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Ottawa was not always the city of 'peace, order and good government. Beneath its surface still lie hints of the tough little logging settlement of Bytown.Long before Bytown had any notions of becoming the capital of Canada, it was divided into Upper Town and Lower Town: a study in contrasts. Rich, poor. Protestant, Catholic. Prosperous business owners, out-of-work immigrants. English-speaking, French-speaking. The promise of a chance to reinvent and prosper in the new world, contrasted with the reality of hardscrabble toil and prejudices dragged across the Atlantic from the old.Step back in time almost two hundred years, to the new-hewn streets of Lower Town in the time of the Shiners' War. Let old Bytown come alive through this story of two Irish brothers, who in their hearts, lives, and fates are as different from one another as all the opposing forces around them.With law enforcement scant at best, violence was commonplace and fighting raged on for years, often along ethnic lines. Many Irish became known as Shiners, a word whose origin has been linked to the derisive term 'Cheneurs', or Oak Cutters, in reference to the wood they cleared during canal construction. Violence increased still further in 1835 with the appearance of successful lumber baron Peter Aylen. In an attempt to establish a monopoly in a lucrative industry, Aylen successfully galvanized the collective Shiner angst in an effort to drive out any who stood in his way. This bloody period, which ran until 1837, became known as the Shiner War.Lowertown is the home of the fictional Brislin family, and the setting for this narrative. At its heart is the story of two young brothers, Richard and Hugh and the paths which put them on a collision course during the most vicious period of a city's violent past.
Dream Wanderers(TM) The Escape by Paula BrownDream Wanderers guide you through your worst nightmares.Far across the universe, an elite school runs a special program, training the Dream Wanderers of tomorrow.But what happens when…Gren and Lawson will soon achieve the impossible, becoming the first male/female partners to make it through the program. Or will they? Their feelings for each other - and Lawson's disdain for an unbreakable rule - risk their expulsion.They wander into a nightmare of their own?When Lawson and Gren disappear, most assume they've run away together. But their four best friends aren't so sure. Following a shaky clue, they enlist the help of a crazy old man and set out to find the truth. Soon, the dream Wanderers will take on an entire army - as the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance.The Learning Center's CovenantAs a Dream Wandering student at the Learning Center, I promise to take my gift seriously. I will use this gift only within the laws and regulations of Terra. I will spend time with my partner, knowing that this relationship is vital to my completion of the program. I will have no physical contact with students of the opposite gender. I will follow the rules of the Learning Center, knowing that those in charge know what is best for me."Gren, wake up." Gren recognized Lawson's voice but wasn't sure if he was actually there, or if he had broken the law by wandering into her dream. She opened her eyes, unable to see much because of the dim light."Lawson?" Gren squinted, trying to figure out where she was. She was sure that she was in the classroom, having a dream wandered by Lawson with Hutch observing. The strange thing was that it didn't feel like a dream. Her eyes adjusted. The room was small, dirty, and musty. At the front, there was a door with bars on it. She didn't see her partner anywhere. "Lawson, where are you?""Over here." There was a hole in the wall, which someone reached through. "See my hand?" There were several smaller holes; the wall didn't seem very well built."Where are we?" Gren asked."I have no idea," Lawson replied, "but we're obviously not at the Learning Center anymore.""Is this another test?" Gren asked.Lawson sighed. "No, I think we're in bigger trouble than that.""How did we get here?" Gren wanted to know."I'm not sure," Lawson replied. "Everything is kind of blurry in my mind. I remember I stormed out of Hutch's class and went for a walk to calm down. I sat down for a little while. The next thing I remember, I woke up here. They brought you in a couple of units ago, and I've been trying to get you to wake up ever since. What do you remember?""I went searching for you, after the morning meal," Gren said, trying to concentrate. "I was supposed to meet Calli and everybody by the lake two units later. I thought you might be there, so that's where I started looking. Someone grabbed me from behind. I fought," she looked down at her sleeve, realizing that it had been torn, "but there were two of them. They put something over my face. That's all I remember.""I wonder what they want with us," Lawson said."Not wonder, wander!" A short, heavy man stood outside the door. He laughed, pleased at his own joke.
Max et Voltaire: Faisons Connaissance est le premier d'une série d'histoires illustrées qui montrent que la vie peut être intéressante et s'enrichir tant de ce qui nous est familier que de ce qui nous est étranger.Se faire de nouveaux amis, s'adapter aux changements, apprendre à être tolérant, à s'entr- aider et à s'entendre, voilà autant de leçons transmises délicatement en suivant les expériences des personnages de Max (un chat) et de Voltaire (un chien) ainsi que d'amis à quatre pattes et de bipèdes dans des rôles secondaires.Leurs aventures touchantes et divertissantes, en France et dans d'autres pays, nous invitent à réfléchir à ce que chaque jour peut apporter de joie et au fait qu'un malheur peut se changer en bien. Une lecture amusante pour les enfants et les amoureux des animaux.Eloges pour Max et Voltaire: Faisons Connaissance Max et Voltaire font face à des situations inhabituelles ; ils apprennent la tolérance et à s'entendre les uns avec les autres. Douze chapîtres racontent leurs aventures (en deux parties). Les illustrations aux couleurs vives, à la manière des bandes dessinées, embelissent ce conte animalier qui se déroule dans le village de Ferney-Voltaire en France. Ce charmant livre s'adresse aux enfants à partir de huit ans. --The Midwest Book Review, avril 2015. En lisant le récit de nouveaux commencements, du pouvoir de la bonté et de l'entraide, les enfants s'amuseront des noms des personnages (Madame Brioche), les extraits de l'humour qui émaillent les chapîtres tout en faisant connaissance avec un coin de France. Max et Voltaire : Faisons Connaissance peut être lu à haute voix à un groupe ou individuellement par de jeunes lectuers. --The Children's Book Review, février 2015
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