New Release Books by Rachna Gilmore

Island Morning is a gentle story of a girl and her grandfather''s early morning walk through the fields of Prince Edward Island. On their journey, they see gentle pastures, farm animals, scenic vistas and a glorious sunrise. But this walk is about more than just viewing the beautiful scenery. It is also about the special time between grandfather and granddaughter and how they see the world through each other''s eyes.

A girl of mixed heritage discovers that both cultures are important parts of who she is. Mr. Toller grins. "I guess we plain old regular Canadians need to know the history of other places to get a real and balanced view." Plain old regular. As in white. It jolts through me like lightning. I almost bought his idea of regular--that''s why I was afraid to read my grandmother''s story. My heart pounds, but I have to say it. "Mr. Toller, I AM a regular Canadian." Hey, Tara, what''s your mother tongue? It''s questions like these that make fourteen-year-old Tara Mehta boil, especially when they''re asked by teachers who ought to know better. Yes, her parents were raised in India, but Tara has lived in Ottawa her whole life -- she''s as Canadian as everybody else. There are much more important things than where her family came from. Jeff, for instance. He''s the new guy with the blue eyes and a brain that actually works. But then she meets her grandmother for the first time. Naniji fought with Gandhi in the Indian Indepence movement, and she''s horrified to learn that her grandchildren know almost nothing about their heritage. Tara resents her grandmother''s attitude until she learns how Naniji came to join the fight for indepence. Shocked and angered by the history that she''s never been taught in school, Tara decides to tell Naniji''s story to her class. In the wake of the violently mixed reactions that follow, Tara comes to realize that most people need to expand their definition of what it means to be a "regular" Canadian -- including herself.

A hilarious look at a child''s view of a mother''s bad day. Originally published in 1989 by Ragweed Press, this book is considered to be a P.E.I. classic. This unique view of mother''s "bad day" through the observant eyes of a child is a weird and wonderful story for parents and children. My mother is so weird. Some mornings, when she wakes up, she has horns on her head and long pointy teeth and claws. She speaks in a voice like a jackhammer. But after her morning coffee, Mom''s horns disappear, and her teeth and claws shrink back to normal. She speaks in a soft, smooth voice. But, one morning...we ran out of coffee...

It’s the Depression, but Red’s family is managing better than most on their Prince Edward Island farm. Hard working and resourceful, they have enough to eat and to help others, even if at times they are mocked by their neighbours for putting education ahead of farm work. Eleven-year-old Red has plenty of chores around the farm, and the days can be long, but he still gets the odd break to go swimming or fishing, provided his homework is done. Red’s older sister, Ellen, teaches at the local school, and if Red doesn’t shine, she will not only punish him, but also make sure their parents hear about it. But then Red’s father’s hand is seriously injured and the family’s situation looks dire. Red steps up to the challenge, finishing the tobacco boxes that his father makes and helping shovel out a train stuck in the snow. Stubborn and even pigheaded, Red does make mistakes along the way (such as pretending to be dead so that his younger sister will stop following him), but his heart is always in the right place.

When her father is too busy to play with her, Emily angrily creates a snow dinosaur whose hunger quickly grows out of control.

Having worked as Grandpa''s assistant on clock-building projects, when Cayley learns that her grandfather is in the hospital, she reassures him with familiar words of wisdom that apply not only to good craftsmanship, but to life itself.

When Lisabeth''s mother''s memories of herself as a girl show up in the form of When-I-was-a-little-girl, who is perfect and makes Lisabeth look bad, Lisabeth turns to her grandmother for help.

A young child tries desperately to catch some time with her family on a busy day.

After her parents drown in a flood, Chandra finds solace in her mother''s magic flute.

When the story pods stop growing in the Plains, a stubborn young girl undertakes a dangerous journey to seek the help of the legendary Sower of Tales, but she is plunged into a desperate struggle against a sorcerer who plans to use the story pods to destroy the world.

Scully, a young hearing-impaired girl, wants to play outside in the rain, away from her brother Leo and her busy mother. She loves to feel the sensation of the rain running over her face. After escaping briefly to the wet green trees outside, she is grounded and not allowed to leave the house for a day. As evening approaches, Scully and her mother are able to share a special moment together watching the stars. Winner of the 1999 Governor General''s Literary Award for Children''s Literature

For use in schools and libraries only. When Gita''s father announces that he has been offered a new job back in India, Gita is upset that she might have to leave the home that she has grown accustomed to.

"Maisie''s shy to make new friends, and the boy next door is a bully. An unlikely friendship with a spider helps her realize that making new friends may not be so hard after all" Cf. Our choice, 1999-2000

Although Gita misses her grandmother and her grandmother''s garden in India, she discovers a new friend and a new garden at her next door neighbor''s house.

Mina''s Spring Of Colors is published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

For use in schools and libraries only. Recently immigrated from India, Gita is looking forward to celebrating her favorite holiday, Divali, a festival of lights, but things are so different in her new home that she wonders if she will ever adjust.

First Flight "RM" is an exciting series of beginning readers which include songs, poems, adventures, mysteries, humor, nature, and more by established authors and illustrators. These books make the introduction to reading fun and satisfying for new readers and are available in four levels to correspond to reading development.

Nobby, short for Zenobia, meets an older girl, Zilla, when her family goes on holiday. Zilla is developmentally disabled, but much more fun than the average teenager. The friendship grows until Uncle Chad shows up. He is snooty and sometimes unthinkingly cruel to Zilla. Prejudices and attitudes take a surprising turn when Uncle Chad gets hurt during a storm and it is Zilla who generously comes to the rescue.

Instead of sitting still when Ms. Wesley puts her in time-out, Rilla magically transforms into Wild Rilla and travels around the school to help other teachers.