Best Selling Books by Eric Walters

Key Selling Points In The King of Jam Sandwiches , ayoung teen is afraid to let anyone know what is going on at home. This book examines the effects of mental illness, poverty and parental neglect. This is a very personal story for Eric Walters, informed by his own experience. Eric Walters has written over 100 books and is an avid presenter visiting thousands of students each year.

After running away from home, fifteen-year-old Dana finds friends on the Toronto streets, and, eventually, a way to come to terms with what has happened to her.

It''s a new season for Nick and Kia and once again they have to prove they''ve got what it takes to make the Mississauga Magic rep team. There is no free ride on Coach Barkley''s team. The tryouts are tough but fair and it looks like the nucleus of last yearís team will be together once again. But there is one new player who seems to have the skills to impress the coach. Though Ashton has great skills, he''s not much of a team player. On top of that he''s not even sure he wants to make the team. Unable to imagine that anyone wouldn''t want to play for the Magic, Nick and Kia set out to solve this dilemma and learn some tough lessons along the way.

Is an event involving a mob ever a good thing?

Nine-year-old Skye has always had a fascination with flying. She’d love to be a pilot someday, like both of her parents, but deep down she really wishes she could be a bird. When Skye’s parents take her to Costa Rica, she is thrilled about all of the beautiful exotic birds she’ll get to see. What she doesn’t realize is that her parents have three big surprises planned, and each will offer her a different opportunity to feel what it’s like to fly. From snorkeling with baby sea turtles to parasailing out on the open ocean to zip-lining through the Costa Rican rainforest, Skye will have more than one chance to fly like a bird before this trip of a lifetime is through. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

It is 1915, and Canada is embroiled in the First World War. The East Coast is under threat from German U-boats that are sinking ships and endangering coastal towns. It all seems very far away from the life of fifteen-year-old William McCracken -- a Halifax lad who has developed a taste for gambling and tough ways. William thinks he has a summer of mischief ahead of him until he discovers that his mother has arranged for him to spend the season working with an inventor by the name of Alexander Graham Bell. In a Nova Scotia outport, Bell and his crew are at work on his latest invention -- a hydrofoil boat that will help the Allies defend the coast from the German danger. But there''s a deadly menace hovering over the project and, suddenly, William finds his "boring"summer job transformed into an action-packed race to solve a terrifying mystery.

Key Selling Points In this book, a young boy works with his grandfather to save an orca calf stuck in the shallows of an island. This book explores a child’s loneliness living on a remote island and the bond between him and his grandfather, with themes of multigenerational friendship, wildlife rescue, building self-esteem and perseverance. Author Eric Walters has published over 100 books, including several in the Orca Echoes series. This book features several black-and-white illustrations, which add to this engaging chapter book.

What makes bath time fun for baby? Bath toys! From parading penguins and splashing seals to frolicking frogs and bathing beavers, these joyful animal toys are ready to play. Join the splashy party in the tub...you may even get wet too! Bright, vibrant illustrations from Christine Battuz match the energy of a baby in the bath as you’re introduced to Eric Walters’s animal alliterations across each page. It’s just good clean fun!

This call-and-response board book with animals is perfect for your bedtime routine. A young child imagines all of his animal friends have come to life as he says good night to each of them before tucking in to sleep. “Moo,” says the cow. “Good night, cow,” says Noah. With hints on each page of the animal featured on the following page, the simple, repetitive text will encourage your little reader to wish their own stuffed animals sweet dreams as they snuggle down for the evening.

Eric Walters'' timeless series about the zoo next door is now available from Scholastic Canada! In this sequel to Tiger by the Tail, Sarah and Nicholas Fraser are off to zoo camp for the week. Once they arrive, however, they quickly learn that the camp is not what it seemed. The siblings sleep in a rundown cabin with no running water; Vladimir, the gruff zookeeper, is more at home with his animals than with other people; and the owners are more interested in making a profit than in the well-being of the animals. When Sarah overhears a conversation late one night and learns about the sinister plans for Kushna the tiger, she and Nicholas once again must spring into action to save an endangered animal.

