The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma

From the back of the book:
When the children on the seed ship Renaissance are orphaned in outer space, thirteen-year-old Johnny Turnbull and his sister, Ketheria, are forced to work as knud-nits on the Rings of Orbis. But Johnny soon discovers that his is the first human Softwire - he has a special gift that allows him to enter any computer with his mind. And when the central computer on Orbis mysteriously malfunctions, the Citizens point their fingers at the Softwire.

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht

From chapters.ca:
Let’s say you’re walking along and an angry alligator jumps out of the bushes. There’s no escape; it’s just you and the alligator. You’ll be glad that you read The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook. In this series of entertaining but factually accurate books, you’ll learn what to do if you’re stuck in quicksand, forced to land a plane, left to defuse a bomb or wrestle an angry alligator.

There are a lot of books in this series.

The series has also spawned a board game.

Even More Parts by Tedd Arnold

This is the third book in the series. It describes a number of idioms having to do with the body through the same, hypochondriac, character from Parts and More Parts

Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography by Chester Brown

Exactly what it sounds like, this is a biography of Louis Riel told by comic strip. It was an informative, fast read (though it's quite thick).

Displays a very pro-Riel bias.

The Case of the Elevator Duck by Polly Berrien Berends

From the back of the book:
What does a young detective do when he finds a lost duck in the elevator of his housing project? Elementary: he tries to find the duck's owner. But if No Pets Of Any Sort are allowed in the projects, who is going to admit he's lost a duck? Detective Gilbert doesn't even dare to tell anybody he's found one! How Gilbert cleverly solves these problems - and makes the case - makes a humorous story of detection and city life.

Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin by Lloyd Moss, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

From the back of the book:
When this book begins, the trombone is playing all by itself. But soon a trumpet makes a duet, a french horn a trio, and so on until the entire orchestra is assembled on stage.

Thomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora, illustrated by Paul Colon

Based on a true story, Thomas and his family are migrant workers. They move from state to state depending on the season. While he is in Iowa for the summer, Thomas meets a librarian who inspires him to read and learn.

Teeth, Tails, & Tentacles: An Animal Counting Book by Christopher Wormell

Count up to 20 with the help of different animals. Information on each animal can also be found in the back of the book.

Super Hero ABC by Bob McLeod

I have to say this is possibly my new favourite ABC book. The illustrations are colourful and the super heroes that represent each letter of the alphabet is zany and entertaining.

Owen and Mzee by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, photos by Peter Greste

From the back of the book:
This is the true story of two great friends: a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee.
In December 2004...a frightened young hippo, separated from his family by the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia, adopted an ancient Aldabra tortoise as his "mother." And the old tortoise, for years a longer, accepted the baby hippo as his own. They are now inseparable. This wholly unexpected friendship captured hearts everywhere.

These two picture books are available as simpler board books for younger readers. There is also a TV documentary about the incredible friendship between these two animals.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

From the back of the book:
Officer Buckle knows more about safety than anyone in the town of Napville. But whenever he tries to share his safety tips, nobody listens. Until, that is, the Napville Police Department buys a police dog named Gloria. Unbeknownst to Officer Buckle, Gloria has her own way of demonstrating safety tips - one that makes Napville sit up and take notice! Suddenly, everybody wants to hear Officer Buckle's safety speech. "And please," people say, "bring along that police dog."

Me and the Blonds by Teresa Toten

From the back of the book:
Sophie Kandinsky has spent the last six years trying to keep her crazy family life secret. The devil is in the details. The first detail is her larger-than-life, eccentric, Bulgarian mother. The slightly larger detail is the fact that her gentle, poet-father has been charged with murder. All Sophie wants is to be adored and invincible, which is really hard once people find out her father's in prison. But this time, after yet another move to another new school, and another opportunity to wipe the slate clean, Sophie has devised a plan. On her first day of school, she will locate the Blonds - that clique of perfect, confident girls who are beyond gossip and reproach - and she will make them her friends. This time, no one will find out the truth. This time, everything will be brilliant.

The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano

From The Cooperative Children's Book Center:
Best known to U. S. audiences as the author of Il Postino, Chilean author Antonio Skármeta's chilling short story about a nine-year-old boy growing up in a military dictatorship will provide plenty of food for thought for young readers. Pedro is an ordinary kid who likes to play soccer and wishes his parents would buy him a real soccer ball. He doesn't understand why his parents spend so much time huddled around the radio listening to news until his best friend's father is taken away by soldiers. For the first time, Pedro begins to understand the political implications of his parents' actions, even though they try to shield him from such things...When an army captain shows up at Pedro's school and demands that the students write a composition entitled "What My Family Does at Night," Pedro does his best, hoping he will win a prize that will allow him to buy the soccer ball he wants so badly...

Edwina the Emu by Sheena Knowles and Rod Clement

From chapters.ca:
In this sequel to the popular Edward the Emu, Edward and his mate Edwina are the proud parents of ten little emu eggs. "Don’t get depressed. I’ll find a job, you stay on the nest," says Edwina to her stunned mate. And so Edwina sets out to find a job in this lighthearted offering from down under.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

From chapters.ca:
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance. When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

Only a Cow by Arlene Hamilton, illustrated by Dean Griffiths

From chapters.ca:
Lucille isn't like the other cows on Charlie's farm. Not for her, standing around chewing her cud all day. She yearns to run in a real race, just like Thunder, Farmer Charlie's prize racehorse. Lucille's dissatisfaction with her lot in life - and her strange ambition - confuses the other cows. Even Thunder can hardly disguise his contempt when he reminds Lucille that she is "only a cow". She won't be swayed, and one day when Farmer Charlie takes them all to the fair, Lucille stumbles onto a racetrack, and lines up in the starting gate. "Only a cow" - we'll see about that!

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

From chapters.ca:
Bird wakes up feeling grumpy. Too grumpy to eat or play -- too grumpy even to fly. "Looks like I''m walking today," says Bird. He walks past Sheep, who offers to keep him company. He walks past Rabbit, who also could use a walk. Raccoon, Beaver, and Fox join in, too. Before he knows it, a little exercise and companionship help Bird shake his bad mood.

The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale by Laurence Yep, illustrated by Kam Mak

From the back of the book:
in China long, long ago, there lived a poor old farmer with seven daughters. The land was so poor, it seemed he grew more rocks than rice. One afternoon, when the farmer was coming back from town, a huge dragon sprang from a nearby cave and seized the farmer in its paw. "Give me one of your daughters for a wife, and I'll give you your life as her bride price!"

My Mother's Sari by Sandhya Rao, illustrated by Nina Sabnani

From the back of the book:
One long stretch of cloth is what Mother always wears - elegant, yet so graceful. The mystery of the sari can be magical for a child, winding and weaving, just like the connection between mother and child.

William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki

A brief account of Shakespeare's life and work as well as a history of the theatre that he wrote plays for and the modern day reconstruction of the Globe Theatre

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

From chapters.ca:
Firedrake, a young dragon, receives a frightening warning one night: humans are planning to destroy the valley in which he lives! All the dragons must flee. Their only refuge is a place above the clouds called the Rim of Heaven--which may not even exist. Firedrake boldly volunteers to go ahead first. As he embarks on his journey, he meets Ben, a runaway boy. Together, the boy and dragon make their way toward the Rim of Heaven, all the while running a step ahead of Nettlebrand, a monster who will stop at nothing to hunt down Firedrake.

Originally in German.

A Walk in the Rainforest by Kristin Joy Pratt

From chapters.ca:
A Walk in the Rainforest provides a colourful, stimulating way to learn about the exotic animals and plants of the rain forest. Presented in alphabet style format, each page consists of an original, full-colour illustration, together with a paragraph of intriguing facts about the lifestyle and habitat of the plant or animal.

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

From chapters.ca:
The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizarre adventure of their lives. In his second book for children, Chris Van Allsburg again explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startlingly to life. His marvellous drawings beautifully convey a mix of the everyday and the extraordinary, as a quiet house is taken over by an exotic jungle.