Special Collections
High Interest Y. A. Novels
Description: High Interest, Low Vocabulary books are for teenagers looking to advance their reading capabilities. Perfect for emerging teen readers. #teens
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Bio-pirate
by Michele Martin BossleyTrevor, Robyn and Nick decide they have a mystery to solve when Trevor discovers a suspicious looking young man snooping around. They learn about missing research involving the use of carob beans to aid in cancer treatment-potentially valuable information. With a shady looking grad student, a bitter activist and an employee of a medical research firm to deal with, our amateur sleuths are faced with their greatest challenge yet.
Jumper
by Michele Martin BossleyReese loves horses and longs to be a competitive show-jumper. When the leased horse she rides is sold she is left riding the orneriest horse in the stable. She decides she must find a horse of her own. Her parents can't afford a trained horse so she decides to buy a wild horse at auction. Outbid, she discovers that many of the wild horses are will be sold for slaughter. Determined to save the horses from a terrible fate she finds herself in deeper than she expected and fighting for her life.
Daredevil Club
by Pam WithersKip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff-diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil Club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Also available in French.
Bang
by Norah McclintockAfter a robbery goes terribly wrong, Quentin is framed for murder.
(Orca Soundings)
Maverick Mania
by Sigmund BrouwerThe disappearance of his soccer team's leading scorer during the championship finals leads sixteen-year-old Matt to investigate and entangles him in a possible kidnapping. If the Mavericks win just a few more games, they'll make it to the national soccer championship. There's only one catch. Their star player, Caleb Riggins, has disappeared. Matt Carr is determined to find his teammate and solve the mystery. He just didn't realize it would involve attack dogs, a mysterious golden bridge, the internet and a family who may not be who they seem. And the big game is only days away.
Road Trip
by Eric WaltersNick, Kia and their Mississauga Magic teammates are on the road, heading off to an elite hoop tournament in the Midwest. Feeling outmatched by many of the high-profile teams, the kids are still looking forward to a good time. However, Coach Barkley, who played college ball in the area and is still regarded as a hero, has other ideas. As usual, nothing but winning will be good enough for Coach. As the tournament progresses, the Magic players learn to believe in themselves and come to realize that they can hold their own against the opposing teams.
Trapped!
by Michele Martin BossleyJane Evans is excited to start a new soccer season with her Calgary team, the Hurricanes, especially when her friend Ashley announcing she's joining the team too. The season starts badly, however, when the players find someone has been stealing their belongings. Suspicion soon turns to Ashley, who's new to the squad and is the sister of a notorious troublemaker. As morale drops lower and lower, Jane sets out to find the truth about the thefts, to save both the team and her friend's reputation. Trapped is a story that shows how tiny rumours can have huge consequences, and how these consequences can be overcome with understanding and forgiveness.
Rooster
by Don TrembathRooster Cobb is in trouble--with his school, with his mother, with his girlfriend. He smokes too much and he hates his stepfather. In fact, he might not graduate from high school. But he just doesn't seem to care. That is until the guidance counselor and the principal come up with a plan to get Rooster through grade twelve, out of their lives forever and possibly on the right track with his life. The last thing Rooster wants to do is coach The Strikers, a bowling team of special-needs adults, especially when he finds out he's going to be mentored by the most unpopular girl in school, the principal's daughter, Elma. When he starts to take coaching seriously, his friends make fun of him, and his girlfriend accuses him of taking the easy way out. But when one of The Strikers dies unexpectedly, Rooster discovers there are as many ways to be a hero as there are ways to mess up.
All In
by Monique PolakTodd Lerner's never been much of a student, but he's got plenty of street smarts and he's a mean poker player. Todd's always had a thing for Claire, the most beautiful girl in grade eleven -- but Claire likes nice things. If Todd wants to date her, he'll need cash and plenty of it. Soon, a weekly poker game turns into a costly and dangerous obsession, and Todd's luck begins to change. Inspired by true events, All In journeys into the high-stakes worlds of gambling, addiction, and fraud.
Against the Boards
by Lorna Schultz NicholsonPeter has done it! He's made it onto an AAA Bantam team and is now playing hockey in Edmonton. But this shy boy from the Northwest Territories is having a hard time adjusting to city life, his new school, and host family.
Hitmen Triumph
by Sigmund BrouwerLeft winger Nolan Andrews thinks it's great that he can play hockey in Calgary, where his older brother, Nathan, is a star center for the Hitmen. When Nolan finds out that a lot of things about Nate's new life in Calgary don't make sense—or might not even be legal—Nolan has to make some difficult choices that will affect him and his brother for the rest of their lives.
Queen of the Toilet Bowl
by Frieda WishinskyWhen Renata is chosen to play the lead role in the school musical, students who used to ignore her start saying hello and congratulating her in the hall. Renata enjoys her newfound acceptance at school until she realizes that Karin, a wealthy girl who expected to get the lead role, will go to great lengths to punish Renata for her success. Renata is not going to give up the role, but how much tormenting will she have to take? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
The Darwin Expedition
by Diane TullsonTej and Liam are going snowboarding. When they take a shortcut over a treacherous logging road and have an accident, their adventure becomes more about survival than fresh powder. Tracked by a hungry bear, while trying to outrun the weather without any food, Tej and Liam learn about their friendship and what it will take to survive. When Tej is hurt, Liam decides he has to go for help—alone.
