Most Popular Books by Frieda Wishinsky

The year is 1909 and Joseph has just immigrated to the United States from Russia. He thinks that life in New York City will be wonderful, but he has not bargained for the challenges of learning English and of resisting the pressures to skip school, steal and fight to earn a place among the boys in his neighbourhood. Just Call Me Joe presents a full picture of life in New York City for the working poor. Anna, Joe's older sister, struggles to cope with the terrible factory conditions of the time. Aunt Sophie must take in boarders to make ends meet. And Joseph must both accept change and remain true to himself in a new city with new challenges.

It's hard enough for Eve to adjust to a new high school without the extra weight she's gained over the summer. Her best friend is ashamed to hang out with her, and she's become the focus of a schoolmate's cruelty. Determined not to be "that pathetic fat girl" at school, Eve struggles with a diet and forces herself to join a mentoring program. The diet only makes her food obsessed, and she feels she is failing as a mentor. How can a lonely fat girl gain the confidence she needs to succeed? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

From avalanches to shipwrecks, this brand-new fiction series hurtles its characters into dangerous situations, leaving them with only their wits and courage to survive! Eleven-year-old Alex Mason has just moved from Toronto to Glory, British Columbia, and he's having a tough time. Friendless, he is teased by his classmate Owen for being from "out East", and for his lack of skill on the ski slopes. But when a new boy, Ben, moves to town, the boys bond over their love of building and quickly make plans to construct an epic snow fort together. When a freak avalanche strikes and traps Alex, Ben and Owen in deep, immobilizing snow, Alex must keep it together enough to free himself and save the other boys. Will they survive?

Kate is determined to win her spelling club's spelling bee, but the competition is fierce. She can almost put up with Violet's relentless claims of superior spelling ability, but when Kate and Jake begin to fight with each other, Kate is miserable. She wants to win the contest, but she doesn't want to lose her best friend.

Charlotte Summers is sure that summer camp is going to be a disaster. And she’s right. But it’s not as disastrous for her as it is for her counselor, Abby. Abby has no control over the girls in her charge. The control is held by the cabin’s mean girl. Charlotte realizes that she could tip the balance of power and unseat the bully, but does she have the courage to go for it? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Lawrence hates being teased about his dimples, but nothing he does seems to make any difference. Joe goes right on teasing him, and the teasing gets meaner and meaner. Finally, Lawrence notices something about his friend Stewart that may provide the tool he needs to tease-proof himself once and for all.

Kate has decided on a pirate theme for her party. She thinks that seven is going to be the best age to be. Her friend Jake is going to teach her to ride a two-wheeler. And her party is going to be fabulous. That is, until Violet starts spreading stories. Kate goes right on with her planning, but she is worried. When Violet is the only one to show up on the big day, Kate thinks that her worst fears have come true.

Caught in the eye of a hurricane! Would you survive? Michael reached for something -- anything -- to stop him from sliding off the roof, but there was nothing to hold on to. Nothing. He fell into the darkness and splashed into the icy water. The streets of Michael's Toronto neighbourhood were saturated, the Humber River swollen from days of pounding rain. Hurricane Hazel was devastating the Caribbean and southern United States, but no one expected Hazel to reach Toronto. No one was prepared. When the river overflows its banks, Michael's house is in danger of being swept away. Fleeing his home through the roof -- his only way of escape -- Michael plummets into the freezing water. How will he make it out alive? Hurricane Hazel was a category 4 hurricane that struck Toronto on the night of October 15, 1954. Winds of 110 km/hour and 285 mm of rain over 48 hours hit Toronto. Thousands were left homeless. Eighty-one people died in Toronto when waterways flooded, thirty-five of them on Raymore Drive near the Humber River.

When Renata is chosen to play the lead role in the school musical, students who used to ignore her start saying hello and congratulating her in the hall. Renata enjoys her newfound acceptance at school until she realizes that Karin, a wealthy girl who expected to get the lead role, will go to great lengths to punish Renata for her success. Renata is not going to give up the role, but how much tormenting will she have to take? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Discover why each of these 12 intrepid explorers risked everything to conquer the great unknown. Explorers have transformed the world with their curiosity. But with great knowledge comes great responsibility, and thriving on adventure has often lead to great danger. The explorers profiled here will give younger readers a fascinating survey of the history of this most dramatic of pastimes. The themes that are explored are: what motivated these explorers? What were they looking for, and what did they actually find? How did their journeys change their lives and the lives of the people they met? The explorers included are: Samuel de Champlain Marco Polo Henry Hudson Christopher Columbus James Cook Hernán Cortés Lewis and Clark John Franklin Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson Roald Amundsen

When push comes to shove, timid Maggie is determined to overcome her catty rival! Now that she can read, Maggie is eager to show her new teacher. But when Maggie is called to the front of the class, her knees shake like jelly, her mouth dries up like a desert, and she can't utter a sound. She's forced to sit down while snooty Kimberly takes over and reads with ease. And the next day is no better. When called on, a miserable Maggie silently prays for the floor to swallow her whole or a rocket to blast her into space. And Sneering old Kimberly, who coolly remarks that she's been reading since she was a baby, triumphs again. All poor Maggie can do is hold back the tears while she imagines all manner of uncomfortable fates to befall her stuck-up rival. It isn't until Kimberly picks on the stuttering Sam that Maggie is able to forget her own fears. And indignant and determined, she summons up the courage to defend her pal and show everyone what she can really do. The author of No Frogs for Dinner and So Long, Stinky Queen, Frieda Wishinsky addresses an all-too-common fear that primary students face, and gives it a delightful twist that will have early readers howling and turning the pages to find out what happens next. Artist Dean Griffiths (Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses, Fairy) creates, in his feline subjects, a heart melting, all-too-human quality that readers will love. A must-have for all intrepid heroes in the making.

