Best Selling Books by Eric Walters

When Nick and his pals suddenly find themselves short a man for the NBA-sponsored three-on-three tournament they plan to enter during the summer holidays, the solution seems simple enough. Nick, Kia and Mark are the key players on the team, so the fourth, though mandatory according to the rules, doesn''t really have to be good at the game. A surprise visit from Nick''s mother''s cousin brings Ned, who is exactly Nick''s age but not exactly an athlete, into the picture and onto the team. The other three teammates figure that as long as they don''t actually have to use Ned in a game they will be fine. Then Mark sprains his ankle and can''t play in the tournament. Suddenly Nick and Kia must find a way to make Ned an integral part of the team. This turns out to be no small task!

Kioko had been watching the matatus come and go for as long as he could remember. But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.

The city is cracking down on graffiti and guerilla art. Between that and cutbacks to the local art gallery it seems like nothing is safe. But Oswald, masquerading as a graffiti artist known as The Wiz, is fighting back—by painting elaborate murals in public places and planting art in the galleries, and then by taking on the mayor himself. As the fight escalates and the stakes become higher, Oswald gets in deeper than he meant to and needs to rely on his friends to get him out of his latest mess. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Mutanu is excited. As she goes about her chores, she thinks about the day to come and what surprises it might bring. For today is no ordinary day at the orphanage she lives in. Every year, the orphanage honors its newest arrivals by creating a birthday day especially for them. From that moment forward, the orphans have a day that they know is theirs--a day to celebrate, a day to enjoy, a day to remember. And today is the day! Based on real children in an orphanage in Kenya, this lovely story shows how something as simple as a birthday, something most of us take for granted, can mean so much in another part of the world.

It''s December 2004 and Sam and his parents are leaving frostbitten Ontario for a vacation in lush, sun-soaked Thailand. Sam''s sister Beth is staying behind. She drives her family to the airport to bid them farewell, not knowing that what awaits them is a natural disaster of unimaginable proportions. Over the next few days, Sam will find himself thrust into the very centre of a crisis he could never have anticipated, one that will test his instinct to survive.

Sleeper is the sequel to both Jungle Land, part of The Seven Prequels and Between Heaven and Earth, part of Seven (The Series). DJ jets across the Atlantic to England to follow a series of obscure clues and symbols he hopes will reveal the truth about his grandfather. In London, he stays with Doris, the elderly woman he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with. Laid up with a broken ankle, Doris has her grandchild, Charlie, offer assistance. Charlie—short for Charlotte—is a beautiful model who is romantically (and secretly) linked to a member of the British Royal Family. Spies, guns, double agents, the Cambridge Five and a vintage E-Type Jag are a few of the things DJ and Charlie encounter on an adventure that makes climbing Kilimanjaro look like a walk in the park.

Based on the life of a real boy, this warm-hearted, beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Baraka, a young Kenyan boy with a physical disability. Baraka and eight cousins live with their grandmother. She gives them boundless love, but there is never enough money or food, and life is hard --love doesn''t feed hungry stomachs or clothe growing bodies, or school keen minds. Baraka is too young, and, with his disability, needs too much, and she is too old. A difficult choice must be made, and grandmother and grandchild set off on a journey to see if there is a place at the orphanage for Baraka. The story begins by looking at Baraka''s physical disability as a misfortune, but ends by looking beyond the disability, to his great heart and spirit, and the blessings he brings.

Hunter protects his colony of cats but when a new condo threatens them, he must learn to trust a strange human boy.

"It''s like I said, it isn''t what you do with the shots you make, but with the ones that don''t go in. The rebounds." ° Sean vows that this year will be different: he''ll stay out of trouble and make the basketball team, even if it means ditching his old friends. David also needs to make a new start. A serious accident has left him confined to a wheelchair and horribly bitter about how his life has changed. Forced together, the boys learn to like each other, and their friendship may just be what they both need to get back in the game.

