Titles and Descriptions - S

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Sahara Special
The Same Stuff as Stars
Sam's Light
Samuel de Champlain: Father of New France
Saving Grace
The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers)
The Screech Owls' Northern Adventure
The Screech Owls Series
Sea Chase
Search of the Moon King's Daughter
Secret of Light
Seeds of Time
Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Environmental Children's Organization: UNCED Earth Summit, Plenary June 11, 1992
Shabash!
Shadow Children Book Series
Shadows of Disaster
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup
Shared Visions: The Art of Storytelling
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. 1st paperback ed.
Shoulder the Sky
SightLines
The Sign of the Scales
The Silent Boy
Silent to the Bone
A Singing Bird Will Come: Naomi in Hong Kong
Sister to the Wolf
Skits & Scenes
Skybreaker. 1st ed.
The Sky's the Limit. Canadian ed.
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
Smoke and Mirrors
Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History Series
So Cool
Soldier Boys
A Song for Ba
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow if the Eyes Had No Tears and Other Native American Proverbs
Space Flight
Space Trap
Speak to the Earth
Spectacular Women in Space
Spirit of Adventure
Sport Stories
Spring
Stanley Cup Dream
Stitches
Stories From Kohkom: Sharing Our Values, Teaching Our Young
Stories From the Seventh Fire Series
Stories of Adventure and Survival
Stories of Canada Series
Stormbound
Story of Flight Series
Stratford Festival Classics Series
Stravaganza: City of Stars
Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading
Summer
Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3-6
Susanna's Quill
Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Print-Non-Fiction). Coerr, Eleanor. Doubleday Canada (ULS), 1977. 64 p. ISBN 0-440-47465-5 ($3.50 pbk.).

Sadako was two years old when her city, Hiroshima, was bombed. When she was diagnosed as having leukemia, Sadako and her friends folded paper cranes, hoping that they would make her well again. After collecting 644 cranes, now a universal symbol of hope and peace, she died at 12 years of age. This time-tested poignant story reveals the pain and suffering of war, but also the hope and challenge of peace.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Social Studies: Grades 1 to 5

Sahara Special (Print-Fiction). Codell, Esmé Raji. Hyperion Books for Children (FEN), 2004. 175 p. ISBN 0-7868-1611-2 ($7.99 pbk.).

Sarah Jones is an avid reader who does not seem to have a learning disability, but she is unable to complete her assignments since her father left. Sarah is a secretive writer who writes in her journal at home and hides the letters on the library shelves behind the books in the 940s for someone to find. Her mother insists that she be pulled out of the special needs program and repeat fifth grade. New classmates combined with a new, unorthodox teacher named Madame Poitier, cause Sarah’s life to change for the better. Now Sarah is encouraged to live up to her potential. The way that Codell depicts fifth graders, teachers, special needs students, and mothers is funny, but what resonates in her writing is that underneath the humour glows real warmth and love.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

The Same Stuff as Stars (Print-Fiction). Paterson, Katherine. Clarion Books (ALL/HCP), 2002. 242 p. ISBN 0-618-24744-0 ($24.95 hdc.). (HCP) - ISBN 0-06-055712-5 ($8.99 pbk.).

This skillfully crafted novel features a resilient, but lonely, young girl who accepts the responsibilities of raising her brother in the absence of their parents. Left with their fragile great-grandmother, Angel copes with loneliness and the absence of parental love. A kind uncle and a benevolent librarian ignite the girl’s passion for literature and astronomy. Convincing the neglected girl that she too is “made of the same stuff as stars” serves as a multilayered metaphor for this powerful and moving novel.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

Sam's Light (Print-Fiction). Sherrard, Valerie. Dundurn Press Limited (UTP), 2004. 216 p. ISBN 1-55002-535-X ($12.99 pbk.).

Cole Fennety wants to buy a new bike, so he starts to look for a summer job. The only problem is that Cole is only 14 years old, and very few people will hire someone that young. Cole accepts a position at Sam’s Shop, where Sam Kerrigan, the owner, is a cantonkerous old man who does not talk much. Cole and Sam eventually develop a good working relationship. Unfortunately, Sam becomes ill and he decides to retire, not only from work, but also from life. In the past, Sam was there for Cole, so now Cole feels he should provide support for Sam. To further complicate Cole’s summer, Cole’s supposed best friend, Wayne gets him into trouble, and Cole realizes that Wayne is not really a very good friend at all. Cole makes an extraordinary choice, but he is very comfortable with the decision he has made.

This book was nominated by the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Willow Awards Committee for the Snow Willow Award in 2005.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context

Samuel de Champlain: Father of New France (Print-Non-Fiction). Legaré, Francine. (The Quest Library Series). XYZ Publishing (FHW), 2004. 168 p. ISBN 1-894852-10-9 ($15.95 pbk.).

(CAN) This book provides an excellent, historical view of the life of Samuel de Champlain. The reproductions of the original documents and the pictures from his journal add to the authenticity of the era. Legaré documents Champlain’s efforts to start a settlement on the shores of Quebec and the St. Lawrence Valley. Champlain devoted all his time to give France a foothold in the New World. Champlain dealt with the hardships of the Canadian winters and explored the country with the Huron people as his guides. Champlain played a significant role in the development of New France and the birth of Canada as we know it today.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Saving Grace (Print-Fiction). Cummings, Priscilla. Dutton Books (CDS), 2003. 242 p. ISBN 0-525-47123-5 ($23.50 hdc.).