Caught in the vicious ice storm of 1998, would you survive? A severe ice storm hits Montreal and parts of eastern Canada. Ethan's dad is in Toronto on business and his step-mom, Sylvie, is is going to have a baby. The weather is so bad his dad can't fly home. When the power goes off in their building, they try to adjust, but it's cold despite all the blankets, and it's dark despite candles and flashlights. Sylvie suddenly feels unwell and his elderly neighbour, Mrs. Greenbaum, has been hurt. Is the baby coming early? Can he get help for Mrs. Greenbaum in time? How will they survive?

Inspired by the story of actual passengers on the ill-fated Lusitania, this is a novel of great adventure and suspense, including graphic novel-style illustrations. Avis Dolphin doesn’t want to leave New York and sail to England on the Lusitania. War is raging in Europe, and the Germans threaten to sink the ship. Avis is lonely and afraid until she meets a kindly professor whose stories of a magical island help her face an uncertain future. When the Lusitania is attacked, Avis must draw on all her newfound strength to cope with the confusion, terror and despair. How can she survive the sudden devastation of the ship? Will the people she cares about, especially the professor, live through the horror and danger? The immediacy of Frieda Wishinsky’s voice will engage readers in this thrilling story based on real events. They will identify with Avis and Professor Holbourn as they grapple with a stubborn captain, encounter German stowaways and contend with the feud between Avis’s two cabin mates. In an atmosphere of growing anxiety, readers will be glued to the dramatic events as they unfold and the surprising fate of the people they have come to know. Willow Dawson’s art depicts the stories the professor tells Avis in enchanting graphic-novel form. They provide a riveting magical element to the story, creating a story-within-a-story. Like Avis, readers will fall in love with Foula and will dream of the island long after they have reached the last page of this exciting story. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

From avalanches to shipwrecks, this brand-new fiction series hurtles its characters into dangerous situations, leaving them with only their wits and and courage to survive! At 1:55 AM on the morning of May 29, 1914, two young friends, Sarah and Albert stand on the deck of the Empress of Ireland, a ship sailing from Canada to Liverpool, England. But excitement soon turns to terror, as the friends feel a sharp jolt. The ship begins to tilt. People scream. Stewards order passengers to head for the lifeboats. It is a full-on nautical disaster, and only one question remains. Will they survive?

Complete Classroom Library includes one each of the following: Math Library Science Library Social Studies Library Content Area Classroom Libraries include: 1 display box containing 10 6-packs (60 little books) 1 Teacher Resource Portfolio 1 Assessment Book (where available) Classroom Library Add-on Packs include 1 copy of each title from the social studies, science, and math libraries. Add-On Packs include 1 copy of each title.

The new school year is not starting out well for Samantha. Her best friend, Carol, has moved away and school is really lonely without her. Her classmate, Evelyn, is mean and always teasing her and calling her "stinky." And her mother is teaching the kids in her class with learning problems, including Evelyn! When Samantha meets Ruthie, the new girl in school, things start looking up. Now she has someone to play with. But then Evelyn pushes her way into their games of make-believe and leaves Samantha out. Someone has to teach Evelyn a lesson and Samantha realizes that she will have to take control of the situation. As she proceeds with her plan to get even with Evelyn, Samantha learns how to stand up for herself and, at the same time, discovers the importance of forgiveness.

When Tonia has trouble fitting in at school after moving from Poland, her mother tells her the story of Marie Curie and how she came from Poland and became a famous scientist.

Kate and Jake have always been best friends; always, that is, until Jake's cousin, Lionel, moves nearby. Jake starts spending time with Lionel instead of Kate. Kate struggles with his abandonment and her own loneliness as she seeks new friends that share her likes and dislikes. And, perhaps there is a place in her life for her old best friend after all. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

This 703-word book teaches everything about the Moon and explains why it would be so difficult to live there! It covers topics such as air, water, weather, and gravity. This title also includes a section of recommended reading for young space fanatics, an index, a glossary of terms, and discussion questions to aid in reading comprehension. Grade: 2 Subject: Earth Science Genre: Informational Text Comprehension Skill/Strategy: Classify/Categorize Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA/EDL): 28 Guided Reading Level: M Lexile Level: N/A DK's iOpeners equip K-6 students with the skills and strategies they need to access and comprehend nonfiction so that they are not only learning to read but reading to learn. The combination of high-interest content and eye-popping photography of iOpeners brings science and social studies topics to life, raises student achievement in reading, and boosts standardized test scores.

Enough cute little bunnies dancing across your walls or toy trains and nursery rhymes plastered above your bed. That was the old you. It's time now to transform your space, to learn how to make it sparkle using more imagination than money. This exciting new book by Janice Weaver and Frieda Wishinsky offers creative solutions to all your design dilemmas — and does it without breaking the bank. Inside, you’ll find out how to: • Execute a TCC — Total Clutter Clearout • Organize your space — and your life • Choose paint colors to change the mood and feel of your room • Give new life to old furniture • Create zones with color and lighting • Accessorize to put your own stamp on your space