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Cod Collapse The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95It’s 1992 in Newfoundland and Labrador and the cod moratorium has put some thirty thousand fishers out of work. Journalist Jenn Thornhill Verma blends memoir and research in this gripping account of the enduring legacy of the largest mass layoff in Canadian history. Tracing the early history of the fishery to the present, Verma considers what lies ahead and what was lost along the way.
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Ultimate African Heritage Quiz 10th Anniversary edition
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$16.95The Ultimate African Heritage Quiz Book will test your knowledge of the many notable people, places, and events that have shaped African culture in the Maritimes. Based on the immensely popular African Heritage Youth Quiz contest held at Halifax North Memorial Public Library every year, The Ultimate African Heritage Quiz Book is a great way to bring the fun and excitement of the game home.
Packed with over three hundred questions about black literary figures, civil rights leaders, sports stars, historical events, and a wide variety of other topics, The Ultimate African Heritage Quiz Book is sure to challenge and entertain trivia fans of all ages and ethnicities.
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As British as the King Lunenburg County During the First World War
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95The Great War comes to Lunenburg County in this gripping and detailed historical account from award-winning author Gerald Hallowell. In 1914, Germans in Lunenburg County, despite deep roots, faced suspicion as Canada waged war with Germany. Hallowell’s meticulous research breathes life into the World War I home front, in a time of blackouts, rumours of spies and naval skirmishes.
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I Place You into the Fire Poems
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$18.95In Mi’kmaw, three similarly shaped words have drastically different meanings: kesalul means “I love you”; kesa’lul means “I hurt you”; and ke’sa’lul means “I put you into the fire.” Spoken word artist Rebecca Thomas’ first poetry collection is at once a meditation on navigating life and love as a second-generation Residential School survivor, a lesson in unlearning, and a rallying cry for Indigenous justice, empathy, and equality.
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I’m Finding My Talk
Artist: Pauline YoungPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95I’m Finding My Talk reflects on the destructive effects on colonialism, rediscovering community and finding culture. Former Halifax Poet Laureate and second-generation residential school survivor Rebecca Thomas writes honestly and powerfully in this companion piece to Rita Joe’s I Lost My Talk. With vibrant illustrations from Mi’kmaw artist Pauline Young.
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I Lost My Talk
Artist: Pauline YoungPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Rita Joe’s essential poetry is presented anew in this children’s picture book with illustrations from Pauline Young. Joe, known as the Poet Laureate of the Mi’kmaw, tells her childhood story of losing her language at Shubenacadie’s residential school. Mi’kmaw culture and language are celebrated in this collection, which joins current conversations about Canada’s shameful history, truth and reconciliation.
Published simultaneously with the companion book I’m Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas.
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Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement
Artist: James BentleyPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Featuring over 50 historical and contemporary profiles, this fascinating book takes a look at the lives of Black Atlantic Canadians that saved lives, set records, and enacted great change.
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A Change of Heart
Artist: Erin Bennett BanksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Finally, the remarkable story of honourary Newfoundlander Lanier Phillips is available for young children in this heartwarming picture book.
A young African American and the son of sharecroppers, Lanier Phillips escapes the violence, racism, and segregation of his Georgia home by joining the navy during the Second World War. But tragedy strikes the USS Truxtun one February night off the southeastern coast of Newfoundland, and Lanier is the lone Black survivor of the terrible shipwreck. Covered in oil when he arrives onshore, the community’s kindness and humanity brings him back to health and changes his outlook on life. He would go on to march for Black rights with Martin Luther King, and remained forever grateful to the small town of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.
With vibrant illustrations by celebrated artist Erin Banks, A Change of Heart vividly depicts Lanier’s life-changing experiences in Newfoundland that fateful February.
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Maud’s Country Landscapes that Inspired the Art of Maud Lewis
Photographer: Bob BrooksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Maud Lewis stayed close to home: the rugged coastlines and gentle valleys of Nova Scotia’s southwest knew—but they provided ample material for her joyful creative spirit. Now revered as Canada’s foremost folk artist, Maud Lewis (1903-1970) transformed her world of poverty and deformity into a magical kingdom of happy children, contented animals, and a peaceful and charming rural environment.
