Bøker utgitt av Great Plains Press

"Matthew Fox's This Is It-- about the stories and secrets that bind families and lovers-- is nothing less than a modern masterpiece. Gut-wrenching, sharply observed, and deeply funny, the novel excavates generations of Zappacosta family lore to take the reader on an emotional journey unlike any other. Each sentence is a gift, wrapped in Matthew's gorgeously dry wit. A tour de force that will leave you breathless!" -- Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meet Me at the Lake and This Summer Will Be Different Giovanni Zappacosta-O'Hara suspects that there's more to his family's legacy than he's been told. His parents recount the history in devastating, scandalous and rollicking stories, while Gio and his boyfriend joke that there must be lies woven into the details. When his boyfriend is struck with cancer, the laughter stops. Gio can't bear watching the disease eat away his life, his sanity and the person he loves. Full of shame, Gio flees to New York, using his family history as a feeble excuse -- he's going to get to the bottom of it. What happens next forces Gio to confront his cowardice and find a different motivation for his book: redemption. As he retells the stories, he discovers family secrets that make him question his identity. The hilarious and heartfelt characters he finds along the way give him surprising chances to get over himself -- but will he take them?

"Coop for Keeps is a wonderful story about family, love and growing together through life's challenges. Award-winning author Larry Verstraete does a fantastic job of weaving the themes of loss and grief, bullying, and knowledge of crows into a moving yet oftentimes funny story."-- CM Magazine, Highly Recommended For Coop, adjusting to a new home after being adopted by Zach, Emma and their mother, Jess, is not easy. It's hard enough being a lowly dachshund, but it's even harder when your home is a financially unstable guesthouse with smelly strangers drifting in and out. Worse still, the unhappy teenager in charge of Coop is steaming mad much of the time. On top of that, Lucinda, the annoying cat, likes to tease and torment. It's no wonder Coop wishes he could have his old life back. Enter a murder of crows, a stranger with a mysterious past, two bullies bent on making Zach's life miserable, and a vicious dog with a grudge against Coop. As the risks and challenges mount, Coop's wish only grows stronger. Will he ever find the forever home he so desperately wants? A follow-up to Coop The Great! - MYRCA Sundog Nominee - Best Books for Kids and Teens - Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

A Junior Library Guild Pick! MYRCA Northern Lights Selection, 2025 Opposite Identicals is a non-stop adrenaline rush from start to finish. Deborah Kerbel has written two unforgettable characters who take turns telling the story. Kids of all ages will race through this book, desperate to find out what will happen to the twins when catastrophe strikes in a near future world, changed forever by climate crisis. Don't miss this one!" -- Carol Matas, author of A Struggle for Hope and Past Crimes Opposite Identicals is an upper middle grade novel set in the very near future -- a time when climate change has irreversibly altered our planet and lifestyles. Nova and Joule are fourteen-year old twins whose scientist parents have recently uprooted the family from their urban home and moved to the country on a year-long research assignment, studying the effects of GMO 'SuperCrop' farming on the environment in the final regulatory phase before global expansion. Surrounded by nature and quiet, open spaces, shy, bookish Nova is in heaven. But Joule -- whose life's ambition is to be famous and reach a million Hollagram followers -- is desperate to escape. One day, Joule gets her wish, although not in a way anyone ever expected. In an instant, she's gone -- swallowed up by a mysterious sinkhole under her bedroom floor. Suddenly twinless, Nova is forced to step in and lead the search for her missing sister. But can she face her fears and figure out what caused the sinkhole in time to save Joule? Told from alternating points of view, it's a fantastical adventure about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and environmental awareness. "With suspense, adventure, and plenty of creepy crawlies, Opposite Identicals will have fans of Stranger Things looking at the ground below and wondering, 'what if?' Nail biting suspense, sisterly love, and subterranean adventures make for an exciting middle grade sci fi read!" -- Colleen Nelson, author of The Undercover Book List

"Part memoir, part medical malfeasance whistle-blowing, and essential reading for medical reform activists, "Take Your Baby And Run" is especially and unreservedly recommended." -- Midwest Book Review Foreword by Lanette Siragusa, RN NM Take Your Baby and Run is Carol Youngson's first-hand account of the shocking ineptitude and misogynistic behaviour that led to the death of twelve children, primarily infants, under the care of Dr. Jonah Odim at Winnipeg's largest hospital in 1994. Youngson was the nurse in charge of the cardiac unit and in her book she details the dysfunctional hospital hierarchy that allowed this tragedy to unfold, leading to the longest running inquiry in Canadian history. Sadly, the themes of this book are just as relevant today during our current health crisis.

