• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

A hilarious collection of misfires, creative solutions, dumb luck — and startling victories!

Where else but Canada would you find a town that turns its main street into a giant tubing run? Or witness a Mission Impossible-style heist where a thief drops down through the ceiling and makes off with over $120,000 worth of hockey sticks? Not to mention the slippery — or was that sticky? — bandits who stole 20,000 litres of maple syrup . . . And where else would you find an aircraft carrier made out of blocks of ice, a man building a miniature version of the entire country, or a moose giving you a carwash?

It all makes perfect sense, really. Living in Canada means responding uniquely to a unique environment. And it’s our — sometimes highly questionable — ideas that makes us who we are. In an engaging, hilarious and always fascinating exploration of geography, history, wildlife, science, culture, food, art . . . and giant roadside attractions — this is our nation at its most jaw-droppingly unusual and innovative.

Though we can poke fun at ourselves, readers will walk away with a sense that there is so much to celebrate about what it means to be Canadian.

TED STAUNTON a écrit plus de quarante livres jeunesse et a contribué à la sériepopulaire Seven. Il joue aussi de la musique folk et blues. Ted se rend souventdans des écoles et des bibliothèques canadiennes. Il donne aussi un cours derédaction au collège George Brown à Toronto. Quand il n’est pas plongé dans un livre, il fait souvent de la musique avec le Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band..

Ted Staunton is the award-winning author of over forty books for young people, including Bounced, What Blows Up in The Almost Epic Squad series, the picture book Friends for Real, illustrated by Ruth Ohi, and the coauthor of the non-fiction title It Seemed Like a Good Idea . . . : Canadian Feats, Facts and Flubs, with his son Will. A busy and popular presenter at schools across Canada, Ted also teaches writing at George Brown College in Toronto, and is a roots/blues musician in whatever time is left over. Visit him online at www.tedstauntonbooks.com.

Ted Staunton's profile page

WILL STAUNTON spends a huge amount of time driving back and forth across Canada playing music with his rock/bluegrass band, Union Duke. When he’s at home in Toronto, he teaches a whole bunch of instruments and frets over the headlines with his wife.

Will Staunton's profile page

• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (Alberta Children's Choice)
• Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Selection
• Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Award (Atlantic Canada)
• Commended, TD Summer Reading Club, Top Recommended Read
• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Commended, OLA Best Bets

"The infectious energy in the zippy text and eye-popping graphic design makes this a compulsively readable, colossally clever compendium." —Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Librarian’s Picks