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Suddenly, the Cider Didn’t Taste So Good Adventures of a Game Warden in Maine
Publisher: Islandport Press$18.95Retired Maine Game Warden John Ford has seen it all. He’s been shot at by desperate prison escapees, been outwittedby wily trappers, and rescued scores of animals. As a tenacious and successful warden, he was always willing tospend the time needed to nab violators of the state’s fish and game laws. At the same time, though, he wasn’t a cold,heartless, go-by-the-book enforcer; he usually had a good quip ready when he slipped the handcuffs on a violator,and he wasn’t above accepting a lesson learned as sufficient penalty for breaking the law. Ford is also a very giftedstoryteller and he writes of his adventures in Suddenly, the Cider Didn’t Taste So Good, a collection of true tales, bothhumorous and serious, from the trenches of law enforcement, and also includes heartwarming accounts of his rescueof hurt or abandoned animals.
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The Little Tree by the Sea
Artist: Belle DeMontPublisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$17.95On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in wartime Halifax Harbour, creating what became the largest man-made explosion of its time. More than 2000 people died (500 of those children) and 9,000 were injured. A single little tree whispered from its branches the word “Help” that was carried by the wind to the people of Boston. Within 48 hours Boston and Massachusetts organized trains to carry 33 doctors and 79 nurses. To repay the City of Boston for its generosity, the little tree (which now had become huge and majestic tree) was given to the city of Boston as a way to say thank you, a tradition that continues to this day.
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New London: The Lost Dream
Publisher: Island Studies Press$27.95Sometimes, fact is better than fiction. In 1773 a group of Quaker tradespeople and their families from London, England settled on Prince Edward Island’s north shore. Rather than farming or fishing, their dream was to create a “new”– a bustling, commercial outpost–on what they considered to be a doorstep to the new world. New London survived and occasionally thrived for twenty years. This is its remarkable story.
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The Men of the Deeps A Journey With North America’s Only Coal Miners’ Chorus
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press$19.95Formed in 1966 with a goal of performing at the World’s Fair in Montreal in 1967 (Expo ’67), the Men of the Deeps is North America’s only coal miners’ chorus. Over the span of fifty years, the choir has performed all across North America, in China and in Europe. As the choir’s musical director for more than forty years, John C. (Jack) O’Donnell marks the travels and performances of a half-century in the spotlight.
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Pete Culler’s Boats
Publisher: WoodenBoat Books$38.45John Burke spent much of his life in and out of the Culler house and shop. He has been a professional boatbuilder as well as contributor to WoodenBoat magazine.
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How to Build Glued Lapstrake Wooden Boats
Publisher: WoodenBoat Books$43.95As a child, John Brooks loved to build models and sail with his grandfather. When most teenagers were at the prom, John was changing jibs in the Indian Ocean, halfway through a 35,000-mile, two-year cruise. He began building boats in commercial yards at 19, while studying boat design and building his own boats. John worked for many years honing his craftsmanship on fine yachts, small boats, custom furniture, and a harpsichord. He has been a instructor at the WoodenBoat School in Maine since the mid-1990s, teaching glued-lapstrake boatbuilding, fine interior joinery, and carving. Ruth Ann Hill grew up on the coast of Maine. A writer, boatbuilding assistant, naturalist, and graphic artist, Ruth is the author of Discovering Old Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park: An Unconventional Guide and a contributing editor for Maine Boats & Harbors magazine. John and Ruth started their business, Brooks Boats, in 1991. They design and build glued-lapstrake boats in West Brooklin, Maine-and get out to enjoy their handiwork in its proper element whenever they can.
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Where the Water Meets the Land
Publisher: Saltscapes$17.95In 1976, the Waterfront Development Corporation Limited was created, with responsibilities for the redevelopment of the Halifax, Dartmouth and-later-Bedford waterfronts to restore the flavour and vigour of an earlier time. In Where the Water Meets the Land, author and historian John Boileau recounts the story of Halifax Harbour and its waterfront from prehistory to the modern day, detailing the rise and decline of the historic area, and its rejuvenation during the last 30 years under the guidance of the Waterfront Development Corporation Limited.
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Halifax and Titanic
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95The story of Titanic’s tragic sinking on April 15, 1912, has been told countless times in films and books, inscribing it into popular culture as perhaps the best-known disaster of all-time. When Titanic went down off the coast of Newfoundland, the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the base from which recovery operations were mounted. Eventually, 337 bodies were recovered, the majority of them by ships dispatched from Halifax. Of this total, 128 were buried at sea and 209 were delivered to Halifax—150 of those buried in three Halifax cemeteries. They remain there to this day, the largest number of Titanic graves in the world, cared for in perpetuity by the city and visited by thousands of people each year.