When Canada went to war with Japan following the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Canadians of Japanese descent were declared "Enemy Aliens." Without recourse of any kind, they were forced to leave their homes along with the British Columbia coast, their possessions were sold, and their rights as citizens denied. Caged Eagles follows fourteen-year-old Tadashi Fukushima and his family as they embark on a tortuous physical and emotional journey. Along with neighbours from their remote village on the northern BC coast, they travel by fishing boat to Vancouver, where they are placed in detention in Hastings Park, the Pacific National Exhibition ground, and forced to live in cattle stalls. For Tadashi detention becomes both an adventure and a dilemma as he struggles to understand the undercurrents of racism and injustice that have overtaken his life and those of his community.

Okay, Sophie, you''ve got ninety days to step out of your comfort zone.

In the tenth installment of the best-selling Eric Walters basketball series, Nick, Kia and their teammates embark on a letter writing campaign to persuade the Toronto Raptors community relations department to send one or more of the players to visit Clark Boulevard Elementary School. Unfortunately they are too late in applying and the team''s school program has already been set for the year. But Nick and Kia do not give up easily, and their efforts become increasingly dramatic until Nick finally comes up with an idea that the team will be unable to ignore.

With the three-on-three tournament over, it''s now time for tryouts for the school rep team. The question is will grade three students Nick and Kia have any chance to make the team? After all the rep team is normally made up only of grade five players. When Nick and Kia decide that they will try out for the team, they find they get a chilly and somewhat hostile reception from the older students. But their determination pays off and they make the team, though both seem destined to ride the bench for much of the season. And the team itself does not get off to a good start, losing its first four games. And then Kia has an idea that she thinks might turn things around. Once they persuade the team to practice the new strategy, the future begins to look brighter. Now at least Nick and Kia are getting some playing time, but can they keep the momentum going through the playoffs?

In Book #4 of the popular basketball series, Nick, Kia, and their Mississauga Magic teammates are on the road, heading to an elite hoop tournament in the Mid-West. Feeling outmatched by higher profile teams, the kids still look forward to having a good time. However, Coach Barkley, who played college ball in the area and is still regarded as a hero, has other ideas. He expects near perfection and does not deal well with anything less. Nothing but winning will be good enough. Nick and Kia wonder if they even want to make the team.

Luego de ver un documental sobre los problemas de salud que provoca la comida rápida, Ian organiza un boicot para que la gente no coma en Frankie''s, una cadena de restaurantes con un pésimo menú. Los abogados de la empresa tratan entonces de detenerlo. ¿Podrá Ian luchar por sus convicciones? ¿Será posible ganarle a una corporación gigantesca? Disponible en inglés: A reventar.

"Nick, Kia and their teammates want to have a good time at an elite hoop tournament in the MidWest - but Coach Barkley wants them to win" Cf. Our choice, 2003

A novel from one of the country''s most prolific and popular YA authors, this book, set in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during the January 2009 earthquake, follows the struggle of Joshua, a Canadian boy at the centre of the tragedy. Fifteen-year-old Joshua has travelled from Toronto to Port-au-Prince, Haiti in order to help with a charity mission. In confronting the poverty and and injustice that surrounds him, Joshua struggles to find meaning in the cruelty of the world. And then devastation hits — and Joshua finds himself at the very centre of a catastrophic earthquake. Will he be able to save himself? And, if he does, how will he find the faith and hope he needs to go on?

In conjunction with the Terry Fox Foundation, award-winning author Eric Walters brings Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope to life for a whole new generation of young readers This first book for young readers about Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope, written by one of Canada’s best-known writers for young adults, is a blending of fact and fiction, fully endorsed by The Terry Fox Foundation. Hundreds of thousands of young Canadians participate in the Terry Fox Run each year and this book will further enhance their knowledge of Terry’s epic journey. Run introduces a national hero to a new generation of readers. In his trademark page-turning style, Eric Walters, bestselling author of Trapped in Ice and Camp X, tells the story of Winston MacDonald. In trouble again after a suspension from school and a runaway attempt, Winston is sent to spend time with his father—a journalist who hasn’t been around much since his family split up a year ago. Travelling to Nova Scotia with his father, who is covering what he thinks is just a human interest story about a man trying to run across the country, Winston spends a day with Terry Fox and his best friend, Doug. Their determination to achieve what seems like an impossible goal makes a big impression on Winston, and he takes courage and inspiration from Terry’s run. He is overjoyed when his father’s article about the Marathon of Hope ignites public interest across the country. But when Winston discovers that his father’s next article about the Marathon of Hope will characterize Terry and Doug in an unflattering way, he is furious with his father and fearful of betraying his friends. Unsure of what to do or where to turn, Winston decides it is time to make a run for it himself...

