Most Popular Books by Dennis Lee

Dennis Lee is one of Canada’s most celebrated poets. This long-awaited Selected shows why. Here are definitive new versions of his classic longer works: Civil Elegies, The Death of Harold Ladoo, Riffs. Plus a gathering of notable shorter poems, such as “The Gods” and “Coming Becomes You.” The range is exhilarating, from austere meditation to pure yearning, rage, delight. There is also a gorgeous new sequence, “Nightwatch.” These midlife rants and psalms explore the deep deprivations of our era, in music that moves from the playful to the sublime.

A collection of humorous poems about all sorts of unusual people and situations.

From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, #2 in a new pulse-pounding saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. After turning back an invasion of super-science power Nazi war machines, the heroes go on the hunt for the Nazi masters and take the battle to the bad guys. Meta-Heroes Battle On! After an Earth-scarring apocalyptic battle, humanity’s meta-heroes must take the fight to the enemy. Their task: hunt down the secret puppetmasters behind the Nazi robot invasion, the Thule Society, and cut off the multi-universe plague the Thulians have unleashed. It’s go time once again for the meta-heroes including fire-bender John Murdock, hacker-witch Vikki Nagy, healer Belladona Blue, super-quick Mercurye–and most of all for their ghostly ally, Seraphym, the spirit of the world who uses her secret influence to direct the fight against a Thulian-based tyranny of evil that is fast descending upon the entire universe! From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey together with a team of topnotch collaborators, the second entry in the blockbuster saga of superpowers–and the very human men and women who must learn to wield them. About World Divided: "[C]omes together seamlessly. . .an awesome and lightning-paced story: read it on a day when you will not have to put it down."–San Francisco Book Review About Mercedes Lackey: "With [Mercedes Lackey], suspense never lags..." –Kliatt

Prologue: Our Story They say Murphy Quarters was born out of hard times and bad deals, but that ain''t the whole truth. This place-our Hill-was carved out of sweat, stubbornness, and a little bit of sin. Folks came here because they had nowhere else to go, and once they got here, they stayed because leaving meant starting over in a world that didn''t want us free, didn''t want us whole. I was just a boy when I learned the Hill never sleeps. Even in the dead of night, you could hear the hum of life-dice hitting the pavement, whispers of deals in the shadows, the low moan of a blues guitar drifting from somebody''s porch. It was a rhythm, steady and dangerous, like a heartbeat that refused to quit. Jim Crow was supposed to be dead by ''65, but don''t let nobody fool you. His ghost was alive and well in Jesup, Georgia. You could feel him in the way white folks looked at you when you walked downtown, in the way the law came down harder on us than anybody else. Murphy Quarters was our refuge, but it was also our cage. We built our own rules because theirs were never meant for us. My daddy, Buck Wilkerson, believed in two things: family and power. Trouble is, he never figured out how to keep one without losing the other. And my uncle MJ-well, MJ believed in freedom, even if it cost him everything. Between the two of them, they turned Murphy Quarters into a battleground. Blood was spilled, money was made, and the Hill kept on humming like nothing happened. I''m Dennis Wilkerson, youngest son of Buck, and this is the story of how the Hill shaped us-how it broke us, saved us, and damned us all at the same time. If you listen close, you''ll hear the truth in these streets. But don''t expect it to be pretty. The Hill never sleeps, and neither do its ghosts.

From two short stories and fragments of others comprising basically an outline by the author, grows a masterpiece--after 14-months, a most lucid novel, perhaps the best account of a cross-cultural form of intolerance, in historical-fiction in a long time. Based on actual events, "Stay Down, Old Abram, " the author paints two streets, one white, one black--in this tragic game where moods and friction bring out the roots of deeply idealistic rejection and suppressed tendencies, all embedded in the narrative. One might even conclude, this story is not all that much different than what took place in Iraq''s Abu Ghraib prison, outside of Baghdad recently, although in a thinner angle: yet in both cases we see undisciplined soldiers working in sensitive spots. The time and place is West Germany, mid-l970''s. By Rosa Pe aloza Translator, Writer "I had read some of Dennis Siluk''s books and I liked them very much, the stories and topics touched in each one. I could say that reading them they carry you inside the story and you begin to dream and dream as if you were part of the story." Nancy De Valencia English Teacher

A collection of rib-tickling, read-aloud rhymes, written by Dennis Lee, Canada''s best-loved children''s poet--a great way to introduce young children to poetry. Full color.

The Eyes of the Comet - An American Slave Odyssey is a "highly charged" historical novel whose time has finally arrived. The story captures the "vibrancy" of the South during the ante-bellum period. An exciting adventure, packed with all the intrigue and passion necessary to fill the reader''s imagination, the book represents a carefully researched compilation of material woven into various "themes and connections," which provide us with a fresh examination of the era. Scenes throughout the novel are based on careful research and simply not manufactured, which addresses the old adage that "the truth can be stranger than fiction." Uniqueness abounds since historical novels devoted to this epoch are in such short supply. Couple this with the significant theme, which resonates throughout the story that slavery was in fact an "all-American" institution and not simply confined to the South. In fact, in attempting to seek out the truth behind the institution of slavery, several chapters are exclusively centered in the North. This treatment provides us with a complete examination of the times, which has been largely absent in other writings. In addition, the implementation of a "writer''s tool"--the inclusion of a futuristic dream scene, which projects into the Civil War provides for a significant theme - the Civil War was preventable. Unfortunately, during the antebellum period, the elements of greed and power contained in the hands of a few, made it extremely difficult to see just how fractured the lines of communication between the North and the South had become. All of these elements eventually culminated into the Civil War. Understanding the unfettered truth of racism during the ante-bellum period requires what many African-Americans have long felt--the pernicious tentacles of racism run far and wide, which means our entire nation needs to "come full circle" in understanding the depth of this evil and how it can finally be ended.

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 tthis 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. Fry reading level - 5.0]

To celebrate the success of the first six Alligator Tales board books, Dennis Lee has created one new poem for the series, and completely revised an old classic to fit the new format. The books feature the rollicking, rhyming wordplay of Dennis Lee’s poetry, and the bright, playful artwork of Nora Hilb. Originally published inBubblegum Delicious in 2000, “The Rocking Chair†offered a wonderful glimpse into a child’s inner world. In this expanded version, Lee takes his readers on a fantastical journey out of the house, down the block, and beyond—to places both real and imagined. With their age-appropriate poems and beautiful art, each Alligator Tales edition appeals to the imagination of infants and toddlers. And with sturdy, board-book construction, complete with rounded edges, these classics are built to stand the test of time—and teething.

Contains the poems originally published in the 1977 book Garbage Delight, with additional poems and new illustrations.

A delightful dose of "Canada''s Father Goose" for pint-sized poetry fans! Based on the title poem of Dennis Lee''s classic collection, Garbage Delight is a feast for the senses, a stew of sly humour and memorable rhymes. This sturdy, standalone board book edition features winsome artwork by Sandy Nichols, who previously paired with Dennis Lee to create the bestseller Alligator Pie, and is a staple item for every toddler''s bookshelf. "You can almost hear the skipping ropes slapping on the sidewalk." --Margaret Laurence

An illustrated collection of twenty-four nonsense poems on a variety of topics.