A CBC Books Summer Reading Pick!"We know Lavoie for her novels for adults. Here she offers us a cute text that will capture and maintain the interest of readers. A refreshing read that features a tiny, endearing and courageous kitty." -- La Presse The Curious Misadventures of Kitty the Cat is a hilarious story of a cat who never grows up. After wandering away from his mom and sibling, he's found in the forest by a little girl and moves with her into the city, where he finds adventure and makes new friends: Prémâché, the big cat of the alley; the spiders of the special arachno-intervention unit; Billy, the nice neighbour; and the parents of the little girl. The cat will eventually learn that his mother still lives in St. Hilarion, and that he had better learn to speak gull if he wants to find her.

"Fun, original, and unreservedly recommended" - Midwest Book Review On Goat Loops, in the realm of Niff, Sam learns a scary new truth about the Son of the Solstice prophecy, one his long-absent mother had neglected to tell him. Not only is he destined to fight an ancient sorcerer, but it will result in his certain death. As Sam's powers grow, he and his half-giant friend chase mysterious no-magic pockets, battle annoying, bitey dokkas, and look for a way to save the worlds - and his own skin. Peanut Butter and Pandemonium is Book 2 in The Mythic Adventures of Samuel Templeton!

Why do people join gangs? Once entrenched in a life of crime with its realities of incarceration, addiction, power, and money, is it possible to ever walk away? This triumphant collection of ten personal life stories from ex-gang members enlightens, surprises and inspires. These first-person accounts illuminate the harsh reality of living as a marginalized person, often neglected and in poverty. Unexpectedly, their stories share heartfelt commentary on topics such as peace, joy, forgiveness and hope. Readers will be challenged to question their preconceived notions as they are given an illuminating look at individual lives behind crime statistics. This book covers territory that often doesn't get into the news media and creates connection through our shared humanity.

"A compelling look at virtually every corner of our vast province." - Winnipeg Free Press"Weird and breathtaking: Book showcases Manitoba views through a different lens" - The Metro: Winnipeg Somewhere between North Dakota and Nunavut sits a curious land with a coastline patrolled by polar bears, highways lined with monuments to household produce and dinner plates drenched in a gluey condiment known as honey dill sauce. This is Manitoba, a province that has captured the imagination of... well, maybe dozens of people around the world. Manitoba is one of the newest places on Earth, carved by glaciers and shaped by meltwater. It's one of the most Indigenous places on Earth, as all of its residents are beginning to comprehend and respect. But it's also a vast and largely empty land that lacks a singular identity, partly because of its vastness and emptiness -- but also because most of its population barricades itself within Winnipeg's city limits. Stuck In The Middle 2 finds photographer Bryan Scott and journalist Bartley Kives venturing beyond the Perimeter Highway to explore the architecture, landscapes and waterways of a province they know and love but, like most Manitobans, may never truly understand.

Anna Hill is a McGill assistant professor of Medieval History and Gender on the eve of her 40th birthday. She specializes in the birth of romance. But after devoting decades of study to her subject, she craves an exotic romance of her own. When nobody steps up, she secretly crafts a bodice-ripping Harlequin set in Medieval Spain. But love soon takes on new meanings when a visiting Parisian professor wants to prove to her that romance is history.

Gord Mackintosh was not your typical politician and this book is not your typical political memoir. Mackintosh steps out of his familiar role as the Manitoba NDP's go-to guy, foot soldier and law reformer to provide a unique take on the quirky places and people behind his long and varied career. From secret passages, archaisms, and funny business at Manitoba's Legislature, to door-knocking surprises, crime-fighting and "saving Mother Earth," Mackintosh weaves warm-hearted anecdotes of his many years in public life. Hooey, hijinks, and embarrassment that humanize our political system are interspersed with major political events of the last thirty years, for which he had suspiciously differing roles. Whether Manitoba's French Language Crisis, the Meech Lake Crisis, the MTS Debate, the Flood of the Century, the Auto Theft Capital of North America, or the internal rebellion against Premier Greg Selinger, he still urges, "It wasn't me." Calling it "more sunshine sketches than social science", Mackintosh exposes what it's really like in politics, with seasoned political advice, strong opinion -- including an "unbiased view" of opponents, and a celebration of leadership. He also offers a self-deprecating backstory to many government decisions--required reading for Manitoba citizens of any political stripe.