Set in the U.S.A. during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Grace’s family experiences grinding poverty and hard luck. A wealthy family takes Grace in for a period of time where she makes friends with a deaf girl and learns American Sign Language. Grace eventually is faced with a life-changing decision that is unlike anything students today may face. Her decision-making process is one that students could relate to, and may also provoke an interesting debate regarding personal values. The novel combines history, compassion, and special needs issues in an interesting novel.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Communicative Context; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers)(Print-Non-Fiction). Gentry, J. Richard. Heinemann Educational Books (PRN), 2004. 163 p. ISBN 0-325 -00717-9 ($22.95 pbk.).

Through current research, the author reveals that children use early spelling cognition to break the reading code. He emphasizes that spelling instruction is crucial for teaching every aspect of literacy and offers techniques for the following:

• identifying what level of emergent writing a student has reached
• making appropiate use of instructional devices such as scaffolding, hand and finger spelling, and letter boxes
• managing word lists and word sorts
• differentiating spelling instruction and assessment
• evaluating spelling books
• teaching phonemic awareness and phonics through spelling.

Included are rubrics, research-based forms, a table of contents, a bibliography, and an index.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Communicative Context; Teacher Reference; Language Resource

The Screech Owls' Northern Adventure (Print-Fiction). MacGregor, Roy. (The Screech Owls Series). McClelland & Stewart Limited (ULS), 1996. 107 p. ISBN 0-7710-5628-1 ($6.99 pbk.).

(CAN) The Screech Owls’ hockey team is the first white team invited to play in the First Nations Pee Wee Tournament at James Bay. Billeted with families in the community, the team members learn a great deal about First Nation lifestyles and use this new knowledge when several players are stranded in the bush with a storm approaching.

The fast-paced action on and off the ice makes this book suitable for reluctant readers. The story is an effective illustration of how, as friendship develops, so does an appreciation for cultural differences.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

The Screech Owls Series (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the titles: Power Play in Washington and The Screech Owls’ Northern Adventure.

Sea Chase (Print-Fiction). Parkinson, Curtis. Tundra Books Inc. (ULS), 2004. 185 p. ISBN 0-88776-682-X ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Fifteen-year-old Brodie and his father are sailing their small yacht in the Caribbean near Columbia when Brodie’s father disappears from the yacht in the middle of the night. Brodie sets out to find his father and soon discovers that he has been kidnapped by drug runners/pirates. Brodie is joined by Carlota, a young Columbian girl, in his quest to save his father.

Themes in the novel include having direction/purpose in life and developing self-reliance and resourcefulness. This novel contains many nautical terms and Spanish words which may extend the vocabulary of some students and represent a challenge for others.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Environmental and Technological Context; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Multicultural Content and Perspectives

Search of the Moon King's Daughter (Print-Fiction). Holeman, Linda. Tundra Books Inc. (ULS), 2003. 309 p. ISBN 0-88776-609-9 ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Search of the Moon King’s Daughter is a historical novel, set in industrial England in the 1830s. Emmaline Roke enjoys life with her family in the village of Maidenfern. However, her world changes drastically when Emmaline’s father dies from cholera and the family must move to a factory town and work in the mill. When Emmaline is 15, her mother is injured in an industrial accident and becomes addicted to laudanum. In order to support her addiction, Mrs. Roke sells her deaf son Tommy into virtual slavery as a chimney sweep. Emmaline travels to London to work as a maid and to rescue her brother from the cruelty of the chimney sweeps. A story of love and hope in spite of obstacles emerges, as Emmaline creates a new family among the servants while she looks for her brother. Holeman has written a powerful novel by juxtaposing the difficult lives of the working class struggling to survive in stark contrast to the opulent existence of those who have built the economy on human industry.

This book won the Mr. Christie’s Book Award in 2003.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Environmental and Technological Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

Secret of Light (Print-Fiction). Dyer, K. C. Boardwalk Books, Inc. (UTP), 2003. 245 p. ISBN 1-55002-477-9 ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) In this sequel to Seeds of Time, Darrell Connor is back at Eagle Glen School, and she is shocked to find out that her old adversary Conrad Kennedy is also a student. Kate and her dog Delaney discover that an abandoned lighthouse will take them back in time to Italy during the Renaissance. There she meets Leonardo da Vinci and other artists of the period. As in Seeds of Time, Darrell tries unsuccessfully to go back in time to prevent the motorcycle accident that cost her father’s life and resulted in amputation of part of her leg.

The story will be easier to understand if students have already read Seeds of Time (see the following annotation), since there are numerous vague references to events that occurred previously.

