Cary Fagan

A classic story of imagination, friendship, rock bands and high-speed helicopter chases. For fans of Ivy & Bean, Judy Moody or Nate the Great. Everyone''s favorite odd couple is back. Our heroine, Renata Wolfman (Wolfie) does everything by herself. Friends just get in the way, and she only has time for facts and reading. But friendship finds her in the form of Livingston Flott (Fly), the slightly weird and wordy boy from next door. This time, Fly has convinced Wolfie to join him in his one-man band. Before they know it, they''re playing live onstage in front of a stadium of screaming fans. But these fans are about to get out of control--and Wolfie and Fly have to make a daring escape! Even though Wolfie thinks she''d rather be at home reading by herself, playing the drums in a rock band is actually pretty fun. Maybe there is something to this friend thing...

A classic story of imagination, friendship, adventure and speeding through the ocean in a cardboard box. For fans of Ivy & Bean, Judy Moody or Nate the Great. Wolfie and Fly is an early chapter book at its simplest and best. Our heroine, Renata Wolfman (Wolfie) does everything by herself. Friends just get in the way, and she only has time for facts and reading. But friendship finds her in the form of Livingston Flott (Fly), the slightly weird and wordy boy from next door. Before she knows it, Wolfie is motoring through deep water with Fly as her second-in-command in a submarine made from a cardboard box. Out on a solo swim to retrieve a baseball vital to the mission, Wolfie is finally by herself again, but for the first time, she finds it a little lonely. Maybe there is something to this friend thing. . .

Stirred by a series of found photographs, critically acclaimed author Cary Fagan brilliantly imagines the lost stories behind them in this dazzling story collection. Many years ago the photographs in this book became separated from their original owners, faces unrecognized, settings a mystery. They floated through this world, as if on a sorrowful wind… I have given them stories to replace the ones they have lost. So begins the bewitching new collection from acclaimed author Cary Fagan, and a journey into a world that is both achingly familiar and wonderfully strange. A man hangs onto a runaway horse. A woman paints in the nude. A child sparks a revolution. These stories, each inspired by a found photograph, are by turns realistic and surreal, bloody and tender, delightful and appalling. Here are stories that playfully vary in technique and form: monologues, dialogues, interviews, letters, transcripts, tall tales, and capsule histories form a single portrait, belonging — in the words of the author — “to one history, found in an album that might belong to any of us.” Fagan paints a portrait of re-imagined lives that is comic and tragic, profound and unforgettable. The beauty, humour, and the horror of days gone by haunt these pages and resonate in the world we find ourselves in today.

Two lonely souls find each other in this unusual tale of friendship and belonging from award-winning comic writer Cary Fagan featuring vibrant art by Banafsheh Erfanian. Is there someone out there for everyone? Two lonely souls find each other in this unusual tale of friendship and belonging from award-winning comic writer Cary Fagan. In her North American debut, illustrator Banafsheh Erfanian brings ornate artistry to the cage and birds that inhabit this surprisingly human story. A long-empty birdcage takes a chance and leaves behind its attic home to find a bird to keep. Out in the world, the cage encounters many birds and offers shelter to each of them. One by one, they refuse, explaining why they belong elsewhere. The cage feels lonelier than ever – until the cage in search of a bird finds a bird in search of a cage. Based on an aphorism by Franz Kafka, Fagan’s original story will make readers laugh at its absurdity and ponder its meaning long after they finish reading. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RL. K.3With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RL.1.7Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

A sweet, whimsical tale that chronicles the journey of a chair as it changes hands and uses. Perfect for fans of The Good Little Book, Something for Nothing and Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House. Boo's favorite chair is little and blue. He sits in it, reads in it and makes a tent around it...until the day he grows too big for it. His mother puts the little blue chair out on the lawn where a truck driver picks it up. The truck driver sells it to a lady in a junk store where it sits for many years until it's sold and put to use as a plant stand. In the years that follow, the little blue chair is used in many other ways -- on an elephant ride, in a contest, on a Ferris wheel, in a tree...until the day it flies away, borne aloft by balloons, and lands in a garden of daffodils where a familiar face finds it. A charming, beautifully illustrated read-aloud that follows the adventures of a little chair, beginning as the seat of a small child who loves books and circling back to that child's child many years (and bottoms) later.

