Behind the Scenes
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009
Where did thoroughbreds come from?
Why do they call it a steeplechase? What's the difference between trotting and pacing? Did you know that winning jockeys are weighed before and after a race?
Experienced horsewoman Nikki Tate takes the reader behind the scenes to examine the world of the racetrack.
S …
Down To Earth
Kids all over the world help collect seeds, weed gardens, milk goats and herd ducks. From a balcony garden with pots of lettuce to a farm with hundreds of cows, kids can pitch in to bring the best and freshest products to their families' tables—and to market. Loaded with accessible information about the many facets of farming, Down to Earth takes …
Fallout
Tara's sister died a year ago, on the day that Tara didn't answer her phone when Hannah called. And Hannah stepped in front of a bus. Now Tara lives with the guilt of wondering if things would be different if she had been there when Hannah needed her most. Competing in slam poetry competitions is the only way Tara can keep her sister's memory alive …
Jo's Journey
It's 1861 and orphan Jo has made it from Carson City, Nevada, to San Francisco without anyone figuring out that she's a girl in boy's clothing. When she hears talk of gold strikes in the Cariboo, Jo and her friend Bart sign on for what turns out to be a journey far more arduous and dangerous than anything Jo experienced as a Pony Express rider. Thr …
I had felt almost smug striding into town, but leaving again made me realize that the wild country ahead was probably beyond my imagining. Already the way had been difficult, but judging by stories told by some of the men who had traveled this way before, only the very strongest, the most determined, survived to see the Cariboo. Would I be one of them?
Jo's Triumph
"In the late 1850s in and around Carson City, struggles between the Indians and the local whites are growing. During the struggles, Joselyn, a young orphan, meets Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute girl who becomes her friend and gives her some valuable advice. When Joselyn takes that advice and escapes from the Carson City Home for Unfortunate Children, s …
Razor's Edge
"Travis and his best friends Ryan and Jasper live for the thrill of watching their horses race. When a thief starts hacking off the tails of Standardbred horses stabled at Blackdown Park, suddenly the track isn't such a great place to hang out. Things get even more unpleasant when a troubled girl comes between Travis and his friends. Travis has to …
Venom
"Sixteen-year-old Spencer loves his job at the local racing stable, but when he becomes convinced that someone is drugging the racehorse Lord of the Flies, no one believes him. In an effort to find out who is behind a dangerous race-fixing scheme, he takes on some of the most unsavory members of the track community. By refusing to turn a blind eye, …