Maud’s Country offers unique insight into the landscapes that inspired Lewis’s works and her own special way of representing them. The materials she had at hand were primitive—particleboard, crude brushes, marine or house paints. But these were all she needed to convey her message that happiness and harmony exist all around us, for those who have eyes to see.
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Mayann prend le train
Artist: Tamara Thiebaux HeikaloPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Nine-year-old Mayann Francis and her family are travelling from their home in Cape Breton to New York City by train. Everything is exciting to young Mayann, from the beds that fold down to the stop in Montreal to visit friends. Most exciting of all is the chance to show off her brand new purse.
When the Francis family arrives in big, bustling New York City, Mayann visits with relatives, goes to the zoo, and rides the subway. She even receives a beautiful black doll, something she has never seen before. But one subway ride, she loses her beautiful purse. At first she’s heartbroken, but she just might learn a lesson that makes the whole trip worthwhile.
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Fiddles and Spoons (pb)
$14.95Cecile Souris and her mouse family live under the floorboards of a little Acadian house in Grand Pré, owned by the Dubois family. The house—above and below the floor—is full of good food, laughter, and wonderful music, made with fiddles and spoons. But one day soldiers arrive and take the Dubois family—and the Souris family with them—far away from Grand Pré. Join them on an unforgettable journey in this heartwarming tale of courage, love, and joy as the Acadians continue to celebrate life with fiddles and spoons!
This beloved story is now available in a second edition with a new design, including some new illustrations.
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Explosion in Halifax Harbour, 1917
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95In December 1917, one of the greatest natural harbours in the world was humming with excitement. Halifax Harbour was filled with naval convoys and merchant vessels while factories worked overtime in support of the Allied war effort in Europe. But on December 6, Canada’s worst disaster struck, as two ships–one carrying high explosives–collided. The explosion killed and injured thousands, razing the city’s North End and destroying nearly everything in its path.
The story of the worst human-made explosion before Hiroshima is the account of tremendous human suffering and devastation, yet also of human bravery and survival against all odds. Chaos and confusion reigned that day in Halifax and Dartmouth but what followed was a massive relief effort involving charitable assistance from all over the globe–especially Massachusetts.
Explosion in Halifax Harbour, 1917 includes a detailed account of the event, chronicling many remarkable human tragedies, rescue and relief efforts, attempts to place blame for the collision, and the reconstruction program that created Canada’s first government-assisted housing program. The newest Stories of Our Past title includes 60 full-colour images as well as sidebars on many monuments and commemorations that pay tribute to this catastrophic event that took place 100 years ago.
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Counting in Mi’kmaw / Mawkiljemk Mi’kmawiktuk
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$14.95One is Ne’wt, for one bear. Two is Ta’pu, for two women making offerings. Counting from one to ten in English and Mi’kmaw, baby is introduced to both the ancestral language of Mi’kmaki and to Mi’kmaw culture and legend, through beautifully rendered illustrations of important animals, like turtle, bear, and beaver, to concepts integral to the Mi’kmaw world view, like the Four (Ne’w) Directions, and the Seven (L’luiknek) Mi’kmaw teachings. Features bright and detailed illustrations from celebrated Waycobah-based Mi’kmaw illustrator, Loretta Gould.
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Me & Mr. Bell
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$11.95It’s 1908, and ten-year-old Eddie MacDonald shares Alexander Graham Bell’s passion for solving problems and for taking long walks in the fields above Bras d’Or Lake.
But whereas Bell is renowned by many for being the smartest man in the world, Eddie is just a local farm boy who struggles to learn to read and write. After a few chance encounters, the elderly Bell befriends the young boy, and takes an interest in his struggle—encouraging Eddie to celebrate his successes and never give up.
When Bell’s long ambition for manned flight culminates in the Silver Dart soaring over Bras d’Or Lake, Eddie is inspired to find solutions to his own challenges.
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Historic House Names of Nova Scotia
$17.95Mount Uniacke, Acacia Grove, Winckworth, Saint’s Rest, Spruce Tree Cottage. Ever wonder how Nova Scotia houses got their names? The better-known names are largely connected with prominent historical figures who resided in commodious homes with sprawling grounds, but the naming tradition was far more prevalent than that. Historic House Names of Nova Scotia provides a fascinating look at the house-naming tradition in Nova Scotia. What sorts of names did Bluenoses create, and what did the names mean? Author and historian Joe Ballard has amassed a wealth of historical information and photos on the subject.
