EASY

Snowy Valentine By David Petersen

Step out into a snowy Valentine's Day with Jasper the bunny as he searches the forest valley for a special gift for his loved one. In his picture-book debut, David Petersen, the Eisner Award-winning creator of Mouse Guard, tells a delightful tale that becomes the perfect way to say “I love you.”

Too Tall Houses By Gianna Marino

Owl and Rabbit are good friends who live happily in two small houses next to each other ... until Rabbit’s garden grows too tall and blocks Owl’s view. So Owl builds a bigger house to solve the problem. But now Rabbit isn’t happy. Maybe building his house taller will be the solution. Before long, there are two very tall houses and two very unhappy neighbours. What will it take to make them friends again?

FUN FACTS

Kevin Thinks By Gail Watts

Kevin is a child with Asperger Syndrome. He thinks and acts differently from other children. Through Kevin, we learn about some of the difficulties that he encounters every day. His special way of thinking should be interesting for everyone. Many very successful people have had Asperger’s.

Barnum’s Bones By Tracey Fern

In 1897 the American Museum of Natural History had no dinosaur specimen. By 1963 it had the largest collection of dinosaur bones in the world. This was due to the work of one Barnum Brown who collected bones and fossils of a wide variety of living things, his favourite being the T-Rex.

JUNIOR

The Dogs of Winter By Bobbie Pyron

When Ivan's mother disappears, he's left alone on the streets of Moscow. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living in one. But when human help is finally offered to Ivan, will he be able to accept it?

Cake: Love, Chickens, and a Taste of Peculiar By Joyce Magnin

Wilma Sue moves from one foster home to the next –until she is sent to live with sisters, Ruth and Naomi. As Wilma Sue adjusts to her new home, she realizes there's something strange going on. When she investigates, and disaster strikes, all fingers point to Wilma Sue. Will the sisters turn her in, or will she discover what it feels like to be truly loved?

YOUNG ADULT

Romeo Redeemed By Stacey Jay

Romeo is cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, but can redeem himself by travelling back in time to save the life of Ariel. What Ariel doesn’t know is that she holds the fate of the world in her hands. She is at the centre of a power struggle between the Mercenaries, who fight to destroy love and the ambassadors who try to keep it alive.

Break My Hearth 1000 Times By Daniel Waters

Since the Event, everyone is haunted. Living in the aftermath of the Event means that seeing the dead is now a normal part of life. But now the ghosts seem to be gaining more power. When Veronica and her friend Kirk investigate why, they stumble upon a haunting and chilling scheme that may result in the creation of one more ghost.

ADULT

February By Lisa Moore

On Valentine’s Day in 1982, the oil rig Ocean Ranger sank off Newfoundland during a storm. All 84 men aboard died. February is the moving story of Helen, one of the widows left behind, and about love, grief, memory and how we move on with our lives. Long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and a Canada Reads 2013 finalist.

Away By Jane Urquhart

Urquhart’s classic 1993 novel is a Canada Reads 2013 finalist. Away is a lyrical saga shot through with Irish mythology. It follows a family from Ireland in the 1840s to the shores of Lake Ontario during the present day. Filled with an intoxicating blend of magic realism, romance and politics, Away is an unforgettable novel.