On the one-hundredth anniversary of Titanic’s sinking, author John Boileau examines the relationship between the city and the unprecedented tragedy. This illustrated history includes over 100 historical photographs of the people and places involved in Halifax’s sombre recovery effort.
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6/12/17
Publisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$22.95On December 6, 1917, two tramp steamers, the Mont-Blanc and the Imo, collided in wartime Halifax Harbour, creating what became the largest man-made explosion of its time. More than 2,000 people died, 9,000 were injured, 6,000 people were left homeless and an additional 19,000 were left without adequate shelter. In a combination of words and images (many never seen before), John Boileau delivers a breathtaking account of the magnitude of this event.
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Valiant Hearts
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95Valiant Hearts chronicles the stories of inspiration and courage shown by men in wartime, stretching from the Crimean War (1854-1856) to World War Two, telling the life stories of the gallant men from Atlantic Canada who won that most coveted of bravery awards- the Victoria Cross.
The twenty men profiled in this book all have strong connections to Atlantic Canada (11 of them were born in the region; 9 have other ties to the region, having either lived or served here). With a focus on historical accuracy, this book tells the stories of these courageous men by filling in the details of their lives before and, for those who survived, after winning the VC, with attention to the specific events that led to their recognition as heroes.
No comparable book has ever been written. Most books about Canadian Victoria Cross winners cover the entire country and were published some time ago. Most of the previously published books contain little more than citations for the awards or excerpts from them, with only the briefest of personal details. This book is particular to the Atlantic region, and is detailed, personal and informative as well as being carefully written. -
Historic Eastern Passage
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95Drawing upon powerful images and stories of the past, John Boileau takes readers on a journey through the Eastern Passage region, including Imperoyal, Shearwater, South East Passage, Cow Bay, McNab’s Island, Lawlor’s Island, and Devil’s Island. From fortifications and quarantine sites to aviation bases and even to Bill Lynch’s amusement rides and buried treasure, Historic Eastern Passage illuminates the history of the region to the end of the Second World War.
Follow Helen Creighton on her search to record folk music and stories, or learn how the air base played a role in the first flight across the Atlantic. With attention to both the special and everyday events, a full picture of what life was once like in Eastern Passage is vividly depicted.
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Halifax and the Royal Canadian Navy
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95On May 4, 1910, the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier passed the Naval Service Act, which created the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Ever since, the RCN and the city of Halifax-a strategic Canadian port on the Atlantic-have been partners. During the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic, Halifax was a major centre of operations for the RCN, which was tasked with the crucial missions of escorting merchant ships and hunting German U-Boats not far off Halifax’s coast. But the relationship with the city of Halifax was not without turmoil: at the conclusion of the war the pent-up frustrations of sailors boiled over into the V-E Day riots.
Part of the popular Images of Our Past series, Halifax and the RCN marks the centennial of the Royal Canadian Navy’s founding in 1910. Author John Boileau’s superbly researched narrative is supplemented with over 150 historical photos of the sailors, ships, and shore establishments that defined the RCN. An accessible and lively photographic history, Halifax and the RCN is a worthy tribute to the Royal Canadian Navy and its home port.
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Amazing Atlantic Canadian Kids Awesome Stories of Bravery and Adventure
Artist: James BentleyPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Celebrate the amazing accomplishments of kids from across the East Coast in this book, the first in a new illustrated series about Amazing Atlantic Canadians. Learn about incredible young people excelling as athletes and inventors, overcoming adversity and even saving lives. Includes over 50 amazing, diverse youth from history to present day and shows young readers that greatness has no age limit.
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Practical Small Boat Designs
Publisher: WoodenBoat Books$24.15As fans of Atkin designs well know, the name Atkin has long been associated with the best in basic boats. If you are looking for the “right little boat” to build–or have built–or if you just enjoy dreaming over boat plans, you’ll be more than pleased with this collection of John an Billy Atkin’s most successful designs.Includes Willy Winship: 14′ flat-bottom racing skiff, Liza Jane: 19′ v-bottomed knockabout, Shore Liner: 24′ flat-bottomed jib-headed sloop, Ninigret: 22′ v-bottomed bassboat, Florence Oakland: 22’5” v-bottomed schooner, Finkeldink: 9′ pram, Great Bear: 28′ flat-bottomed sloop, Nina: 11’4” flat-bottomed sailing skiff, Handy Andy: 8′ round-bottomed sailing dinghy, and more.Out of print for far too long, we’ve brought this book back into print, and updated with a new foreword by Mike O’Brien, long-time WoodenBoat magazine editor, and publisher of Boat Design Quarterly.