Danny finds himself stranded at the bottom of a giant construction hole, armed with nothing but his school backpack, his wits — and the company of a poetry-spouting mole…Danny’s parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far. Now his mother wants to bake cheesecakes in the mountains, and his father wants to be an opera singer. That means Danny and his older brother will spend half the year in Banff and half the year in New York City. Worst of all, in preparation for the move, his parents have given away the family dog, Thwack. Furious with his family, Danny runs out of the house — straight onto a construction site, where he ends up at the bottom of a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not immediately forthcoming, he settles in for the short haul. Here, he makes a friend with a long, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no ears to speak of. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company — until a snake appears, and Danny must be not only ingenious, but also brave, if he is going to save his new friend.

When Morris the fishmonger and Minnie the hat seller fall in love, Morris comes up with a wedding plan designed to deliver the very best for his beloved bride-to-be… with unexpected consequences. Morris sells all kinds of fish from the lake, in Kensington Market. Across the way, Minnie sells hats straight from Paris. One day their eyes meet, and they fall in love. Morris wants to give Minnie a beautiful home with fine furnishings, but he is only a poor fishmonger. And so he comes up with a brilliant plan — he will make their wedding so fancy that their guests will have to shower them with lavish gifts. His Minnie will live like a movie star! Morris’s plan backfires, of course, but like all good love stories, the tale ends in a happy — if surprising — fashion. Cary Fagan’s witty adaptation of The Ghetto Wedding by Abraham Cahan is accompanied by Regolo Ricci’s vibrant illustrations, resulting in a timeless and delightful tale.

When the narrator of this sneakily clever book decides he will try to draw even though he believes he isn’t very good at it, a world of silly possibilities opens for him. By the end of the story, he has vanquished a dragon, been given a medal, published a book, and seen his artwork on display in a real museum—and all because he refused to be held back by his own perceived limitations. The narrator of I Wish I Could Draw shares a name with creator Cary Fagan and has the same curly hair and glasses. Perhaps most interesting of all, though, the narrator believes he has no artistic talent—just like the Cary Fagan who not only wrote but also bravely and exuberantly illustrated this book. Fortunately for readers, both Cary-the-narrator and Cary-the-children’s-book-creator refused to let self-doubt stop them from trying to tell (and draw) the funniest and most exciting story they could think of. The result is a book that delivers plenty of excitement, silly jokes and fun—and also an important message about self-confidence and perseverance. Designed to look like a child’s notebook, I Wish I Could Draw will inspire readers to pick up a pencil and let their imaginations do the rest.

In this hilariously written and illustrated story, three children turn their family's weekly Sunday visit from Aunt Essy, Aunt Chanah and Uncle Sam on its head. And in the end, they all have a ball. Every Sunday Aunt Essy, Aunt Chanah and Uncle Sam drive up in the old Lincoln for the afternoon. They plop themselves down in the living room, and no matter what anyone says their response is always the same — "Oy," "Feh," "So?" One afternoon the three children try to provoke a different reaction. They fake a robbery, produce a terrifying child-eating dragon and pretend to be kidnapped by space invaders, but their aunts and uncle remain unimpressed. In exasperation the children take to mocking them, with red wool for hair like Aunt Essy's, a big pillow for a belly like Uncle Sam's and a pair of toy glasses like Aunt Chanah's…and soon they are all laughing so hard they're practically crying. Cary Fagan's characteristically dry humor and Gary Clement's wonderfully witty illustrations perfectly depict a family with loveable quirks in this story that is sure to become a favorite.

Danny’s parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far! Their latest plan to follow their dreams means Danny and his older brother will spend six months in Banff (wherever that is) and six months in New York City. Furious, Danny runs out of the house and straight into a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not on the way, Danny becomes a subterranean Robinson Crusoe, creating shelter (garbage bag and paper clips), cereal (coffee creamer, rainwater, granola bars, and a few rogue raisins), and a washroom (a hole in a hole). His Man Friday has a long, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no eyes to speak of. Oh, and he also talks. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company ? until a snake appears, and Danny must save his new friend.

