Ellis, Sarah

Salmon Forest

Odd Man Out

The Young Writer's Companion

The Queen's Feet

Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize (2007) nominee

Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2007

Queen Daisy can't help it - It's her feet that are misbehaving!

Queen Daisy had a great deal of trouble with her feet. They had a mind of their own and did not like behaving in a royal way. Proper shoes were out of the question, and sometimes her feet did not wear shoes at all! Her feet were especially naughty when Queen Daisy forced them to dress properly. At balls her feet would kick high in the air or tap-dance on the marble palace floors. Once, when a king from a neighboring kingdom brought his mean, bullying ways to Queen Daisy's court, her feet hauled off and kicked the king in the ankle. That's when a meeting had to be called of all the wise women and wizards and footmen in the kingdom to find a solution to Queen Daisy's terrible problem. And what a solution it turns out to be. Queen Daisy's feet will dance into the hearts of restless feet everywhere.

Sarah Ellis's wonderfully whimsical tale will ring a bell with all children and adults whose feet get restless. And Du_an Petricic illustrations may well encourage a little more unroyal behavior.

What If...?: Amazing Stories

Fantastical stories to spur the imagination.

What if? It’s a question that is the beginning of endless possibilities. When science fiction writer Monica Hughes posed this question to a group of science fiction and fantasy writers, the result was this incredible collection of stories.

Covering the galaxy in setting and every possible emotion, these tales pose some interesting questions. What if the moon was haunted by a beautiful maiden? What if noise was forbidden and music was a crime? What if famous people were cloned over and over again? What if only you could save the world and you don’t know how?

List of contributors for What If…?
Alison Baird, Edo van Belkom, Lesley Choyce, Joan Clark, Charles de Lint, Sarah Ellis, Marcel Gagné, Priscilla Galloway, James Alan Gardner, Monica Hughes, Jason Kapalka, Eileen Kernaghan, Alice Major, Robert Priest, Jean-Louis Trudel, Tim Wynne-Jones

The Book of Small

Next Stop!

Award-winning author Sarah Ellis's new book Next Stop! introduces this acclaimed author to a new, younger audience. On Saturday, Claire rides the bus and sits right up front so she can help the driver. At the front of the bus Claire can see all of the chaos as people rush to and from their transit rides. Claire helps the bus driver announce the various stops on the route so everyone can get to their destinations. Before long a very special surprise passenger joins Claire and the driver for the final leg of the happy bus ride home. Sarah Ellis's text is simple and repetitive making it perfect for very young readers. Ruth Ohi's portrayals of the frenzied bus passengers captures a city on the move in this fun tale.

Big Ben

Who says little brothers can_t do anything? Poor Ben. He_s the little one - the youngest and smallest. His sister Robin is a big kid in grade five; his brother Joe is a big kid in grade two. Ben_s just a little kid in preschool. He can_t swim, he can_t use chopsticks, he can_t even see out the car window. And worst of all, today is report card day. More than anything, Ben wants to bring home a report like Robin_s and Joe_s. But there are no report cards in preschool. Guess what? Ben is about to discover that sometimes there are report cards - at home, written by older siblings! He_s about to get his very own report, grading him on all the activities that little brothers do best. Beloved children_s author Sarah Ellis has followed up her acclaimed picture book debut, Next Stop! (2000) with this irresistible tale of siblings who, every once in a while, remember what it was like to be the little one. Kim La Fave_s always-empathetic characters inhabit a child_s world with just the right touch of humor and joy. A perfect book for preschoolers, younger siblings and beginner readers.

The Several Lives of Orphan Jack

For Jack, life is tough at the Opportunities School for Orphans and Foundlings, avoiding trouble with the wrathful Schoolmaster Bane and Edwin, the school basher. But when he turns twelve, trouble finds him. Apprenticed to a bookkeeper, he believes he has the job of his dreams. He loves the idea of taking care of books. What could be better for a boy whose most treasured possession is a grubby, torn dictionary that he received from the Benevolent Ladies Auxiliary one year for Christmas? But when Jack learns that bookkeeping does not involve keeping books safe, he realizes he cannot stay. Traveling to the market town of Aberbog, the resourceful boy becomes an ideas peddler, selling whims, concepts, plans, opinions, impressions, notions, and fancies, eventually winning the town's heart. Jack must now decide whether to settle down or continue his hardscrabble life on the road. Bruno St. Aubin's illustrations vividly capture the strong personalities drawn by the gifted and acclaimed author Sarah Ellis.

A Prairie as Wide as the Sea

Ivy Weatherall is just 11 years old when her family leaves England for the promised riches of CanadaÂ’s expanding West. TheyÂ’ve come to join her uncle for the available land, the lush harvests, and the opportunity for success. But in Milorie, Saskatchewan, their dreams crumble into dust when they reach Uncle AlfÂ’s small sod hut and discover that jobs are scarce, and that they can barely make ends meet. IvyÂ’s relatives pack up and head back to England, but to Ivy, Canada is full of wonder and beginning to feel like home. There are challenges in her new life, but IvyÂ’s feisty character and her sense of wonder for a prairie as wide as the sea make her adventure one that readers wonÂ’t easily forget. Vetted by a historical expert, this book contains maps, period illustrations/documents, and an extensive historical note.