Best Selling Books by Carol Matas

After the shocking murder of her husband, 19-year-old Ros and her one-year-old son relocate to her childhood home to live with her parents. Palm Springs--full of sunlight, small and safe--should be the perfect place to bring up a child. But things aren''t always as they appear. When the father of one of Ros''s friends is shot in front of her house--an incident that also lands Ros in the hospital--it marks the beginning of a terrible string of events. Someone is out to get her, and they seem determined not to stop until her friends and family are also drawn in. As she struggles to uncover the identity of her mysterious enemy, Ros finds herself looking for answers in the most unusual places. Could the attacks have something to do with her increasingly disturbing dreams? And if so, how can she make them stop? In Past Crimes, bestselling author Carol Matas once again asks her readers to question their assumptions about the world around them. Are we capable of fully understanding the lives we lead, or do the things we fail to understand far outnumber those that we do? Growing out of her work in books like The Freak, Past Crimes offers an innovative twist on the mystery/thriller genre, and is a must-read for fans of Matas''s work. Veteran novelist Carol Matas knows that a fast-paced plot is mandatory for youth raised on television. In Ros [the protagonist], Matas has created a heroin who will appeal to teenage girls Canadian Review of Materials Ive read Past Crimes and its interesting that shes tackled something typically new. Shes gone from one genre to another and not many writers can. Shes willing to challenge different kinds of writing, and shes incredibly productive. Helen Norrie, Childrens reviewer from the Winnipeg Free Press as quoted in the Jewish Tribune

Featuring stories from nine outstanding Canadian authors, this anthology is the perfect Christmas gift for Dear Canada readers, both old and new! A Time for Giving includes ten tales of Christmas, following the most recent Dear Canada diarists "the Christmas after" their diary ends. Johanna Leary is reunited with her brother after they were separated at Grosse-Ile; Mary Kobayashi spends a second Christmas at a Japanese internment camp; Rose Rabinowitz finds some surprising challenges in her new country, and many more! A Special Gift is a story from Ojibwe writer Ruby Slipperjack to preview her upcoming Dear Canada (coming in Fall 2016!), set the winter before the diarist is sent to Residential School. Contributors include Jean Little (Exiles from the War and All Fall Down), Barbara Haworth- Attard (To Stand on My Own), Sarah Ellis (That Fatal Night), Susan Aihoshi (Torn Apart), Norah McClintock (A Sea of Sorrows), Karleen Bradford (A Country of Our Own), Janet McNaughton (Flame and Ashes), Carol Matas (Pieces of the Past), and Ruby Slipperjack.

A young WWII gunner from the Prairies sees the horrors of war firsthand when he is captured by the Gestapo.Eighteen-year-old Sam Frederiksen has come a long way from the Prairies. Trained to be a gunner in a Lancaster bomber during WWII, he is shot down over France. Battered and bruised, he does survive, and joins forces with the French Resistance... only to be betrayed by one of its members. He and other flyers from various Allied countries are rounded up by the Gestapo and held in Fresnes prison just outside of Paris.Treated as spies, rather than POWs, these men are beaten, some tortured — then sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp in eastern Germany. It is here, in these wretched conditions, that Sam witnesses the darkest side of humanity — gas chambers, torture and starvation. Yet it is also here that he comes to understand the true resilience and unfathomable courage of the victims.Author Carol Matas has won numerous awards for her previous novels about the Holocaust. Behind Enemy Lines is partially based on a true incident from WWII, in which 168 Allied airmen were captured and sent to Buchenwald. Twenty-six of these men were Canadian.

A wonderful seasonal anthology for Dear Canada readers, both old and new!A real treat for fans of this series, and all lovers of historical fiction! Eleven stories that each revisit a favourite character from books in the Dear Canada series are included in this special collection. These are completely original tales that stand alone as heartwarming Christmas stories, but also serve as a lovely "next chapter" to their original books.Each story is written by one of Canada''s top award-winning writers for children, including Jean Little, Sarah Ellis, Maxine Trottier, Carol Matas and more. This collection is a lovely companion to A Season of Miracles, and will be treasured year after year at holiday time!

Isobel thinks that she and her family will find their fortune in Canada. But Isobel''s mother dies before they even cross the ocean, and other misfortunes follow their every step. Isobel''s family and the other Selkirk Settlers, caught in the fur-trading rivalry between the Hudson''s Bay Company, cannot even start to build when they do reach their destination. The harsh climate, and escalating threats against the settlers, make it impossible to start a new life. Only through perserverance and help from the local Cree band are Isobel and her family finally able to put down roots in the Red River Valley.

Twelve original holiday stories from the top children''s writers in the country!What an incredible gift book for Dear Canada fans! The twelve stories in this treasury are set around Christmas time and feature the young girls from a dozen previous Dear Canada books. Readers will be thrilled to reconnect with their favourites and get a glimpse of each character''s life a year or so after the events in the actual diary are over. Anyone new to the Dear Canada series will be introduced to characters so compelling, they''ll want to read more.

