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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The Solstice Cup
by Rachel Dunstan MullerOn a visit to Ireland, twin sisters are lured into the "Otherworld," where a dangerous enchantment threatens to separate them.
Back
by Norah Mcclintock"Back" chronicles the story of Jojo-- an ex-thug -- who has just returned home after serving a two year prison sentence. Despite having reformed, his neighborhood seals itself off from Jojo. But this time, real justive will be done -- even if it involves violence...
Orca Soundings
The Dream Where Losers Go
by Beth GoobieNo one knows why she hurt herself, least of all Skey. After five long months in treatment for self-destructive behavior, Skey continues to dream of dark tunnels with mysterious designs carved into their stone walls, a place where she is safe and alone. Then she encounters another dreamer, a boy her own age, dreaming the same dream, wandering the same tunnels. A boy with secrets much like her own. While trying desperately to remember what happened that sent her away and who the boy is that she met in the dream tunnels, Skey's life plummets farther out of control. When she realizes her friends do not have her best interests at heart and they may be the reason she is lost, Skey must face her fears and the truth of the dream tunnels, and find her way back to solid reality.
Scum (Orca Soundings)
by James C. DekkerFifteen-year-old Megan's brother is dead, apparently a random victim of violence. As Megan digs deeper, she finds that Danny was "known to police" and that nobody wants to solve the crime.
First Descent
by Pam WithersMontana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river's challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human. In Colombia, he meets Myriam Calambás, an indígena, who has lived along the El Furioso all her life. Though she loves its rushing waters, she dreams of leaving to get an education so that she can help her people. Her dreams, and her very survival, are in the balance when she and Rex are caught up in the clash between paramilitaries, working for rich landowners, and guerillas, who are supposed to be protecting the poor.Pam Withers' skill at writing about extreme adventures combines with a compelling story about an endangered world and a people struggling for their very right to exist.From the Hardcover edition.
Zee's Way
by Kristin ButcherZee is torn between making a statement with graffiti and making art. (RL3.2)
Refuge Cove
by Lesley ChoyceGreg is an avid sailor. On a solo trip off the rugged Newfoundland coast, he stumbles upon a family of desperate refugees stranded in a lifeboat. Fearing for their lives if they are deported to their homeland, the family convinces Greg to help them, and keep their existence secret. He promises not to call the authorities and takes the family home. When his plan begins to unravel, and the family flees into the teeth of an oncoming storm, Greg goes after them. A thrilling story that demonstrates the importance of community and the power of conviction, Refuge Cove is also an exciting adventure.
Dead End Job
by Vicki GrantFrances works the night shift at a local convenience store, dividing her time between restocking shelves and working on her art. Her routine is broken one night when Devin comes into the store. He claims to be the son of a famous local artist and offers her advice on her drawings. Although he seems to know way too much about her, Frances decides, against the advice of her boyfriend, that he is odd but harmless. By the time she realizes the danger she is in, Devin is completely obsessed with her and convinced that if he can't have her, no one will. Frances will be forced to use all her strength to escape from Devin.
Rebel Glory
by Sigmund BrouwerAt 17, star defenseman Brian Thomas McPhee likes his chances of making it as a pro hockey player. Yet, a string of recent "accidents" threatens to knock his team out of the playoffs and ruin his promising career. B.T. McPhee has begun to question how many "accidents" can happen before they become more than a coincidence. But it's not a good time for questions. Not in the spotlight of high-pressure hockey. Not when the team needs him most. And not when he has some important lessons to learn about life. For B.T. McPhee, however, there is no choice. Unless the questions are answered, the team's season and his promising career will surely end.
Dead in the Water
by Robin StevensonDespite his father's opposition, Simon "Spacey" Drake is determined to become a long-distance sailor, so he signs up for a week-long live-aboard sailing course. The trip gets off to a rough start, but the real trouble begins when Simon and Olivia, another student, get curious about a nearby cabin cruiser in an anchorage. They investigate and stumble upon an abalone poaching operation, but the poachers have far too much at stake to let a couple of kids get in their way. Simon has always believed that the only person you can count on is yourself, but when he and Olivia find their lives in danger, he knows they will have to work with the rest of the crew if they are to survive.
Death Benefits
by Sarah N. HarveyRoyce (aka Rolly) is having a bad year. Not only has his mother dragged him across the country in order to be close to her aged father Arthur, a celebrated cellist, but he's also recovering from mono. When he convinces his mother to let him finish the school year by correspondence, he's left feeling isolated and lonely, and spends his time watching TV and plotting ways to get back to his friends in Nova Scotia. But before his plans can be implemented, his grandfather has a small stroke. Suddenly Arthur needs more care than Royce's mother can provide and, after a couple of hired care aides quit, Royce is pressed into service. Looking after a ninety-five-year-old—especially one as cantankerous, crafty and stubborn as Arthur—is a challenge. But as Royce gets to know the eccentric old man—who loves the Pussycat Dolls, hates Anderson Cooper and never listens to the kind of music that made him famous—he gradually comes to appreciate that his grandfather's life still has meaning. Even if Arthur himself seems to want it to end.
