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Chronicle Crusaders
Grades 4 & 5
Join us for a monthly parent and child bookclub designed to get you talking - about literature, but also about the way you see the world, the values you share and the experiences that have shaped you. Each month, parents and children read a book together, and then join us for a high-quality craft, a challenging puzzle, a book-themed snack, and a lively discussion. At least once a year, bookclubbers will have the opportunity to meet with local authors.
2026/2027
$242 + GST/term
Sundays
5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Fall:
September 27, October 25, November 22
Winter:
January 10,, February 7, March 7, 2026
Spring:
April 11, May 9, June 6, 2026
Year at a Glance
September, 2026
For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again.
But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.
But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.
May 3
All Hal had ever wanted was a dog. "Never!" cries his mother. "Think of the mess, the scratch marks, the puddles on the floor." But on the morning of Hal's tenth birthday, the unbelievable happens. He's allowed to choose a puppy at Easy Pets, a rent-a-pet agency (a fact his parents keep from him). The moment he sees the odd-looking terrier, he knows he's found a friend for life. But no one tells Hal that Fleck must be returned and when Hal wakes up on Monday morning, Fleck is gone. If dog and boy are to stay together, they'll have to run away...
From the renowned Eva Ibbotson comes her final novel, a tale laced with humor and full of heart, and stunning in its beauty and all things dog.
From the renowned Eva Ibbotson comes her final novel, a tale laced with humor and full of heart, and stunning in its beauty and all things dog.
April 12
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. . . .
Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle – that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
Featuring black-and-white illustrations and a refreshed cover by Bagram Ibatoulline.
Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle – that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
Featuring black-and-white illustrations and a refreshed cover by Bagram Ibatoulline.
March 8
There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to a faraway Arctic outpost.
But one night, April catches a glimpse of something distinctly bear shaped loping across the horizon. A polar bear who shouldn’t be there—who is hungry, lonely and a long way from home.
But one night, April catches a glimpse of something distinctly bear shaped loping across the horizon. A polar bear who shouldn’t be there—who is hungry, lonely and a long way from home.
February 8
Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school — in the hallway... in the teacher's lounge... in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school — in the hallway... in the teacher's lounge... in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
January 11
Nimbus had a rough start as a kitten. But her fortunes changed the day she met Fletcher. The boy nursed her back to health from a life-threatening injury and adopted her.
But when Fletcher’s aunt brings home a mysterious jar, an ancient nightmare demon is unwittingly unleashed. Despite battling the monster to save her friend, Fletcher’s superstitious aunt blames Nim for the attack and secretly abandons her at a dump.
There, Nim is befriended by a theater-loving rat and taken in by a kindly witch named Agatha and her motley crew of cats. Nim soon discovers that her battle with the demon left her with special powers—but more than that, she begins to suspect that she has always been destined for something extraordinary.
To return to her beloved Fletcher, Nim will need to harness her magical powers and enlist the help of her new friends. Along the way, she will discover she may be braver and luckier than she ever imagined.
But when Fletcher’s aunt brings home a mysterious jar, an ancient nightmare demon is unwittingly unleashed. Despite battling the monster to save her friend, Fletcher’s superstitious aunt blames Nim for the attack and secretly abandons her at a dump.
There, Nim is befriended by a theater-loving rat and taken in by a kindly witch named Agatha and her motley crew of cats. Nim soon discovers that her battle with the demon left her with special powers—but more than that, she begins to suspect that she has always been destined for something extraordinary.
To return to her beloved Fletcher, Nim will need to harness her magical powers and enlist the help of her new friends. Along the way, she will discover she may be braver and luckier than she ever imagined.
November 16
After their father, a video-game inventor, strikes it rich, the Smithfork kids find they hate their new life. They move from their cozy Brooklyn neighborhood to a swanky apartment on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. They have no friends, a nanny who takes the place of their parents, and a school year looming ahead that promises to be miserable.
And then, one day, Brid, CJ, and Patrick discover an astonishing secret about their apartment: The original owner, the deceased multimillionaire Mr. Post, long ago turned the apartment itself into a giant puzzle containing a mysterious book and hidden panels—a puzzle that, with some luck, courage, and brainpower, will lead to discovering the Post family fortune.
Unraveling the mystery causes them to race through today's New York City—and to uncover some long-hidden secrets of the past.
And then, one day, Brid, CJ, and Patrick discover an astonishing secret about their apartment: The original owner, the deceased multimillionaire Mr. Post, long ago turned the apartment itself into a giant puzzle containing a mysterious book and hidden panels—a puzzle that, with some luck, courage, and brainpower, will lead to discovering the Post family fortune.
Unraveling the mystery causes them to race through today's New York City—and to uncover some long-hidden secrets of the past.
October 19
I’m Tom’s dog, and he’s my human. We belong to each other.
Rebel is a good dog. He loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom—until one day, when the war comes too close. Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men, but Rebel knows that war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save his beloved human. How can he bring Tom home before it’s too late? A heartwarming adventure told from a dog’s perspective as he travels across a pseudo-Civil War Britain on his loyal mission, I Am Rebel holds sure appeal for fans of I, Cosmo; When the Sky Falls; and War Horse.
Rebel is a good dog. He loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom—until one day, when the war comes too close. Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men, but Rebel knows that war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save his beloved human. How can he bring Tom home before it’s too late? A heartwarming adventure told from a dog’s perspective as he travels across a pseudo-Civil War Britain on his loyal mission, I Am Rebel holds sure appeal for fans of I, Cosmo; When the Sky Falls; and War Horse.
September 21
Two young castaways find themselves on the biggest garbage heap on the planet! But what happens when the garbage becomes treasure and the dump becomes home?
Jem and Oliver come from different countries, both fleeing from dreadful circumstances. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch offers them refuge and a new start with outrageous challenges as the world brings its surprises to one of the loneliest places on the globe.
Written by award-winning author David Townend Ward, this collection of stories is geared toward young adults with a thirst for solving the world's problems. Not only do Jem and Oliver's stories challenge the reader to think about global issues, but they are also told with passion and heart by a seasoned Canadian storyteller.
Jem and Oliver come from different countries, both fleeing from dreadful circumstances. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch offers them refuge and a new start with outrageous challenges as the world brings its surprises to one of the loneliest places on the globe.
Written by award-winning author David Townend Ward, this collection of stories is geared toward young adults with a thirst for solving the world's problems. Not only do Jem and Oliver's stories challenge the reader to think about global issues, but they are also told with passion and heart by a seasoned Canadian storyteller.
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Past Years
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