Books with author Marah Ellis

Ivy Weatherall is just 11 years old when her family leaves England for the promised riches of Canada's expanding West. They've come to join her uncle for the available land, the lush harvests, and the opportunity for success. But in Milorie, Saskatchewan, their dreams crumble into dust when they reach Uncle Alf's small sod hut and discover that jobs are scarce, and that they can barely make ends meet.Ivy's relatives pack up and head back to England, but to Ivy, Canada is full of wonder and beginning to feel like home. There are challenges in her new life, but Ivy's feisty character and her sense of wonder for a prairie as wide as the sea make her adventure one that readers won't easily forget. Vetted by a historical expert, this book contains maps, period illustrations/documents, and an extensive historical note.

Do you have a toddler who is ever so slightly tempted to bend the rules at home every once in a while (all for a "good" reason, of course)? Then you will like the story of Monkey Bandit and the naughty ball!Monkey Bandit, much like any toddler, forgets about the rules. He knows he cannot play with a ball inside the house, but are bending over the ball or touching it with one finger considered "playing with the ball"?This colorfully illustrated, funny children's story will make babies and toddlers giggle at the misadventures of Monkey Bandit. But, as a powerful teaching tool, it allows parents and educators to start a very useful conversation about "bending the rules". For parents who like to discipline without yelling, rules without punishments, only consequences, reinforcing good behavior and reading with children.Efficient with strong-willed and "stubborn" children, as it addresses the topic of discipline and rules in a funny way, through a story and a character.Rules... rules at home... what are those exactly?!TOPICS: rules, discipline, kids, strong-willed, stubborn, misbehaving, behaviour, respect

Lynn’s life is full — choir practice, school, shopping for the perfect jeans, and dealing with her free-spirited mother. Then one day her life is saved by a mysterious girl named Blossom, who introduces Lynn to her own world and family — both more bizarre, yet somehow more sane, than Lynn’s own. Blossom’s family is a small band of outcasts and eccentrics who live secretly in an ingenious bunker beneath a city reservoir. The Underlanders forage and trade for the things they need (“Is it useful or lovely?”), living off the things “Citizens” throw away. Lynn is enchanted and amazed. But when she inadvertently reveals their secret, she is forced to take measure of her own motives and lifestyle, as she figures out what it really means to be a family, and a friend. Classic Sarah Ellis, this novel is smart, rich, engaging and insightful.

Lynn’s life is full — choir practice, school, shopping for the perfect jeans, and dealing with her free-spirited mother. Then one day her life is saved by a mysterious girl named Blossom, who introduces Lynn to her own world and family — both more bizarre, yet somehow more sane, than Lynn’s own. Blossom’s family is a small band of outcasts and eccentrics who live secretly in an ingenious bunker beneath a city reservoir. The Underlanders forage and trade for the things they need (“Is it useful or lovely?”), living off the things “Citizens” throw away. Lynn is enchanted and amazed. But when she inadvertently reveals their secret, she is forced to take measure of her own motives and lifestyle, as she figures out what it really means to be a family and a friend. This novel is smart, rich, engaging and insightful.

An eleven-year-old orphan is reconnected to her mother's family, but her courage and strength are tested as she is put to work in a textile mill.Flora is a young, imaginative girl who has dreamt of having a family to call her own since her parents died from pleurisy when she was three. She dreams of family dinners. She dreams of friends. But mostly she dreams of leaving the orphanage. As the diary begins, Flora is still in an orphanage in Kingston, but her Auntie Janet has just married, and she and her husband James send for Flora to come and live with them in Almonte, Ontario. Once she arrives at her aunt's, Flora begins work in the Almonte Mill, even though she is underage - typical for many children of the era. She works from dawn to dusk, near huge and noisy machines, and she sees the effects of the mill on workers who have lost an arm or their hearing. Still, this life is better than going back to the orphanage. But when Uncle James loses several fingers at the weaving machine and can't work anymore, money is really tight, and it's up to Flora and her aunt to find a way out of the predicament.Through all her trials, Flora writes down her feelings in a journal, one she addresses to "Dear Papa and Mama", because it makes her feel close to the parents she lost when she was young. Days of Toil and Tears includes historical background giving readers the social context of young mill workers, and a map of the textile industry of Canada, as well as fascinating photographs from this era.

