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Quilts of Prince Edward Island
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$35.00Thoroughly researched and beautifully presented, this book documents the story of quilt making on Prince Edward Island.
In September 1991, Sherrie Davidson began the Heirloom Quilt Survey on PEI. Her goal was to document and preserve the rich island history of quilt making from its beginning in the 1700s to 1970. After almost twenty years, this book, Quilts of Prince Edward Island, is the result
In her quest, Davidson visited over one hundred island homes, each containing memories, often very personal, of family life on PEI through the years. Quilts of Prince Edward Island offers examples of every aspect of island quiltmaking and also documents the story of island quilt making over the past three centuries.
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Fishes in the Seas
Artist: Peter ManchesterPublisher: Muddle Puddle Books$12.95Living in the Maritimes is a unique experience. In this new book of verse for the very young Shirley Downey shares her joy of language and her love of this special part of the world. Full of vibrantly textured illustrations, Fishes in the Seas: Poems for Maritime Kids is a wonderful reading experience for adults and children to share.
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Mud Muddelicious Mud
Artist: Phoebe Anne MageePublisher: Muddle Puddle Books$12.95Verse for the very young, Mud Muddelicious Mud or The Mud Book as it is most often described, is one that over time many children have kept as their very favourite. Squishing mud through toes seems to have a universal appeal to children and adults alike. Poems are a mixture of moods but mostly fun.
Flying feathers ducky down
Swirling softly round and round
Plucky ducky oh so bare
Shivers in his underwear.The delightful illustrations by artist Phoebe Anne Magee make the poetry come alive.
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Cape Breton Wonders
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press$19.95Did you ever wonder why… your mother re-washed the wash?Did you ever wonder why… the lighthouse lights, or why the miners risked their lives?
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Giants of Nova Scotia
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$16.95This double biography depicts the lives of the famed Nova Scotia giantess Anna Swan (1846-88) and the celebrated Cape Breton giant Angus McAskill (1825-63). These two splendid and singular celebrities toured the world entertaining royalty and impressing audiences from town halls to palaces. Angus and Anna’s Scottish influences were deeply embedded from childhood and although it was unlikely the two ever met, the similarities in their lives were uncanny. During their adventures, both giants worked with and met many unusual characters. Both met Queen Victoria. Anna married an American giant and the two toured as “The Tallest Married Couple in the World.” The book explores the causes of gigantism and how this rare condition shaped the lives and personalities of these two Nova Scotians. Anna and Angus were born to normal-sized, hard-working parents and grew up in rural surroundings but rose to great stardom on the world stage. Both were regarded for their kind hearts and compassion for others. They have left a meaningful message for readers that resonates more than a century after their deaths. Both are honoured at museums in Nova Scotia that house their artifacts. Thousands of people flock to these sites to learn about these great giants.
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Sterling Silver
Publisher: Breton Books$16.95The personal essay has so much potential as a literary form that it’s gratifying to see it being skilfully and engagingly employed in this book. Silver Donald Cameron has plenty on his mind, and he knows how to hold our attention. Cameron easily entices us into his essay “Rocky Mountain High” with this for openers:”Downhill skiing is a certifiably silly sport, I whimper to myself as the chair-lift bears me inexorably over the treetops and gullies, like a slab of beef going around the overhead conveyors in an abattoir. “.
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Sterling Silver The 25th Anniversary Edition Rants, Raves and Revelations
Publisher: Breton Books$18.95This 25th Anniversary Edition of Sterling Silver celebrates a marvellous collection of classic essays and stories by Silver Donald Cameron. Like visits with an entertaining and deeply committed friend, Sterling Silver takes on love and suicide, fear and community and craftsmanship—and a Canada in which a good life should still be possible. Cameron opened his archives of published and unpublished work—turning Sterling Silver into a rare opportunity for his fans and an extraordinary introduction for new readers. Editor Ronald Caplan has mined for treasure—and he’s brought it back alive!
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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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Sailing for Everyone
Publisher: WoodenBoat Books$14.25Boatbuilder, sailor, and teacher Simon Watts divides his time between San Francisco, and the family summer home on Middle Island, near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
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Dykes & Aboiteaux
Publisher: Societe de Grand-Pre$5.95Sally Ross studied in France and taught the history and culture of French Canada for ten years and now works as an author, translator, and consultant.
