Books published by publisher Red Deer Press

In the little village of Duk Padiet in southern Sudan, a boy named Jacob Deng thrives on the love of his mother, the companionship of his sisters, the excitement of learning how to look after his uncle's herds of cattle. The year is 1987, and suddenly in the night soldiers from the north invade the village, looting, burning, and killing. The war has arrived, and the life of Jacob will never be the same. This novel is based on the real life experiences of a Sudanese boy who, with thousands of other boys from the region, fled for his life and spent seven years walking through deserts, grasslands and forests, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, surviving life in massive refugee camps. The so-called Lost Boys of Sudan - as they were called by an American aid organization - numbered as many as 27,000, and while many died - from starvation, attacks by wild animals, drowning, or through the brutality of the military - many survived. Jacob never returned to his village, but though he was only seven years old when he had to flee, he somehow managed to live through an almost unimaginable ordeal.. Throughout the seven years covered in this story, Jacob resists the temptation to join the liberation army. Steadily Jacob finds himself more and more adhering to his mother's advice that getting an education is crucial to escaping the cycle of violence that afflicts his country. Jacob's struggle, then, is to persist in seeking out teachers and eventually a school where his ambition to learn about the world can be met. Through it all he learns about loyalty and love for close friends who have been thrust together with him on this extraordinary journey, and also about the guiding light provided by the memory of his mother.

First Nation Communities Read Selection 2010 Resource Links Best Books 2010 A VOYA 2010 'Perfect Ten' Book The Powwow is a time-honored Native American custom. It is a celebration of life and spirituality, a remembrance of traditions, uniting a people through dance and ritual. Long Powwow Nights takes you on a wonderful journey, honoring these mystical dancers who keep their traditions alive through dance and song. In its poetic verses, David Bouchard skillfully narrates the story of a mother's dedication to her roots and her efforts to impress upon her child the importance of culture and identity. Internationally revered Native American artist, Leonard Paul, brings the story alive with his beautiful renditions of powwow dancers, warriors, and stunning landscape.

"Körner hits the mark exploring the passions of a young boy and his relationships... Heartwarming and optimistic." -- Kirkus Reviews "Körner, a Saskatchewan resident and sled dog owner, vividly portrays life in the Canadian north, including a shocking scene with a stray dog, and seeds the novel with authentic dog team culture and history. VERDICT Hand this touching coming-of-age adventure to fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet." -- School Library Journal Jeremy lives in a small community where winters are long and stray dogs roam the streets. When peer pressure leads Jeremy into a bad prank, he is immediately struck with guilt -- and that's when his life changes forever. Trying to make amends, Jeremy befriends Yellow Dog and in the process meets a curious old man who introduces him to the adventures of dog sledding. Soon Jeremy is forming his own old-time dog team that includes Yellow Dog and in the process, discovers more about himself -- and the old man -- than he ever thought possible. A Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards nominee for 2018 On CCBC's Best Books for Kids and Teens starred selection A VOYA Magazine Top Shelf Fiction Award Winner for 2017

The White Bicycle is the third title in the Wild Orchid trilogy following the adventures of Taylor Jane, a young woman with Asperger's Syndrome. In The White Bicycle, Taylor travels to the south of France with her mother and her friends. She is going to be working for the summer babysitting for the Phoenix family. While on this journey Taylor will embark on another quest for independence both personal and universal as she casts her mind back to her earliest memories. Governor General's Literary Award 2013 finalist Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) 2014 nominee Michael L. Printz Award, Honor Book 2013 2013 Saskatoon Book Awards: Young Adult Literature Award nominee

Got to Go has made his home at the Sylvia Hotel for seven years now. And it is the best home a cat could wish for! There was always a comfy lobby chair or a warm windowsill to sleep on and a nice bit of fish from the kitchen. Mister Fisher, the manager, still talks about how the hotel is no place for a cat but Got to Go doesn't worry. Then he sees a man carrying a tantalizing parcel that smells like a nice bit of fish and follows him along the streets for hours until the hotel is nowhere in sight. And nothing is going right at the hotel with Got to Go missing from his usual windowsill. The staff all come to realize, ""a hotel without Got to Go is not a proper hotel."" Will Got to Go be able to find his way back to his hotel home and family?

Will Reid is a gawky kid who wears fake turtlenecks, is obsessed by his ant farm project, and is lousy at gym. In other words, he's the perfect target for Shane, the Grade 9 bully. Katie has been Will's friend in elementary school, but defending him in the high school environment comes at an unforeseen cost - she dreads the rumours that link them in a boyfriend/girlfriend way she's never considered. Devan has been part of Shane's bullyboy team until now, when he comes to realize that it's not so smart to mindlessly back up each nasty attack of Shane's. Together the three young teens are struggling to find their way out of one of the classic dilemmas of life: how not to be a bystander to bullying, how to stand up for your friends, and how to deal with consuming rage.

