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Monty the Malodorous is a daring pirate. He is brave. He is bold. He is feared by all who sail the six or seven seas. But Monty has a secret: he can't swim. He never goes into the ocean --- and he never takes a bath. “Real pirates don't bathe. Yar-har-har!” he says. But things change when he meets a mermaid named Meg. “Monty's heart went ka-thunk. He tumbled head over boot heels in love.” And, one day, when Meg's life is put into peril, Monty realizes he's the only one who can jump into the ocean to save her. Monty is faced with a terrible dilemma: is his love strong enough to overcome his fear?

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge. Text © 2017 Jennifer Mook-Sang Illustrations © 2017 Liz Starin. Reproduced by permission of Kids Can Press, Toronto.

Sam just got a hamster for a pet. But the hamster is kind of boring ... he just eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. Inspired by her book of mythological creatures, Sam longs for a more exciting pet. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she thought. Sasquatches are messy, unicorns are shy, hippogriffs scare the dogs at the dogpark, and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. In the end, Sam realizes that her hamster is a pretty sweet and safe pet... or is he?

Distinctions: Finalist, OLA Forest of Reading (2017)

If I Had a Gryphon. Text © 2016 Vikki Van Sickle Illustrations © 2016 Cale Atkinson. Reproduced by permission of Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company, Toronto.

Based on the life of a real boy, this warm-hearted, beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Baraka, a young Kenyan boy with a physical disability. Baraka and eight cousins live with their grandmother. She gives them boundless love, but there is never enough money or food, and life is hard --love doesn't feed hungry stomachs or clothe growing bodies, or school keen minds. Baraka is too young, and, with his disability, needs too much, and she is too old. A difficult choice must be made, and grandmother and grandchild set off on a journey to see if there is a place at the orphanage for Baraka. The story begins by looking at Baraka's physical disability as a misfortune, but ends by looking beyond the disability, to his great heart and spirit, and the blessings he brings.

My Name is Blessing. Text © 2014 Eric Walters Illustrations © 2014 Eugenie Fernandes. Reproduced by permission of Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company, Toronto.

Oliver has always dreamed about where he will fit. Will he be in the mane of a unicorn? The tentacle of a pirate squid? The helmet of an astronaut? When he finally goes in search of his perfect place, he finds that trying to fit in is a lot harder than he thought. But like any puzzle, a little trial and error leads to a solution, and Oliver figures out exactly where he belongs. 

Where Oliver Fits is a sweet and funny story that explores all the highs and lows of learning to be yourself and shows that fitting in isn't always the best fit.

Distinctions: Shortlisted, OLA Forest of Reading (2019)

Where Oliver Fits. Text © 2017 Cale Atkinson Illustrations © 2017 Cale Atkinson. Reproduced by permission of Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company, Toronto.