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Life and Times of Joe Casey
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$19.95Joe Casey’s quick wit and indomitable spirit have enabled him to take risks in every job he ever undertook. Born in Annapolis County in1918 and still going strong, he will make you laugh your way through the many dramatic events if his active life. As a boy, he delivered his mother’s loaves of bread up and down the Victoria Beach Road and later in life he would break bread with the rich and famous. As a third-generation harbour pilot, he faced many dangers piloting munitions-laden ships through Digby Gap during the war and piloting ships of all kinds in the most severe weather.
Joe’s life story, filled with anecdotes and humour, mirrors the history of Nova Scotia in the twentieth century. It shows how that history shaped the man and how the man shaped history –as harbour pilot, fisherman, fish plant owner, lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy, hotel owner as well as member and Deputy Speaker of Nova Scotia Legislature.
Joe has pitted his storytelling skills against some of the best, including American actor James Cagney. On another occasion, a sailing trip down the East Coast, Joe’s spirit of competition led him to trade tales with Robert Ripley of Believe it or not fame. In this volume, his rich stories bring the past alive.
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Cultures of Militarization
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press$39.95Special Edition of TOPIA Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies
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Plants for Atlantic Gardens Handsome and Hard-working Shrubs, Trees, and Perennials
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95With all the special challenges associated with gardening in Atlantic Canada, in-depth information and genuine inspiration are even more important. Plants for Atlantic Gardens is your go-to resource for growing perennials, shrubs, and trees on the East Coast. Well-known gardening columnist Jodi DeLong profiles over 100 of the best species for planting in Atlantic Canadian gardens. Each plant description includes essential gardening information, such as growing requirements, hardiness, height, and bloom period. In an accessible, friendly writing style, Jodi also tells prospective gardeners about the plant’s natural history in the region and shares her own experiences-both good and bad!
The book includes a hardiness map, Jodi’s list of preferred further reading, and short sidebars on useful topics like soil type, native plants, and pollinators. Over 200 colour photos provide readers a great opportunity to truly assess each plant’s suitability for their own gardens.
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Historic Baddeck
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95Historic Baddeck takes us on the town’s journey of early discovery and later growth, from the first few houses set among Atlantic aboriginal wigwams to what Baddeck is today–a magnificent summer escape and thriving lakeside village. Author Joceyln Bethune has paired some of the town’s most captivating historical images and presented them with compact and interesting vignettes of the region’s past.
Part of the Images of Our Past series.
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Seashells Treasures From the Northeast Coast
Publisher: Islandport Press$12.95Let the treasure hunt begin! As any visitor to the beach knows, all sorts of treasures ca be found if you look. This beautifully illustrated pocket guide helps young beachcombers find and identify shells of animals commonly found in the Northeast from Maine’s rocky coast to the sandy shores of Cape Cod and Long Island.
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Fiddleheads to Fir Trees : Leaves in all Seasons
Artist: Laurie CaplePublisher: Mountain Press Publishing$12.00Children will be delighted by the fourteen diverse North American plants depicted in Fiddleheads to Fir Trees, from weeping willow and cedar to cattail and poison ivy. The plants are organized by season, starting with the tender fiddleheads of a fern in early spring and ending with the snow-dusted needles of the balsam fir.
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Coastal Nova Scotia
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$11.95A selective guide to outdoor activity in Nova Scotia, including both challenging, invigorating recreation and relaxing activities. Organized by region, this book has activities for all ages.
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Lightning and Blackberries
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$10.95Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Evans is the privileged and naive only child of prominent New Englanders, part of a group of Planters who settled in Nova Scotia following the deportation of the Acadian people. As a teenager, she is leading a carefree life in the Annapolis Valley, tending to her cows on the family farm, daydreaming by the brook, and resisting her mother’s attempts to refine her manners and marry her off. She thinks nothing will ever change. But a stranger’s arrival at Evans Hall, and a chance meeting with a mysterious Acadian girl in the woods nearby turn Elizabeth’s carefree life upside down. And when she learns the truth about the history of the farm she loves so well, she knows nothing will ever be the same.
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Fossil Hunter of Sydney Mines
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$11.95Thirteen-year-old Grace already has too much going on — grieving over her father’s mysterious death, dealing with her distraught mother’s erratic parenting, and evading her creepy nosy neighbour, Mr. Stuckless, just for starters. She and her friends Fred, Mai Ling, and Jeeter like to get away from it all by hunting for fossils near their secret hideaway, the abandoned mine they’ve nicknamed The Black Hole. But when Grace receives a strange note regarding her father’s death, it sets off a chain of events that sees Grace and her friends turning into detectives to solve the mystery behind his suspicious disappearance. As the clues and suspects start piling up and the investigation becomes more and more dangerous, Grace and her friends find themselves racing against time through treacherous sinkholes and abandoned mine shafts to figure out what really happened to her father.