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A Blinding Light
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$14.95It’s 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The First World War is raging, and despite its distance from the conflict, the Halifax Harbour is bustling with activity. Anti-German prejudice is rampant, and though 12-year-old Livy Schroeder and her 15-year-old brother Will are still mourning the loss of their father, who died in a mysterious boating accident just six months before, his German heritage doesn’t merit them much sympathy. The rumours he’d been a German spy are only flamed by his disappearance.
On the morning of December 6, while Livy is in Richmond begging forgiveness from the Schroeders’ former housekeeper, Will is atop Citadel Hill reporting for the school paper, when he sees two ships collide. A flash of light, then thunder from underground: the Halifax Explosion hits. Instantly, the city is unrecognizable. Lost and separated in the dark, destroyed city, will the siblings find each other again? Where is their mother? And who is to blame for the catastrophe?
In A Blinding Light, award-winning author Julie Lawson (No Safe Harbour) tells a riveting story of the Halifax Explosion and its aftermath, exploring the concepts of guilt, blame, and taking ownership, the divide between the rich and poor, locals and immigrants, as well as the human bonds that arise in times of tragedy. Young readers will be spellbound, and teachers and librarians will find plenty of topics for discussion in the book’s historical and cultural lessons.
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Flavours of New Brunswick The Best Recipes from Our Kitchens
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Bursting with recipes from land and sea, Flavours of New Brunswick brings together the best-loved appetizers, entrées, soups, preserves, desserts, and more from Karen Powell’s popular cookbooks. If you loved Taste of New Brunswick or the original Flavours of New Brunswick, this updated edition is for you. Featuring time-tested favourites like Fundy Fog Pea Soup and crowd-pleasers like Fiddlehead Fry and Leek and Salmon Pizza, these delicious recipes are as fun to make as they are to share!
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The Walking Bathroom
Artist: Erin Bennett BanksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95It’s Halloween and Amayah doesn’t have a costume to wear to school. She dressed as a ghost for the last three years in a row, witches are overdone, and fairies are not her style. She wants to be something different, something creative, something no one else in the world has ever been in the history of Halloween.
A sweet story of standing out and fitting in, The Walking Bathroom is the newest book from award-winning author and spoken-word poet Shauntay Grant (Up Home). With fun, vibrant artwork from Erin Bennett Banks (Change of Heart), this imaginative tale is bound to inspire some unique costumes and become a Halloween favourite!
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Portia White A Portrait in Words
Artist: Lara MartinaPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95George Elliott Clarke brings his lyrical brilliance to this personal story, an ode to his great-aunt, the internationally celebrated opera contralto Portia White. From her early years in Halifax to her performance before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1964, the trailblazing, music-filled life of White is celebrated in this stirring tribute, with illustrations from artist Lara Martina.
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A Giant Man from a Tiny Town A Story of Angus MacAskill
Artist: Christopher HoytPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95When Angus MacAskill was still just a boy, he began to grow…and grow…and…grow! Known far and wide as the Cape Breton Giant, Angus was loved by his neighbours as much for his beautiful singing voice as for his renowned strength. But as much as Angus loved his little town of St. Ann’s, Cape Breton, he decided to leave and seek fortune and adventure.
With heartfelt text from critically acclaimed author Tom Ryan and meticulously researched and joyful illustrations from Christopher Hoyt (A is for Adventure), A Giant Man from a Tiny Town tells the story of a remarkable man who travelled the world performing for crowds, but never stopped longing to return to the place he loved the best: his Cape Breton home.
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Sidney Crosby, Hat Trick Edition The Story of a Champion
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Sidney Crosby: The Story of a Champion follows the young Cole Harbour hockey phenomenon through his early years in minor hockey, his dominating run through the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, his recordÂbreaking play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his spectacular contributions to Team Canada at international competitions. With colour photographs of Crosby in action and featuring interviews from coaches, teammates, and hockey insiders like Pierre McGuire, this accessible, visual book is the account of a onceÂinÂaÂgeneration hockey talent and his path to greatness.
This new edition features updates and a new chapter and photos showcasing Crosby’s recent achievements.