Le jour de l''anniversaire de son arrière-grand-mère, Sarah Rose reçoit en héritage son médaillon. Elle promet à sa mère qu''elle ne le perdra pas si elle le porte pour aller à l''école. Mais l''impensable se produit. Quelqu''un vole son médaillon! Rose et ses amis pourront-ils le récupérer avant que sa mère ne le découvre?Le médaillon perdu explore les thèmes intemporels de la responsabilité et de l''intimidation.

Determined to make a difference in the war, Jesper refuses to stop fighting the Nazis in Carol Mata’s “stirring account” of a young boy facing the dangers of World War II (Publishers Weekly). In the sequel to Lisa’s War, Jesper continues his work for the Danish resistance and recounts the dangers that led to his confinement in a German prison. Determined to make a difference any way he can, Jesper begins to work for an underground press to help tell the truths about what is happening during the war. Simultaneously, frustrated with the state of their country, Stefan and Jesper join forces to fight the Nazis. “Mata’s extensive research, combined with powerful characterization and compelling narration, creates an intense, provocative novel.” – Publishers Weekly

Ariel, Miranda''s clone, is becoming a person in her own right. Ariel is living with Miranda and they arebecoming close, as sisters do. Everything seems perfect, until Miranda starts noticing things that don''t seem to fit with the Ariel she knows. She sees her sister in places she shouldn''t be, doing things Ariel would never be doing, and Miranda begins to wonder if she herself is going crazy. But then Ariel beginsacting stranger than ever and Miranda gets a horrible feeling... what if there''s more than one clone? And if so, can she find out what''s going on and give Ariel back the life she''s built before it''s too late?

See below for English description. Qu''auraient écrit de simples jeunes filles si elles avaient vécu l''un ou l''autre des événements qui ont marqué l''histoire canadienne? Rose a survécu à l''Holocauste en vivant dans la clandestinité après avoir échappé de justesse au ghetto de Varsovie.À la fin de la guerre, elle se retrouve dans un orphelinat, puis émigre au Canada, mais elle fait encore face à beaucoup de souvenirs angoissants. The Cher Journal series invites readers into the intimate worlds of girls throughout different times in Canadian history. The ongoing series showcases Canada''s most distinguished children authors who recreate some of the most dramatic events from our diverse history. Rose survives the Holocaust by going into hiding after a narrow escape from the Warsaw Ghetto, but when the war is over and she ends up in an orphanage and then emigrates to Canada, there is still much to be faced as disturbing memories surface. Original Title: Pieces of the Past: the Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1948

Suivez l''histoire de Déborah Bernstein, alors que, du Canada où elle vit, elle cherche à aider sa cousine Sarah à fuir Paris avant que les nazis regroupent les Juifs et les déportent vers les camps de concentration.

Les dix récits rassemblés dans ce roman relatent les événements qui sont survenus durant la période des fêtes, après que les héroïnes des romans de la collection Cher Journal eurent terminé d''écrire leur journal intime.

Les dix récits rassemblés dans ce roman relatent les événements qui sont survenus durant la période des fêtes, après que les héroïnes des romans de la collection Cher Journal eurent terminé d''écrire leur journal intime. Il n''est toutefois pas nécessaire d''avoir lu les autres livres de la collection ou de connaître les héroïnes pour comprendre et apprécier les récits du présent ouvrage.

Les dix récits rassemblés dans ce roman relatent les événements qui sont survenus durant la période des fêtes, après que les héroïnes des romans de la collection Cher Journal eurent terminé d''écrire leur journal intime. Il n''est toutefois pas nécessaire d''avoir lu les autres livres de la collection ou de connaître les héroïnes pour comprendre et apprécier les récits du présent ouvrage.

Rebecca learned at a young age how important it is to be liked, when her family left Russia to settle in Hirsch, Saskatchewan, a mostly Jewish community. But Rebecca''s close-knit extended family returns from her triumph on-stage at an amateur night to find their home in flames. With everything they own destroyed, the family is devastated and penniless. They move to Winnipeg, where Rebecca''s father struggles to find work, and where all the family members try to adjust to life in a big city. Rebecca is sent to live with a non-Jewish family until her parents get settled. There, she learns the true meaning of bravery, loyalty, and friendship. As she struggles to re-unite her family, Rebecca bridges the distance between the old world and the new, between her family''s traditional immigrant values and the opportunities of the modern world.

A gripping story of survival and hope from acclaimed author Carol Matas. Ruth survived the Holocaust and the long journey to Palestine. Now she finds herself once again in a war zone as Israel battles for its existence. Her brother is on the front lines. Ruth and her boyfriend are injured and cannot fight, so they care for children in a hospital. Ruth tells the children stories to distract them and help them make sense of their situation. As she recovers, she too must return to the fight. A trauma forces her back to another time when she told stories: to her fellow prisoners in Auschwitz. We discover what Ruth went through in the camps, the horrors she saw, the friends she made and lost. Through it all Ruth comes to understand that she must find a new way to live, a way that does not give up on hope.

