Young Hélène St. Onge and her older sister Catherine are orphans. When King Louis XVI orders all men in New France to marry, Catherine becomes a "fille du roi," one of the many young women sent to the new world as brides. Hélène will accompany her on the long sea voyage and live with her sister's new family. But Catherine dies during the gruelling journey, and Hélène finds herself alone in a strange new country. New France is a far harsher place than she imagined, with bitter winters and threat of attack from the Iroquois. Will the few friendships she has made on her long voyage enable her to survive?

A young girl watches as the Métis life she knows is threatened by conflict and the men in her family are called to action by Louis Riel, the charismatic leader of the North West Resistance. Tension grips Batoche, Saskatchewan in 1885. Many Métis moved here after the 1870 Riel Rebellion in Manitoba left them disallusioned. But life in Batoche is difficult. The buffalo on which the Métis depended for generations have been hunted almost to extinction, and the coming of white settlers poses a threat to their traditional way of life. The Métis want title to their land, but the government has delayed for years. Promises are no longer enough . . . and talk of a second uprising is in the air. Thirteen-year-old Josephine finds herself torn over her feelings about the Resistance: she is worried for her brother, who is eager to fight; for her father, who prefers a peaceful solution; for Edmond Swift Fox, her friend, whom she loves and will eventually marry; and for Louis Riel, the leader whose efforts to help the Métis preserve their way of life are actions she grows to respect and admire. Through Josephine's faithful diary entries, the reader is transported into this pivotal moment in Canadian history — the time leading up to the defeat of the Métis and the allied First Nations forces at Batoche, the execution of Louis Riel, and the growing tensions between English Canada and French Canada.

A holiday treat for fans of the Dear Canada series, and all lovers of historical fiction! Gifts from the heart are the best gifts of all. Genevieve feared for her brother's life when he and his friend fought to defend New France against the British siege of their city. Their hopes came undone in one day following a fierce battle on the Plains of Abraham. With Quebec in British hands, everything - everything - changed! And now another shift in their fortunes brings a new challenge. This short story was originally published in Dear Canada: A Christmas to Remember, a collection featuring many of Canada's top writers for children, including Jean Little, Sarah Ellis, Carol Matas, and more. New readers will adore this stand-alone holiday tale, while fans of the series will recognize the voice of Genevieve, whom they first met in the award-winning Dear Canada book The Death of My Country. Collect all 12 Dear Canada Christmas stories this season and enjoy a very happy holiday

A holiday treat for fans of the Dear Canada series, and all lovers of historical fiction! Sometimes starting over is the best way to move forward, even at Christmastime. When the North West Resistance broke out, Josephine's family sided with Louis Riel. But the Métis forces that fought at Batoche faced yet more challenges after the battle itself. The Bouviers and others who decided to stay have been struggling to survive, and still they do not hold title to their land. This short story was originally published in Dear Canada: A Christmas to Remember, a collection featuring many of Canada's top writers for children, including Jean Little, Sarah Ellis, Carol Matas, and more. New readers will adore this stand-alone holiday tale, while fans of the series will recognize the voice of Josephine, whom they first met in the popular Dear Canada book Blood Upon Our Land. Collect all 12 Dear Canada Christmas stories this season and enjoy a very happy holiday!

This dramatic story tells of 11-year-old Devorah's efforts to help her cousin and pen pal Sarah emigrate from Paris before the Nazis deport the Jews to internment camps. Devorah learns that 5,000 Jewish children in France have visas to leave the country, but the Canadian government will not let them in, leading Devorah to desperately lobby the government to change its policies. Turned Away illustrates the restrictions on the life of Jews in Paris via letters from Sarah who is living in German-occupied France. It also reveals Canada's dismal record on Jewish immigration during World War II and depicts the impact of the war in Canada. In Winnipeg, one intriguing response to the war was "If Day," when local people posed as Nazis and staged a mock invasion to illustrate what it would be like if the city was occupied. Also included are fascinating period documents and photographs, many from the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The historical consultants for Turned Away were Dr. Irving Abella, co-author of the ground-breaking book None is Too Many, and Terry Copp, author of the remarkable book No Price Too High.

A holiday treat for fans of the Dear Canada series, and all lovers of historical fiction! Experience the true spirit of giving. Sally's streetwise cousin Benny has complicated her life before, nudging her out of the comfort of her close-knit Jewish neighbourhood. And he's about to complicate things again when he takes her younger sisters to the Santa Claus Parade and Hindl starts yearning for a Shirley Temple doll. How will a poor family, living through the Depression and struggling to make ends meet, ever afford that? This short story was originally published in Dear Canada: A Christmas to Remember, a collection featuring many of Canada's top writers for children, including Jean Little, Sarah Ellis, Carol Matas, and more. New readers will adore this stand-alone holiday tale, while fans of the series will recognize the voice of Sally, whom they first met in the popular Dear Canada book Not a Nickel to Spare. Collect all 12 Dear Canada Christmas stories this season and enjoy a very happy holiday!

A holiday treat for fans of the Dear Canada series, and all lovers of historical fiction! Share in the excitement leading up to Christmas morning. During the euphoria towards the end of World War I, a different enemy stalked the land, killing by the hundreds and thousands. First Fee's twin Fanny, then her older sister Jemma, caught the dreaded Spanish Flu. Fee's family struggled to pick up the pieces, to put the War behind them, to face an even deadlier enemy. But finally, there is bright spot on the Macgregor family's horizon. This short story was originally published in Dear Canada: A Christmas to Remember, a collection featuring many of Canada's top writers for children, including Sarah Ellis, Maxine Trottier, Carol Matas, and more. New readers will adore this stand-alone holiday tale, while fans of the series will recognize the voice of Fee, whom they first met in the award-winning Dear Canada book If I Die Before I Wake. Collect all 12 Dear Canada Christmas stories this season and enjoy a very happy holiday!