“‘May I’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Please’ Help us get along with ease!”How do you help your child discover the value of being polite, of having good manners with other people? Practical examples work best. This children's book on manners on a playdate will teach your child that manners help us get along with each other.Monkey Bandit goes on a surprise playdate with Lilly, a new friend. He is very excited about the toys and activities he sees, especially the painting. But when he takes the brush from Lilly’s hand, snatches her cookie and does not ask nicely, Lilly becomes very upset. Monkey Bandit learns first-hand the importance of good manners!Through a simple, relatable story that could come from the life of most toddlers, this kids book on manners will show children that manners are there for a very practical reason (not only because mom and dad say so): to help us get along with each other by being nice.

In life, friends are important. But what do you do if no one wants to be friends with you? This is the story of Mac, a little mouse no bigger than a walnut. He is so small that nobody wants to be friends with him. Or so he thinks. One day he decides that if he were to find golden cheese, he would become rich and everybody would love him and want to be his friend. Or so he thinks...Read this kids book to see what happens when Mac tries one silly idea after another, only to find that what he was really after was one true friend, who can accept him as he is - flaws, silliness and all.This is a kids book about friendship and about true values. Enjoyable for children and parents alike. It is the kind of story that sparks conversations about what is important in life, how we behave and the choices we make.Yes. In life, friends are important. And true friends, some would say, are one of the most important things of all.

Winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize and the TD CCBC Canadian Children's Literature Award Kip is spending the summer with his grandmother and his five eccentric girl cousins, including Emily, who thinks she's a dog. Gran's house is about to be demolished, so anything goes, whether it's drawing maps on the walls or sawing off the knob at the bottom of the banister for a smoother ride. When Kip bashes through an old closet, he discovers the binder his late father kept as a teenager. He's bewildered by what he finds: puzzling lists, hair samples, old newspaper clippings and business cards -- all accompanying a confidential report written by a mysterious young operative who is carrying out a secret plan to infect teenagers with a cell-altering virus. This wonderful novel has all the Sarah Ellis hallmarks -- quirky characters, insight and wit -- underpinned by resonant themes of family, memory and the creative imagination.

SILLY FUN ON THE FARM: A Funny Book for Kids Who are Beginner ReadersFarm animals dress and talk as human kids in this silly beginner reader that will amuse your budding reader and motivate him or her to keep reading.Images accompany words for easier reading. Words build on each other to create five sentenceswith funny and surprising endings. Your child's confidence will grow, as a reader, from being able to read not just words, but sentences that are, in fact, short stories.Who said reading is not FUN?

Do you have a toddler who will not eat by him or herself - or has trouble eating alone because of a sensory difficulty disorder? Then you will like the story of Monkey Bandit who learns to eat with a spoon!Monkey Bandit does not know how to eat by himself, with a spoon. Yet. But he does like yummy soup. He tries to eat some with one finger, but that does not work. Next, he tries grabbing a handful of soup... that does not work. When he tries slurping the soup from the bowl, he burns himself and gets the soup all over the floor. Eating by yourself is not easy, is it... Frustrated and angry, Monkey Bandit begins to cry. With the tears, he gets a few tastes of soup in his mouth. Oh, it is so very good... so he tries just one more time: he picks up the spoon, dips it in the soup and slowly takes it to his mouth. Yeey!At last, the third time is a charm: Monkey Bandit opens his mouth widely and has his first spoonful of soup, all by himself!This colorfully illustrated, funny children's story will amuse your toddler and help him eat by himself or herself. It breaks down the steps of eating by yourself: holding the spoon, dipping it in the bowl of food, taking it to your mouth.Great children's story for toddlers or kids who are learning to eat by themselves, it is also about the fact that learning a new skill requires determination and perseverance.For children with a sensory processing disorder, this book will provide a visual guide to eating independently. Through humor and watching a little monkey eat by himself, your child will feel less pressured and more at ease with trying.