Middle Extras

Addendums to

Basic Book Package

Spring - 2007 - 2008

CanLit Customers  (Option 1 - 20% discount), (Option 2 - 15% discount)

For information about returns, please check our Return Policy

Here is our selection for Middle level extras.

Any of these titles may be substituted with or added to the books from our "basic" packages.

Let us know what works best for you.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKS

Back to Book Packages Spring 2007 - 2008

Breakout Dinoasaurs: Canada’s Coolest, Scariest Ancient Creatures Return! by Hugh Brewster and the curators of the Royal Ontario Museum

Illustrated by Alan Barnard

Regular list price       $19.95

(Grades 3-7)

Millions of years ago, Canada was a strange and exotic place. The Prairies were covered with a shallow inland sea in which sea monsters swam. Alberta had a coastline with river deltas where duck-billed dinos and horned and frilled ceratopsians feasted on flowering plants. Today, Canada possesses the richest single dinosaur site in the world. This book is a celebration of that legacy. Dramatic color illustrations and a simple, absorbing text with lots of descriptive features and sidebars make this a dinosaur book for all ages and for readers in all parts of Canada.

Reviewed by Dave Jenkinson. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, April, 2008 Highly Recommended. "Breakout Dinosaurs is a "must" purchase, both because of the quality of its text and illustrations and also because of its Canadian focus... The book opens with a map of Canada as it would have appeared some 70 million years ago when two shallow inland seas, the Western and Hudson Seaway, inundated large portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. ... As previously noted, a must-add book!"

The Diary of Laura's Twin by Kathy Kacer

Regular list price       $14.95

(Grades 7-10) (200 pages)

Laura has just three weeks to go before her Jewish “coming of age” ceremony, called a Bat Mitzvah, when she is assigned a special project. She is to read the diary of Sara Gittler, a young girl her own age who was imprisoned by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto. Sara never had the chance to celebrate her coming of age, so Laura is to learn about Sara’s life and then share her Bat Mitzvah with her “twin” by speaking of her at the ceremony. Reluctant to undertake the project at first, Laura quickly becomes caught up by Sara’s struggle to survive. Sara’s diary unfolds with the details of her daily life in the Ghetto, a world full of fear, confusion, tragedy and above all, courage. Includes photographs, biographies of young heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and true accounts of “Twinning Ceremonies”.

Exceptional Women Environmentalists by Frances Rooney

Regular list price       $10.95

(Grades 7 to 10 )

From Rachel Carson, the woman who started the modern environmental movement, to Severn Cullis-Suzuki, former host of Suzuki’s Nature Quest, to Marina Silva, who fights to keep the Brazilian rain forest from disappearing, read about these ten amazing women who prove how ordinary people can do extraordinary things. While the threat of environmental crises becomes more dominant in the media and popular culture, these trailblazing women are taking action to make a vital difference for our planet.

Fantastic Female Filmmakers by Suzanne Simoni

Regular list price       $10.95

(Grades 7-10 )

This book tells the stories of ten women who are some of the most creative and respected directors in the world. From Nell Shipman, who started her own production company in the silent movie days, to Ida Lupino, the American actress who was the first woman to direct herself in a film, to Academy-Award nominee Deepa Mehta, whose films have brought East Indian stories to audiences around the world. These directors prove that women can be stars behind the camera as well as on the screen.

Mark Twain by Elizabeth MacLeod

Regular list price       $7.95

(Grades 4 to 8)

The latest addition to the Snapshots series introduces young readers to the famous writer, comedian, world traveler and lecturer originally known as Samuel Clemens. From his Mississippi boyhood, through the Civil War, his years of fame following the publication of Huckleberry Finn, and his business reversals and family tragedies, Mark Twain's story is a fascinating trip through a changing United States.

The Master’s Apprentice by Rick Jacobson Illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson

Regular list price       $22.99 per title

(Grades 5 to 8)

This book depicts a fascinating episode in the history of art. Set in Renaissance Florence, a young boy has been sent into apprenticeship with the young master, Michelangelo Buonarroti and much rides on his success. Armed with secret color formulas that his father has taught him, the boy has a good chance at being selected to accompany the master to work in the Sistine Chapel.

In bringing this story to life, the authors show a little-known side of the richest artistic era in the history of the world and one of the greatest geniuses of all time.

Reviewed by Gregory Bryan. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, January, 2008 Recommended. "The master referred to in the title is Michelangelo Buonarroti—the great artist who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and who sculpted the masterpiece, David. ... The Master’s Apprentice is an enjoyable book. Readers will be interested to gain some insight into what it might have been like to serve as an apprentice to one of the most esteemed artists the world has known."

Starred Review by Joanne Findon . Quill and Quire, April, 2008 "This gripping story evokes a fascinating episode in the history of art and in the early career of the great Michelangelo. Marco’s hopes and fears are well depicted, as are the mercurial emotions of the artist. ... This book provides wonderful insight into a crucial moment in the history of Western art. "

Starred reviews for Quill and Quire indicate books of exceptional merit.

Zoe's Extraordinary holiday adventure by Christina Minaki

Regular list price       $8.95

(Grades 4-7) (152 pages)

Zoe thinks her life is boring – nothing ever changes. She’s stuck in her wheelchair and her parents never let her do anything fun. And it really bugs her that some of the kids think she’s not smart just because her body doesn’t always do what she wants. Then in the midst of the holiday season, Zoe learns about the diverse cultures of her friends at school, and realizes she’s not the only different one in class. A story about differences and challenges, and, more importantly, about similarities and inclusion.

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