Nominee for the 2012 Silver Birch Express Award in the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading Program. Jeremiah Birnbaum is stinking rich. He lives in a house with nine bathrooms, a games room, an exercise room, an indoor pool, a hot tub, a movie theater, a bowling alley and a tennis court. His parents, a former hotdog vendor and window cleaner who made it big in dental floss, make sure Jeremiah goes to the very best private school, and that he takes lessons in all the things he will need to know how to do as an accomplished and impressive young man: etiquette lessons, ballroom dancing, watercolor painting. And, of course, classical piano. Jeremiah complies, because he wants to please his parents. But one day, by chance, he hears the captivating strains of a different kind of music -- the strums, plucks and rhythms of a banjo. It is music that stirs something in Jeremiah's dutiful little soul, and he is suddenly obsessed. And when his parents forbid him to play one, he decides to learn anyway -- even if he has to make the instrument himself.

What is it like being the youngest of three brothers? In this wonderful story author Cary Fagan gives us a true-to-life picture of growing up in such a family -- from the adventure and fun to the mischief and mishaps. The brothers camp out in the backyard, accidentally set the neighbor's tree on fire, play football in the living room and even hold a funeral for their pet lizard. And although the older brothers can be mean sometimes, the youngest is usually in on the fun and delights in their crazy life together. Luc Melanson's lively retro-style illustrations are a perfect complement, making this an utterly captivating story.

When his parents send him to summer camp for the first time, Ethan has just three goals. First, to survive. Second, not to be hated. Third, not to be the worst at anything. Instead, Ethan's real challenge comes in the form of a new cabin mate. Zachary arrives at camp late, surrounded by a cloud of rumors. He refuses to be given a nickname, loves the music of an ancient rock 'n' roll singer called Buddy Holly, and doesn’t even seem upset when he is forced to miss the Big Swim, the legendary camp event where a select few try to swim across the lake and back. And unlike Ethan, Zach doesn’t seem to care what anybody thinks of him, even Amber Levine ? the girl with an easy smile and a freckle on one knee.

When Ethan arrives at summer camp for the first time, he has just three modest goals. First, to survive. Second, not to be hated. Third, not to be the worst at anything. But these goals turn out to be relatively easy to achieve. Instead, his real challenge comes in the form of a new cabin mate. Zachary arrives at camp late, surrounded by a cloud of rumors, and Ethan finds himself intrigued and somehow envious of the new arrival. Zach doesn’t seem to care what anybody thinks of him. He doesn’t even seem upset when he is forced to miss the Big Swim, the legendary camp event where a select few try to swim across the lake and back. Then Zach attracts the attention of Amber Levine -- the girl with an easy smile and a freckle on one knee -- at the same time that Amber attracts the attention of Ethan. And life gets even more complicated when Zach decides to try the Big Swim on his own, and he manages to convince Amber and Ethan to help him. Original and smartly observed, this story will strike a chord with anyone who has ever been to summer camp.

'Cary Fagan's new novel is intense, lyrical, and emotionally charged. Leon Stone is a man blessed with good fortune - a wife he continues to feel passion for, a young daughter, a safe neighbourhood. But his fear that it will all be taken away from him appears to be realized when Vasily arrives next door, carrying his possessions in two garbage bags. Despite his better judgment, Leon finds himself drawn to this self-declared 'immigrant failure,' and their involvement gradually turns more intimate - and explosive. In the meantime, Leon's wife is growing impatient with his 'problem' - a fear of leaving the house, other than through the imaginative power of their erotic life. Leon's past is slowly revealed: how his father became involved with the mob, as well as Leon's own criminal past. The relationships of Leon with his wife, daughter, and with Vasily move towards their powerful climax.

Sheila Hersh is spending her early thirties leading a double life. She hangs out at the cool Firenze Bar at night, has a closetful of black clothes, and is even the reluctant star of an underground film. By day she writes ad copy for her father's store, Hersh's House of Mattresses (where she is instructed to use a lot of exclamation points), and manages to keep the rest of the employees - her outspoken, ambitious aunt and her stylish but ineffectual uncle -- on an even keel. The only thing that really keeps her interest is a mysterious book of poems that belonged to her dead mother. Sheila feels that if she could find out more about the obscure Viennese poet who died at the age of twenty-three in 1938, it might lead her to a greater understanding of her mother - and even of herself. Sheila travels to Vienna, where the city's ancient streets, aromatic coffee houses, and glorious music work an unexpected magic on her. As this literary mystery unravels, Sheila's familial bonds become more palpable. Surprising discoveries and chance meetings make this a delightful novel, funny, moving, and romantic.