In a world with no power, chaos soon descends. A powerful look at the disintegration of society in the wake of a massive and mysterious outage that has knocked out all modern amenities. Fifteen-year-old Emma has moved house with her ex-Marine mother and younger brother. It''s a brand-new condo building, which explains the semi-regular power outages, as workers complete the units around them. So Emma isn''t particularly concerned when the latest blackout hits just as they are preparing to leave town on a long weekend camping trip. But then the car won''t start, and their cellphones appear dead -- and all the cars outside their building seem to be stalled in a long traffic jam ... In the midst of what appears to be a massive power outage, with their camping gear packed and ready, Emma and her family canoe over to the islands, just offshore, to wait it out. But while they land on an isolated island, with a relatively hidden site, they are far from safe, as people become increasingly desperate to find food and shelter. And as the days pass, and the power remains out, the threat of violence becomes all too real.

Keegan and Alex decide to add some excitement to the town''s tomato festival.

One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley''s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam''s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival, in The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.

From the bestselling coauthor of Broken Strings, “a sensitive and supportive approach to . . . the universal, ageless experiences of love and loss” (Quill & Quire). A heartfelt new picture book from bestselling children’s author Eric Walters (From the Heart of Africa) and Halifax-based artist Carloe Liu. In this poignant story, we follow young Emily who has recently lost her grandfather. As she grows, she discovers a series of letters he left behind for her, offering grandfatherly advice at life’s most pivotal moments: first day of high school, graduation day, wedding, and ending with the birth of her own child. With gentle watercolors and letters for sharing with loved ones, Always With You is a timeless story about grief, growing up, and finding that those we love never truly leave us. Praise for Broken Strings One of Kirkus Reviews’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2019 One of the Globe and Mail’s 100 Books That Shaped 2019 One of Quill & Quire’s Honorable Mentions for 2019 Books of the Year for Young People One of CBC Books Best Canadian YA and Middle Grade Books of 2019 “A beautiful, painful, heartfelt reminder that the past is with us still.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Walters and Kacer pull off this impressive feat of complex storytelling and make it look easy . . . [an] honest, open and unflinching [story] about some of the more dark and traumatic aspects of history.” —Quill & Quire (starred review) “A book with heart, and one that will definitely be added to my school library collection.” —CM Magazine

Another riveting page-turner from Canada''s favourite teen author--and this time, the adventure takes place in outer space. It''s 2012 and the world''s most renowned astrophysicists, astronomers, and theoretical mathematicians have all died within the same 12-month period. But as these scientists discover, none of them are really dead after all. They have been taken hostage by alien forces. And while their family and friends are mourning their passing, and with the help of a 16-year-old with rare gifts, they face the ultimate struggle of prevailing over evil and returning themselves--and the earth--to safety.

For Alexandria Hyatt having a fabulous life is easy: she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Being glamorous and rich is simply what she was born to be. When Alexandria is arrested for shoplifting, having to drag herself into court to face a judge just seems like a major inconvenience. But Alexandria has been in trouble before–and this time she can’t find a way to scheme out of the consequences. Before she knows it, she’s on a plane headed to Kenya where she has been ordered to work for an international charity. Over 7,000 miles away from home with no hot water, no cell phone reception, no friends or family, Alexandria is confronted with a land as unfamiliar as it is unsettling. Over the course of her month in Africa, Alexandria will face a reality she could never have imagined, and will have to look inside herself to see if she has what it takes to confront it.

In his sequel to Alexandria of Africa, Eric Walters brings exciting new characters to life, with the urban jungle of Los Angeles as their backdrop. It''s the ultimate clash of cultures when Nebala, a Maasai warrior, leaves behind Kenya and, with two fellow Maasai, and crosses the world to compete in a marathon in the most famous zip code in the world: Beverly Hills, California. Reunited with their friend Alexandria, now their guide to strange, new surroundings, the trio are confronted with life in fast-paced, extravagant Beverly Hills, and customs and attitudes the Maasai find by turns baffling and amusing. Beverly Hill Maasai is another heartwarming, fast-paced, and thought-provoking novel from one of Canada''s most popular young adult writers.

A brother and sister find a man entombed in ice in a Rocky Mountain glacier. Apparently he’s been there for at least 50 years. Who is he? How did he get there? Where was he from? In this clever little whodunit, bestselling children’s author Eric Walters joins forces with expert photographer Kevin Spreekmeester to present an unusual combination of intrigue and interaction.

What happens as soon as Sam sets foot on Oak Island to visit his grandfather is more exciting than he could have hoped for. As if the discovery of a human skull and a dangerous run-in with a monstrous digging machine weren''t enough, Sam also discovers that even though his grandfather is losing his memory, he hasn''t forgotten about what''s important--like taking risks and refusing to let mysteries go unsolved.