Secret of Light provides a great deal of factual information about Italy during the time of the Renaissance and Leonard da Vinci, and it may be of interest to history enthusiasts.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Social Studies: Grades 7-9
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

Seeds of Time (Print-Fiction). Dyer, K. C. Dundurn Press Limited (UTP), 2002. 256 p. ISBN 1-55002-414-0 ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) In this prequel to Secret of Light, 13-year-old Darrell Connor is spending her summer at Eagle Glen Alternative School, a boarding school where she can study art. Darrell is still haunted by a motorcycle accident that took her father’s life three years ago and cost her part of her leg. Darrell makes friends with the dog Delaney who leads her to a cave that takes her back in time to Scotland during the Black Plague. Darrell is able to help people with the Black Plague, but she is not able to travel back to the time of the motorcycle accident and prevent her father’s death. Gradually she becomes more accepting of her losses. A subplot, set in the present day, involves smuggling of computer parts and software. Darrell makes friends over the course of the summer, comes to enjoy the school, but Conrad Kennedy, a local bully, plagues her.

Seeds of Time contains a wealth of information about the Black Plague and Medieval life in Scotland – information that is interwoven with the story and so is likely to hold the reader’s interest.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Social Studies: Grades 7-9
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Environmental Children's Organization: UNCED Earth Summit, Plenary June 11, 1992 (Video). The Environmental Children’s Organization (EVR), 1992. 8 min. No order number is required. ($30.00).

(CAN) Thirteen-year-old Severn Cullis-Suzuki provides an excellent example of a formal, speech. Her audience is the Plenary Session of the Earth Summit for UNICED in Rio Centro, Brazil in 1992. While she is present at the conference to display her work with ECO, The Environmental Children’s Organization, a group of 12- and 13-year-olds, she is invited to speak to the plenary. Her speech is passionate, well-organized, and articulate. Her focus is to beg the adults of the world to heed environmental warnings and move toward the preservation of the earth for generations to come. The text of the speech is available online as well as in print with activities in Identities 8 (pages 22-27).
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Environmental and Technological Context

Shabash! (Print-Fiction). Walsh, Ann. Beach Holme Publishing Ltd. (LPGD), 1994. 109 p. ISBN 0-88878-355-8 ($8.95 pbk.).

(CAN) Making friends on a hockey team is difficult if you are the only Sikh player in a small British Columbia mill town. When Rana decides to persevere in his struggle for acceptance on the team, he begins to value his cultural differences. As he overcomes discrimination and builds friendships, Rana also learns about sportsmanship and team loyalty.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

Shadow Children Book Series (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the title: Among the Barons.

Shadows of Disaster (Print-Fiction). Beveridge, Cathy. Ronsdale Press (LPGD), 2003. 191 p. ISBN 1-55380-002-8 ($8.95 pbk.).

(CAN) Twelve-year-old Jolene is completely the opposite of her risk-taking twin brother because she is afraid to take chances. Jolene resigns herself to the belief that life is generally easier for boys, and as a result, she spends most of her time trying to prove her theory to the people around her. Ironically, Jolene can relate and find comfort talking to her grandfather. Once Jolene discovers her grandfather’s secret, she shares his ability to time travel, and they journey back in history to Frank, Alberta just before the infamous landslide at Turtle Mountain. There, Jolene learns that courage is not dependent on gender. This historical fiction conveys the tragic loss of human lives resulting from the slide.

Shadows of Disaster gives more details than Keeley: The Girl From Turtle Mountain by Deborah Ellis (also annotated in this bibliography), but using the resources together in a unit with a class would make this part of history come alive for students.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Gender Equity

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup (Print-Fiction). Koertge, Ron. Candlewick Press (CDS), 2003. 116 p. ISBN 0-7636-2116-1 ($22.99 hdc.).

Written in the form of a narrative composed of first poems, Kevin, a 14-year-old who is suffering from mononucleosis experiments with a variety of literary forms: haiku, sonnets, couplets, and free verse. Writing becomes a therapeutic self-revealing process for Kevin as he reflects on his mother’s death, his failed romance, and his dream of becoming a baseball star. The use of poetry as a narrative medium moves the plot along quickly and allows for the subject matter to change rapidly.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup is an interesting read and doubles as an effective tool for demystifying poetry.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context

Shared Visions: The Art of Storytelling (Video). Storytellers Productions Ltd. (MGR), 1999. 24 min. Dup. order no. V3221. Expires August 31st, 2008.

(CAN) Shared Visions: The Art of Storytelling explores the creative vision, talents, and the process that came together in the production of the animated and live-action First Nations series, Stories From the Seventh Fire. It features interviews with artist and shaman, Norval Morisseau, First Nations actress, Tantoo Cardinal, and the writers, producers, and animators. It recounts the challenges of a first time collaboration between a group of artists, actors and animators from across Canada.

See Autumn, Spring, Summer, and Winter from the Stories From the Seventh Fire Series (annotated elsewhere in this bibliography).
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Imaginative and Literary Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Arts Education: Grades K to 5; Arts Education: Grades 6 to 9; Arts Education: Secondary Level; English Language Arts 20
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. 1st paperback ed. (Print-Non-Fiction). Armstrong, Jennifer. Crown Publishers Inc. (ULS), 2000. 134 p. ISBN 0-375-81049-8 ($19.95 pbk.).