A funny, heartfelt novel about one high school boy''s quest for a prom date, perfectly timed for the surge in realistic YA. Sam is not exactly what you''d call a regular guy: while his IQ is stratospheric, his social skills don''t quite rank as high, and his dating history: well, there''s no history to speak of . . . yet. But Sam has set out to finally fit in. He''s resolved to get some answers wrong in class; to stop getting perfect marks on his assignments; to get to know some people other than Ian and Brooke, his two closest (okay, only) friends--and find himself a prom date. And the prom is on everyone''s mind: Sam''s school has become swept up by promposals--in other words, very elaborate, very public scenes in which someone is asked to the prom. Sam thinks he might have found the inspiration he needs to ask the girl dreams out for a perfect night at the prom--as well as the unforgettable way to do it.

Co-written by Eric Walters and Godfrey Nkongolo, Light a Candle weaves non-fiction with fiction to tell the story of a boy coming of age in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. The son of the village''s chief climbs the mountain against his father’s wishes to fulfill a request of the country’s first leader, Julius Nyerere, to light a candle on the top of the mountain and unify the mainland of Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar as one country, the United Republic of Tanzania. This bilingual book includes full text in both English and Swahili.

After running away from home, fifteen-year-old Dana finds friends on the Toronto streets, and, eventually, a way to come to terms with what has happened to her.

The date is October 15, 1954. Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth, who lives in the Toronto suburb of Weston, is a typical grade 8 girl. She has a secret crush on a boy in her class and she thinks Elvis Presley is "dreamy." Elizabeth also has a part-time job babysitting an adorable little grade 2 girl named Suzie, and Suzie’s not-so-adorable grade 6 brother, David. Elizabeth’s job is to walk Suzie and David home after school and then stay at their house with them until their mother gets home from work. David resents Elizabeth because he thinks he is too old for a babysitter, and he goes out of his way to make life miserable for her. On this particular evening, however, Elizabeth has more than a badly behaved boy to contend with. It is on this October night that Hurricane Hazel roars down on Toronto, bringing torrential rains that cause extensive flooding. David and Suzie’s house is on Raymore Drive, a street that will be practically wiped out by the floodwaters. David and Suzie’s parents are unable to reach the house, which means the children’s safety on this most deadly of nights is Elizabeth’s responsibility. She finds herself increasingly isolated. They are surrounded by rising water. The electricity goes out. The phone goes dead. Still, Elizabeth is sure they will be safe as long as they remain in the house. But are Elizabeth and the children really as "safe as houses"? Before this terrifying night is over, Elizabeth and David will have to learn to communicate and cooperate if they are to save their own lives and Suzie’s. Their survival in the midst of one of Canada’s worst disasters will depend upon their resourcefulness, maturity and courage.

Key Selling Points Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.

Key Selling Points In The King of Jam Sandwiches , ayoung teen is afraid to let anyone know what is going on at home. This book examines the effects of mental illness, poverty and parental neglect. This is a very personal story for Eric Walters, informed by his own experience. Eric Walters has written over 100 books and is an avid presenter visiting thousands of students each year.

In this early chapter book, Nathan learns to care for seven orphaned baby squirrels with help from a stray neighborhood cat.

A drought has settled in the area around the orphanage where Boniface lives. There are long line-ups at the tiny spring where all the local people get their water, and suddenly the orphans are pushed to the back of the line, unwelcome. Boniface''s houseparent, Henry, tells him that the people were mean out of fear--they feared there would not be enough water for their families. When the building of the orphanage''s well is completed, Boniface has an idea to help the villagers. A lovely story of kindness and heart, this story shows that, through compassion and understanding, true generosity can spring from unexpected places.