Inspired by a story told to the author while on safari in 2015, The Wild Beast describes the creation of one of Africa''s most unusual animals, the wildebeest. According to oral tradition, the Creator built this unique beast out of leftover parts from other magnificent animals found on the continent. Horns from buffalos and stripes meant for zebras. Tails from giraffes and bumps meant for camels. This creative retelling will introduce little ones to a story rich in both imagery and in lesson: Take what you need to live. Take no more. Waste nothing.

An asteroid has hit the Earth: the end of the world is just beginning. Billy and his companions have been taking refuge in outer space to avert this catastrophe. But what will it take to survive? This dramatic second book in an electrifying duology will have readers at the edges of their seats as they discover that survival above is as difficult as survival below.

Nathan has always loved animals and longs for a pet. When a baby squirrel shows up at Nathan''s door, he wonders what could have happened to its mother. It isn''t long before his family discovers six more orphaned baby squirrels in need of food and shelter. With help from Batcat, a neighborhood cat who is fed by many but owned by no one, Nathan learns to care for the squirrels. But all babies must leave the nest eventually. Will Nathan finally find a pet to call his own? The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

It''s summertime and hoops season is over, but that doesn''t keep Nick and Kia off the court. One very hot day they head to the rec center for a swim but end up on the outdoor courts that are usually dominated by older players. Their enjoyment of the court is short-lived, however, when three teens show up and kick the kids and their ball off the court. Nick and Kia don''t take well to being bullied, but there''s nothing they can do about it. At least not until they run into Jerome "Junk Yard Dog" Williams at a mall promotional event, and Kia enlists the NBA star''s help in proving that she and Nick do indeed belong on the same court as the older players.

Adam has killed again. It had to be done, part of him knows that, but it changes a person. It can certainly change a teenager who''s already grown up too quickly, too harshly, in the wake of the catastrophic global blackout five months ago. In the name of safety and survival, Adam and his neighbors have turned their middle American suburban neighborhood into a fortress, defending against countless enemies. Adam wants to hope, wants to be what his girlfriend Lori wants him to be—but there''s always a threat tugging at the edges of his consciousness.What''s lurking in the dark is a greater danger than ever before: somebody who wants to destroy the Neighborhood and stop their strategic alignments with other powerful enclaves. More than that, though, it''s personal: this somebody wants to destroy Adam. And he knows his prey is already wounded. Soon, the hunted becomes the hunter . . . and Adam hates himself for what he will have to do. Because sometimes even the dark is not cover enough for things that would never happen in the light.

"Dear Ethan: I know you must be terribly confused, a little bit scared and thinking, hoping, praying, that the plane will return. It will not." Ethan can barely believe it. Until now, his biggest problems have been trying to stay in one school without getting expelled and finding his next drink. But after Ethan''s drunken imitation of the current headmaster goes up on YouTube, his father steps in with a shockingly drastic measure. Now Ethan is sprawled in the sand. In the Sahara desert. Alone. According to his father''s letter, Ethan is to trek 200 km across the desert to the city of Tunis, with the help of a guide and three other young people. Confused, hungover, and-if he is truthful-more than a little scared, Ethan has no choice. He will face sandstorms, vipers, and agonizingly painful blisters ... but, most painful of all, he will face his inner demons and come to a true realization of who he really is.

“You’re going to spend some time on the power play, on penalty kill, and start right off as the second line centre,” he told me. I didn’t question why he was putting me on the second line. I’d show him the first line was the place I belonged. “The important thing is that you’ve been drafted,” he said. “You’ve going to play Junior A, and you’re going to be on my team. You’re my player.” This gripping new novel by bestselling children’s/YA author Eric Walters explores the complex and disturbing relationship between a talented young hockey star and his predatory coach as it descends into sexual abuse. In one of his most moving and provocative stories to date, Walters combines a vivid portrayal of rink culture with a powerful and unflinching cautionary tale.

"Nothing to Fear" is an episode inspired by The Rule of Three, the opening novel in Eric Walter''s trilogy of the same name about the terrifying challenges faced by an ordinary suburban kid, his family, and his neighbors, in the first days and weeks and months after a viral catastrophe causes the world to go dark. Sixteen-year-old Adam Daley is taking his girlfriend, Lori, on a picnic in his homemade ultralight aircraft—one of the few computer-free machines that still works. He wants to celebrate a surprise anniversary only he knows about (the first time he saw her at a junior high basketball game). But soon, this attempt at a normal date away from the fortified safety of their neighborhood feels increasingly risky. As their gripping misadventure unfolds, it is a reminder for Adam and Lori that there is nothing in particular for them to be afraid of, because in their world there is everything to fear. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ian decides to take a stand against a fast-food multinational.

