful day the family receive a telegram that will change their lives.

Andrea Doucette lives in a fishing village in Nova Scotia. It''s Christmas Eve and everyone in her house is feeling excited and happy-except for Andrea who is feeling very gloomy. Then, a number of things take place that make Andrea wonder weather this Christmas is going to be quite fine-or maybe end up being the worst disaster of all.

The Christmas That Almost Wasn''t takes place on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, in December of 1941, as Izzie Publicover, her brother and their friends prepare for a very special Christmas. Despite wartime rationing and the infrequency of winter visits, the Publicover children''s grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins are coming for Christmas. But plans go awry two days before Christmas, when a huge storm hits the village. Can Izzie figure out a way to save Christmas for everyone?

Budge Wilson has created a heart-warming monster story that proves things are not always the way they appear. Manfred''s parents are afraid he''s not scary enough but Manfred knows that it''s okay to be different and he figures out a way to break the stereotypes that monsters face.

There is almost nothing extraordinary that Duff hasn''t seen - flying saucers, stray elephants, international spies. So, when he reports finding a real live monkey in the family barn, no one believes him except for his best friend Simon. Simon helps him look after the mysterious monkey, but their friends and family are convinced that their monkey stories are all from their over-active imaginations. Just when everyone has had enough of Duff''s tall tales a circus comes to town minus it''s star monkey. Could Duff be telling the truth after all?

Angelina Domino loved animals, especially cats. So, for her fifth birthday, her parents gave her a kitten. His name was Boris and he was as wild as an African lion. He scared the daylights out of Angelina and soon she was afraid of all animals, even gerbils. It would take patience, courage and a very special purr to chase that fear away.

When Stephanie Henderson moves to Nova Scotia, she leaves behind her friends. But her mother gets her a cat to help with the loneliness. And this is a special cat- he barks!

Thirteen-year-old Lorinda is so sad when her grandmother dies. She never even got to know her. And then she gets a very special gift... she inherits her grandmother''s diaries, which her grandmother began when she herself was thirteen. Now, Lorinda finally has a chance to spend time with the grandmother she never knew. As she reads about the trials of WWII, she realizes that while times may be different, thirteen never really changes.

A collection of ten short stories about friendships, family relationships, and the trials of growing up.

In a coastal Nova Scotian community, young Harold doesn’t know how to fit in until he befriends a beautiful blue heron. A mix up involving the bird begins to change the way everyone sees Harold. And it forever changes the way he sees himself, too.

When his father is assigned to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, Oliver his mother and twin brother move east to live with his grandparents. He must learn to cope with his grouchy grandfather, the put-downs of a gym teacher and the taunts of new schoolmates.

Set in a beautiful Nova Scotia village, this is the story of a girl and the things she fears. A perfect beginning chapter book for children aged 8-10. Written by the Ann Connor Brimer Award winner, Budge Wilson.

Collection of short stories for young adults about human relationships. In each story the protagonist, a young girl leaves the safety, innocence and comfort of childhood and discovers something of the adult world. The author has written many books for children and young adults including ''A House Far from Home'', ''Thirteen Never Changes'', ''Lorinda''s Diary'', ''The Best Worst Christmas Present Ever'' and ''Breakdown''. This book was published as ''The Leaving'' in Canada, and has won numerous awards including the Canadian Library Association Award for Best Young Adult Novel (1990), the Horn Book Fanfare (US) and Best Book for Young Adults from the American Library Association.

Memorable collection of short stories about young people caught in that special time and place--the moment before childhood finally left behind.

In these eleven short stories Budge Wilson, explores growing up in a colorful but imperfect world from a female point of view.

A collection of short stories which capture a variety of experiences and feelings of young women growing up in Nova Scotia.

Lorinda and James are up to their ears in mystery. What are those scary lights flashing through the moonless dark out on the inky water? No one will answer their questions, not even their parents. They''re scared, too! It''s up to Lorinda and James and their friends to get to the bottom of this ...

Only a week has passed since The Worst Christmas Present Ever, and already Lorinda and James have a new problem. They have to stay in Peterborough for six months while the rest of the family goes to Texas.