Mister Pip

Lloyd Jones' new novel is set mainly in a small village on Bougainville, a country torn apart by civil war. Matilda attends the school set up by Mr Watts, the only white man on the island. By his own admission he's not much of a teacher and proceeds to educate the children by reading them Great Expectations. Matilda falls in love with the novel, strongly identifying with Pip. The promise of the next chapter is what keeps her going; Pip's story protects her from the horror of what is happening around her - helicopters menacing the skies above the village and rebel raids on the ground. When the rebels visit the village searching for any remaining men to join their cause, they discover the name Pip written in the sand and instigate a search for him. When Pip can't be found the soldiers destroy the book. Mr Watts then encourages the children to retell the story from their memories. Then when the rebels invade the village, the teacher tells them a story which lasts seven nights, about a boy named Pip, and a convict . . .

“Clinical psychologist Price offers one of the most significant books of the year in this new look at an old problem—the underperforming teenage boy… Price’s book brings an important voice to a much needed conversation.” —Library Journal (Starred review) On the surface, capable teenage boys may look lazy. But dig a little deeper, writes child psychologist Adam Price in He’s Not Lazy, and you’ll often find conflicted boys who want to do well in middle and high school but are afraid to fail, and so do not try. This book can help you become an ally with your son, as he discovers greater self-confidence and accepts responsibility for his future. Why are some teenage boys unmotivated? Why do they spend endless hours playing video games or glued to their phones and social media sites instead of studying? Is this a sign of laziness or something more troubling? As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Adam Price has found that teenage boys are extremely sensitive to the stress of our competitive achievement-oriented culture—one that has created a pressure cooker for today’s adolescent. In He’s Not Lazy, Dr. Price, a renowned expert on ADHD and learning disabilities, explains how to help a boy who is not lazy, but rather, is conflicted about trying his best. Dr. Price will guide you to discover hidden obstacles to your son’s success, set expectations, and empower him to accept responsibility for his own future. He’s Not Lazy will help you become your son’s ally, as he discovers greater self-confidence and becomes more self-reliant. Rather than reacting to pressure by shunning academic responsibilities altogether or propping up fear-based rebellion with justifications like “I am not going to be one of those nerds who have no life,” or “Tests don’t measure intelligence or help you learn, so what’s the point of studying for them?” your teenage son can work with you using the guidance in this book.

Available in Canada for the first time from the author of Mister Pip The two intertwined love stories in this brilliant novel take the reader from New Zealand to Buenos Aires to Sydney, from the final days of WWI, to the present moment, and back again. Drawing on the intimate rhythms of the tango to find its shape, Jones has written a thrilling and sensuous essay on how we can fall in love, while brilliantly evoking the spare and windswept landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island and the stately sensuous contours of one of the world’s most famous dances.

A glorious novel from the award-winning author of Mister Pip, now available as a trade paperback original from Vintage Canada. The Book of Fame is a lyrical semi-fictional account of the 1905 All Black rugby tour of Europe - a tour that shaped New Zealand's identity, from which the players returned to find themselves accorded almost god-like status. This remarkable, award-winning novel is both a tribute to some of the world's first sporting celebrities and an investigation into the curious workings of fame. Not just a book for lovers of sport, The Book of Fame is essentially a story about friendship and loyalty, and about a group of astonishing young men at the peak of their abilities.

This is a story about a woman. And the truck driver who mistook her for a prostitute. The old man she robbed and the hunters who smuggled her across the border. The woman whose name she stole, the wife who turned a blind eye. This is the story of a mother searching for her child. This is the novel you cannot stop thinking about. A quiet, mysterious, unnamed woman has come from Africa on an impassioned quest. From the shoreline of Tunisia to the confusion of Berlin, she relies on strangers – some generous, some exploitive – to guide her passage, encountering love and betrayal in its many guises along the way. When the truth behind this spellbinding story is finally revealed, we are forced to revisit everything that has gone before. Also available as an eBook

Stone by stone the basilica was being dismantled in order to be put back together again. Each stone was painted with a number and laid with care onto pallets spread over the ground . . . I kept thinking about those numbered stones. Some purpose began to take shape. I began to wonder if I might re-trace and recover something of my own past, to reassemble it in the manner of the basilica. It was a matter of looking to see if any of the original building blocks remained, and where might I find them. The 2011 earthquake that shook Christchurch to its core led Lloyd Jones to investigate his own foundations and family past. And so begins a quest to revisit what has been buried by a legacy of silence. Piecing together his own memories with clues of what has been deliberately forgotten by his parents, Jones embarks on a journey of discovery – uncovering hardships endured and sorrows kept hidden. Grandparents never spoken of or met emerge from dusty archives as he unearths lives torn apart by tragedy and unspoken mysteries. Like the city that is exposed, Jones must come to terms with a history that is not one he may have imagined. Also available as an eBook

A foundling trained in the art of thievery, Jack Maggs was betrayed and deported to Australia for life. But now, having reversed his fortunes, he seeks to fulfill his innermost desire. Returning to London under threat of execution, he's quickly embroiled in various entanglements among a handful of characters -- each with their own secrets. And as their various schemes converge, the captivating figure at the epicentre is Maggs himself, at once frightening, mystifying, and utterly compelling.

It's raining, it's pouring. And Daddy is snoring. Mummy is working. Oh, EVERYTHING'S BORING. What can Ruby Roo do on a rainy day? Use her imagination! This jaunty, thrilling rhyming text sees these two intrepid explorers jet off to the jungle in their cardboard seaplane, and swing through the exotic pot plant canopy . . . encountering some strangely familiar characters on their way! Packed with humour, colour and adventure - and with tons of 'clues' for children to spot - this is the latest picture book sensation from Pip Jones and superstar illustrator, Laura Hughes.