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A Bird on Every Tree
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Carol Bruneau, author of six acclaimed works of fiction (most recently, These Good Hands), brings her finely honed voice to 12 new stories about shifting concepts of Nova Scotian identity.
In “The Race,” a war bride’s remarkable life trajectory unfolds as she competes in an international swim marathon in the Northwest Arm. Strain erupts between a Haligonian couple in “Burning Times,” while they struggle to keep track of one another, both physically and emotionally, on an Italian vacation. In “Polio Beach,” cousins gather oceanside over the will of a recently deceased aunt who once saved one of them from drowning.
Writing with empathy, humour, and linguistic precision, Bruneau follows characters who find themselves connected to Nova Scotia by birth, through attempts at escape and new beginnings, or as a temporary resting place, always carrying with them their own idiosyncratic and complex definitions of “home.”
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Broken Pieces An Orphan of the Halifax Explosion
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95One hundred years ago, on December 6, 1917, the French munitions ship Mont Blanc collided with the Belgian relief vessel Imo in the Halifax Harbour. At first, a small fire broke out aboard the Mont Blanc, which grew bigger crowds of people and emergency responders linded the shores of Halifax and Dartmouth to get a better look. Suddenly, the Mont Blanc‘s explosive cargo blew up, flattening homes and businesses, and triggering a tsunami.
Amid the confusion and devastation that followed the blast was fourteen-year-old Barbara Orr, who had been walking from her neighbourhood in Richmond to a friend’s house. Follow Barbara as she navigates post-explosion Halifax, learning about rescue efforts, the kindness of strangers, and the bravery of heroes like Vincent Coleman along the way.
Part of the popular Compass series, this full-colour non-fiction book includes highlighted glossary terms, informative sidebars, over 50 illustrations and historical photographs, a detailed index, and recommended further reading. In commemoration of the tragic event’s 100th anniversary, Broken Pieces is a great resource for young readers and educators.
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Old Man Told Us (new edition)
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95The Mi’kmaq people have been living in what is now Atlantic Canada for two thousand years or more, yet written history has largely ignored them, presenting them merely as a homogeneous mass or as statistics. Renowned Micmac specialist Ruth Holmes Whitehead, formerly staff ethnologist and assistant curator in history at the Nova Scotia Museum, tries to redress that omission by restoring to the collective memory a true sense of the Mi’kmaq. In this rich collection, oral and written, Mi’kmaq accounts juxtapose contemporary European perceptions of native peoples, as documented in letters, journals, court cases, and much more. Above all, The Old Man Told Us is a historical jigsaw puzzle, a display of fragments of broken mirror in which one can capture moments in the lives of particular people. It is a book of excerpts from whatever scattered documentation has survived over the centuries.
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December 1917 (new edition) Re-visiting the Halifax Explosion
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95December 1917 is a photographic guide to the Halifax Explosion by noted local historians Janet Kitz and Joan Payzant. The authors profile locations in both Halifax and Dartmouth that were affected by the explosion, looking at the role of the explosion in the transformation of the two cities. Stories and anecdotes reveal the ways in which the explosion touched the lives of citizens, and original research brings to light new aspects of the explosion. The book is richly illustrated with more than 100 historic and contemporary photographs.
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Nova Scotia’s Industrial Heritage A Guidebook
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95If you drive across Nova Scotia, you will see abandoned rail lines and sleepy towns that once hummed with mills and mines. If you look closely enough, you will see the remnants of the province’s industrial revolution, which began in the 1850s and faded away a century later. In this well-researched, compact guidebook, author and historian David Rollinson identifies and explores many of the historic sites and cultural artifacts that record this era. Included are over 70 sites of interest from across the province, from the shipbuilding display at the Bear River Heritage Museum to the Digby Rail Trails on the old rail bed out of Digby which overlooks the Annapolis Basin. Organized by industry–power, natural resources, agriculture, crafts, and transportation–and by county, plus featuring 60 fascinating images, Nova Scotia’s Industrial Heritage will appeal to tourists travelling by car as well as locals interested in industry, their roots, and social change.
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Nova Scotia Place Names
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Washabuck is not a place to launder money; Ecum Secum is not a children’s game; Joggins has nothing to do with anything athletic.