This is a very interesting recounting of the survival story of Ernest and Shackleton’s adventure and their attempt to cross the Antarctica. When the Endurance became icebound in the Antarctica in 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 were 166 kilometres from land. Although their mission was unsuccessful, their survival story is incredible. The men played on the ice to pass time after the Endurance sank. They took to their lifeboats and spent a year travelling over ice, water, and mountains to safety. In 1916, Shackleton led a rescue party to retrieve his men and remarkably, the entire crew survived. The use of photos adds to the mystique of the journey.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Environmental and Technological Context

Shoulder the Sky (Print-Fiction). Choyce, Lesley. Dundurn Press Limited (UTP), 2002. 227 p. ISBN 1-55002-415-9 ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Martin Emerson and his family are having trouble dealing with his mother’s death. Martin describes himself in three ways: the regular private Martin Emerson – not too interesting, the enigmatic persona created for the Internet at Emerson.com, and Martin number three or the no-name Martin. Martin’s father has become invisible, and his sister Lily pierces another part of her body when she cannot deal with something. Martin’s math teacher recommends a counsellor, but he cannot provide any answers. Martin receives help from his friend Darrell when he creates a website with all the right questions and not the answers at Emerson.com. Traffic to the website is busy because it challenges the reader with philosophical and complex observations. Choyce has written a thought-provoking study in character about the “three” Martins.

This book was shortlisted for the Young Adult Canadian Book Award by the Canadian Library Association and won the Ann Connor Brimer Children’s Literature Prize in 2002.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Mathematics: Grades 6 to 9; Science: Grades 6 to 9

SightLines (Print-Anthology). Hume, Karen, et al. (Prentice Hall Literature Series). Prentice Hall Inc. (PRN), 1999. Order numbers follow.

Recommended titles in this series include the following:

(CAN, WNCP) SightLines offers a wide range of contemporary materials that support outcome-based teaching and learning. This integrated resource, consisting of both student and teacher materials, provides a variety of opportunities to learn how to use the six language arts.

All three anthologies deal with complex issues from real life and require high reading and comprehension levels. The selections stimulate critical and creative thinking and thoughtful response. A combination of voices, themes, and frequent use of complex imagery, vocabulary, and description make this challenging reading. Some selections in each student anthology contain material dealing with the supernatural, as well as other sensitive areas.

The audio packs of four compact discs for each grade contain readings from each of the four units in the SightLines student anthologies. The readings are of high quality, and the narration is characterized by gender balance, authentic voices, and effective pacing.

The three teacher guides, one for each of Grades 7, 8, and 9, provide unit planning charts, curricular goals, ESL strategies, and assessment and evaluation materials.

See also: ResourceLines (annotated elsewhere in this bibliography).
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Language Resource; Multigenre

The Sign of the Scales (Print-Fiction). Brandis, Marianne. Tundra Books Inc. (ULS), 2003. 253 p. ISBN 0-88776-625-0 ($14.99 pbk.).

(CAN) This third book in a trilogy by Marianne Brandis begins with Emma and her younger brother John, who where orphaned by fire, moving from the countryside to live with their aunt in York, Upper Canada. Emma works in her aunt’s hotel, and John works in the livery stable. Emma is worried that her brother is involved in some illegal activity. This novel provides a historical context and a brief look at business and transportation in Upper Canada in the early 1830s.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Career Development

The Silent Boy (Print-Fiction). Lowry, Lois. Houghton Mifflin Company (ALL/ULS), 2003. 178 p. ISBN 0-618-28231-9 ($24.95 hdc.). (ULS) - ISBN 0-440-41980-8 ($7.99 pbk.).

The innocence and curiosity of youth is reflected in this resource. Katy, a doctor’s daughter, lives a privileged life in New England and often accompanies her father on his visits to families during which she witnesses the harsh realities of life. Peggy, the hired girl, has a special brother called Jacob. Jacob is a gentle 13-year-old boy who is silent, but he has a fondness for animals. A fragile companionship develops between Katy and Jacob, and Katy learns that Jacob is at fault for a baby’s death. The photographs of characters and scenes add to the historical detail of the story.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

Silent to the Bone (Print-Fiction). Konisgsburg, E. L. Atheneum Publications (SHU), 2000. 261 p. ISBN 0-689-83601-5 ($23.50 hdc.).

Thirteen-year-old Branwell Zamborska is unable to speak after his infant half-sister Nikki is seriously injured. Vivian Shawcurt, the English au pair who has been hired to care for Nikki, blames Branwell for the accident. Branwell’s best friend, Connor, manages to uncover the truth that frees his friend to speak, and along the way helps to heal some of his own family relationships. This is a well-written, tense psychological drama that confronts the feelings of adolescence and the problems faced by stepfamilies.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Imaginative and Literary Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

A Singing Bird Will Come: Naomi in Hong Kong (Print-Fiction). Schreyer, Karmel. Great Plains Publications Ltd. (UTP), 2002. 148 p. ISBN 1-894283-30-9 ($12.95 pbk.).