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Lost on Brier Island
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Fourteen-year-old Alex’s life is in ruins. Her family ripped apart by unspeakable tragedy, she is stuck on Brier Island for the summer with her aunt. At first, Alex is desperate to escape this place where everyone’s business is public knowledge and there is too much time to think. But the island begins to work its magic, with its quirky characters, rugged landscape, and whale-filled ocean, and Alex forms a special bond with an adventurous baby whale she names Daredevil.
Through her attachment to Daredevil and the beauty of Brier Island, Alex slowly begins the long journey toward healing. But everything changes when Alex is suddenly thrown into a life-or-death struggle. Can she find the courage and the strength to save Daredevil- and herself?
Moving, funny, and honest, this is a powerful story of losing loved ones and finding yourself, set against the stunning backdrop of Brier Island. -
Buried Secrets at Louisbourg
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Fred has had a rough summer. His secret crush on Mai is going strong, his mother has barely recovered from a battle with cancer, and his unreliable father’s diving business has gone completely underwater.
Now Fred, Mai, and Grace, extraordinary fossil hunters, are at the Fortress of Louisbourg hunting a different kind of treasure. They are secretly excavating the historic site, trying to find a mass of jewels Fred’s ancestor may have buried there—jewels that could save Fred’s family.
But Fred uncovers far more than he bargained for, including a dangerous plot that could leave Fred’s family in even more serious trouble.
The young detectives from the bestselling The Fossil Hunter of Sydney Mines shine in this fast-paced mystery for middle readers.
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The North Atlantic Right Whale Past, Present, and Future
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95The North Atlantic right whale, also called the “urban” whale for its proximity to industrialized regions of North America’s east coast, is one of the largest whales in the world. Averaging 14 metres, and weighing about 40,000 kilograms, it is known for its graceful tail, callosities, lack of dorsal fins, and strong bond with its young. But historically, it was known as the “right” whale to kill, and has been commercially hunted for its abundant blubber and oil since the tenth century.
Considered nearly extinct by the 1950s, the population slowly began to recover due to conservation efforts in the late twentieth-century. But commercial fishing-related deaths in recent years, including the loss of at least seventeen right whales (2% of the population) in the summer of 2017, put the species at a level of critical endangerment. The next few decades will determine whether it survives.
Offering background on the whale’s history, unique biology and behaviour, information on what is killing them and how readers can help, The North Atlantic Right Whale is an important, accessible book that will spark action and increased awareness of the plight of this majestic creature.
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There Be Pirates! Swashbucklers & Rogues of the Atlantic
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95Did you know pirates once sailed the seas around Atlantic Canada? Pirates might seem like fun in the movies, but back in the 17th and 18th centuries—the Golden Age of Piracy—being a pirate was very serious business.
From the Hackmatack award-shortlisted author of Oak Island and the Search for Buried Treasure comes the newest book from Nimbus’s popular Compass series for young readers. Learn about what everyday life was like for some of the fiercest pirates of all time. Explore the history of piracy, from the ancient Romans and Greeks to modern-day pirates. How did pirates navigate the seas? What happened if they were caught? Did pirates really bury treasure?
This full-colour non-fiction book includes highlighted glossary terms, informative sidebars, over 50 colour illustrations and historical photographs, an index, and recommended further reading.
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Oak Island and the Search for the Buried Treasure
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Are Shakespeare’s lost manuscripts buried deep in the notorious Money Pit? Do booby traps conceal the Holy Grail of the Knights Templar or Blackbeard’s pirate loot? The mystery of Oak Island’s rumoured treasure has stumped explorers and researchers for over two hundred years. In this fascinating nonfiction account, librarian Joann Hamilton-Barry introduces young readers to the treasures rumoured to be hidden on Nova Scotia’s famous question mark-shaped island and the curious adventurers who sought it out.
With over 50 maps, photographs, and artefacts, highlighted by educational sidebars, this accessible, entertaining book takes readers from the island’s first treasure hunters to present-day adventurers, and shares tales of pirate gold, mysterious messages, and the famous Oak Island curse.
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Zim s’imagine
Artist: Nathasha PilottePublisher: Bouton d'or Acadie$8.95Domestic cat or street cat, mysterious cat or old cat: all feline friends are adventurers in their own way. Who hasn’t laughed at a silly pose a cat has taken? Zim is a kitty with a vivid imagination, and with him children will discover words, rhymes, pictures and incredible situations!