The only book available that examines one of the great mysteries of evolution -- the origins of flight in the animal kingdom and the controversial link between dinosaurs and birds. Did the great reptiles die out 65 million years ago, or were they well on their way to evolving into the creatures we know as birds? World-renowned paleontologist Philip J. Currie examines the evidence and arrives at some startling conclusions. Features some of the most bizarre species of birds to have ever evolved, including giant flyers with 24-foot wingspans and ground-dwellers weighing over 400 pounds. The author, recognized as the world's leading expert on predatory dinosaurs, has been featured numerous times in television series such as PBS's Nova and in Walter Cronkite's Dinosaurs.

Taylor Jane Simon is an eighteen-year-old girl with Asperger's Syndrome who has a refreshingly different view of the people she encounters and the life she wants to have. Young adult readers will identify with Taylor's struggle for independence and self-control, and empathize as she outlines the ways -- both positive and negative -- that her Asperger's Syndrome affects her daily life. Connecting with a play by Samuel Beckett, Taylor explores a fear of solitary existence while reaching out to a world at times perplexing. Most important, Taylor wants to be seen as an individual, not as a stereotypical "person with special needs, " or a rare wild flower -- images that haunt her from the past. A cameo performance by Taylor's new gerbil -- Harold Pinter-- adds further emphasis to themes of existentialism and humour. The International Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award Winner Saskatoon Book Award Nominee CLA Young Adult Book Award Nominee CYBILS Award Nominee Woozles' Battle of the Books Teen List Title, 2012 Waiting for No One is the stand-alone sequel to Wild Orchid, which was shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association's prestigious Young Adult Book Award, a number of provincial readers' choice awards, and is a starred selection from the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Wild Orchid also appears on the New York Public Library's list of Recommended Books for the teens.

Compton Crook Award winner When hikers Dayna and Eric find a young woman naked, terrified, and speechless, they're sure she's the victim of foul play. But the truth is much more shocking: she isn't human at all. She's Dun Lady's Jess, a horse transformed into this new shape by the spell that brought her and her rider, to whom she is utterly devoted, into this world. Posessed now of human intelligence but still a horse deep inside, Jess desperately searches this world for her master and rider, using her fiery equine spirit to take on human idiosyncracies - and human threats. Dun Lady's Jess is a blend of adventure, magic, and romance that spans our world and its richly imagined fantasy counterpart. Horse become human, Jess is spirited and intelligent, seeing our world through a unique perspective. Pursued by evil, she must find a way not only to save her rider and both worlds, but also to keep who she has become.

It is 1946 in a poor Jewish neighborhood in Montreal where a few dollars equals a fortune, and no matter where you go you will find the best home cooking anywhere on Earth. It is also a million miles away from the posh mansions on the other side of town. But a 12-year-old boy can still hope. On the other side of town something incredible is happening. Jackie Robinson is playing for the Montreal Royals. And he's going to change the world. If Jackie can do that, then there is hope that a poor Jewish kid from The Plateau can succeed as well.

Red Maple Book Award - Fiction Honour Book 2009 Snow Willow Award Nominee 2009 CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award shortlist, 2009 Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009 Will Reid is a gawky kid who wears fake turtlenecks, is obsessed by his ant farm project, and is lousy at gym. In other words, he's the perfect target for Shane, the Grade 9 bully. Katie has been Will's friend in elementary school, but defending him in the high school environment comes at an unforeseen cost - she dreads the rumours that link them in a boyfriend/girlfriend way she's never considered. Devan has been part of Shane's bullyboy team until now, when he comes to realize that it's not so smart to mindlessly back up each nasty attack of Shane's. Together the three young teens are struggling to find their way out of one of the classic dilemmas of life: how not to be a bystander to bullying, how to stand up for your friends, and how to deal with consuming rage. Young readers will find lots to think about as they turn the pages of this crisp and compelling story by newcomer Caroline Pignat. Each character takes a turn at telling the story - through the spare blank verse of Will, wrapped up in the world of his single-parent father and his own eccentric preoccupations; through the clear-eyed accounts of Katie, wrestling with her own private demons; and in the sensitive narrative of the slowly awakening Devan, who comes to notice Katie as a spunky, attractive individual whom he'd like to know better but fears thinks he's a goof. Note that Kids Help Phone's has included Egghead on their site as a book to help kids in their Get Information section under Bullying for Ages 13 and Up.