Books published by publisher Thistledown Press

This powerful autobiography will make you laugh and cry, but more importantly, it will inspire you to adventure with God in sharing your testimony with the world. If God can take a broken, lost, and timid teen like Nathan and transform him into a warrior for Jesus Christ who is willing to share his testimony anywhere, there’s no doubt he will do the same for you. In Adventures in Evangelism you will: •Read the gripping story of Nathan’s conversion from a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol.•Walk the corridors of Camelot Hall with Nathan as he discovers a source of unimaginable power to confront a minion of hell.•Laugh, as you learn how NOT to share the Gospel in Marine Corps Spam.•See how Nathan responds to God’s request for him to preach in the middle of a restaurant! (Hint: He responds as most of us would!). •Learn how to hear the voice of God better in the seven “God’s Voice” sections.•Find out why it is imperative that you push through feelings of awkwardness to share your faith in Time Sensitive Message.So join Nathan as he takes you on an epic journey into his real-life adventures of fighting the forces of darkness, both in high school and in the Marine Corps, and sharing his powerful testimony in Adventures in Evangelism. (For more A.I.E. content, please visit www.adventures-ie.com)

In this reworking of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, the magical worlds of Saami shamanism and the Kalevala coexist with the polite Victorian society of nineteenth-century Scandanavia. At a time when traditional faith is challenged by modern science, the old pagan gods still haunt the northern forests. One of the novel's two heroines, Ritva, lives in this forest with her Saami shaman mother and robber-baron father until a cultured Danish teenager named Gerda is captured and brought to their camp. Gerda has embarked on a dangerous quest to rescue her friend Kai from the Snow Queen, an evil enchantress whose wintry palace lies far to the north. Their quest leads each of the young women to a fuller understanding of their possible roles in the world, and the need for each to find their individual futures on their own terms. Kernaghan blends fantasy and historical realism to create an enchanting, provocative story that will inspire readers of all ages."Kernaghan takes the bones of original fantasy and adds real period detail and strong characterization to create a vividly textured story." — SF Site Reviews The Snow Queen was the winner of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award, the Aurora, for best long-form work in English, and was short listed by the Canadian Library Association for Best Children's Book of the Year

The Alchemist’s Daughter will pull you from whatever you are supposed to be doing into Sidonie’s fortunes, and hold you there cover to cover.Marked by high adventure, and delicious language, Kernaghan’s use of real historical figures like Dr. John Dee, Lady Mary Herbert, Sir Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare, blended with original fictional characters are a powerful mix, while her impeccable research allows you to learn something of an age that has long held a spell over contemporary readers.

Winner of the 2001 Aurora Award for Best Long Form Work in English!In this reworking of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, the magical worlds of Saami shamanism and the Kalevala coexist with the polite Victorian society of nineteenth-century Scandanavia. At a time when traditional faith is challenged by modern science, the old pagan gods still haunt the northern forests. Kernaghan blends fantasy and historical realism to create an enchanting, provocative story that will inspire readers of all ages.

This compelling coming of age story will leave older teenage boys alternatively snorting with laughter and silently shivering in recognition at the strength and power of bullies. Dak Sifter grows from a bright, 12-year-old beginning to notice how men treat their sons and wives, through the suicide of an abused friend, to buying his first car, writing poetry and helping a friend connect with a girl. And arching over all his teenage years is Dak's love for Zoe Perry, whom he adores and relentlessly pursues in spite of her view of him as a friend, her relationships with other boys and her left-leaning politics. Scarsbrook has nailed the Canadian teenage boy's insecurities, victories over bullies and persistent sexual longing to the wall. In a laugh-out-loud-funny style laced with witty, sardonic remarks by our hero, Dak, Scarsbrook brings alive the pain of rejection, the excitement of real friendship and the ache of a lost love. This novel is divided into twelve loosely connected stories tied to Dak's school years (for example, Cruisin' Machine - Grade 10") from grade 7 to first year university. Although there are some classroom scenes (notably a very funny send up of hippy teacher Quentin Alvinstock's approach to writing), most of these linked stories take place at home and work and at (a howlingly funny) MacDonald's where Dak is refused service because he isn't wearing a shirt. (Just another reminder to teachers that the most important, memorable time in teenagers' lives do not happen at school and are intimately connected to other teens.) Scarsbrook's first person style moves the action along quickly and effortlessly. Dak's self-deprecating remarks and the sharp, witty dialogue allow the reader in on both Dak's feelings and other characters' strengths and weaknesses. Other teenage boys and some of the adult male characters use profanity in surprise and in anger, as they do in real life. Dak's voice is that of the gifted teenage boy: articulate, insightful, lustful, and more thoughtful as he ages. Dak's life story plays out in Faireville, a mythical yet typical suburb of the southern Ontario strip between Toronto and Ottawa. From school bus horrors to the local pickle factory to the ubiquitous MacDonald's, this story could be taking place anywhere in southern Canada. The time is a little less clear. It could be present day (they drive on Hwy 401), but it could be almost any time in the 1990's. The hero finds out about sex from Winifred Bright, the older loose woman who will sleep with any young man around. It would be more likely today for Dak to find out about sex from one of his willing classmates. This is the only odd note in an otherwise sharp photo of how a teenage boy becomes a wonderful man. Dak is a very sympathetic character who tries to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, a boy who is honest and thoughtful, and is, above all, the observer, the person who watches and reports on the wacky situations and people around him. He survives Xmas with weird relatives, the brutality of the local bullies, the viciousness of the pickle factory boss, the dishonesty of an evangelist, and having to share an art gallery job with his sister. Along the way, he gathers wisdom and the determination to live well. Secondary characters, such as Zoe and Dak's parents and neighbours, reveal their ideals and personalities through their actions and dialogue." —CM Materials

