Where The Streets Had a Name

Where The Streets Had a Name
By Randa Abdel-Fattah
Published by Scholastic Canada
Ages 13+
Reviewed by Martha Beach
   
    Hayaat and her family used to own a beautiful olive farm. Her father worked hard and loved the olive grove. She and her siblings played happily and her mother was incredibly creative.

But everything changed drastically one day when they received a demolition notice from the Israeli army. Since then, Hyaat and her family have been living in a tiny apartment in Bethlehem.
Her two little brothers, a sulking father, nagging mother, talkative grandmother, and wedding-fevered sister are all packed into a few rooms, sometimes for days at a time when a curfew is issued by the Israeli Army.

Her new home, school, and shops are situated behind a huge impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank. Unfortunately, Hayaat and her family are on the wrong side of the wall.

When Hayaat's beloved grandmother becomes ill and expresses her urge to feel the soil of her home once more before she dies, Hayaat and her friend Sammy set off on the adventure of their lives.

Battling roadblocks, dealing with gun-toting and intimidating soldiers, Hayaat and Sammy must travel only a few miles, but find themselves in an entirely different world.

Author, Randa Abdel-Fattah deals with loss, friendship, family, war, and an extremely delicate political subject with grace, humour, and truth. Readers are sure to be submersed right from the beginning of the book. They will feel sadness, happiness, and the dusty road that Hayaat and Sammy are travelling on.

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The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord
By Cornelia Funke
Ages 12+
Published by Scholastic Canada

The Thief Lord tells the tale of Prosper and Bo, two orphaned brothers who have run away from their aunt and uncle. When their mother was still alive, she often spoke of Venice as a magical city, and so the two boys decide to flee to Venice.

There, they meet the Thief Lord who runs a ring of street children who dabble in petty crimes, in the Oliver Twist style.

The two brothers become close with the Thief Lord and the other children in his colourful family, but they quickly discover that the Thief Lord has a dark secret. Soon Prosper, Bo, and the rest of the gang are thrown into circumstances beyond their control. They embark on an adventure throughout the meandering canals and narrow alleyways of Venice.

This modern classic has become one of the most popular children's novels of the past decade. It has the perfect mix of adventure, mischief, magic, and friendship, and is bound to keep your students turning pages.

Ghostopolis

Ghostopolis
By Doug TenNapel
Ages 10+
Published by Scholastic Canada
Reviewed by Martha Beach

Ghostopolis is a children's graphic novel that is sure to be a page-turner for any student.
Garth, a normal kid, likes to read and play make-believe with his toys. But Garth, as we find out in the first few pages, is terminally ill.

Garth's life is drastically altered when a washed-out agent from the Supernatural Immigration Task Force accidentally sends him to Ghostopolis - the world of the dead.

This once regular guy suddenly finds himself in a ghost's world where he has powers that even ghosts don't have. While in the world of the dead, Garth can do things that the ghosts can't; he flies, disappears, and walks through walls while the dead are bound by Ghostopolis' rules of gravity and physics. In the world of the dead, Garth can do anything he imagines.

Garth is on the adventure of his life. He has to use his new powers to fight the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, all the while he has to try and get back home.

Ghostopolis is a graphic novel jam packed with adventure, battle, and travel. Plus, during his escapade, Garth learns something very important about his life - his long, long life.

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The Games Book

The Games Book
By Huw Davies
Published by Scholastic Canada
Reviewed by Martha Beach

Get in touch with children's games of yesteryear and crack open this collection of traditional indoor and outdoor games. There are no batteries required for these games!

It's a classic, traditional book full to the brim with class, traditional games for kids of all ages. These nostalgic games have been enjoyed by generations of children, their parents, and their grandparents.

The games are packaged into a cute, hardcover book with simple black and white drawings and plain pages. Each game includes full instructions so they're easy to learn and fun to play.

Included in this text are spooky games like Wink Murder, classics such as jacks, marbles, Hide and Seek, and of course card games like gun rummy and much more.

Perfect for any season, The Games Book will keep your students occupied all year long.

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Sun and Storms

Sun and Storms: Canadian Summer Weather
By Nicole Mortillaro
Ages 6-9
Published by Scholastic Canada
Reviewed by Martha Beach

Sun and Storms is the perfect book for young meteorologists. It's a great introductory book for students who wish to learn about how weather affects their own lives.

This easy-to-understand book explains simple weather concepts that relate to Canadian summers. With this text, younger students can learn how rain is formed and why things like tornadoes and thunderstorms happen.

The text includes simple weather concepts, colour photographs, clear diagrams, a glossary, and a table of contents. It is simple to follow and perfect for classroom use because it is directly related to school curriculum.

This particular title launched the Canada Close Up series, which is a non-fiction children series for today's young students. Entertaining, informative and educational, Sun and Storms: Canadian Summer Weather is a text for curious, young, summer minds.

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