Set in Canada during World War I, William, 15 and having a taste for gambling and tough ways, thinks he has a summer of mischief ahea of him. Then he finds out his mother has arranged for him to spend the season working with an inventor and his project. But, there is a menace hovering over the secret project, and soon William finds his summer anything but boring.

In this middle-grade novel, DJ travels with his grandfather to Central America and ends up hunted by armed gunmen.

Nick and Kia get excited when their school gym teacher announces a "three-on-three" basketball tournament. The two most dedicated players in grade three, they know they''ll be tough to beat. But when Nick finds out they''ll be up against teams in grade four and five, he is ready to throw in the towel before they start. How can shrimps like them ever hope to beat the older kids? Easy, get the best player in the school to be your third player. Marcus is bigger, tougher and in grade five. But it''s not as easy to convince Marcus to join their team. The older boy is often uneasy around them, but worse, Kia and Nick find themselves making enemies of some of the kids in the upper grade. Nick realizes it''s going to take more than skill at basketball to win this tournament and make friends with Marcus without becoming targets for the older kids off the court.

Becky James lives in a small town where nothing ever changes. But there’s something very different about the new student, Gene Newman. Brilliant, talented, and socially awkward, Gene is like nobody else Becky has ever known. Little does she know just how different he actually is. Gene confides in Becky that he has a secret. More than that, he is a secret. And, apparently, it’s a secret worth killing for.

Key Selling Points Ali is an eighth-grade student trying to to do it all—get good grades, fit in with his friends, get the girl and satisfy his parents—all while struggling to deal with the anti-Muslim racism around him. Writing poetry helps. If only his father wasn''t set against it. Call Me Al deals with what it''s like to be an immigrant (Ali and his family immigrated from Pakistan when he was little), racism (from peers and the world at large), balancing family versus friends'' expectations, first crushes, being from a lower-income household, being Muslim and finding forgiveness for those who hurt you. Features a relatable male protagonist who discovers spoken-word poetry as an outlet for his feelings. Also makes clear the relationship between poetry and hip-hop. Co-authored by the power duo of veteran writer Eric Walters and renowned poet and motivational speaker Wali Shah, who has based this character''s struggles with choosing between studying science (for his parents) and writing poetry (for himself) on his own experiences.

It''s a new season for Nick and Kia and once again they have to prove they''ve got what it takes to make the Mississauga Magic rep team. There is no free ride on Coach Barkley''s team. The tryouts are tough but fair and it looks like the nucleus of last year’s team will be together once again. But there is one new player who seems to have the skills to impress the coach. Though Ashton has great skills, he''s not much of a team player. On top of that he''s not even sure he wants to make the team. Unable to imagine that anyone wouldn''t want to play for the Magic, Nick and Kia set out to solve this dilemma and learn some tough lessons along the way.

"Dear Ethan: I know you must be terribly confused, a little bit scared and thinking, hoping, praying, that the plane will return. It will not." Ethan can barely believe it. Until now, his biggest problems have been trying to stay in one school without getting expelled and finding his next drink. But after Ethan''s drunken imitation of the current headmaster goes up on YouTube, his father steps in with a shockingly drastic measure. Now Ethan is sprawled in the sand. In the Sahara desert. Alone. According to his father''s letter, Ethan is to trek 200 km across the desert to the city of Tunis, with the help of a guide and three other young people. Confused, hungover, and-if he is truthful-more than a little scared, Ethan has no choice. He will face sandstorms, vipers, and agonizingly painful blisters ... but, most painful of all, he will face his inner demons and come to a true realization of who he really is.

In a world with no power, chaos soon descends. A powerful look at the disintegration of society in the wake of a massive and mysterious outage that has knocked out all modern amenities. Fifteen-year-old Emma has moved house with her ex-Marine mother and younger brother. It''s a brand-new condo building, which explains the semi-regular power outages, as workers complete the units around them. So Emma isn''t particularly concerned when the latest blackout hits just as they are preparing to leave town on a long weekend camping trip. But then the car won''t start, and their cellphones appear dead -- and all the cars outside their building seem to be stalled in a long traffic jam ... In the midst of what appears to be a massive power outage, with their camping gear packed and ready, Emma and her family canoe over to the islands, just offshore, to wait it out. But while they land on an isolated island, with a relatively hidden site, they are far from safe, as people become increasingly desperate to find food and shelter. And as the days pass, and the power remains out, the threat of violence becomes all too real.