In the 1870s, a teenage thief from New York, in search of his show business mother, gets collared by a keen-eyed cop from Canada’s newly created national police force — the North West Mounted Police. Following the encounter, he unwillingly finds himself hired on, with a cantankerous wagon master, to accompany the Mounties on their 1874 expedition into Canada’s untamed and lawless west. The March West, as it became known, was a horrendous trek involving 275 men, 340 horses, 142 oxen, and 75 wagons. The Mounties’ job was to travel the 800 miles west into the territory of the whiskey traders and outlaws to restore order in the northwest. It was a trip where they endured terrible hardships: lack of water and firewood, and insect plagues. Most of the horses died, and the equipment soon proved to be inadequate. Their fate changed, however, when they met up with Jerry Potts, an extraordinary guide, who lead them to the hub of the illegal whiskey trade at Fort Whoop-up. This rollicking and humorous historical adventure story sheds light on a colourful chapter of Canadian history. In McDivitt’s capable hands that history comes to life again. Redcoats and Renegades is Barry McDivitt’s second book of historical fiction for young adults.

Lydia Buckingham is fifteen years old when her parents uproot the family and drag Lydia and her younger sister Victoria across the country to live on the abandoned family homestead in rural Saskatchewan. At first the girls see this as an adventure, a chance to collect prairie relics, take care of animals, learn to drive in the fields, and find out more about the history of Batoche that has Lydia utterly fascinated. Soon the harsh reality of the situation sets in, as Lydia’s father Alex seems unable to secure steady employment at the University and her mother Mary Jane becomes depressed and suicidal. The land which once seemed to hold so much promise has become Godforsaken. Things become worse for Lydia when she begins attending school in the “hick town” nearby, and she is immediately singled out for her unique fashion sense and disinterest in becoming friends with any of the locals. A battle of wills also ensues between Lydia and her English teacher, and after she writes a scathing poem painting him as a pedophile, her reputation as an ice queen is sealed. The only people who see through Lydia’s hard exterior are a boy from a neighbouring farm, handsome hockey-crazed Brady, and two elderly Francophone neighbours, Grand’Mere and her son Napoleon. With her parents becoming increasingly neglectful, Lydia hatches a plan for her and Victoria’s escape. They start skipping school and gathering supplies for a trek into the Saskatchewan winter, and soon are preparing to face a blizzard that could prove too much for even an ice queen. Queen of the Godforsaken is a fresh coming-of-age story set in an environment that proves itself both beautiful and brutal. Lydia’s story of adolescent angst and surviving an abusive family is inspiring in its honest portrayal of growing up in rural Canada

In the land of Thistledown lives Percy the fox, a young cub who is afraid of adventures. While his brothers and sister catch fish, pick berries, and explore the forest, Percy stays behind, too scared to venture far from the den. He even keeps his daredevil brother Joey at home for company when the others scamper off to the Green Circle for a night of stories and games. But when a mysterious Intruder attacks the den, will Percy overcome his fear and brave the Dark to rescue his brother?

The Alchemist’s Daughter will pull you from whatever you are supposed to be doing into Sidonie’s fortunes, and hold you there cover to cover.Marked by high adventure, and delicious language, Kernaghan’s use of real historical figures like Dr. John Dee, Lady Mary Herbert, Sir Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare, blended with original fictional characters are a powerful mix, while her impeccable research allows you to learn something of an age that has long held a spell over contemporary readers.