(CAN) This book is the sequel to Naomi: The Strawberry Blonde of Pippu Town (annotated in Learning Resource Materials Update, 2001). Naomi is now 15 years old and she visits Hong Kong while her mother teaches in an international school. Naomi takes several travel excursions outside of Hong Kong to Bejing and Macau. This book reads like a travel guide, but it gives a historical perspective about the Cultural Revolution. Schreyer has several subplots running throughout the novel. Naomi volunteers at an orphanage and befriends Grace, a 16-year-old who is pregnant and rejected by her family. Naomi forms a new friendship with Chen, an elderly gentleman. Chen teaches Naomi not only Tai Chi but about life in general. Naomi is struggling with her mother’s new relationship and through her Chinese friends learns the importance of patience and honesty.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Multicultural Content and Perspectives

Sister to the Wolf (Print-Fiction). Trottier, Maxine. Kids Can Press (UTP), 2004. 348 p. ISBN 1-55337-519-X ($16.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55337-520-3 ($8.95 pbk.).

(CAN) In Sister to the Wolf, Trottier has written a historical novel centring on the cultural differences of early Canada. The story is set in Quebec in 1703 where Trottier’s ancestors owned First Nations people as slaves. As a young girl, Cecile Chesne witnesses a young Pawnee youth being branded by his master. The next day before she leaves for Fort Detroit, Cecile defies convention and buys the slave to give him his freedom. Lesharo, the young Pawnee boy, becomes Cecile’s protector on her journey to Detroit. Overshadowing the story is the journey of a wolf that follows Lesharo wherever he goes. The Pawnee are known as “People of the Wolf” or as a group of people who admire the wolf’s loyalty to the pack. This is a story of mystery and adventure presented in an authentic era of history. The characters in Sister to the Wolf are very strong in their beliefs, and yet they respect the beliefs of others.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Skits & Scenes (Print-Anthology). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

Skybreaker. 1st ed. (Print-Fiction). Oppel, Kenneth. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. (HCP), 2005. 340 p. ISBN 0-00-200699-5 ($22.99 hdc.).

(CAN) In this sequel to Airborn (also annotated in this bibliography), young Matt Cruse is on a training mission in a decrepit cargo airship when he comes across the ghost ship Hyperion – an airship that hasn’t been seen for 40 years and is rumoured to be full of treasure. Soon Matt, his girlfriend Kate de Vries, and their sidekicks Hal and Nadina are trying to reach the Hyperion to claim the treasure. However, their quest does not go smoothly. Adversity in the form of air pirates, monsters and other dangers face them at every turn. Fantastical flying machines, breath-taking air chases, and exotic locations are all part of their adventures. The setting is a curious blend of past and present – the characters wear Victorian dress, for example, but have futuristic technology.

The villains, John Rath and his boss George Barton, work for the Aruba Consortium which has a monopoly on production of airship fuel. This aspect of the story could lead to an interesting classroom discussion about oil cartels. As well, elements of Skybreaker echo the stories of Prometheus and Icarus, which provide other opportunities for expansion and enrichment.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Environmental and Technological Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

The Sky's the Limit. Canadian ed. (Print-Non-Fiction). Cross, Gary, et al. (Pan-Canadian Science Place Series). Scholastic Canada Ltd. (SCH), 2000. 48 p. ISBN 0-7791-0086-7 ($8.10 pbk.). Teacher's Guide - ISBN 0-7791-0073-5 ($31.50 coil-bound).

(CAN) A part of the Pan-Canadian Science Place Series, this resource offers 12 lessons that aim to build on students' prior knowledge of the properties of air and the characteristics of flight, engage their interest in the topic, explore concepts with open-ended or directed explorations and information, and help students to apply what they have learned to their real world. The large type and bright, colourful illustrations help to make this a student friendly resource. Included are a table of contents and a glossary.

The teacher's guide provides easy-to-use lesson plans organized in three parts: activate, explore, apply. Each lesson includes expectations, assessment options, background information, ideas to activate prior knowledge and introduce concepts, activities to apply the learning to situations beyond the classroom, support for struggling learners, ideas to extend learning, and more.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Environmental and Technological Context
Other Use: Science: Grades 6 to 9

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio (Print-Non-Fiction). Kehret, Peg. Albert Whitman & Co. (FHW), 1996. 179 p. ISBN 0-8075-7457-0 ($22.95 hdc.). ISBN 0-8075-7458-9 ($8.95 pbk.).

This heartfelt memoir takes readers back to 1949 when Peg Kehret, the popular juvenile mystery writer, contracted polio at age 12. She describes her seven-month ordeal, her diagnosis and quarantine, her terrifying paralysis, her slow and difficult recuperation, and the people she encounters on the way. This is a story about struggle and determination and of the strong family support that helped Kehret to walk again. The book includes a prologue with information about the once-feared childhood disease.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Personal and Philosophical Context

Smoke and Mirrors (Print-Fiction). Choyce, Lesley. Dundurn Press Limited (UTP), 2004. 218 p. ISBN 1-55002-534-1 ($12.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Sixteen-year-old Simon is different. As a result of a skateboarding accident, Simon has minor brain damage and sometimes acts strangly. Simon has imaginary friends, and one of these friends, Andrea, frequently appears to help Simon. Simon faces several challenges: his boyhood friend, Ozzie, is not real; his career-driven parents are about to separate; and Andrea needs his help. She is dying from a drug overdose and does not want to live.