Robbie''s father is a spitfire pilot who was shot down during World War II and is now a POW. At only seventeen, Robbie lies about his identity to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force under the guise of going to a boarding school so that his mother doesn''t find out. He starts training in Brandon, Manitoba, but after acing all his classes, he''s dealt a disappointing blow when he''s assigned to be a navigator on a Lancaster. He wanted to be a pilot, just like his father, but the commanders of the air force have other ideas. Robbie is soon on his way to England, where he completes his training on missions bombing German targets in enemy territory. It is during one of these missions that his Lancaster is fired upon and the pilot and many of the crew are shot. It''s up to Robbie and his limited piloting experience to save the crew...and himself.

Set in both the wilds and slums of Kenya, a powerful story about a brother and sister''s brave journey to find a place to call home. 13-year-old Muchoki and his younger sister, Jata, can barely recognize what''s become of their lives. Only weeks ago they lived in a bustling Kenyan village, going to school, playing soccer with friends, and helping at their parents'' store. But sudden political violence has killed their father and destroyed their home. Now, Muchoki, Jata, and their ailing mother live in a tent in an overcrowded refugee camp. By day, they try to fend off hunger and boredom. By night, their fears about the future are harder to keep at bay. Driven by both hope and desperation, Muchoki and Jata set off on what seems like an impossible journey: to walk hundreds of kilometers to find their last remaining family.

A novel from one of the country’s most prolific and popular YA authors, this book, set in New York City on September 11th, shows us how the experiences of that day profoundly changed one teen’s life and relationships. Today is September 10, 2001, and Will, a grade nine student, is spending the day at his father’s workplace tomorrow. As part of a school assignment, all the students in his class will be going to their parents tomorrow, but Will isn’t excited about it–he’d rather sleep in and do nothing with his friends. His father doesn’t even have an exciting job like his best friend James’s father who is a fireman. Will’s dad works for an international trading company and has to wake up early every morning to commute to his office on the eighty-fifth floor in the south building of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Will doesn’t see his father very often because of the hours he puts in at the office. He doubts that his dad will bother making time for him tomorrow even when they are supposed to be spending the day together. In this fast-paced and dramatic new novel by bestselling author Eric Walters, Will discovers a new side of his father during an event that continues to affect the world. As Will’s new teacher says, tomorrow “might be an experience that changes your entire life.”

DJ is David McLean''s eldest grandson, so it stands to reason that he be the one to scatter his beloved grandfather''s ashes. At least that''s how DJ sees it. DJ''s always been the best at everything—sports, school, looking after his fatherless family—so climbing Kilimanjaro is just another thing he''ll accomplish almost effortlessly. Or so he thinks, until he arrives in Tanzania and everything starts to go wrong. He''s detained at immigration, he gets robbed, his climbing group includes an old lady and he gets stuck with the first ever female porter. Forced to go polepole (slowly), DJ finds out the hard way that youth, fitness level and drive have nothing to do with success on the mountain—or in life. DJ''s adventures start in Jungle Land, part of The Seven Prequels and continue in Sleeper, part of The Seven Sequels.

Key Selling Points In Don''t Stand So Close to Me an eighth grader and her friends adjust to life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book is set in real time during a worldwide historical event and, while it examines the harsh realities of a global pandemic, it ultimately shares a message of coming together and having hope. The book was produced in less than one month, an unprecedented publishing event; it was written and released during the same pandemic it is set in. A portion of the sales will be donated to Lakeside HOPE House in the author''s hometown of Guelph, Ontario. HOPE House offers immediate relief and ongoing support to those in need as well as programs and community projects that challenge the stigmas surrounding poverty. With increasing financial insecurity for many due to COVID-19, their work is now more important than ever.