The Carved Box by
Fifteen-year-old Callum Murdoch knows he's a fool. He's just arrived from Scotland, and he's already handed over his money to a total stranger. And for what? A filthy, half-starved dog and a carved box that he's been warned never to open. Now he'll have to explain his impulsive action to Uncle Rory, the only relative willing to give him a home. Callum is unprepared for the grinding physical labor of farm work. His only source of comfort is Dog. She seems to know all his secret wishes and fears. With Dog by his side, Callum gains the courage to face life in the New World. But when the mysterious carved box is accidentally broken open, Callum is faced with astonishing revelations -- and difficult decisions.
City of the Dead by
The Egyptian god of death lurks in neighborhood streets. The replica of a sphinx comes to life and takes vengeance on a predator of street kids. An ethereal presence types messages on a home computer screen. These are among the spirits that animate the stories in City of the Dead. Their spine-tingling tales lead to the hazy middle ground between reality and imagination, shadow and light, science and superstition. They explore a kind of twilight zone of people and events that defy explanation. They scratch at the surface of fear and challenge preconceptions about what is real. They are Rod Serling's response to the 21st century, and they are guaranteed to take you to edge of fear and back.
Firewing by
"The earth heaves and splits in a terrible quake and... Griffin, a Silverwing newborn, is sucked into a fissure deep below the earth. Shade, Griffin's father, soon realizes that his soon has been drawn into the Underworld, and embarks on the most dangerous of journeys to rescue him. Shade knows he must find Griffin quickly, but something else is hunting Griffin - a deadly foe Shade hoped he would never see again. Who will find Griffin first? And who will survive to embark on the perilous journey back to the land of the living?" -Author's website
Flood by
When a flood kills eleven-year-old Andy Flynn's mother and stepfather, the only world he has ever known is gone and he is alone. Aunt Mona, whom he has never met, takes him to live with her in Halifax, on the opposite side of the country. During the flight, Aunt Mona tells him harshly that his father was not a war hero killed in battle, as Andy's mother led him to believe, but a no-good thief and drunk who is very much alive in Halifax. Andy is stunned, and as soon as they reach their destination, he runs away from his aunt to find his father. James Heneghan's remarkable gift for storytelling shines as strongly as ever in this moving and funny tale.
Fractures by
Fractures is a collection of twelve deeply affecting stories that address contemporary family relationships and dynamics through a child's or teenager's eyes. Although these stories (most of which are new to this collection) deal with difficult issues and themes--sibling rivalry, alcoholism, illness, child abuse and neglect--each offers powerful moments of revelation, even of redemption, as its protagonists seek out and connect with others. In "Like a Water Lily,"the neglected daughter of an alcoholic parent is offered the chance to see herself through different, and more caring, eyes; in "My War,"a girl cannot understand her fatherÕs refusal to talk about his experiences as a soldier until a pivotal event occurs in her own life; in "Fathers,"a teacher's challenge allows two boys to acknowledge very different truths about their dads as well as themselves; while in "The Metaphor,"a girl's connection to a teacher sharply and revealingly contrasts her relationship with her mother. These are haunting and entrancing stories that are immensely readable and satisfying.
A Sacred Seal by
A young boy named Sam meets Mr Goodfellow, a distinguished member of the Sage clan. Before long he finds himself sneaking into abandoned buildings, outsmarting devious professors, and fighting off the evil, Fen, as they try to uncover the secret behind an old man's disappearance and his connection to a legendary scroll.
Irish Chain by
"Rose Dunlea is slow. At least that is what she is being constantly told by the Sisters at school in Halifax during the early 1900s. She's been held back twice now and if she fails again, next year she'll be in the same class as Winnie, her younger sister. Although the war against Germany seems far away - her most pressing fears are the words that inexplicably tumble together on the page whenever she tries to read them. They don't make sense to her. Isolated from her schoolmates and ashamed of her inability to read, Rose tries to escape into her Mam's Irish Chain quilt, a handmade emblem of the family's past laden with love. But when that doesn't help, Rose desperately prays to God so that she doesn't have to go to school anymore. Exactly one day later on December 6, 1917, two ships explode in Halifax harbour, resulting in the greatest human tragedy Canada has ever seen. Rose's life changes forever - and she's sure it's all her fault.
A stunned and grief-stricken Rose draws on the heroic stories of her great-grandmother stitched into the Irish Chain quilt to find her own courage and inner strength. Irish Chain is a beautifully moving story about awakening the gifts within," -Website
Losing Forever by
In this novel by Gayle Friesen, normal life for Jes is slipping away. Her mother is getting married again and is totally preoccupied with planning the perfect wedding. And if one fool in love is not enough, Jes's best girlfriend has fallen for a complete jerk. To make matters worse, Jes also has to deal with Angela, her soon-to-be stepsister, who has come to stay for a month before the wedding. A half-crazed mother, a lovesick friend, a perfectly evil stepsister -- could things for Jes get any worse?
Out of the Ashes by
Shelby Belgarden isn't exactly thrilled when people start thinking Greg is her boyfriend. After all, she's more interested in the athletic Nick Jarvis. But one day Greg suddenly becomes more interesting to Shelby - though for all the wrong reasons: Shelby begins to suspect that Greg is responsible for the series of arsons that have occurred in her small New Brunswick town in recent weeks. After finding out that Greg and his father had moved to this town after their old home burnt down - with Greg's mother inside - Shelby finds Greg's gasoline-soaked mitten near the scene of the latest arson. Shelby launches her own investigation into the crimes. As she does, she becomes aware that whoever is responsible may have been a victim of sexual abuse.
Saving Jasey by
Thirteen-year-old Gavin's homelife is far from perfect. His older brother is a bully, his father has no time for him, and his mother hasn't been the same since she hit a pig on the highway. Gavin finds sanctuary in his friend Trist McVeigh's seemingly perfect home. His blossoming infatuation with Trist's older sister Jasey helps fill the emotional void. But all is not as it seems in the McVeigh home. Trist's uncle suffers from Huntington's disease, a devastating degenerative brain disorder that may have been the reason for the suicide of Trist's father. Is Grandpa Jack also affected? And if so, are Trist and Jasey also in danger? Unable to deal with the threat of a potential illness, Jasey starts to self-destruct and she becomes involved with the worst kind of people. While trying to understand the dramatic changes in her personality, Gavin finds that the threat of a silent killer like Huntington's disease is as damaging as a corrosive family life. Gavin decides to do what he can to save Jasey and ultimately save himself.
Losing Forever by
In this novel by Gayle Friesen, normal life for Jes is slipping away. Her mother is getting married again and is totally preoccupied with planning the perfect wedding. And if one fool in love is not enough, Jes's best girlfriend has fallen for a complete jerk. To make matters worse, Jes also has to deal with Angela, her soon-to-be stepsister, who has come to stay for a month before the wedding. A half-crazed mother, a lovesick friend, a perfectly evil stepsister -- could things for Jes get any worse?