Books in Award Young Readers series

Addison's mother wants to sell their comfortable old house and move into a townhouse in a new development across town#&8212;a shoe box near a shoe factory, Addison calls it. As usual, Addison's brain goes into overdrive as he tries to solve two problems: first he must get his mother to see their old house in a new light, and then he must figure out who is responsible for a rash of neighborhood break-ins that make his mother feel unsafe. With the help of his friend Sam, he puts his own unique spin on optical illusions (and home decor) and ends up surprising everyone, even himself.

Ellie, Max and their Papa came to Upper Canada from England in the spring of 1835. Now they are building a home in the wilderness on the edge of a lake. Ellie has learned many of the skills she needs to survive as a pioneer. Still, the dark forest that surrounds her home, is filled with dangers. Ellie is threatened by wild animals and storms. And she fears the people who live on the far side of the lake. After all, she has been told that ""Indians would skin you alive if they had the chance."" And now they are her family's nearest neighbors. The true test of Ellie's courage comes in the dead of winter when Papa fails to return from a hunting trip. She cares for her brother and the animals as best she can, but two nights pass and her fears mount. Ellie can only think of one place to turn. She must take Max and go, through deep snow and frigid conditions, to the native people around the lake. There she will find allies, not enemies.

Dickon wasn't happy in his old home or his old school. He hopes that in his new neighborhood he will meet children who never knew his old, hyper self, who will like him for who he is now. And he hopes for a dog of his own. Dickon's mother calls him Birdie. She feeds him milk from a teddy bear mug. She worries if he's out of her sight for a moment and she knows how filthy and vicious dogs can be. Dickon is delighted to discover that the Humane Society is right on the other side of the fence behind the new house, but only by disobeying his mother will he ever get close to a real dog.

With clarity and understanding, the author discusses the male and female anatomy, human reproduction, love and sex problems, and in a special section, he answers the ten most common questions young people ask about sex. The introduction notes that recent research indicates a rise in the occurrence of sexual activity before marriage. Although Dr. Gordon does not advocate teenage sex, he believes it is necessary to acknowledge the trend and to inform young people of the possible consequences.One of the more unusual features of the book is its definitions of sex slang, including "gutter language" terms. It is the author's premise that once teenagers know what the words mean, they will not remain anxious about them, nor will they use them as a means of getting parents angry.Facts About Sex will appeal to all young people who want straightforward information.

In the final months of World War II, ten-year-old Peggy shelters with her mother and baby brother in a London butcher's shop during an air raid. They survive, but their home and everything in it are lost, including Peggyís most treasured possession, a biscuit tin of letters from her father. Their lives change dramatically and Peggy makes friends with a boy named Spud who has a passion for scavenging bombsites, leading to more than one surprising discovery.

Els is a courier, a girl who takes Jewish children on the back of her bike to safety on farms in Friesland. When she leaves Isaak, disguised as Jan, at a farmhouse with kind people, he is miserable until he makes friends with a beautiful black horse, Hero, a Frisian wanted by the Germans. The first time the Germans come for the horse, Isaak comes up with a plan to save him, but the second time they come, Isaak can do nothing to protect the animal he loves.

TJ Barnes is back, playing with his crazy cats, T-Rex and Alaska, helping out in his parents' hardware store and goofing around with his best friend, Seymour. When Seymour announces that he has signed them both up for a football team, TJ fears the worst. Neither of them is huge or mean or able to tackle, catch, throw, run or kick a ball down a field, but Seymour is determined to be a star. With the help of a stack of library books, TJ starts to understand the game but it takes more than a few books to figure out what’s wrong with his best friend. TJ and the Sports Fanatic is the fourth of five books in a series. Book one is TJ and the Cats. Book two is TJ and the Haunted House. Book three is TJ and the Rockets. Book five is TJ and the Quiz Kids.

Belle, an 11-year-old Metis girl, and Sarah both want the coveted job of church bell ringer. An embroidery contest is held to award the position, and Sarah cheats. Before Belle can expose her, the two are caught up in the advancing forces of General Middleton and his troops as they surround Batoche in the 1885 Riel Rebellion. The church bell disappeared that day and remains missing to this day.