Because of Simon’s eclectic interests, the reader learns a bit about the operation of the brain, Celts and Druids, uncanny incidents, and psychics. Choyce presents the main character as someone who is “different” and accepts his oddness. As a result, students may become more accepting of differences after reading this book.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History Series (Print-Non-Fiction). Please refer to the titles: Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius, Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life, Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer’s Life, and The Wright Brothers: A Flying Start.

So Cool (Print-Fiction). Lee, Dennis and Kovalski, Maryann, illus. Key Porter Books Limited (FEN), 2004. 72 p. ISBN 1-55263-613-5 ($19.95 hdc.).

(CAN) The 36 poems in So Cool address the developmental challenges facing adolescents and the physical changes which occur during this growth phase. The topics in the poems are wide ranging from acne, to friends and loneliness. Lee’s poems are humourous, extremely interesting, and riveting; however, for some students, the topics discussed must be handled in a sensitive manner.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context

Soldier Boys (Print-Fiction). Richards, David. Thistledown Press Ltd. (LPGD), 1993. 256 p. ISBN 1-895449-06-5 ($9.95 pbk.).

(SK) This historical novel describes the Riel Resistance at Batoche from different points of view. Using parallel story lines, the author shows attitudes of government soldiers, Métis, and First Nations People surrounding the events of 1885.

Teacher’s should note that the book contains derogatory terms, such as “savage,” and stereotypical remarks that reflect the attitudes of some white people during that era. Teachers are advised to identify and address these stereotypes prior to and during students’ reading of the novel.

See also: The Fighting Ground (annotated in English Language Arts: A Bibliography for Grades 6 to 9, 1997).
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: English Language Arts 10
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

A Song for Ba (Print-Fiction). Yee, Paul and Wang, Jan Peng, illus. Groundwood Books (HCP), 2004. unp. ISBN 0-88899-492-3 ($17.95 hdc.).

(CAN) In this book, Yee shows us the struggles and hardships that Chinese immigrants faced when they arrived in Canada. Similar to the traditions of Shakespeare’s plays, men were required to sing both the male and female roles in the Chinese opera. When the Chinese opera house struggles to survive, Wei Lim’s father, Ba, must sing the female role. Realizing there is no future for opera singing in Canada, Ba discourages Wei. But Wei loves the opera and secretly learns from his grandfather. The story provides a glimpse into the cultural history of Chinese immigrants when they were struggling to form their roots in Canada. The illustrations tell the story of a boy struggling with the uncertainty of two cultures coming together.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Arts Education: Grades K to 5; Social Studies: Grades 1 to 5
Initiatives: Career Development; Multicultural Content and Perspectives

The Soul Would Have No Rainbow if the Eyes Had No Tears and Other Native American Proverbs (Print-Non-Fiction). Zona, Guy A. Touchstone Books (SHU), 1994. 128 p. ISBN 0-671-79730-1 ($14.75 pbk.).

This rich treasury of First Nations proverbs offers wisdom, advice, and observations. Assembled following thorough research, these sayings that have been passed from generation to generation encompass the values of American First Nations people. Each proverb lists the nation of origin. This compact learning resource illustrates how language provides the foundation for all learning.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Imaginative and Literary Context
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Space Flight (Print-Non-Fiction). Hansen, Ole Steen. (The Story of Flight Series). Crabtree Publishing Company (CRA), 2004. 32 p. ISBN 0-7787-1207-9 ($20.76 hdc.). ISBN 0-7787-1223-0 ($9.86 pbk.).

Using colourful graphics and informative text, this book offers a brief history of space flight and exploration over the past century. Details about various spacecraft serve as an introduction to readers who may wish to search for more in-depth information. Topics include rocketry, satellites, space probes, space shuttles, and the International Space Station. A table of contents, an index, and a glossary are provided.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Environmental and Technological Context
Other Use: Science: Grades 6 to 9
Initiative: Career Development

Space Trap (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

Speak to the Earth (Print-Fiction). Bell, William. Doubleday Canada (ULS), 1996. 208 p. ISBN 0-7704-2724-3 ($7.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Fifteen-year-old Bryan's decision to support an anti-clearcut logging movement forces him to see how the issue affects those close to him. While Bryan's uncle depends on logging for his livelihood, his mother is vehemently opposed to any changes to the ecosystem of Orca Sound. Even Bryan's friendship with a Coast Salish boy and a neighbouring girl are threatened by the dispute. This is an easily read presentation of the clearcut logging issue and the challenge faced by one boy who tries to find an equitable solution to the dilemma.

Teachers should note that coarse language is used occasionally.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Environmental and Technological Context
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Spectacular Women in Space (Print-Non-Fiction). Gueldenpfennig, Sonia. (The Women's Hall of Fame Series). Second Story Press (UTP), 2004. 112 p. ISBN 1-896764-88-6 ($10.95 pbk.).

This book profiles 10 biographies of women who pioneered space exploration. Spectacular Women in Space balances the past and present with women from many different backgrounds. Canadians, Roberta Bondar and Julie Payette are featured. The struggles and the challenges that these women astronauts faced changed people’s perspectives on women’s roles in society. The book promotes gender equity and encourages girls to pursue careers in science and mathematics. Websites provided at the end of the book are very useful.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Environmental and Technological Context; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Science: Grades 6 to 9
Initiative: Gender Equity

Spirit of Adventure (Print-Anthology). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

Sports Stories (Print-Anthology). Durant, Alan. Larousse Kingfisher Chambers, Inc. (ALL), 2000. 221 p. ISBN 0-7534-5322-3 ($22.95 hdc.). ISBN 0-7534-5641-9 ($9.95 pbk.).

This is a collection of sports stories gathered from writers around the world, but the stories are not just about sports. Some deal with the themes of racism, friendship, respect, death, and peer pressure. Philippa Pearce’s “The Running Companion,” Matt Christopher’s “Wingman on Ice,” or Durant’s “On Top of the World” would be great read-alouds.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Personal and Philosophical Context; Short Stories

Spring (Video). (Stories From the Seventh Fire Series). Storytellers Productions Ltd. (MGR), 2002. 24 min. Dup. order no. V3300. Teacher's Guide - Order no. G3300 ($1.87 pbk.). Expires August 31st, 2010.

This video includes the two following stories:

The First Spring Flood : The theme in this spring story is the power of friendship and co-operation. Wesakechak must overcome the envy and anger of the bad spirit, Machias, who intends to drown him in the first spring flood. His friends Jackfish, Goose, and Beaver co-operate to save him from the jealous bully.

Legend of the Great Beaver : In this story of ancient landscapes and nature, viewers are told of great plains covered with water, and giant beavers the size of grizzly bears that built land and created smaller lakes and ponds for other creatures. The natural link to shrinking waters and beavers introduces the role of wetlands for many of the beavers’ animal and insect friends.

Shared Visions: The Art of Storytelling (also annotated in this bibliography, the “making of” documentary, is a complement to this program that recounts the challenges and experience of making the Stories From the Seventh Fire Series.

Supporting print is available from Media Group.

This program is closed-captioned for people with hearing disabilities.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Imaginative and Literary Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Arts Education: Grades K to 5; Arts Education: Grades 6 to 9; English Language Arts: Grades K to 5; Health Education: Grades K to 5; Science: Grades 1 to 5; Social Studies: Grades 7 to 9
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Stanley Cup Dream (Print-Fiction). McFarlane, Brian. (Mitchell Brothers Series). H. B. Fenn & Company Ltd. (FEN), 2004. 146 p. ISBN 1-55168-259-1 ($9.99 pbk.).

(CAN) In The Stanley Cup Dream, Max and Marty Mitchell are avid hockey fans. They skate down the River of Time to 1905 to watch One-Eyed Frank McGee play hockey. During their stay in 1905, they become friends with Frank McGee and his family, and they watch Stanley Cup champions the Ottawa Silver Seven play. Max and Marty learn much about the history of hockey and share some modern hockey moves (the deke and the wraparound) with McGee and the other Silver Seven.

Teachers should note that Max and Marty travel to the past through the River of Time created by a local First Nations Chief. The descriptions of First Nations beliefs in this book are not authentic and might be considered disrespectful by some readers.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Personal and Philosophical Context

Stitches (Print-Fiction). Huser, Glen. Groundwood Books (HCP), 2003. 198 p. ISBN 0-88899-553-9 ($18.95 hdc.). ISBN 0-88899-578-4 ($9.95 pbk.).

(CAN) Travis lives with his aunt and uncle in a trailer court while his mother, a country-and-western singer, travels. Travis loves to sew, and he is often bullied because he is different. Junior High is better than Elementary Level School for Travis and his best friend, a physically challenged girl named Chantelle, because they are encouraged by two teachers to accept new challenges that foster their creativity. The bullying, however, reaches a deplorable level.

A winner of the Governor General’s Award in 2003, this moving story addresses issues relevant to many young students.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9
Initiative: Abilities Awareness

Stories From Kohkom: Sharing Our Values, Teaching Our Young (Print-Non-Fiction). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

Stories From the Seventh Fire Series (Video). Please refer to the titles: Autumn, Spring, Summer, and Winter.

Stories of Adventure and Survival (Print-Anthology). (The Globe Reader's Collection Series). Globe Fearon Educational Publisher (PRN), 1996. 200 p. ISBN 0-8359-1380-5 ($20.91 pbk.).

This anthology of easily read, true stories presents five different aspects of survival and adventure. Vocabulary words and key words relating to the selection precede each story. Questions at the end of each story provide opportunities for understanding and critical thinking. The stories are interesting, short, and easy to understand.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context; Short Stories

Stories of Canada Series (Print-Non-Fiction). Please refer to the title: Discovering the Arctic: The Story of John Rae.

Stormbound (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

The Story of Flight Series (Print-Non-Fiction). Please refer to the titles: Space Flight and Weird & Wonderful Aircraft.

Stratford Festival Classics Series (Video). Please refer to the title: Romeo and Juliet.

Stravaganza: City of Stars (Print-Fiction). Hoffman, Mary. Bloomsbury (RAI), 2003. 459 p. ISBN 0-7475-6500-7 ($16.95 pbk.).

In this sequel to Stravaganza: City of Masks, Georgia’s stepbrother Russell makes her life miserable. Georgia loves horses, and when she buys a tiny winged horse in an antique shop, she develops the ability to move back and forth between her world in contemporary London and Talia – 16th century Italy in a parallel dimension. In Talia, Georgia becomes a jockey and, disguised as a boy, wins an important race. Georgia is a strong, determined female character who overcomes difficulties and focuses on achievement. In the end, Georgia’s stepbrother is found out and forced to leave her alone.

The sections of the novel that are set in contemporary England feature English expressions and terminology, while the sections set in Talia are full of Italian names. While this might be challenging for some readers, it also emphasizes the difference between Georgia’s two worlds.

Teachers should note that Georgia’s nasty stepbrother Russell uses coarse, vulgar words and expressions – a reflection of his unpleasant personality.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Imaginative and Literary Context
Initiative: Gender Equity

Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading (Print-Non-Fiction). Daniels, Harvey and Zemelman, Steven. Heinemann Educational Books (PRN), 2004. 276 p. ISBN 0-325-00595-8 ($31.25 pbk.).

This teacher resource addresses the importance of teaching and practising reading in the content areas. It emphasizes the need to go beyond textbooks and stresses the importance of balance and variety in reading materials; authentic reading materials; and before, during and after organization for reading. In addition, there are sections on book clubs, inquiry units, and help for struggling readers. Many practical ideas for student activities are provided, as well as relevant theoretical background. Bibliographies of materials for student use, a bibliography of research studies, and an index are included. Slight drawbacks are the book’s American orientation, emphasis on teaching to state tests, and advocacy for classroom libraries, rather than school libraries.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Teacher Reference

Summer (Video). (Stories From the Seventh Fire Series). Storytellers Productions Ltd. (MGR), 2002. 24 min. Dup. order no. V3301. Teacher's Guide - Order no. G3301 ($1.87 pbk.). Expires August 31st, 2010.

(CAN) This video includes the two following stories:

How Wesakechak Got His Name : This story is a lesson in humility and working for stature. Wesakechak feels he deserves a more powerful name and convinces his fellow creatures to ask the Creator for new names. He stays awake all night to be first in the naming ceremony, falls asleep before dawn, and is so late for the ceremony that he ends up with his old name. However, the Creator gives him a new job - to become the teacher of the First People. This way he will make his name important, not the other way around.

Legend of the Caribou : Caribou herds became so large that they threatened the life of plants and other creatures that lived on the Barrens. When the caribou refused to move or share, the other animals asked the Creator for help. Since then, swarms of mosquitoes and flies force the caribou to move to other pastures; hence, the longest yearly migration of animals on Earth.

Shared Visions: The Art of Storytelling (also annotated in this bibliography, the “making of” documentary, is a complement to this program that recounts the challenges and experience of making the Stories From the Seventh Fire Series.

Supporting print is available from Media Group.

This program is closed-captioned for people with hearing disabilities.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Imaginative and Literary Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Arts Education: Grades K to 5; Arts Education: Grades 6 to 9; English Language Arts: Grades K to 5; Health Education: Grades K to 5; Science: Grades 1 to 5; Social Studies: Grades 7 to 9
Initiative: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Content and Perspectives

Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3-6 (Print-Non-Fiction). Strickland, Dorothy S., Ganske, Kathy and Monroe, Joanne K. International Reading Association (OLA), 2002. 250 p. ISBN 1-57110-055-5 ($36.95 pbk.).

Based on the research of literacy learning and teaching, the authors provide intervention approaches for students at risk. Recommendations for motivating students, fostering reading fluency, and improving reading and writing skills are clearly described. The strategies used for differentiated and tailored instruction are incorporated into numerous classroom vignettes and are also listed separately in the second section of the resource. The resources section provides extensive lists of picture books, organized by purpose, which can be used in conjunction with the illustrated strategies.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Teacher Reference
Other Use: English Language Arts: Grades K to 5

Susanna's Quill (Print-Fiction). Johnston, Julie. Tundra Books Inc. (ULS), 2004. 330 p. ISBN 0-88776-706-0 ($24.99 hdc.).

(CAN) Johnston has written a fictionalized account of the life of Canadian author, Susanna Moodie. In the early 19th century, Susanna makes a name for herself as a poet even when writing was not socially acceptable. Susanna falls in love with John Moodie and moves to Canada with the promise of free land and opportunity. John Moodie makes several poor investments, and the family is haunted by debt. Susanna struggles to maintain her status as an author. While they lived in a log shanty, Susanna Moodie became depressed trying to cling to her Victorian ideals of rank.

Students will witness the perseverance and determination it took to survive as a pioneer in Canada.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur(Print-Fiction). Yolen, Jane. Harcourt, Inc. (RAI), 2003. 349 p. ISBN 0-15-202527-8 ($23.95 hdc.). ISBN 0-15-202583-2 ($9.95 pbk.).

Students will enjoy the retelling of the legend of Arthur and his loyal magician Merlinnus. In the legend, there is a sword in the stone, and anyone who can pull the sword from the stone will become the King of Britain. The evil Queen of the North, Morgause, tries to murder Arthur to gain the throne for one of her sons. It takes all the skill of Merlinnus and his young apprentice Gawen to retain the crown for King Arthur. Yolen has created interesting characters, and the plot takes many twists and turns to engage the reader. The Arthurian elements of adventure, magic, intrigue, and surprise provide for an entertaining tale.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context