Books published by publisher James Lorimer

When a black teen was murdered in a park late one night, his young companion, Donald Marshall Jr., became a prime suspect. Police coached two teens to testify against Donald, which helped convict him of a murder he did not commit. He spent eleven years in prison before he finally got a lucky break. Not only was he eventually acquitted of the crime, but an inquiry into his wrongful conviction found that a non-Aboriginal youth would never have been convicted in the first place. Donald became a First Nations activist and later won a landmark court case in favor of Native fishing rights. He was often referred to as the "reluctant hero" of the Mi'kmaq community.

When it's announced that Cody's kayaking club will host a national competition, no one doubts that Cody will represent them. He is the team's best paddler, after all. But Cody and the others aren't counting on a new guy arriving who can out-paddle them all. Cody's desire to be the best is put to the test one stormy day when he notices his rival's kayak missing from the clubhouse. Cody has a choice to make: attempt a solo rescue, or eliminate the competition… This story about overcoming rivalry and learning to put others first is sure to make a splash with reluctant readers.

Katie plans to win the junior girls' barrel race at her Alberta town's Heritage Days Rodeo. She has a good chance on her fast, sure-footed trail horse Fudge. As the day approaches, however, her older brother John claims he needs to ride Fudge, and their parents back him up. Katie scrambles to locate another mount. When she finally finds an all-black horse named Midnight, some are convinced he's bad luck. Katie aims to prove them wrong. Katie's Midnight Ride captures all the excitement of rodeo riding in an appealing story about a girl who learns to stand up for herself.

This book recounts the trials and triumphs of the Canadian men's alpine ski team of the 1970s and early 1980s. Eric Zweig offers a behind-the-scenes look at this innovative team that dared to take risks other skiers were too afraid of. The team rose from obscurity to prominence on the European and North American ski circuits with Olympic medal and World Cup wins. Eric Zweig has written several popular books about hockey, including the Recordbooks volumes Star Power and Long Shot. He lives in Owen Sound, Ontario, with his family.

When John and Meg Bains heard the news of their lumberman father's death, the cold wind shaking their tiny Ottawa cabin grew even colder. If someone didn't soon start bringing in money, they would lose their modest home and find themselves on the town's raw, muddy streets.They realize that only they can support their family, and head off to a lumber camp in the Ottawa Valley for the winter season. There they learn the difficult and dangerous work of felling big trees, squaring timber, and readying logs for the drive downriver. They also learn of the tensions that simmer between the owners of the camp and the working shantymen, tensions that threaten to explode. Spring approaches, the river swells with runoff, and the logs start their violent trip along the current. At the same time, the bosses' demands and those of the men seem bound for a collision.Set against the rough and exciting background of a 19th century lumber camp, Shantymen of Cache Lake is a classic account of two indomitable young people and their gutsy adaptation to hard times. The book is illustrated with photos chronicling Canada''s huge and exciting timber trade.This is the first book in the Bains series of historical novels, well-researched, action-filled narratives following the travels of one family across Canada-from Newfoundland to Alberta-in search of a better life during the hard times of the 1870s.

Jayleen lives for the rodeo. She's sure she can be the fastest amateur barrel racer in all of British Columbia, in all of Canada. Her coach, however, doesn't share this faith. Jayleen finds her heavy-handed coaching style completely unhelpful. In order to excel, Jayleen knows she'll have to find someone to believe in her—so she sets out to do just that. Cutting It Close is the story of a spirited young woman who decides to take charge of her own destiny.

It should be the best week of Jay's life: he's attending a Basketball Nova Scotia Summer Camp and rooming in a real university dorm with his best friend, Mike. But then Mike's older brother, Chad, turns out to be less than the coach Jay expected and the brother Mike had always known. Luckily for Jay, a new teammate and friend has figured out how to do what Chad can't: bring out the best in people. Personal Best is the exciting and moving sequel to Sylvia Gunnery's Out of Bounds.

Academics have never been Sofie's strong point; she’s too busy spending all of her free time with her boyfriend, Paul, the captain of her Surrey high school's soccer team. When her English teacher implements a new program that pairs her with straight-A student Clea, Sofie worries about how Paul will react to her hanging out with the only out lesbian at school. Sofie is as surprised as Paul at how close she and Clea quickly become.When Sofie discovers that Clea is planning a road trip to check out some American colleges over the winter break, she invites herself along, causing more issues with Paul. But it's only after a college student asks if Sofie identifies as a "femme" lesbian that she starts to question her own sexuality and her relationship with both Clea and Paul.[Fry reading level - 3.0

Normie Kwong's parents immigrated to Canada from China in the early 1900s. For them, and many other Asian immigrants, moving meant having to face both the government's anti-Asian policies and society's attitude of Chinese exclusion. But Normie overcame it all, and, despite his small stature, in 1948 he became the youngest footballer ever to play in a Grey Cup game. Nicknamed the "China Clipper" as a nod to both his Chinese heritage and his record-setting speed on the football field, Kwong went on to become a hero and popular sports role model for generations of football fans in the West. After retiring from football, Kwong entered politics and was later appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

Victoria Miller is a hard-working member of a Montreal swim team, who has been training six days a week for four years. That's what it takes to keep up with her teammate and rival, Svetlana. Most of the other swimmers are spurred on by their parents-but not Victoria. In fact, her mother doesn't seem to be interested in much of anything these days, and her father has buried himself in work. When the family situation takes a grim turn, Victoria finds help-in and out of the pool-from the person she least expects. Previous title: Different Strokes

At the first-ever women's hockey world championships in 1990, Canada dressed its National Women's Team in pink. Offending many, the controversial decision nevertheless drew media and public attention to the series and subsequently registration in girls' hockey went up 40%. Lorna Schultz Nicholson offers an insider's look at the power behind the pink jerseys. [Fry Reading Level - 3.2

At twenty-five, Rob Baltovich lost the love of his life, Elizabeth Bain. That was bad enough. Then he was arrested, jailed, sent to trial for murder, convicted and sent to prison—for life. Throughout his years in prison, Rob maintained that he was innocent, refusing to admit to a crime he didn't commit. The result was he was never granted parole. Finally, his luck began to turn when he hired new lawyers who believed in him. Not only did they get Rob acquitted, they also made a strong case that the real murderer was the infamous serial killer Paul Bernardo. Author Jeff Mitchell tells much of the story in Baltovich's own words. In this book, young readers will discover how this tragic miscarriage of justice happened—and how the legal system can right its own wrongs when lawyers and judges are willing to re-examine a case with fresh eyes.