It is the summer of 1933 and young Haven Cattrell, seeking work, finds himself abandoned in the small northern Ontario town of Davisville. At an exclusive summer camp for girls he befriends Wetherby Moss and his son Jude who introduce him to the joys and heartaches of jazz. Jazz had taken a hard blow, during the first-half of the 1930s. Although there was still work to be had for some in places like New York, musicians in other parts of the country were barely existing on what venues remained. Wetherby and Jude had come from that reality and, as Haven mastered the jazz trumpet, he learns the horrifying truth about why Wetherby, his mentor, had to flee his home in Detroit and find sanctuary with his son among the unique subculture of rural Northern Ontario. But Haven’s story is bigger than his love of jazz. It is the story of the racism that haunted black jazz musicians in the 30s, and how that racism found its way to Davisville. It is the story of how love can blind young men and save them from themselves, and it is the story of how important it is to dream when the chaos and hard times around you want to drag you down.

Living with the Hawk explores the traumatic events in the life of Blair Russell, a high school football player who struggles to do what’s right in tough circumstances. Key characters are his brother, Blake, the team’s quarterback; Jordan Phelps, the star receiver, a kid with a need to control others; Paul Russell, his father, an Anglican priest; and Barb Russell, his mother. Blair is the subject of taunting and hazing, including physical intimidation on the football field by Jordan. His brother Blake used to stick up for him, but seems ambivalent about helping him now, a concern that Blair both resents and yet understands. At a football party where beer flows freely, Blair spots Jordan and a group of his laughing, drunken buddies, including his brother; he is shocked when he sees that they are urinating on a girl who has passed out. From that moment conflict grows between the brothers. In the backdrop to the event Blair begins to suspect that his brother is not who he thought he was. Like the sparrow hawk that survives on the kills it makes at the birdfeeder outside their home, in Blair’s mind, Blake has become a wicked predator of the helpless. The next time Blair sees the abused girl from the party, Jordan Phelps is relentlessly harassing her in the school corridor. The trapped girl, Amber, is helpless and must suffer the humiliation of Jordon’s taunts. Suddenly a native girl intervenes, calls Jordan asshole, and knees him in the groin. Buoyed by her actions Blair can no longer stay neutral and confronts Jordon himself. For his efforts, Jordan slams him into a locker, but a teacher breaks up the fight before it can continue. At home Blair learns the native girl is Anna Big Sky, and she’s in his brother’s class; he begins to suspect that his brother Blake likes her and suddenly he feels jealous. Not long after his newly developed interest in Anna, Blair begins hearing racist slurs in the locker room they are directed at her and generated by Jordon Phelps and his buddies, Vaughn Foster, and Todd Branton. Frustrated by his inability to confront them, Blair’s anger causes him to argue with his brother about Anna. They both lose their tempers and then fight at football practice. Some days later Blair hears talk of a body found in a field north of town and when he learns it’s that of Anna Big Sky; he is devastated. Certain that his brother played a part in her violent death, Blair wonders what to do. He finally phones Crime Stoppers, naming those involved in Anna’s death, including that of his brother, an action that divides the Russell family and leads to a tragedy that changes their lives forever.

When we meet Sebastian (Seb) he is already taking risks and putting himself in harm’s way as he and a couple of his friends carry out a failed break and enter and are arrested. As we get to know Seb we discover his life has been a series of bad foster experiences that have left him numb to the memories of his dead parents, and poor in his judgement of how to fit in. Much of his foster care has been damaging to his self-esteem and moral codes. He is not strong and his fears begin to mount.Awaiting his court appearance, Seb is placed in his eighth foster home in seven years in the company of Mrs. Ford, a foster home caregiver, whom Seb finds familiar and comforting. Memories of his early home life flood him and he begins to find a sense of well-being and trust. However, Seb’s troubles soon reappear in the form of wealthy, manipulative drug dealer Donny Malner. Lured by Donny’s social power and blind to Danny’s ruthlessness, Seb seeks his approval. Soon he is entwined in Danny’s drug-dealing world where violence and lies direct most actions. Though Mrs. Ford continues to stand by him, he knows he is betraying her trust. Others who could help him like his school friends, the nerdy Nina or her friend Matt, cannot hold sway. Soon Seb is caught up in a wave of violent circumstance that neither Mrs. Ford nor his unusual mentor the school janitor, Mr Frogly, can help him out of. He is as lost and directionless as the feral dog he befriends and cannot escape the wicked path of lies he has created.In a final showdown with Donny and gangland members, he must decide what he will do. His dilemma is as great as the fear he faces: engage in the revenge he seeks and lose the closest thing he has had to a home, or stand up to his mistakes, reveal his lies and accept the consequences. Though he is not ready, Sebastian steps out in the traffic.