Most Popular Books by Monica Hughes

Jan wants a puppy so badly that she would do just about anything to get one. But her mother and her gramma won''t allow one in the house. So when Jan and her friend Sarah meet a puppy at the pet store, they know they have to find a creative way to make him Jan''s.

Unemployed after high school in the highly robotic society of 2154, Lisse and seven friends resign themselves to a boring existence in their "Designated Area" until the government invites them to play The Game.

When twelve-year-old Valerie and her brother and sister fall through a space trap and are transmitted to an alien planet, they seek ways to return to the thirty-second century.

The community of the planet of Isis, misled by power-hungry space captain Michael Joseph Flynn, moves down the path of destruction until Moira, the captain''s daughter, exposes his self-serving designs.

A young girl lives in a place where imagination is outlawed.

"In this chilling, thrilling, underwater adventure, readers explore the world of a sunken wreck and the secrets it holds - secrets that have the power to heal, and to destroy" Cf. Our choice, 2002.

In 2154, sixteen-year-old Alison, eight-year-old Gordie, and their dissident parents are arrested and taken to a sterile dome in a hostile environment, but Gordie escapes and Alison follows him to the place he calls Xanadu.

Illustrations and simple text describe how one family celebrates Christmas.

If Jack and I hadn''t been telepathic those others would not have overheard us ''talking'' about what Jack had seen in the cave. If Mother hadn''t died the previous year I would have been at home with her instead of in the Rockies on the field trip with my twin brother, Jack, and the honour students of Father''s Grade Ten class, and then none of it could have happened. So where did it all start?

Sixteen-year-old Olwen, who lives alone on the planet Isis with her faithful robot, falls tragically in love with an arrival from earth who is unaware that her natural form has been hidden in a humanlike space suit.

Forced into the barrio by her grandmother''s death, Concepcion takes with her a legacy of chili, corn, and bean seeds and finds that they hold the key to her survival.

A high school basketball star finds his future life shattered when the results come back from some hospital tests.

A promise made by her parents before she was born sends ten-year-old Princess Rania to the desert continent of Roshan to learn mastery of the wind and rain from the old woman known as the Sandwriter. Sequel to Sandwriter.

This newly designed paperback edition brings together the stories of an acclaimed trilogy, first published between 1980 and 1982, by an internationally renowned author of fantasy and science fiction. The Keeper of the Isis Light is the first book in Monica Hughes'' acclaimed trilogy, and it is the story of Olwen Pendennis, the Keeper of the Isis Light. She and her companion, Guardian, have lived alone on the remote planet Isis since the death of her parents. Now, colonists from an overcrowded and polluted Earth have landed and are settling in the valleys. Olwen fears these new inhabitants may ruin her world forever, and it seems she may be right. Years later, in Hughes'' sequel, The Guardian of Isis, the planet remains pristine and remote, even after the arrival of settlers from Earth. Over time, the settlers have abandoned the technological knowledge of their ancestors and replaced it with myth. But one young man seeks the truth, and he soon gets the chance to find it. The final chapter in the Trilogy, The Isis Pedlar, brings the devious Michael Joseph Flynn and his daughter, Moira, to Isis. Michael''s magic firestone, his strangely delicious ambrosia and his mysterious Forever Machine are beguiling to the humble members of the Isis community. Only Moira can expose this smooth-talking pedlar for the charlatan that he is. But will she be able to do it in time to save the simple agricultural community? This trilogy is a testament to Hughes'' enormous talent for writing thought-provoking speculative fiction.

Traveling to the desert island of Roshan to meet the young man that her aunt wants her to marry, Princess Antia becomes involved in a deadly power struggle when she uncovers secrets surrounding the ancient mystery of Roshan and the identity of the Sandwriter.

Why do we have weather patterns? Where does it rain every afternoon? What is a monsoon? Weather follows patterns. Most parts of the world have a yearly weather pattern. In some places there is also a daily weather pattern. Read this book to find out why these patterns happen.

"Joan and Whizkid discover that their computer game is becoming too real - and dangerous. They must confront the faces of their own fears ..." Cf. Our choice, 1998-1999

"An entire summer with a snobby cousin is not Marg''s idea of a vacation, but an antique dollhouse brings the two together. One of Canada''s finest writers offers a story of differences, tolerance and friendship" Cf. Our choice, 1996-1997.

Readers will explore what the sky looks like in the day, at night, and in many different weather conditions. This book also explores things that fall from the sky, like rain and snowflakes; how big the sky is; and how people, animals, and plants use the sky.

Text and photographs introduce young readers to forests and their plants and animals.

Provides answers to basic questions about rivers, including where they are found and what kinds of animals live in rivers.

Describes how animals as different as monarch butterflies and gray whales travel in a similar pattern.

After feeling as though her life were falling apart, Barb stumbles upon a hidden paradise in the middle of Westwood Industrial Park.

Readers will learn what an ocean looks, feels and sounds like, as well as how deep and wide it is, what the edge of an ocean is, who lives in an ocean, and how people use oceans.

In a world where scientists are battling to prevent the onset of a new ice age, Lisa - bored with life in the enclosed City - runs away and joins a scientific expedition to the snow fields. Captured by the Ekos who live in the barren lands, Lisa learns of the "black snow" and the perils to follow.

Readers will explore the forest during different seasons, finding out what it looks like, feels like, and sounds like, as well as what animals live in the forest and how people use forests.

Brief text and illustrations introduce dinosaurs and discuss such physical characteristics as horns, spikes, and plates.

No matter what religious festivals a young reader may take part in, they''re sure to love reading about all of the festivals in this series. Each title celebrates diversity by detailing the preparations that go into each festival, what people wear, where it takes place, the food that is eaten, when it happens, who celebrates it, and why it''s celebrated.

Children love getting a close-up look at fascinating creatures in the world around them. This series allows them to get up close and personal with some of these creepy creatures that they can find in parks, gardens and even their own home. Each book identifies the main physical features of each bug including what they eat, how they change, and how they reproduce.

"A young girl is ''shipped off'' to a Scottish boarding school during the Second World War, where she uncovers a ''secret society, '' and learns about the Celtic lore of the land" Cf. Our choice, 1997-1998

Children love getting a close-up look at fascinating creatures in the world around them. This series allows them to get up close and personal with some of these creepy creatures that they can find in parks, gardens and even their own home. Each book identifies the main physical features of each bug including what they eat, how they change, and how they reproduce.

When the slaves rebel against the rigid social order imposed on the colony by the all-controlling computer, Tomi, the son of the colony Overlord manages to escape beyond the computer''s reach and discovers what it is like to be free.