Kicker
by Michele Martin BossleyIzzy and Julia have been on the same team for years. Izzy is frustrated that Julia spends too much time cherry-picking and getting all the credit when they score. But when someone starts threatening the team and their home field is sabotaged, the friends must work together to find the answers. Why would someone threaten their star player? And what is the connection to a century-old train robbery and the rumor of buried treasure? Trying to solve the mystery and keep the team in the playoff race, Izzy and Julia find themselves in deeper than they thought, and in more danger than they imagined.
Stones on a Grave
by Kathy KacerJune 1964, Sara has never been out of the tiny town of Hope, Ontario, where she has been in an orphanage all her life. After a fire destroys the Benevolent Home for Necessitous Girls, clues about her parentage—a medical certificate and a Star of David—lead her to Germany. Despite her fears—she doesn’t speak the language, she knows no one in Germany, and she’s never been on an airplane—Sara arrives in Germany determined to explore her newly discovered Jewish heritage and solve the mystery of her parentage. What she encounters is a country still dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust. With the help of a handsome, English-speaking German boy, she discovers the sad facts of her mother’s brief existence and faces the horrible truth about her father. Ultimately, the knowledge she gains opens up her world and leads her to a deeper understanding of herself. Part of the Secrets Series—a series of seven linked novels that can be read in any order. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Mud Happens
by Bill SwanMatt and his teammates are disappointed when their favourite track coach can no longer lead the school team. But, their new coach is from the Riders dream team of elite athletes who have the potential to become "real" runners.
Chat Room
by Kristin ButcherLinda joins her high school's private online forum and gains a following, but someone wants to take it offline. Linda is shy and avoids getting involved at school. But when her high school sets up online chat rooms she can't resist the urge to visit them. Fuelled by interest in a student with the nickname Cyrano, Linda participates in online conversations using the nickname Roxane and gains a reputation as the queen of one-liners. Soon Linda starts receiving gifts from a secret admirer who signs his gifts, "C." She is certain that her life has taken a turn for the better until "C" reveals his true identity. 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.
Marked
by Norah McClintockColin didn't think getting a job would make him a suspect in a series of robberies. When Colin accepts the job to clean up the graffiti in an upscale neighborhood he worries that he might be targeted by gangs. But every time he is sent to clean up graffiti, the police are nearby investigating a crime. Colin knows he's done nothing wrong, but even he acknowledges his presence at the crime scenes looks suspicious. The only way he can clear his name is to figure out what is really going on. 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.
Out of Bounds
by Sylvia GunneryJay Hirtle plays on the basketball team at Richmond Academy in a small rural Nova Scotian town. The team to beat is Centreville, where star player Mike Murphy is seen as Richmond's number one opponent. After the Hirtle house is destroyed by fire, Jay's family moves in with his grandfather and the kids must switch schools until the end of the school year. Jay has a choice: give up a basketball season, or play alongside his former enemy on the Centreville team.
Interference
by Lorna Schultz NicholsonJosh has finally made it to an elite hockey team and is determined to play as well as his older brother, Matt. But Josh is so tired and sluggish at practice -- and so thirsty and hungry all the time -- he worries he'll be cut from the team. Little does everyone know, Josh's undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes is working against him -- and getting more serious by the day. Interference is a compelling novel about a determined young athlete struggling with many new challenges.
Flower Power
by Ann WalshHas a protest to save a tree gone too far? Callie's mother has chained herself to the neighbor's tree and is living inside the treehouse. She refuses to come down until the neighbor, Mr. Wilson, agrees to leave the tree standing. Soon reporters arrive, followed by an activist group called the Singing Grannies and a gang of bikers—each group adding to the chaos. Callie doesn't want to deal with any of them but she needs to figure out how to get her mother to come down from the tree so that her life can return to normal. 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.
In a Flash
by Eric WaltersThe first flash mob Ian puts together himself is a sixty-plus person, four-minute pillow fight in a department store. His friend Oswald is thrilled with the event, but Julia, the one Ian really wants to impress, is still convinced that flash mobs are stupid. While Ian tries to prove Julia wrong by initiating flash mobs with political impact, Julia is busy waging war with the strict new principal at school. When Julia goes too far and gets herself suspended, Ian sees an opportunity for a relevant and persuasive flash mob.
Shortcuts #1
by Sigmund BrouwerKeegan, the best skier on the hill, ends up playing detective when he discovers that someone is trying to sabotage the ski team, and it looks like a pretty blonde snowboarder is involved.
Crush (Orca Books)
by Carrie MacHope, the daughter of hippies and raised on a commune, goes to spend the summer in New York while her parents are in Thailand. She meets a girl, has a crush on her, and questions whether she is a lesbian or just going through a phase.
Res Judicata
by Vicki GrantCyril MacIntyre, son of firebrand lawyer Andy MacIntyre, smells something fishy about one of his mother's cases. And it's not just that there are sea lice in the coffee. When Cyril starts investigating the death of a millionaire inventor, he gives a whole new meaning to the term "legal aid." Long on smarts and short on—well, just plain short, Cyril tangles with deranged criminals, indulges in a little bit of B & E and confronts the scariest person in the world—his mother.
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.