New Releases by Sylvia McNicoll

The journey to conquering your fears starts with 1,776 steps. Starting sixth grade after years of homeschooling, Ella is tired of being known as Allergic-to-Everything Girl. She just wants to eat pizza without breaking into hives, convince her mom to adopt a Whoodle dog, and get over her stage fright so she can perform her poem to her class. When her best friend signs up for a CN Tower climb for charity, Ella knows she has to join. If she can climb to the top and summon the courage to recite her poem over the city, she’s convinced she’ll finally be cured of her fears.

FINALIST FOR THE 2023 HAMILTON LITERARY CHILDREN''S BOOK AWARD Naomi’s dog Diesel returns from the afterlife with one mission — can he save her? It’s Naomi’s worst summer ever. Her dog, Diesel, died. Dad lost his job. Mom and Dad split up. The family is broke, and Naomi is stuck babysitting when she planned to take swimming lessons. Then Naomi’s sometime-friend Morgan convinces her to jump off a dock. On July 1 at precisely 4:30, when Naomi drowns, destiny shifts. Naomi awakes a week earlier to Diesel talking to her. Through his canine counsel, he wants to show her how to fix things. “I can save you,” he barks. But no matter how often Naomi resets her watch, the time and date keep flipping back to July 1 at 4:30, which makes her wonder: Is my time running out?

2020-21 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award — Shortlisted Five-year-old Pearl claims that a pirate stole the rare Blushing Diamond. But everyone’s a pirate on Halloween. Dogwalker Stephen Noble has been recruited to walk his five-year-old reading buddy, Pearl Lebel, to and from school while her mother is away and her father is ill. He’s sure that this will be easier than walking canine clients Ping and Pong — until Pearl locks herself in the house, runs away from home, and loses her family’s rare pink diamond ring. When Pearl claims that a pirate took the ring, Stephen and Renée are on the case. But the more they discover, the more it feels like everyone is a suspect. With Pearl annoying them every step of the way, will they be able to solve the mystery before the ring''s scheduled appearance at the Brilliant Diamond Show?

When a faulty accelerator causes eighty-two-year-old Susan hits fifteen-year-old Hallie with her SUV, they return from the dead in each other’s bodies, seeking justice and another chance.

Anxious young Stephen Noble and his friend Renée are the dogwalking detectives! This special three-book bundle collects the first three book in The Great Mistake Mysteries. Includes The Great Mistake Mystery Dogwalker Stephen Nobel has a habit of overanalyzing things. When the bomb squad searches his school and a car crashes into the building, Stephen can’t leave it alone. But now his new friend Renée and his furry clients Ping and Pong are wrapped up in a dangerous mystery with a real criminal! The Artsy Mistake Mystery Renée and Stephen team up when Renée’s brother Attila is accused of stealing the outdoor art that’s been disappearing all over the neighbourhood. Convinced that Attila is innocent, Renée and Stephen set out to find the truth about the missing art. The Snake Mistake Mystery In the third Great Mistake Mystery, Stephen and Renée investigate a recent robbery that has been pinned on the Noble Dogwalking Agency. The crime involves a missing python and a key that Stephen says he lost. Stephen and Renée need to solve this case or the Noble Dogwalking Agency will go under!

Noble Dog Walking takes care of pets, even if they slither. When a ball python they’re looking after disappears, Stephen Noble and Renée Kobai join forces with their favourite clients, Jack Russell Ping and greyhound Pong, to find that snake. The local animal shelter proves no help at all. The only thing they care about is their annual cat sale. It’s starting to look like the ball python may have been stolen, when Stephen and Renée get word that more homes have been broken into, all of them clients of Noble Dog Walking. The case turns desperate as one by one, their clients leave. After losing Ping and Pong as clients, too, Stephen and Renée pin their last hope on gathering all the suspects at the animal shelter, and a real Cat-astrophe ensues.

They say he’s been stealing art. But is Attila being framed? Outdoor art is disappearing all over the neighbourhood! From elaborate Halloween decorations to the Stream of Dreams fish display across the fence at Stephen and Renée’s school, it seems no art is safe. Renée’s brother, Attila, has been cursing those model fish since he first had to make them as part of his community service. So everyone thinks Attila is behind it when they disappear. But, grumpy teen though he is, Attila can do no wrong in Renée’s eyes, so she enlists Stephen’s help to catch the real criminal.

