Ezra and the Lion Cub tells the story of a poor shoeshine boy in Gondar, Ethiopia. In his dreams, Ezra sees himself as the king of the forest. In his dream world, Ezra is not poor, doesn't have to worry about going to school or think about shining shoes. He encounters a precocious lion cub and they become friends. The lion cub's mother is not so pleased with the cub's association with a human—one that can only lead to trouble. When a group of hunters come on the scene, disaster quickly follows and Ezra learns a valuable but painful lesson. Ezra and the Lion Cub is part of a large educational project designed for the 21st Century middle school learner. The project provides learning and teaching tools and resources to students and teachers connecting to themes like Global Citizenship, Human Rights, Democracy and Access to Basic Education. For more information, please see www.theshadowedroad.com.

Toronto, 1960. Mo Gold and Arthur "Birdie" Birdwell are like fish out of water. Mo is Jewish and sardonic; Birdie's black, thoughtful and gargantuan. They're both private detectives. Henry Turner disappeared eight years ago, without a trace. His mother wants him back. Mo and Birdie try to find him; they search high and low. Mo has family issues. His brother, Eli, is a rotten gambler. He’s in hock to John Fat Gai — the city’s most notorious gangster. Mo and Birdie need to find John’s missing money. If they do, John will free Eli. If not, Eli is toast. They’ve got three days. Mo’s father, Jake, is in prison on a manslaughter beef. Jake and Mo have an acrimonious relationship. After all, Mo worked as a homicide cop while Jake plied his criminal trade. When Jake escapes from prison, all hell breaks loose. The city is known as Toronto the Good. But Mo never sees that side. **