New Releases by Irene N. Watts

In these eleven original stories, characters bravely face the challenges of settling into a new life. In this wonderful new short story anthology, eleven of Canada''s top children''s authors contribute stories of immigration, displacement and change, exploring the frustration and uncertainty those changes can bring. Told in first-person narratives, this collection features a diverse cast of boys and girls, each one living at a different point in Canada''s vast landscape and history. With unforgettable protagonists — such as Miriam, a Warsaw-ghetto survivor, now reunited with her family in Montreal; Wong Joe-on, a young Chinese immigrant who faces racism in a small Saskatchewan town; and Insy, an Ojibwe girl who makes her first trip to a "white" town in Northern Ontario — young readers will be moved by the opportunities and difficulties that these characters face, as each one ponders what it means to be Canadian, and struggles to fit in. Hoping for Home includes stories by Jean Little, Kit Pearson, Brian Dowle, Paul Yee, Irene N. Watts, Ruby Slipperjack, Afua Cooper, Rukhsana Khan, Marie—Andrée Clermont, Lillian Boraks—Nemetz and Shelley Tanaka.

Young Marianne is one of the lucky ones. She has escaped on one of the first kindertransporte organized to take Jewish children out of Germany to safety in Britain. At first Marianne is desperate. She does not speak English, she is not welcome in her sponsors’ home, and, most of all, she misses her mother terribly. As the months pass, she realizes that she cannot control the circumstances around her. She must rely on herself if she is to survive. In this exciting companion to Good-bye Marianne, Irene N. Watts has created a memorable character, and a story that is ultimately about hope, not war. Based on true events, this fictional account of hatred and racism speaks volumes about history and human nature.

"A wonderful collection that kids and teachers are sure to enjoy." -- Robert Munsch What''s even better than reading a Robert Munsch story out loud? Acting in one!

When Matthew moves to the city from the country, he has to leave his dog Lucky behind. There are NO PETS ALLOWED in his new flat. An invisible dog Fred is a comfort - and a problem. Will the two of them be able to turn things around?

Eight plays based on the stories of Robert Munsch.

Tells the story of Marianne Kohn, an eleven-year-old Jewish girl in Berlin in 1938 who experiences the division in her homeland due to the Nazi regime, and who eventually boards a boat to take her to safety in London. Original.

Millie''s is a small family -- just a mother, a father, a small brother, Hamish, and her. Both her parents had been orphaned (and were introduced in Watts'' novel Flower), but the family they created was tight-knit and loving. When Millie''s mother announces that she is pregnant, it seems life is perfect. They have each other, and, although the Great Depression has brought hard times to their small town, Millie''s father''s services as a blacksmith are still in demand. But when her mother dies, suddenly everything changes. Her father retreats into depression and Millie, only thirteen, finds herself responsible for a newborn baby. When a stranger appears and threatens the remnants of the family even further, Millie musters courage she never dreamed she had to rebuild the home that means so much to her. Irene N. Watts'' memorable story is as complex and as comforting as family life itself.

This unusual picture book presentation in celebration of the holiday features a modern-day grandmother sharing her memories of a childhood in Nazi-held Austria.

Marianne''s world is turning upside down. First, she is thrown out of school, then friends reject her and call her names. All around she starts to see acts of violence and hatred against her neighbours. And her father has been forced to go into hiding. This is Berlin. It is 1938, and the Nazi government is pursuing its anti-Jewish policies with vigour. Marianne''s life is suddenly disrupted by events beyond her control. Based on the actual Kindertransport rescue mission which saved the lives of thousands of Jewish children in Germany before the outbreak of the Second World War, Goodbye Marianne is a gripping read; full of suspense and compassion.

A lonely old fisherman finds a baby girl adrift in a boat, takes her in and teaches her all about the sea in this story of love and acceptance.

Discover intriguing ideas for using the story circle to help students create, build, and dramatize their own stories. Using common materials, children learn to collaborate as they discover stories in the news, use letters as stories, uncover stories through folktales, and much more.

Contains ten short plays based on folktales and legends from around the world and includes related language activities for each play for the elementary classroom.

Plays based on Eskimo and Japanese legends, suitable for preschool and elementary school children.