Most Popular Books by Peggy Dymond Leavey

Commended for the 2011 Best Books for Kids and Teens Living in grim Depression-era Toronto with her actress mother, Frannie, Ivy Chalmers has never met her father. In 1931, Frannie sends twelve-year-old Ivy to stay with her paternal grandmother in Larkin, Ontario, while she seeks stardom in New York City. When Ivy’s father, Alva, arrives unexpectedly in Larkin, he turns out not to be the Prince Charming she imagined, but an illiterate peddler. Rescuing Ivy from her uncompromising grandmother, Alva takes her with him for the summer, wandering the countryside by horse-drawn caravan, selling shoes. Back in Larkin at summer’s end, Ivy meets teenager Charlie Bayliss, orphaned as an infant and raised by his aunt on a farm outside town. Ivy has a flair for writing and boundless imagination, while Charlie loves baseball and loathes farming. Unknown to both of them, though, is a secret connection they share. When the final pieces of the puzzle of their lives fall into place, nothing will ever be the same.

It’s an exciting time for seventeen-year-old Libby, as she announces to her aunt that she plans to leave Toronto in the 1950s to spend the summer living alone in the empty family home in Pinkney Corners. Libby is determined to make it on her own and to spend some time honing her skills as a writer so that she can become a novelist and journalist like her deceased mother. But living alone can be a challenge. Libby makes a little money working at the five and dime, but the local paper can’t afford to hire. And then there’s the strange men that she sees on the property, and the uncomfortable attentions of the store’s assistant manager. But there are some bright spots in the summer - new friendships and the possibility of romance with handsome Michael, her best friend’s brother. Libby is put to the test when she stands up against sexual harassment from her boss and writes an article on it for the paper, running the risk of losing her job and the respect of the community.

Thirteen-year-old Norah Bingham and her mother plan to spend Christmas in the country with Caroline Stoppard, Norah’s great-aunt. When her mother is called away on business, Norah goes on her own to stay with the aunt, someone she has never even met. From the start, the woman makes it plain that she does not welcome Norahs company, nor that of Norah’s cousins, Andrew and Becca, who arrive two days later. The isolated Stoppard mansion is as dismal as the Ontario winter. But the cousins soon discover there are puzzles to solve. Great-aunt Caroline has many secrets. Among them is the identity of the boy Norah sees in the backyard. Who is he? And why is he watching the house?

Thirteen-year-old Mark Rogers knew that his Grandpa Luigi had Alzheimer''s but he hadn''t counted on it turning his life upside-down. He doesn''t know, however, how strange Grandpa''s behaviour has become or that the kids in his new school have a nickname for him: Crazy Luigi.

Twelve-year-old Martin, teller of tall tales and other untruths, cannot understand his sister''s objections to the family''s move to small-town Ontario. With Dad in the military, moving is a fact of life. Martin is intrigued by a deserted house across the street and by an unfriendly neighbour, who seems to be waiting for something to happen.

Ages 9 years & over. After a rocky start to the summer in Turtle Narrows, things are starting to turn around for 13-year-old Joel Osler. He and his stepmother are finally hitting it off, and Joel has a dog of his own, a black Labrador retriever named Molly. The Osler family has just moved into the old Clifton House, with its unusual little rooftop room and the best view for miles. When Joel and Molly stumble upon suspicious activities at an empty warehouse, the little room becomes the perfect place from which to watch for further trouble. After discovering an artist''s sketchbook filled with historical drawings, long hidden on the Clifton property, Joel learns that the house was once home to a famous artist. When he meets Adelaide Clifton, the former owner of the house, she tells him of its connection to the early lumbering days in the Ottawa Valley. Dropping in to his dad''s shop one day, Joel overhears a mysterious stranger demanding money. Suddenly, it looks like they might lose the house and have to move back to the tiny flat over the shop. If that happens, Joel won''t be able to keep his dog. He is desperate for a solution

Thirteen-year-old Jane Covington doesn’t want to go to Sky Lake to visit her grandmother for the summer holidays - she wants to visit her father in the north. But when she returns to the cottage on the lake with the tall cliff, she is happy to be back in the golden country sunshine. However, Jane soon involves herself in a mystery when she finds a seventy-year-old cry for help in the form of a very old letter. She traces it to the story of a suspicious fire that took place long ago. With the help of her friend Corrie and the troubled, handsome Jess, Jane researches the age-old mystery to an exciting conclusion. This suspenseful tale will appeal to all pre-teens who love the fun of the outdoors and a good mystery.

2013 Speaker’s Book Award — Shortlisted Laura Secord is now famous for her singular feat of bravery during the War of 1812, but did she warn the British and help defeat the American invaders as her legend says? After dragging her injured husband off the battlefield during the War of 1812, Laura Secord (1775-1868) was forced to house American soldiers for financial support while she nursed him back to health. It was during this time that she overheard the American plan to ambush British troops at Beaver Dams. Through an outstanding act of perseverance and courage in 1813, Laura walked an astonishing 30 kilometers from her home to a British outpost to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon. Despite facing rough terrain, the ever-present danger of being caught by American troops, and rather delicate encounters with Native forces, Laura reached FitzGibbon just in time for the British to prepare and execute an ambush on American military nearby, forcing the U.S. general to surrender. Laura lived a very long time, dying at the age of 93. In her lifetime the government never formally recognized her singular feat of bravery, and much controversy still envelopes her legacy.