Three lives, one unreliable narrator and the consequences of losing intimacy. This is All a Lie opens with Ray leaving his mistress for the final time. At the bottom of her apartment tower, he answers his phone. It's Nancy, his lover, and she is threatening to jump if he drives away. She wants emotional truth in an arena where everything is a lie. She wants a reason to stay alive and Ray is uniquely unqualified to give her what she wants. Ray's wife, Tulah, loves snow and keeps a snow journal - every time it snows she goes out in it and records what she thinks and feels about the snow in the context of her life. Tulah is filled with secrets, and denial, and unhappiness and when she is drawn into Ray's messy affair, everything she thought she knew is thrown aside. What are the consequences of losing intimacy? Does Nancy jump from her 39th floor balcony? What happens with Tulah and Ray? The answers lie within, perhaps.

The battle for Vimy Ridge one hundred years ago has been characterized as a defining moment in Canadian history. The idea of thousands of Canadian young men dying together in the mud and tangled wire of northern France was, and still is, considered by many as nation-building.Tom Goodman generally accepted this view until he discovered a rich trove of letters between his grandmother and Archie Polson, the uncle he has never met. Reading through the exchanges, Goodman came to realize that war is sometimes about winning, but it is always about loss. He has now collected many of these letters, along with his own contextual narrative, so that we can see the true cost of war to a family and a country.

Starred Selection for the Best Books for Kids & Teens 2017 Hannah And The Magic Eye is the story of Hannah and Samir, two unlikely friends who embark on a fast-paced treasure hunt though modern-day Jerusalem to find the famed treasure of King Solomon's Temple--the largest unrecovered fortune in history. But racing alongside them is the Cancellarii, the dangerous secret society of treasure hunters who kidnapped Hannah's grandfather-- the famed archeologist Henri Dubuisson. Now Hannah and Samir must rescue her grandfather by reaching the treasure first, and ransoming it back to the Cancellarii for her grandfather's freedom. But first Hannah and Samir must decipher an enchanted map and follow its clues through seven of Jerusalem's most exotic sites. They must evade the Israeli police, ride camels through the desert, swim with hippies in the Dead Sea, drink copious black coffee, hitchhike with friendly Arabs, and somehow outfox the Cancellarii as they search for a pile of gold worth more than 56 billion dollars. "With his fast-paced new novel, Edmonton writer and photographer Tyler Enfield introduces young readers to the harrowing world of archaeologist treasure hunts, Dan Brown-style, but with a thought-provoking and humanist twist ... The book's message of tolerance and inclusiveness is powerful, and one delivered with a good deal of grace." - Quill & Quire "[W]hat Enfield does really well is to identify a variety of religious and historical influences on culture and how that impacts the relationship between a Jewish girl and a Palestinian boy. Hannah and the Magic Eye is strongly recommended for readers who have enjoyed Enfield's Wrush and other lightening paced adventure stories with multiple twists and turns." - CM Magazine

Dean Gunnarson, world-renowned escapologist, has made a career of avoiding death. But his first escape was his greatest -- surviving juvenile leukemia. In the wake of his illness, a magic-obsessed young Dean mirrors the training of his hero Houdini in his hometown of Winnipeg. Another boy on the cancer ward, named Phil, also wants to walk in Houdini's footsteps. Together, Phil and Dean go on a quest for real, true magic that will save Philip's life. They ultimately learn magic can even surprise the magician.

"Based on extensive interviews, My Left Skate: The Extraordinary Story of Eliezer Sherbatov is a first-person biography of a teenager who had it all on the hockey rink: guts, drive, and exceptional talent. When a freak accident leaves him with a permanent disability and no feeling below his left knee, everyone believes Eliezer's career is over - everyone except his mother, a professional power skating coach. She teaches Eliezer to skate using the muscles in his upper leg, and after two and half years of operations and rehabilitation, he returns to the rink to become one of Quebec's elite junior players. Still undrafted at age nineteen, Eliezer embarks on a professional career in Europe in the hopes of one day returning to the NHL. His travels lead him to France, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, and eventually to Poland, where he lives and plays hockey just a few kilometres from the Auschwitz death camp, haunted by memories of the past. In its stunning conclusion, My Left Skate describes Eliezer's life in the Ukraine and his struggle to escape from war after Russia invades the very region in which he lives and plays."--

"Grow up, get a job, find a partner, have a family, live the dream. This was always the plan...with some deviations along the way. Using sarcasm and vulnerability, Morwenna speaks about growing up, finding love, and then struggling when the rest of "the plan" isn't meant to be. This is the raw & real story of one couple's rollercoaster ride as they discover infertility, try various treatments, suffer an adoption reversal, and learn to make new plans and find the funny moments. A raw, sarcastic, and sometimes funny account of the struggles of growing up, dealing with infertility, fertility treatments, and the adoption process."--