They are just some of the 1,421 Nova Scotia place names whose origins, where they are known, are explained in this book. The history of each name is succinctly chronicled with an emphasis on events past and current that are historically significant, offbeat, or humorous. This quirky and informative guide also contains a treasure trove of the province’s little-known facts and occurrences and 95 mini-biographies of famous, infamous, and not-so-famous-but-still-very-interesting Nova Scotians, folks who achieved something outstandingly positive, or negative, during their lifetimes.
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Pantry and Palate Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$34.95In Pantry and Palate, journalist Simon Thibault explores his Acadian roots by scouring old family recipes, ladies’ auxiliary cookbooks, and folk wisdom for 50 of the best-loved recipes of Acadians past and present. Recipes run the gamut from Acadian staples such as potato pancakes called Fring Frangs, Rappie Pie, Chicken Fricot, and various forms of meat pies; old-fashioned foodways, such as how to render your own lard, and make the most of out a pig’s head; and sumptuous sweets take the form of Rhubarb Custard Pie or a simple Molasses Cake. Thibault not only discovers the past lives of his immediate and extended family, but their larders as well.
Including essays celebrating the stories behind the recipes, a foreword by bestselling author Naomi Duguid (Taste of Persia), and photos by noted food photographer Noah Fecks (The Up South Cookbook), Pantry and Palate is magnifique from page to plate.
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Nova Scotia at War, 1914-1919
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95When the First World War ended in 1918, its profound impact did not. The war continued to haunt a nation. Nova Scotia at War, 1914-1919 is an in-depth study of Nova Scotia’s role that was, at the time, the most traumatic collective experience in the history of Canadians. As Tennyson explores in nine fascinating chapters, the war effort was more than just the brave soldiers and sailors who went overseas; it was also the civilians who worked in the fishery, on the farms, and in the forests, coals mines, and steel mills.
A specialist in early twentieth-century Canadian political history, author and historian Brian Tennyson examines the economic impact of the war, which shattered Nova Scotia’s dream of becoming the Atlantic gateway and the industrial heartland of Canada. Includes 30 black and white photos.
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Short History of Fredericton
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95Sitting along the scenic St. John River and tucked into the surrounding wilderness, Fredericton bristles with history as New Brunswick’s capital. With Maliseet, French, and British origins, this colonial garrison town quickly became the political centre for the area as it grew with the efforts of Loyalist settlers and others in the 1780s. In an engaging narrative style, author Dan Soucoup traces Fredericton’s development through the contributions of leading citizens and the significant events that saw commercial growth and the first Canadian literary movement.
Through the social and political tensions of the 1960s and 70s up to the present, A Short History of Fredericton records the entire history of the city in a highly accessible manner. This book is ideal for tourists seeking a concise historical overview of Fredericton, as well as for citizens wanting to know how their city came to be. Includes 30 black and white photos.
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Georges Island The Keep of Halifax Harbour
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Georges Island has long stood guard in Halifax Harbour. Used in the seventeenth century as a place to dry fish by a nearby Acadian/Mi’kmaq village, the island came under control of the British with the founding of Halifax in 1749. The first wooden battery, established in 1750 and rebuilt as a stone fortress in the 1790s, was continuously modernized and manned by both British and Canadian soldiers right up until the Second World War.
The historical tour describes the fascinating evolution of Georges Island, from the site of the town’s first gaol and quarantine station, to a detention centre from which Acadians awaited their fate. Further chapters describe the features that bring the island to life, such as secret tunnels, ghosts, and the lighthouse that still guides ships to port. Includes over 150 photos, paintings, maps, and contemporary letters.
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A Real Newfoundland Scoff Using Traditional Ingredients in Today’s Kitchens
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Inspired by her desire to stay connected to the food of her home province, culinary writer Liz Feltham goes back to her roots to bring fresh and modern twists to favourite Newfoundland meals. A Real Newfoundland Scoff provides recipes using traditional ingredients from the sea, land, air, bakeshop, and bar to create non-traditional dishes. Above all, Liz encourages readers to use this cookbook as a guide to exploring, discovering, and creating new versions of their old Newfoundland favourites.
Packed with fifty-six new recipes, thirty colour photographs, and a guide for buying Newfoundland ingredients in Atlantic Canada, this cookbook will appeal to all Newfoundland chefs, traditional and adventurous alike.