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Marcher dans le ciel
Publisher: Bouton d'or Acadie$12.95Poet laureate and spoken word artist Sonia Cotton with the help of Annie Boulanger’s loving illustrations have created a unique book. Arrival of new neighbours, search for self-esteem, loss of a beloved grand-father, existence of time, mental stability, joy of creativity, amongst other, are explored with simple and yet profound words and images. A great high in content, low in reading difficulty book, sure to stimulate family or class room discussions.
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The Disappearing Boy
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Thirteen-year-old Neil MacLeod feels like a fish out of water. He’s trying to adjust to his new life in Ottawa, but it’s half a continent away from his friends in Vancouver, not to mention a whole lot colder. Even worse, his mother still refuses to tell him the truth about the father he’s never met.
After being forced into an awkward visit with a grandmother he never knew existed, Neil stumbles across a clue to his father’s identity, and beins to unravel the mystery with some help from his new friend Courtenay. When he uncovers a shocking secret, and the truth about his unconventional family sinks in, Neil decides to run away, all the way to his grandfather’s horse farm in New Brunswick.
A sensitive and moving story about growing up, The Disappearing Boy teaches us that every family is different, and love is never as simple as it seems on the surface.
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What If ? – Springvale
Publisher: Acorn Press$9.95Students of Valerie Dockendorff’s grade 5/6 at Springvale Elementary, Halifax, have written and illustrated a book to address a variety of world issues in a positive manner. We wish to raise awareness about problems faced by kids all over the world by imagining what it would be like if the problems didn’t exist! All messages and illustrations depict positive images that send a message of hope and provide concrete ways for readers to take action to celebrate and improve our world….word by word.
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Sails of Fundy
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$16.95A native of Kentville, Nova Scotia, Stanley T. Spicer is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick, Acadia University and Springfield College. He was New Brunswick’s first provincial Director of Physical Eduacation and Recreation from 1947 to 1966 before joining the federal Fitness and Amateur Sport Branch in Ottawa where he served until 1979. He was the first person from the Atlantic Provinces to receive the Honour Award of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Spicer is the author of numerous articles for Canadian and American publications and five previous books, including The Saga of the Mary Celeste.
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Saga of the Mary Celeste
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$9.95In December, 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste was discovered at sea with sails set and everything in order; however, no one was on board or was ever found. The Saga of the Mary Celeste details this great sea mystery.Stanley T. Spicer is the author of numerous books and articles including Glooscap Legends and Captain From Fundy. He lives in Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia.
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My Goat Gertrude
Artist: Dayle DodwellPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$18.95Starr Dobson is a little girl living in a big, rambling house in the country with her family and lots of pets–including a mischievous goat, Gertrude Allawishes, who is known for eating anything and everything. One day Starr’s cousin Leanne comes to visit, but this time, she’s only brought one chocolate bar and doesn’t want to share with Starr. Before either Starr or Leanne realize what is happening, Gertrude arrives and solves the problem! Although names have been changed to protect certain cousins (who usually shared their chocolate just fine), Starr’s account of Gertrude Allawishes and her bizarre tastes is absolutely true!
Now available in a softcover edition.
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My Goat Gertrude
Artist: Dayle DodwellPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Starr Dobson is a little girl living in a big, rambling house in the country with her family and lots of pets–including a mischievous goat, Gertrude Allawishes, who is known for eating anything and everything. One day Starr’s cousin Leanne comes to visit, but this time, she’s only brought one chocolate bar and doesn’t want to share with Starr. Before either Starr or Leanne realize what is happening, Gertrude arrives and solves the problem! Although names have been changed to protect certain cousins (who usually shared their chocolate just fine), Starr’s account of Gertrude Allawishes and her bizarre tastes is absolutely true! Now available in a softcover edition.
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Gertrude at the Beach
Artist: Dayle DodwellPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Everyone’s favourite goat, Gertrude Allawishes, is back! School is out for the summer, and Starr and her family—even Gertrude—are heading to the cottage. Starr’s mom is worried Gertrude will get into trouble. But it isn’t long before Gertrude proves she is one loyal goat and saves the day!
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Nova Scotia in Your Pocket
$9.95A photographic tour of some of Nova Scotia’s most popular and historic sights.