Mary Pickford’s ambition, passion, innate talent, and savvy business acumen sent her career into the stratosphere and set the blueprint for the modern movie star. Born Gladys Louise Smith in 1892, Pickford was raised in a house on University Avenue in Toronto and began her acting career on the stage. However, her determination led her to the new world of motion pictures, where she not only revolutionized acting method but negotiated her own terms for the highest salary for any actress and complete creative control over her films – unheard of behaviour for a woman of that period. Pickford co-founded United Artists in 1919 with Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, which turned the existing studio system on its head. The actress’s subsequent marriage to Fairbanks incited a fan frenzy comparable to today’s obsession with couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Although Pickford’s star faded with the advent of talking pictures, she was the catalyst for the culture of Hollywood celebrity that enthralls us today.

Molly Brant, head of the Mohawk Matrons and chatelaine of a manor house in New York State, was at home in both Six Nations and white society. Because of her ability to influence native politics during the American Revolution, she won the respect of the Canadian Indian Department, becoming a vital link between her people and the British authorities.

Joel, trying to avoid the consequences when he is caught shoplifting, decides to spend the summer with his Dad in the small town of Turtle Narrows, and gets drawn into a mystery involving a treasure map and a secretive tourist.

Presenting five titles in the Quest Biography series that profiles prominent figures in Canada’s history. The important Canadian lives detailed here are: legendary Underground Railroad leader Harriet Tubman; Laura Secord, heroine of the War of 1812; Newfoundland politician Joey Smallwood, the final Father of Confederation; Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, the primary founder of Canada; and onetime governor general Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, an important figure in Canada’s early development. Includes Harriet Tubman Laura Secord Joey Smallwood Prince Edward, Duke of Kent John A. Macdonald

Presenting five titles in the Quest Biography series that profiles prominent figures in Canada’s history. The important Canadian lives detailed here are: nineteenth century railway builder William C. Van Horne; early nineteenth century governor and fur baron George Simpson; legendary Group of Seven-associated landscape painter Tom Thomson; intrepid early frontiersman Simon Girty; and Canada’s first world-famous movie star, Mary Pickford. Includes William C. Van Horne George Simpson Tom Thomson Simon Girty Mary Pickford

Presenting three titles in the Quest Biography series that profiles prominent figures in Canada’s history. In these books we explore the lives of some Canadian pioneers in the world of performing arts. Profiled are: Mary Pickford, the silent screen star of the 1920s; Emma Albani, a classical singer who reached the heights of fame in Europe; and John Grierson, a filmmaker responsible for setting up the National Film Board of Canada. Includes: Emma Albani John Grierson Mary Pickford

This special bundle contains the first thirty-five books in the Quest Biography series, which profiles the lives of Canadians who have had a profound effect on their country and the world. Some of these figures are truly famous, while others were quietly influential. Among the wide variety of people we meet are: prime ministers (Mackenzie King, Macdonald, Laurier, and more); artists (Emily Carr, Tom Thomson); explorers (David Thompson, Samuel de Champlain), politicians (René Lévesque, Joey Smallwood), writers (Robertson Davies, Gabrielle Roy), entertainers (Emma Albani, Mary Pickford), activists (Nellie McClung, Louis Riel, Harriet Tubman), and many, many more. Let this series be your primer on the greatest figures in Canadian history. Includes Emma Albani Emily Carr George Grant Jacques Plante John Diefenbaker John Franklin Phyllis Munday Wilfrid Laurier William Lyon Mackenzie King René Lévesque Samuel de Champlain John Grierson Lucille Teasdale Maurice Duplessis David Thompson Mazo de la Roche Susanna Moodie Gabrielle Roy Louis Riel James Wilson Morrice Vilhjalmur Stefansson Robertson Davies James Douglas William C. Van Horne George Simpson Tom Thomson Simon Girty Mary Pickford Harriet Tubman Laura Secord Joey Smallwood Prince Edward, Duke of Kent John A. Macdonald Marshall McLuhan

Presenting four titles in the Quest Biography series profiling prominent figures in Canada’s history. In these four books, we explore the cultural heritage at the roots of Canada’s present-day multicultural society. In the lives of abolitionist Underground Railway hero Harriet Tubman, Metis revolutionary Louis Riel, frontiersman Simon Girty, and aboriginal elder stateswoman Molly Brant, we discover that the struggle for inclusion and human rights has existed since the dawn of Canada’s modern history. Includes: Harriet Tubman Louis Riel Simon Girty Molly Brant

Presenting ten titles in the Quest Biography series that profiles prominent figures in Canada’s history. The important Canadian lives detailed here are: painters Tom Thomson and James Wilson Morrice; explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson; frontiersman Simon Girty; railway baron William C. Van Horne; early politicians George Simpson and James Douglas; revolutionary Metis leader Louis Riel; writer Robertson Davies; and early movie star Mary Pickford. Includes Louis Riel James Wilson Morrice Vilhjalmur Stefansson Robertson Davies James Douglas William C. Van Horne George Simpson Tom Thomson Simon Girty Mary Pickford