Some people count their blessings, but dogwalker Stephen Nobel counts mistakes. Dogwalker extraordinaire Stephen Nobel can get a little anxious, but his habit of counting the mistakes he and everyone else makes calms him. His need to analyze gets kicked into hyperdrive after two crazy events happen in one day at school: the bomb squad blows up a backpack and someone smashes a car into the building. To make things worse, that someone thinks Stephen can identify them. Stephen receives a threatening text. If he goes to the police, his favourite dogs, Ping and Pong, will get hurt. The pressure mounts when his new best friend, Renée, begs for Stephen’s help. Her brother has been charged with the crimes and she wants to clear his name. Is it a mistake to give in to dognappers? How can he possibly save everybody? To find out, Stephen will have to count on all of his new friends. CCBC’s Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2017) Selection

Inspired by the true story of a teen who was killed at a railway crossing, the author weaves the tale of fourteen-year-old Paige, who, taking a shortcut alongside the tracks to avoid the school bullies, is tragically hit by a train and transported to a surreal world where she encounters Kim, who died seven years before. Convinced she is only dreaming, Paige must discover a way to return to her former life. Poignant, gripping, and full of unexpected twists and turns, Best Friends through Eternity will resonate with readers who have struggled with cultural identity, a sense of belonging, and the real meaning of home.

When a small plan crashes in the bush, teenage Sky and her younger brother are mostly unhurt. But their mother is badly injured and Doc only has the use of one arm. When no help arrives, Sky has to overcome fear, cold and despair to save her mother''s life.

Leaving behind England (and the graves of his mother and baby sister) 12-year-old William sails to Canada with his father, where he joins the campaign to eradicate flies in cities and stop the spread of deadly diseases.

Owen has just three days to prove to his father that Hero will be no trouble - or back to the shelter he goes. The odds are against Hero. He''s got problems with a monster cat, chews up Owen''s homework, and makes messes on the floor. Can Hero live up to his name? A book that''s both fun and funny, exciting and warm hearted. Interest Level: Grades 4-6+ Reading Level: Grade 2.4 (Lexile 390L) HIP JR novels feature preteen characters in exciting, realistic situations. Written for readers in Grades 4-7, reading at Grade 2-3 level.

When a skateboarding accident claims 14-year-old Jade''s life, she negotiates a one-week do-over in heaven. Will she attempt to improve the world or simply live life full out? Or will she try to cheat fate instead?

Last year, Sunny served forty hours volunteer time on an Alzheimer''s ward, where she developed a crush on Cole, another volunteer. Now she is on trial for manslaughter.

Instead of spending the summer shopping with her mother in Paris, Zanna is stuck in the ice fields of Alberta with her glaciologist father and twin brother, but her grumpy outlook changes when she finds a wolf puppy under the cabin''s front porch.

A contemporary high school love story: a girl who raises dog guides to overcome the objections of her family, her friends and her school, while she builds a relationship with an older blind and idabetic boy who is the new owner of one of her dogs.

"Elizabeth Kerr, a freshman, is raising another future guide dog. Kyle, 16, is blind due to diabetes. Although the two attend the same high school, they have never met. Elizabeth struggles with having to give up Beauty, and Kyle struggles with his recent loss of sight. At the same time, they must deal with typical adolescent concerns: unrequited love, family, and friendships. The teens meet as the story draws to a close, and Beauty becomes Kyle''s dog."--Amazon.com.

Fourteen-year-old Kim hates school, but she''s sure her good looks and great fashion sense will get her out of her boring life and into a world of glamour! All she can think about is becoming a model. Why can''t she ace school tests the way she handles the friendship and dating quizzes in her favourite fashion magazines? How will studying help her escape the kind of boring life her parents lead? Why will she need school once she gets a lucrative modeling job? By the time Kim discovers that all the glamour is just hype, she has lied to teachers and her parents, raided her "untouchable" education bank account, alienated her best friend, lost her boyfriend, and been caught shoplifting. A true-to-life look at what a teenager encounters as she becomes obsessed with her image, Caught in a Lie traces Kim''s growth to understanding.

Elizabeth has the responsibility to raise Beauty, a Labrador retriever puppy, for the guide dog program.

Strange things begin to happen when Nicholas moves into a new house. He plans to find out why an old woman seems to be pre-occupied with the graveyard that borders their home and why the ghostly image of a little boy keeps appearing before him.

Money problems, parent problems, babysitting, and braces on her teeth give Melissa plenty to think about over the summer.

Eric''s family agreed to look after Smoky for just one year. After that, the black Lab pup will go back to Canine Vision Canada to be trained as a guide dog. And that day can''t come too soom for Eric. Then something happens that changes everything ...

Lauren knows if she loses twenty pounds Jay will finally notice her. And it can''t be that hard, can it? Andrea lost ten pounds in less than a month. But Andrea''s starting to act weird. Today she even fainted in class. Lauren''s worried. Andrea says she''s dying to be thin...but just how far will she go?

"A story about a boy who is forever competing with his classmate - a girl who''s great at everything she does - and the consequences of his jealousy. Ideal for discussions about competition and acceptance" Cf. Our choice, 1996-1997.