New Releases by Nancy Hartry

See below for English description. Sami vient d'arriver dans un nouveau pays et il est étonné de voir la quantité de neige qui s'accumule au sol! Joy, sa nouvelle voisine, ne parle pas la même langue que lui, mais cela ne l'empêche pas de communiquer avec le jeune garçon... Après tout, elle sait à quel point cela peut être intimidant de se retrouver dans un nouveau pays. Pourra-t-elle aider son nouvel ami à surmonter ses craintes? Une histoire sans texte, qui encouragera les enfants à vaincre leurs peurs et à se faire des amis! Sami has left his country and just arrived in a new one. There's a lot of snow in this new place! His neighbour, Joy, doesn't speak his language, but that doesn't stop them from connecting. It can be intimidating being in a new land. Can Joy help Sami overcome his fears? This heartwarming, wordless picture book is a beautiful tale of finding friendship and facing fears. Original title: Snow Doves

Sami has just arrived in a new country. The snow piled up outside his window is a mysterious and, frankly, cold surprise! Joy, his new neighbor, does not speak his language, but that does not stop them from communicating as Joy helps Sami overcome his fears. The two new friends get bundled up against the cold, and Sami discovers the magic of playing outside on a snowy day. As the sun begins to set on a near-perfect day, Sami and Joy make angels in the snow that transform into doves and fly away, a magical ending to a wordless story of friendship and peace.

Nothing in Kerry’s life prepares her for her first summer job. Stationed as far north from Toronto as Florida is south, unqualified and inexperienced, she perceives hazards around every tree. What does she know about fieldwork? Or black bears? Or men? Absolutely nothing—all she’s done with her life so far is competitive dance. If her mother only knew what this job required! Kerry’s new partner, Yvette, is unlike anyone she’s ever met and something about her doesn’t add up. Her boss is a chauvinist pig and out to get them. When forest fires break out, Kerry and Yvette are drafted for fire duty and sent deeper into the bush—even closer to the fire. As all of northwestern Ontario goes up in flames, Kerry vows to find out what is really going on and uncovers a crime of international scope and scale that will threaten her life. Smokescreen is an adrenalin pumping adventure, pitting two resourceful young women against nature and man at their most greedy. Truth and lies. Fire and darkness. Who will triumph when nothing is what it seems?

A novel of danger, warmth, and dark humor — about a brain-damaged young boy and the friend who knows a terrible secret. Watching Jimmy is an impossible-to-put-down novel full of danger, warmth, and dark humor. With shocking candor, young Carolyn relates the truth about what really happened to her best friend, Jimmy, when his Uncle Ted chose the perfect time to teach him a lesson he'd never forget. The truth is, Jimmy didn't fall from a swing like Uncle Ted claims — Carolyn knows, because she saw everything. According to her, "Uncle Ted just didn't count on me, Carolyn, [being] perched in a tree where the park and the parking lot meet." With the dreadful secret locked away, Carolyn walks an emotional tightrope. No matter what else is happening in this post-war era, she must keep an eye on poor, brain-damaged Jimmy: making sure he behaves, keeping him clean, and keeping him safe — especially from Uncle Ted. But when Uncle Ted threatens his beleaguered family with even more abuse and the loss of their home, Carolyn must find the courage to match wits with him and to speak out, using the truth as her only weapon. But perhaps her biggest challenge will lie in finding a way to get Jimmy the expensive operation he needs to relieve the pressure on his brain, because: "As I told you, our Jimmy is not a mental defective like people say. Our Jimmy is in there. He's in there. This I know." Set in 1958, Watching Jimmy is a brilliant portrait of a time past, a family of strong women, and a resourceful young girl who exudes character, resilience, and, most of all, love.

Jocelyn loves her ballerina. She never takes it off despite her mother's attempts to put it into the laundry. When Jocelyn is wearing her ballerina she can twirl and dance up to the sky. It hugs her legs and keeps her warm. When she is chosen to be the flower girl at Aunt Judy's wedding, however, her mother insists she wear a new pink lace dress. The new dress is scratchy and doesn't twirl at all! Jocelyn must come up with a way to wear her ballerina at the wedding! Will she manage it without Mom and Aunt Judy knowing? Nancy Hartry's charming text and Linda Hendry's humorous artwork perfectly capture a little girl's determination to have her "security blanket" with her at all times. The hilarious conclusion will have young readers laughing aloud.

"The moving story of a Newfoundland fisherman who seeks a new life for himself and his boat, Heart's Content, on the British Columbia coast. Beautifully illustrated" Cf. Our choice, 1997-1998