Frankenstein (An Adapted Classic)
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Emily HutchinsonFrom the Book Jacket: AN EXCERPT FROM FRANKENSTEIN : Just then, I saw the figure of a man climbing toward me. He was moving with superhuman speed. As he came closer, I saw that it was the wretch whom I had created. I trembled with rage and horror. "Devil!" I exclaimed. "Do you dare approach me? Do you not fear my vengeance? Begone! Or rather, stay, so I may trample you to dust!" "I expected such a welcome," said the creature. "Yet you are my creator. It is your fault that I am so wretched. You are bound to me until death. You want to kill me? How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty to me and I will do mine to you." "Hated monster! Come closer so I may put out the spark of life I so foolishly gave you!" "I have no wish to harm you. I am your creature, and you owe me something. Oh, Frankenstein, everywhere I see happiness that I alone cannot have. I was good, but misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be good." ENJOY THESE OTHER ADAPTED CLASSICS FROM GLOBE FEARON: Gulliver's Travels Ethan Frome The Canterbury Tales Heart of Darkness Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The Call of the Wild . � The Red Badge of Courage A Christmas Carol Les Miserables Tom Sawyer Jane Eyre A Tale of Two Cities The Odyssey Treasure Island Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl An Edgar Allan Poe Reader Great Expectations The Scarlet Letter
The Compound
by S. A. BodeenEli and his family have lived in the Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone. Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. Now, they can't get out. He won't let them.
Out of Sight
by Robert RaynerLinh-Mai has always admired the acrobatic moves of her soccer teams goalie -- Flyin' Brian. But her admiration becomes concern when an eye disease causes Brian to start losing his vision. She's determined to help Brian keep playing for as long as possible. But as his eyesight continues to deteriorate, it becomes clear that, to be a true friend, Linh-Mai must help Brian accept that some things are going to change.
Out of Order
by Robin StevensonFifteen-year-old Sophie sees her move to Victoria as a chance to start over and leave her old self behind. She is soon drawn into the orbit of the charismatic but troubled Zelia. As their friendship develops, and Zelia's behavior becomes increasingly self-destructive, Sophie struggles to maintain both the friendship and her own sense of self. Then Sophie meets Max. At first, Max seems to be Zelia's opposite: direct, straightforward and sure of herself. But this new friendship brings its own unexpected challenges and confusion, and Sophie slowly starts to realize that friendships are a place in which one can both lose and discover oneself.
The Bonemender's Choice (Bonemender #3) (Orca Books)
by Holly BennettIn this third volume of the Bonemender series, Dominic's children are kidnapped, but before they can be sold into slavery, a deadly plague strikes.
One More Step
by Sheree FitchFourteen-year-old Julian's parents separated when he was a baby and he is still angry and hurt. His mother has had relationships since -- all of which have ended disastrously -- but this time it seems serious. Jean-Paul looks like he might be the real thing. Julian is wary and critical as he comes to terms with the fact that he and his brother may have to let down their defences and allow their mother to find happiness. On a road trip with his mother and her new beau, Julian finds that love and happiness come in many guises. In the end, he realizes that it is not blood that determines true family, but the willingness to stand together.
Can Your Smartphone Change the World?
by Erinne PaisleyCan Your Smartphone Change the World? is a twenty-first-century guide for anyone who has access to a smartphone. This how-to manual looks at specific ways you can create social change through the tap of a screen. Filled with examples of successful hashtag campaigns, viral videos and new socially conscious apps, the book provides practical advice for using your smartphone as a tool for social justice. This is the first book in the PopActivism series. Can Your Outfit Change the World? comes out in spring 2018 and Can Your Conversations Change the World? in fall 2018.
Pigboy
by Vicki GrantDan is not sure he'll survive the boring field trip to a remote heritage farm. How could a place with no running water, telephone or electricity be anything but dull? The farmer knows nothing about farming and seems angry about having to conduct the tour. And what's with his tattoo? The teacher requests a private word with the farmer and then mysteriously disappears. Dan decides to investigate and uncovers a deadly plan. But will he be able to get help in time to save his teacher and the rest of his class? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Also available in French.
The Shadow Road
by K. V. JohansenIn Book Four of the Warlocks of Talverdin series, half human warlock Nethin is abducted and forced to use his formidable powers to open the shadow road, an action that may have terrible consequences beyond anyone's imagining.
Lightning Rider
by Jacqueline GuestJanuary Fournier, a sixteen-year-old Metis girl, learns her brother is in intensive care after a motorcycle crash. When she arrives at the hospital, the police tell her the crashed bike was stolen, and her brother is now the prime suspect.
Tell (Orca Soundings)
by Norah McclintockHow much does David know about his stepfather's death? (RL4.0)
No Problem
by Dayle Campbell GaetzCurt seems to have it all: a girlfriend, friends, a good summer job and a guaranteed position on the baseball team with the promise of a professional career. Then, one misstep causes his world to unravel and his life to plummet into the depths of depression and addiction. A bleak yet ultimately hopeful story about one teen's struggle with the pressures of growing up, fitting in and getting by.