This dramatic story tells of 11-year-old Devorah''s efforts to help her cousin and pen pal Sarah emigrate from Paris before the Nazis deport the Jews to internment camps. Devorah learns that 5,000 Jewish children in France have visas to leave the country, but the Canadian government will not let them in, leading Devorah to desperately lobby the government to change its policies. Turned Away illustrates the restrictions on the life of Jews in Paris via letters from Sarah who is living in German-occupied France. It also reveals Canada''s dismal record on Jewish immigration during World War II and depicts the impact of the war in Canada. In Winnipeg, one intriguing response to the war was "If Day," when local people posed as Nazis and staged a mock invasion to illustrate what it would be like if the city was occupied. Also included are fascinating period documents and photographs, many from the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The historical consultants for Turned Away were Dr. Irving Abella, co-author of the ground-breaking book None is Too Many, and Terry Copp, author of the remarkable book No Price Too High.

"First published as It''s up to us (originally titled The fusion factor), Zanu, and Me, myself and I by Fifth House"--P. facing t.p.

Death and dying are difficult subjects to discuss with children. If you are looking for a way to talk about death to your child or grandchild, "When I Die," a short but powerful meditation on death, can give you a safe place to start. How did Carol Matas come to write When I Die? ""The entire manuscript came to me all at once while I was meditating. I have changed it a little but it is almost exactly as I ''heard'' it originally. I wasn''t thinking about anything in particular, my mind was rather blank, so I can''t explain why I thought of it or how it came to be. But I feel comforted by it in some strange way. "The circle of life will go on with or without me. Some people tend to think they are the centre of the universe and all important. Others think they don''t matter at all and no one would care if they lived or if they died. I tend to think that there is a balance in almost everything. We are all the most important things in the universe- after all, Jewish thought says that if you save one life you have saved the entire world. And it is also true that the world will go on without us and that is a good thing. Everything is important or nothing is important. I believe everything is.""

After being released from Buchenwald at the end of World War II, fifteen-year-old Ruth risks her life to lead a group of children across Europe to Palestine.

Molly and Adam Barnett have had more than enough trouble lately. First, they discovered that their dearly departed grandfather wasn''t quite as “departed†as a dead guy should be. Then, they had to save their dad from a dreaded family curse. And now, just when they''ve gotten used to friendly ghosts and not-so-friendly ghosts and curses that just won''t die, things have taken a definite turn for the worse. As The Curse of the Evening Eye (Book II) ended, Molly and Adam made a frightening discovery: The emerald in Reggie''s ring isn''t just a valuable jewel. It was once an eye on an ancient, Indian elephant carving. The other eye—a sapphire—is nowhere to be found, which is really too bad, since the separation of the two jewels is what led to the family curse in the first place. Even worse? If the eyes aren''t soon returned to the elephant, ghosts everywhere will repossess their former bodies, and the world will be doomed. The Barnett family takes matters into its own hands, heading off to the old family home outside of Oxford, England, in search of the elephant. Will Molly and Adam—and some new ghostly friends—be able to find the elephant, and the missing eye, in time? In The Hunt for the Haunted Elephant, Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman offer a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy filled with thrills, chills, and more than a few laughs.

Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation.

In 1862, after Union forces expel Hannah''s family from Holly Springs, Mississippi, because they are Jews, Hannah reexamines her views regarding slavery and the war.

It''s Up To Us is published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

After the Nazi occupation of Denmark forces his Jewish friends to flee the country, seventeen-year-old Jesper continues his work in the underground resistance movement.

Watch out, Hollywood-here comes Rosie! The year is 1912 and with the success of Papa''s latest baseball film, 13-year-old Rosie and her family move to beautiful Los Angeles to shoot more films starring Rosie. And there''s no wasting time; within days of unpacking, Papa brings home an entire Wild West show so he can make authentic Westerns. Rosie''s so excited about riding a horse for the first time that she forgets to watch her step-and before she knows it, she''s caused a terrible accident for the show''s best trick rider. Where will Papa''s Western movies be without a real trick rider....and with a star who doesn''t even know how to get on a horse? Enter Zach, the son of the injured rider. Rosie finds him simply irritating! And just when it seems that things can''t get worse, she and Zach get hopelessly lost in the hills. All they have to get past the mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and other enemies in the wild are their wits, their skills, and each other. Can Rosie and Zach set aside their differences and brave the challenges ahead?

Me Myself & I Mm is published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

In the sequel to Adventure in Legoland, the Lego+ao toy characters join together to go on an exciting safari journey. Original.

Zanu Mm is published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside.