Melanie Florence

Jazz's life recently has been...a lot. After her mom left her dad for her yoga instructor (what a clich ), Jazz and her dad had to create a new normal. So when Jazz saw a chance to be one of her school's It Girls, she went all in, leaving her best friend Lo behind. But being a popular girl doesn't feel like she'd hoped. Even though it's fun to be admired, she isn't sure the It Girls actually care about her. They're always pressuring her to look and act a certain way--and worse, they want her to start dating, even though there aren't any boys she likes that way. When Jazz is unexpectedly paired up with music geek Ren in history class, Jazz gets this feeling...like butterflies. But Ren's a girl. Jazz is totally fine with other people being gay and queer, but she never thought she was. And what would happen if the It Girls found out? Confused by her feelings and not sure who to talk to, Jazz finds herself missing her old friend Lo and wondering if she'll ever feel like she can talk to her mom again. Mixed up in a sea of emotions and expectations, Jazz needs to figure out who she wants to be and whether or not being popular is worth it after all.

A picture book that celebrates doing your own thing in the face of society's expectations . . . and a sweet story about a girl, her dad, her disapproving grandma and, most importantly, cars. Sarabeth loves cars. She loves the way the engines sometimes roar like lions and other times purr like kittens. She loves seeing sports cars that are sleek and fast like cheetahs and boxy SUVs that trundle along like elephants. And most of all, she loves to help her dad out at the garage. Sarabeth's Grandmother feels differently. She thinks little girls should play with dolls and wear dresses. But when her car starts grumbling like a walrus instead of purring like a kitten, will Sarabeth's hobby save the day? A delightful story about an independent and spirited girl who has no time for the limitations that society wants to put on her, and a grandma who gets the opportunity to change her way of thinking.

A gorgeous picture book about the connections created through music, and how music can reach loved ones with dementia. A young boy learns to play guitar from his grandfather, and the one about the blackbird is their favorite song. Years later, the boy visits his grandfather, and while his grandfather doesn't recognize him, now grown-up, he does still remember how to hold a guitar. A beautiful full circle moment ensues when the boy plays his grandfather their favorite song. The moving text and dynamic, gorgeous art celebrate the connection that music can create between two people and the joy that music, and the shared love of it, can bring at any age.

Readers follow along step-by-step as Benjamin plants and cares for his garden and imagines the harvest to come. Benjamin loves springtime. The grass grows bright green, the birds sing sweet songs and, best of all, Benjamin and his mother start their garden. In just the right order, they plant maht min (corn), p miciwacis (beans), and osawipak (squash) for Three Sisters Soup. They plant strawberries to serve with bannock, then zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers. Benjamin and his mom lovingly tend to the garden and watch it grow into a plentiful harvest with enough to share. Throughout the whole summer, Benjamin dreams about the fall, when they'll have all the ingredients for a feast - and everyone will be invited In this heartwarming story, award-winning author Melanie Florence evocatively portrays the pleasures and rewards of growing and sharing food. The steps of the gardening process - digging holes, planting seeds, watering - are carefully described, and the yearly cycle of growing, harvesting, eating and then starting again the next year is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the tradition of planting corn, beans and squash together so that each plant by its nature helps the others grow. Benjamin and his mother use Cree words throughout the story, and a pronunciation guide is included at the back of the book for further inquiry. Vivid illustrations by Hawlii Pichette make this a perfect follow-up to the author and illustrator duo's previous book, Benjamin's Thunderstorm.

See below for English description.Benjamin aime la pluie. Il adore patauger dans les flaques avec ses bottes jaune vif et regarder les couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel dans l'eau qui ondule sous ses pieds. Mais surtout, Benjamin adore le tonnerre. Pour lui, le tonnerre - piy siwak - ressemble au bruit que fait le tambour de son grand-p re. Cette musique l'interpelle, comme les chansons que joue son grand-p re pendant que son p re et d'autres danseurs de pow-wow tournent et bougent au rythme du tambour. Alors que Benjamin entend le tonnerre gronder au-dessus de sa t te, il s'imagine tre un danseur de pow-wow. Il tourne, tape des pieds et l ve les genoux. Il virevolte de plus en plus vite, ravi et empli du rythme du piy siwak. Cette histoire, crite par la talentueuse autrice prim e Melanie Florence, c l bre la fois les joies de jouer sous la pluie et les liens avec les traditions familiales qui nous centrent et nous enracinent. Des l ments de la culture du pow-wow cri et des mots cris pour d signer les couleurs et le temps qu'il fait sont int gr s l'histoire, avec un guide de prononciation. Les illustrations vibrantes et accrocheuses de Hawlii Pichette, inspir es par les paysages du nord de l'Ontario, ajoutent l'int r t de ce livre. Cet album illustr attrayant constitue une lecture parfaite pour les journ es pluvieuses, ainsi qu'une excellente introduction aux traditions culturelles cries, aux communaut s locales et la d couverte de la nature.Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colours of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder -- piy siwak -- sounds like his grandfather's drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piy siwak. This artfully written story from award-winning author Melanie Florence celebrates both the universal joys of playing in the rain and the connections to family traditions that centre and ground us. Elements of Cree powwow culture and Cree words for colours and weather are interwoven into the story, with a pronunciation guide in the back matter. The vibrant and eye-catching art by Hawlii Pichette, inspired by the scenery of northern Ontario, adds drama to the pages. Original title: Benjamin's Thunderstorm

In this funny yet moving coming-of-age novel, a girl finds comfort, and eventually her voice, by writing letters to The Doctor from her favorite TV show, Doctor Who. Lo and Jazz have been best friends ever since Jazz defended her when Bobby Zucker called her a horse face in second grade. But lately Jazz has seemed more interested in bikinis, boys and bras (ugh), and Lo is still perfectly happy with her comic books and Doctor Who. When Jazz ditches Lo for the It Girls, Lo feels completely adrift...until she overhears someone talking about the latest FanCon. There are others like her With help from her new friends, and taking a cue from the Doctor (in whom she confides by writing letters), Lo begins to find her voice. Between giving Bobby Zucker a wedgie for harassing the It Girls, to bringing an abrupt end to spin-the-bottle at a party, to speaking up to the principal and demanding period supplies in student bathrooms, Lo finds her inner activist and the self-confidence that comes with growing up--on her own terms. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

A thunderstorm evokes a boy's family traditions, in this rainy-day story from award-winning author Melanie Florence. Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colors of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder -- piy siwak -- sounds like his grandfather's drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piy siwak. This artfully written story from award-winning author Melanie Florence celebrates both the universal joys of playing in the rain and the connections to family traditions that center and ground us. Elements of Cree powwow culture and Cree words for colors and weather are interwoven into the story, with a pronunciation guide in the back matter. The vibrant and eye-catching art by Hawlii Pichette, inspired by the scenery of northern Ontario, adds drama to the pages. This inviting picture book makes a perfect read-aloud for a rainy day, as well as an excellent introduction to Cree cultural traditions, local communities and experiencing nature firsthand.

Buddy wants to prove to his big brother that he is not a scared little kid anymore. For as long as Buddy can remember, there has been a rumour that the local theme park is haunted. After a fight with his brother, he convinces his friends that they should sneak into the park and spend the night. That way, everyone will know how brave they are. But can Buddy and his friends avoid the guards and the cameras and whatever is haunting the theme park? Or is the whole thing just an urban legend after all? 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.

Jennifer McCaffrey has been working hard on her art for years and is thrilled when she is accepted to a prestigious art school. The school is everything she always thought it would be, mostly. There is one group of kids who seem to resent her and say she only got in because of her skin color. Jen, who loves to create new pieces of artwork that incorporate her Indigenous heritage, finds herself a target when the group tells her to stop being "so Indian". The night before the big art show at school, Jen's beading art project is defaced. Jen has to find a way not to let the haters win. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen 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.

Luna Begay is as studious and serious about her Indian heritage as her sister, Issy, is outgoing and fun. When Issy convinces Luna to go with her to a party full of rich kids, the night turns bad when Luna is drugged and raped. Feeling ashamed that she will be perceived as an "Indian slut," Luna doesn't tell anyone and remains in denial until Issy figures out that Luna is pregnant. Knowing that her decisions will affect her parents and Issy as much as her own future, Luna has to work out how to deal with the consequences of that one night, and she has to do it fast. Distributed in the U.S by Lerner Publishing Group.

Lucky loves her grandparents, and they are all the family she really has. True, her grandma forgets things...like turning off the stove, or Lucky's name. But her grandpa takes such good care of them that Lucky doesn't realize how bad things are. That is until he's gone. When her grandma accidentally sets the kitchen on fire, Lucky can't hide what's happening any longer, and she is sent into foster care. She quickly learns that some foster families are okay. Some aren't. And some really, really aren't. Is it possible to find a home again when the only one you've ever known has been taken from you?

The dual language edition, in Plains Cree and English, of Stolen Words, the award-winning story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in Cree, he tells her that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared.

R cipiendaire du prix TD 2016 pour la version anglaise, Missing Nim m . Une jeune femme -- une Autochtone parmi tant d'autres port es disparues au Canada -- veille sur son enfant qui doit grandir sans sa nim m . La m re observe de loin les tapes importantes de la vie de sa lle -- sa premi re journ e d' cole, sa premi re soir e dansante, la rencontre de son premier ami de coeur, le jour de son mariage, la naissance de son enfant. Sans Nim m est une histoire riche d'amour, mais aussi remplie de perte, racont e tour de r le par une m re et son enfant, dans un vocabulaire adapt aux jeunes lecteurs.

The story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in his language - Cree - he admits that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared.

Not everyone can be Martha Stewart, and luckily you don’t need to be to create beautiful terrariums to display in your space or to give as a gift. With simple instructions and a relaxed and pleasant tone, Glass Gardens speaks to the beginner terrarium-maker as a best friend would over a cup of coffee or tea. You won’t find any overly elaborate or complicated projects here! With just a few supplies and a small amount of time, you’ll have a gorgeous centerpiece to display or give away. Learn how to create stunning, easy-to-maintain terrariums with cacti and succulents, as well as water terrariums (aquariums) with plants you can buy at your local pet store and air terrariums (aeriums), which are by far the easiest type of terrarium to create and keep alive. In Glass Gardens, you’ll be given lists of supplies you’ll need as well as information on where to find them in addition to tips and tricks about the best ways to keep your plants alive and thriving. Easy, step-by-step instructions and detailed photos will have you designing your own glass gardens before you know it.