In the little village of Duk Padiet in southern Sudan, a boy named Jacob Deng thrives on the love of his mother, the companionship of his sisters, the excitement of learning how to look after his uncle’s herds of cattle. The year is 1987, and suddenly in the night soldiers from the north invade the village, looting, burning, and killing. The war has arrived, and the life of Jacob will never be the same.

This novel is based on the real life experiences of a Sudanese boy who, with thousands of other boys from the region, fled for his life and spent seven years walking through deserts, grasslands and forests, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, surviving life in massive refugee camps. The so-called Lost Boys of Sudan – as they were called by an American aid organization – numbered as many as 27,000, and while many died – from starvation, attacks by wild animals, drowning, or through the brutality of the military – many survived. Jacob never returned to his village, but though he was only seven years old when he had to flee, he somehow managed to live through an almost unimaginable ordeal.

Throughout the seven years covered in this story, Jacob resists the temptation to join the liberation army. Steadily Jacob finds himself more and more adhering to his mother’s advice that getting an education is crucial to escaping the cycle of violence that afflicts his country. Jacob’s struggle, then, is to persist in seeking out teachers and eventually a school where his ambition to learn about the world can be met. Through it all he learns about loyalty and love for close friends who have been thrust together with him on this extraordinary journey, and also about the guiding light provided by the memory of his mother.

Jan L. Coates has woven Jacob’s story into novel form, so that young Canadian readers can learn more about this heroic young man, his ordeal, and his hope for his homeland. Jan is the author of Rainbows in the Dark (2005). She lives in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

“If you think life makes sense, do not read this book.”

It’s this credo that sixteen-year-old Joe Campbell lives by. You see, his birth parents were killed in a car accident, and four years later he’s still trying to work his way past that loss. His new parents are as supportive and loving as he could wish. But Joe is still trying to figure out whether there is any pattern or purpose to his existence, and remains doubtful that there is an answer.

Yet all around him patterns and purposes gradually take shape, and this compelling novel traces the thought processes and the people that eventually make a difference in Joe’s life. The story is of Joe’s digging into his past, and looking around the present, as he seeks to make sense of the world. But it’s not a solitary quest as his good friends Gloria and Dean – both outsiders in the high school they all attend – accompany him on this quest for meaning.

Random will resonate with many teenagers who, to a greater or lesser extent, find themselves besieged by doubt and speculation about their places in the world.

Lesley Choyce is the author of more than 65 books for a wide range of audiences. He is also a champion surfer, musician, editor, publisher, broadcaster, and teacher. This is his fourth young adult novel with Red Deer Press. He lives on Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia.

Question: October 15, 1983 saw the Calgary Flames open their new arena, the Saddledome, with a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Who scored the first goal for the Flames in their new building and what was the final score?

Answer: Lanny McDonald scored the first Flames goal (at 12:18 of the first period) in the Saddledome, but the Oilers won the game 4-3.

When the Atlanta Flames became the Calgary Flames in 1980, it gave hockey one of its greatest all-time rivalries. The Edmonton Oilers, just 160 miles up the road, would now go head-to-head for the “Battle of Alberta.” Hockey fans everywhere would witness some of the fiercest, toughest, and most highly entertaining brand of hockey not seen in the NHL in decades. Edmonton was loaded with superstars like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, and Glenn Anderson, who led the Oilers to five Stanley Cups. The Flames were not far behind with the likes of Lanny McDonald, Mike Vernon, Al MacInnis, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Doug Gilmour leading them to the finals in 1986 and a Cup win in 1989.

Captured in these pages are recollections of great games, notable records and awards, memorable trades, and a host of other fascinating Battle of Alberta facts and lore mixed together with engagaing questions about each team and player. As an added bonus, an entire chapter is devoted to NHL players who come from Alberta. From the famous (including Hall of Fame players past and present such as Norm Ullman and Johnny Bucyk) to the obscure (players like Autry Erickson and Greg Joly), the “Alberta Boys” chapter will bring back memories of players who call Alberta home. The Battle of Alberta Trivia Book is also completely up-to-date, with questions and answers about current players like Jarome Iginla, Miika Kiprusoff, Ales Hemsky, and Gilbert Brule, and events that occurred in the 2009-10 season.

Past or present, The Battle of Alberta Trivia Book provides hundreds of trivia questions sure to please any hockey fan!

Mike Leonetti is a lifelong hockey fan and author of numerous hockey books, including The Montreal Canadiens Trivia Book, The Toronto Maple Leafs Trivia Book, Hockey’s Golden Era: Stars of the Original Six, and The Paul Henderson Story.