The latest page-turner from Canada''s bestselling children''s author. Twelve-year-old Ruth must spend her summer at the University of Toronto, where her mother is hired to clean the Institute of Biological Research. There, the lonely girl is befriended by Dr. Banting and his assistant Mr. Best, who are in search of a cure for diabetes. But much to Ruth''s dismay, the research they are doing involves testing on animals. She''s not the only one concerned about the dogs: a group of animal rights protestors become a regular fixture outside the institute. When the group leader tries to enlist Ruth''s support, she is torn between her sympathy for animals and her loyalty to Dr. Banting and Mr. Best.

Key Selling Points In On the Line, a basketball star struggles to make sense of things when he learns his father is gay. Veteran children’s author Eric Walters has teamed up with rising star Paul Coccia to bring their expertise together into a single POV. This book explores the themes of family dynamics and divorce. Paul Coccia''s book Cub was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and was commended as a CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens. Eric Walters has written more than 10 books featuring basketball, including Triple Threat, co-written with NBA fan-favorite Jerome Williams. Eric Walters founded the I Read Canadian Day movement and the day is now celebrated annually on February 17th.

The wild cat colony Taylor has been caring for is at risk of being destroyed, and in order to save it, Taylor will need the help of all his friends.

The principal announces that the school is implementing uniforms, and Ian finds himself caught in a conflict. Julia, the student body president and Ian''s friend, wants Ian to devise a plan to fight the decision, but the principal is determined to convince Ian the uniforms are a good idea. Ian doesn''t see the problem with uniforms and wants nothing to do with the issue, but while doing research for a social-justice class, Ian learns that the manufacturer of the uniforms is on the top-ten list in the industry for human-rights violations. When he tells the principal their clothing is being made in sweatshops using child labor, all he gets is a reminder that the penalty for refusing to wear the uniforms is expulsion. Ian finds himself caught in a whole new conflict—one with himself.

Key Selling Points A young teen earns a scholarship to go to space camp. The first in the Teen Astronauts series featuring Houston at space camp. Examines themes of perseverance, leadership and growth mindset. This is an adventure story with an exciting setting: astronaut training camp. Eric Walters is very well known to librarians and booksellers.

In this middle-grade novel, DJ travels with his grandfather to Central America and ends up hunted by armed gunmen.

Casey wanted a party, not a riot.

What makes bath time fun for baby? Bath toys! From parading penguins and splashing seals to frolicking frogs and bathing beavers, these joyful animal toys are ready to play. Join the splashy party in the tub...you may even get wet too! Bright, vibrant illustrations from Christine Battuz match the energy of a baby in the bath as you’re introduced to Eric Walters’s animal alliterations across each page. It’s just good clean fun!

★ “This simple story of discovery, sport, and friendship is filled with likable characters and innocently joyful moments...Delightful.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review Kenyan orphans, Kitoo and Nigosi, spend their days studying, playing soccer, helping their elders with chores around the orphanage and reading from the limited selection of books in their library. When the librarian gives Kitoo a copy of Sports Around the World he becomes fascinated by an image of the Canadian national men''s ice hockey team. Then one day the fates align and Kitoo finds a pair of beat up old roller blades, he teaches himself to skate and dreams of one day playing hockey like the men in his book. But you can’t play ice hockey in Kenya, can you?

Robbie''s father is a spitfire pilot who was shot down during World War II and is now a POW. At only seventeen, Robbie lies about his identity to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force under the guise of going to a boarding school so that his mother doesn''t find out. He starts training in Brandon, Manitoba, but after acing all his classes, he''s dealt a disappointing blow when he''s assigned to be a navigator on a Lancaster. He wanted to be a pilot, just like his father, but the commanders of the air force have other ideas. Robbie is soon on his way to England, where he completes his training on missions bombing German targets in enemy territory. It is during one of these missions that his Lancaster is fired upon and the pilot and many of the crew are shot. It''s up to Robbie and his limited piloting experience to save the crew...and himself.

After Morgan’s backyard is flooded by the nearby river, her dog, Shire, finds a baby beaver that has been washed out of its den. Realizing that its parents aren’t coming back, Morgan must quickly learn to care for the beaver, which she names Sammy. Morgan’s parents warn her that he can’t stay with them forever. Will Morgan be able to find a safe home for Sammy? The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.