Books with author John Will

Sam and Annabel are visiting Drumheller, Alberta, where the farmland Sam’s mother lives on is host to a dinosaur dig. Annabel, an avid learner, is thrilled to have access to paleontologists and spends as much time as she can near the dig, much to Sam’s dismay. But when they learn the dig has uncovered scientifically important bones, even Sam’s interest is piqued. In fact, the whole town is talking about the dig. When Sam and Annabel learn that Humphrey Battleford, a famous collector of stolen goods, is in the area, they are on high alert to keep the ancient bones safe.

"Who are you?" Ian managed at last in a cracked whisper."Emily Victoria Park," came the soft reply.Ian knew that name. "That was…you must be…great grandmother Emily.""Yes.""But," Ian continued, struggling to make sense of what was happening, "you've been dead for…almost forty years."The old woman smiled. "Yes, I suppose I have."As a child, Ian enjoyed his summers at the family cottage on the west coast, but now he's a teenager—bored, missing his friends in the city and arguing with his father who's always telling him how wonderful things were in the old days and how great his long-dead ancestors were.After one particularly frustrating argument, Ian storms out of the cottage and, to assert his independence, decides to row over to a nearby island. That's when things begin to go wrong. He didn't check the tides and, as darkness falls and the weather deteriorates, he's swept out to sea. Exhaustion and hypothermia set in and Ian gets scared. Then he discovers he's not alone."Wilson shifts realities in a convincing way and his evocation of island life—on land and water, now and then, is masterful." Globe and Mail"Adrift in Time is firmly anchored in its sense of place, rich in stories evocative of a region peopled by pioneers as recently as the nineteenth century" Resource LinksChocolate Lily Award finalist

This medieval mystery adventure was a finalist for the 2007 Governor General’s Literary Award (Children’s Text) From the Governor General's Jury: "In this engrossing historical adventure, John Wilson paints a vivid picture of a bygone era involving Henry Hudson’s fateful search for the elusive Northwest Passage, an alchemist, mysterious passengers, and enigmatic maps. The Alchemist’s Dream fascinates from start to finish. In the fall of 1669, the Nonsuch returns to London with a load of fur from Hudson Bay. It brings something else, too--the lost journal from Henry Hudson’s tragic search for a passage to Cathay in 1611. In the hands of a greedy sailor, the journal is merely an object to sell. But for Robert Bylot--a once-great maritime explorer--the book is a painful reminder of a past he’d rather forget. As Bylot relives his memories of a plague-ridden city, of the mysterious alchemist John Dee, and of mutiny in the frozen wastes of Hudson Bay, an age-old mystery is both revealed and solved. Set against the thrilling backdrop of the quest for the Northwest Passage, The Alchemist’s Dream is a riveting tale of exploration, ambition, and betrayal."

A dramatic Arctic adventure set during Sir John Franklin's doomed search for the Northwest PassageGeorge Chambers is a fourteen-year-old aboard the HMS Erebus, one of two ships under the command of Sir John Franklin on his quest to discover the Northwest Passage. But when the Erebus and Terror are trapped in crushing ice, 129 men of the crew die from cold, scurvy, and starvation.Only two remain alive when George begins to recount his story: him and Commander James Fitzjames. As his strength dwindles and starvation weakens him, George recalls the events that led him to Canada's desolate North, and the expedition's failure - including gravediggers, a close call with a polar bear, standing up against sailors threatening mutiny, and his own impending death.George does not know whether the story he tells will be all that survives of Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition.