A Foreign Field by
Life has been tough for 14-year-old Ellen Logan. With her country embroiled in the Second World War, she's forced to shoulder many family responsibilities. Life's even tougher for Stephen Dearborn, a young British pilot in training at the local airfield. As Ellen and Stephen are forced to grow up before their time, their friendship deepens -- and together they discover that sometimes falling apart is only steps away from falling in love.
The Losers' Club by
A funny, feisty, and charming novel. Alex Sherwood would like to blend in and keep a low profile in his local high school. His plan is thwarted when he inadvertently becomes hero to a group of so-called losers. As Alex says, "Everywhere I turned some zit-faced loser wanted me to be an oasis from constant torment. How could I refuse? After all, I was a zit-faced loser." The tormentor is Jerry Whitman Jr., who runs a successful extortion ring at school and basically makes life difficult for everyone. Alex is known as "The Savior" for his habit of helping out his fellow losers and fending off Jerry and the boys. Alex and his two best friends, Winston and Manny, spend a lot of time scheming how they and the other losers might defeat Jerry and his gang in an upcoming challenge. They are also desperate to find an adult guardian (to keep the school counsellors happy) since two of them are temporarily parentless. Serious entanglements and hilarious complications result from their antics on the home front, where extreme measures are required. As Manny puts it, "Learning to successfully con the school administration will be highly beneficial to our self-esteem." Unfortunately for the boys, the school administration is not so easily conned. This story has a wonderful exuberance, with characters that are engagingly original (including a suitably odious villain). Lekich displays a deft touch with humor, and the authentic dialogue establishes a true teen ambiance. Even Alex's disability is portrayed in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way.
The Maze by
There is an amazing power in the maze inlaid in a mysterious black box that is given to Andrea Austin. All Andrea knows is that she doesn't want to be the victim of Crystal and her gang anymore. Crystal and her friend grab Andrea's box and disappear in a blinding flash. It's up to Andrea to go after them and bring them back. The maze-like world they have gone into is very dangerous, generated by emotions, and Crystal's anger threatens to destroy her and also Andrea, the only person who can save her.
Parvana's Journey by
With Kabul in ruins from the Taliban's control, Parvana dresses as a boy and sets out to leave Afghanistan in search of her family.
The Road to Chlifa by
This hard-hitting novel won, in its original French edition: The Governor General's Award, The Alvine Belisle Award, and The Brive / Montreal Award. Nominee, Governor General's Literary Award for Translation (from French to English) Karim has journeyed a long way from his home in war-torn Beirut to his new high school in Quebec. Now he must travel the difficult road to a life without war. There is contempt and racism here, too. But there is also My-Lan, a new companion in a new and challenging country. It is an adventure behind the headlines and a lesson in life you couldn't learn in the classroom.
Sticks and Stones by
Jujube is thrilled when Brent asks her out. She is not so happy when the rumors start flying at school. Pretty soon her name is showing up on bathroom walls and everyone is snickering and sniping. When her mother gets involved, Jujube's reputation takes another hit. Deciding that someone has to take a stand, Jujube gathers all the other girls who are labelled sluts--and worse--and tries to impress on her fellow students the damage that can be done by assigning a label that reduces a person to an object. Fry Reading Level: 2.6
Surviving Sam by
Karen Rivers is one of Canada's most exciting new writers for teens. In a recent article, the Vancouver Sun wrote: "The most promising direction [in books for teens in Canada] is represented by Karen Rivers ... the pool of children's books that deal with higher truths is so small that it is exciting to see a B.C. writer dipping her toe into it."Surviving Sam clearly demonstrates Rivers' talent. The "Sam" in Surviving Sam is a 16-year-old boy who dies in a mountain-climbing accident. His twin sister, who was also involved in the accident but lived to tell about it, is the survivor. The gritty but fulfilling story is about the unthinkable death of a beloved sibling, and how one teenaged girl copes with her numbness, depression and grief-and learns, slowly but surely, how to live again.
Tribes by
Percy’s father, a famous anthropologist, died in Africa four years ago; and Percy has taken on his father’s eyes to see the world as a brilliant Observer. He and his friend Elissa are fascinated by the ritualistic world called Grade Twelve: the Jock tribe; the Teacher tribe; the Born Again tribe; the Cool and Detached tribe; the Lipstick/Hairspray tribe, not to mention Mr. Verplaz, the Shaman. For Percy it’s crucial to withdraw, analyze, and remain above it all. But wait–he’s studying real people, who complicate things. Like Elissa, the only person who can come close to him, maybe too close. The only person who knows how painful it was last year when their best friend Willard died. As graduation approaches, the looming ritual ratchets up Percy’s deepest, hidden feelings and reveals the truth about his father’s disappearance. From the Hardcover edition.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by
"Noreen Stall, a 17-year-old self-proclaimed 'heartless girl,' is in trouble: pregnant and on the run from her boyfriend Wesley, the only kind boy she's ever known. Now, Noreen is stranded in the local cafe in a tiny farming town. Lynda, the cafe's manager, has her own demons, having fled an abusive relationship with her young son. Against her better judgement, Lynda takes Noreen in, and the troubled girl's life starts to bleed into the town's cast of characters, from the town grandmother to the rangy cowboy." -CBC
Truth and Lies by
When Erin arrives for class at Oshawa Secondary, she learns that her friend Marcel has been badly beaten up. She immediately wonders whether it was a gay-bashing, or whether he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Marcel is in a coma, so she has no clues to help her. As far as she knows he doesn't have any enemies, but there are plenty of guys at school who don't hide their hateful feelings for gay people. When the police investigation of Marcel's attack comes up against a brick wall, Erin decides she'll have to track down the guilty parties herself. Her search takes her on a dark journey through throbbing dance clubs and back alleys in a desperate effort to discover the truth. Truth and Lies is a gritty, suspenseful story that examines the prejudice and hatred faced by gay people in our society, both within school walls and beyond them. [Fry Reading Level - 4.7
A Foreign Field by
Life has been tough for 14-year-old Ellen Logan. With her country embroiled in the Second World War, she's forced to shoulder many family responsibilities. Life's even tougher for Stephen Dearborn, a young British pilot in training at the local airfield. As Ellen and Stephen are forced to grow up before their time, their friendship deepens -- and together they discover that sometimes falling apart is only steps away from falling in love.