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Halifax in Your Pocket
$9.95A photographic tour of Halifax’s most popular and historic sights, this little book is ideal for pocket or purse. Acts as a first step in exploring Halifax’s colourful past, as well as the vibrant present day city.
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Ashes of My Dreams
Publisher: Acorn Press$22.95Pregnant, abandoned by her lover, and cut off from her family, free-spirited and independent Gracie is determined to keep her baby and to raise him on her own.
Protecting Elijah Blue from the nuns eager to adopt him out to a “better” home is only Gracie’s first battle…
It takes a whole community of colourful neighbours and friends—and the dream-wisdom of spirits that protect her—for Gracie to navigate the cruel and impoverishing systems that judge and harass her as a single mom on PEI.
She gets through with pride, grit, and humour—but nothing can protect her from her growing son’s desire to know his father’s identity.
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Mi’kmaq
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Another in the series of books detailing the culture of the many people who make up the population of the Maritimes. A history of origins, settlement and contribution to Maritime life.
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The Sweetness in the Lime
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95A bittersweet story following fiftysomething Eli Cooper that takes readers from Havana, to Halifax, to Miami, and back again, The Sweetness in the Lime is a charming, clever novel that peels back the rind to discover there really is sweetness in the lime of life.
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Flight 111
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$27.95Fifteen years later, the crash of Swissair Flight 111 remains one of the largest aviation accidents ever recorded. The crash claimed over two hundred victims, and changed the course of countless lives, from the victims’s friends and relatives, the dedicated individuals who helped with the search and investigation, and the residents who welcomed the victims’ families into their homes. Award-winning writer Steven Kimber has collected their stories, starting with the seemingly innocent events leading up to the fatal day on September 2, 1998, the search for survivors, and failing that, the pursuit for answers. Kimber successfully combines these accounts in a lively, heart-wrenching style to give a human face to one of the worst tragedies in Canadian history. This new edition includes an afterword with updated information from the investigation.
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Halifax Warden of the North (Updated Edition)
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95First published in 1948, Halifax Warden of the North has remained the best-known and most influential chronicle of Halifax since it first hit the shelves. In this updated version of the Governor General’s Award-winning history of Halifax, celebrated journalist Stephen Kimber picks up where Thomas Raddall left off, adding three new chapters that cover the city’s history from the mid-1960s to the present day, including the destruction of Africville, the arrival of the Buddhists in the 1970s and 80s, the amalgamation of HRM in the 1990s, and the storms of the most recent decade.
Already the definitive history of Halifax, this newly updated edition of Raddall’s fascinating historical portrait will be an essential addition to all local historians’ libraries.
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Big Town A Novel of Africville
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$18.95Seventeen-year-old Early Okander lives with his father in a shack, a white family on the outskirts of the Halifax community of Africville. It is the early 1960s, and Early and his young friends, Toby and Chub, start to hear whispers that the city wants to move the residents of Africville out of their homes. As the three try to sort out what relocation might mean for the community, they also struggle to come to terms with their own problems: Early’s abuse at the hands of his father, Toby’s illness, Chub’s family breakdown.
Written from Early’s unique perspetive, Big Town is an unforgettable account of a community in crisis and the remarkable spirit that persists in the face of adversity.
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Getting It Done
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press$24.95It’s often said that the future of Cape Breton depends on the vision and initiative of her sons and daughters. But when we go on a quest for leadership –what is it we’re looking for? Originally conceived as a series for CBC Radio and now adopted to book form, Getting It Done is an exploration of effective leadership through the experiences of people who have “been there.” From cabinet ministers to CEOs, a Juno winner to an Olympic medalist and two former premiers, Steve Sutherland delves into the habits and philosophies of some Cape Breton’s most prominent and influential figures. Featuring exclusive material that didn’t appear in the original radio interviews, Getting It Done is a compendium of insights about how these leaders got where they are, and what they do to make things happen.
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Maritime Monsters
Artist: Jeff SolwayPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95This children’s picture book is a field guide to Maritime monsters, taken from local folklore and legends. The monsters described include Prince Edward Island’s Old Hook-Snout, New Brunswick’s Acadian Werewolf, Nova Scotia’s Parker Road Phantom and Newfoundland’s Not-So-Cuddly Kraken!
Each entry includes a short story featuring the monster and a field guide entry: location, diet, size, frequency, description, and special monster-hunting advice. An indispensable resource for the young Maritime monster hunter!