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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Blazer Drive
by Sigmund BrouwerWhen Josh Ellroy, left-winger for the Kamloops Blazers, and his dad find more than a dozen dead cattle on the family ranch, Josh has some serious decisions to make. On one hand, the Western Hockey League playoffs are ahead, plus a chance to play in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, there's a beautiful and interesting girl who believes more prize bulls will be killed. Josh is afraid of what will happen if he gets involved. As he learns more, he's afraid of what will happen if he doesn't.
Blue Moon
by Marilyn HalvorsonBobbie Joe didn't set out to buy a limping blue roan mare -- she wanted a colt she could train to barrel race. But the horse is a fighter, just like Bobbie Joe. Now all she has to do is train the sour old mare that obviously has a past. While she nurses the horse back to health, Bobbie Joe realizes that the horse, now called Blue Moon, may have more history than she first thought. With the help of the enigmatic Cole, she slowly turns the horse into a barrel racer.
The Bonemender (Bonemender #1) (Orca Books)
by Holly BennettIn this fantasy, Gabrielle is a bonemender, a healer, who falls in love with a man whom fate seems to have forbidden her, but they must both think about war before they can think about love.
The Bonemender's Choice
by Holly BennettWhen Dominic's children are kidnapped by raiding pirates, Gabrielle and Feolan find themselves drawn into their most frightening adventure yet, a sea journey into unknown lands. The adventure takes a deadly turn when the Gray Veil, a plague that slowly chokes its victims, strikes the harbor town where the children have been taken. Gabrielle's healing powers are needed as never before, and in the end, it seems, she must choose: She can only save one, her husband or her niece.
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.
The Bonemender's Oath
by Holly BennettIn this sequel to the Bonemender, Gabrielle and her brother Tristan fight to keep safe those they care for and to find a place for love in their lives.
The Book of Trees (Orca Books)
by Leanne LiebermanWhen Mia, a Jewish teenager from Ontario, goes to Israel to spend the summer studying at a yeshiva, or seminary, she wants to connect with the land and deepen her understanding of Judaism.
Boost
by Kathy MackelThirteen-year-old Savvy is six two and full of raw basketball talent; her three-point shot is deadly. But she’s also skinny and gets pushed around on the court. Her older sister, Callie, is a freshman on varsity cheerleading, but she’s not quite light enough to be a flier—her coveted position. Both girls need to boost their level of competition to get off the bench and into the action. When steroids are found in Savvy’s gym bag, she claims they are not hers. Suddenly, accusations are flying and nobody knows who is telling the truth. When it comes to competitive sports, no one is exempt from being offered a boost. Read Kathy Mackel's posts on the Penguin Blog. .
Boot Camp
by Eric Walters and Jerome Williams and Johnnie Williams IIINick and Kia learn that teamwork can be more important than talent.
Branded
by Eric WaltersIan learns that the company that makes the uniforms for his school is reputed to use child labor.
Breathing Fire
by Sarah Yi-Mei TsiangWhen Ally’s mom dies, Ally is left with no family, no friends and no future. Put into foster care at the age of fifteen, she has less than $200 to her name and nothing left to lose. When Ally meets Tate, a busking fire breather, she starts to see a new life for herself as a street performer. Ally decides to run away from her foster home, but her problems follow her. Hiding her age, sleeping on the streets and avoiding fights with other buskers, Ally discovers that there’s more to life as a fire-breathing busker than not getting burned.
Breathing Not Required
by Michele Martin BossleyGracie and her friend Laura are both on the synchronized swim team in their hometown of Cochrane, Alberta. Gracie is focused and hard-working, eager to be chosen for a solo. Laura is more relaxed about synchro, wanting above all to enjoy the sport. As the swim meet nears, these different approaches strain their friendship and threaten the success of the team itself. Lively and good humored, "Breathing Not Required" is a novel about competition, jealousy, and the importance of friendship.
Breathless
by Pam WithersBeverly is in Hawaii, helping her uncle at his dive shop, learning how to dive and trying to lose weight and get a boyfriend. When Garth, an accomplished diver, shows an interest in her, Beverly is ecstatic, until it turns out Garth is only interested in one thing. Struggling with failing strength from her self-imposed starvation diet, Beverly finds herself in deep trouble when she has to fight Garth off underwater. Also available in Spanish.
Brothers on Ice
by John DanakasTroy and Trent are brothers who play on the same Winnipeg hockey team, Trent as forward and Troy in goal. When Trent takes a turn in nets he finds out he's a natural, the best goalie on the team. Troy has to fight for ice time, and the brothers' relationship grows colder and colder. Brothers on Ice is a poignant story of the struggle to learn what brings families together, and what drives them apart.
Bull Rider
by Marilyn HalvorsonLayne wants nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps and to be a bull rider. His dad was one ride away from a National Championship when he got trampled to death. Layne wants to be able to give his dad that championship -- by winning it for him. What he doesn't want, though, is to end up like his father and die in the rodeo arena. When the chance comes, Layne realizes he must face up to his greatest fear. With the help of his friend Jana, and his bratty younger sister, Layne learns to reach deep inside and trust himself.
Bull's Eye
by Sarah N. HarveyAfter Emily's aunt dies, Emily learns that everything she has always believed is a lie, and her world crumbles. Forced to face the fact that her mother is not who she thought she was, Emily tries to find the truth about her past and make sense of her future. Turning to graffiti and vandalism as a way to deal with her anger, she comes to realize that there is more to a family than shared DNA.
The Burning Time (Orca Books)
by Carol MatasAfter her father's sudden death, fifteen-year-old Rose Rives' mother is accused of being a witch, and Rose discovers that sixteenth-century France is a dangerous place for women.
Caged
by Norah McclintockEven if Kenzie's dog had somehow managed to escape from the family's fenced backyard, Kenzie knows the big, lovable chocolate Lab wouldn't have gone far. As they search for Clancy, Kenzie and his dad keep hearing stories about other dogs that have gone missing too. When Kenzie finds Clancy's ID tag and spots a van loaded up with dog food, he knows he has to investigate further. With the help of a schoolmate whose dog has also disappeared, Kenzie uncovers an illegal operation that grabs dogs off the street and turns them into bloodthirsty killers.
Caged Eagles
by Eric WaltersWhen Canada went to war with Japan following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Canadians of Japanese descent were declared "Enemy Aliens". Without recourse of any kind, they were forced to leave their homes along the British Columbia coast, their possessions were sold, and their rights as citizens denied. Sequel to War of the Eagles.
The Call of the Wild (An Adapted Classic)
by Jack LondonGlobe Books presents an adapted and unbowdlerized text, with extensive notes and bibliography.
Camp Wild
by Pam WithersWilf is convinced his parents want nothing to do with him. When he isn't in school, he is left to his own devices or shipped away to camp. But at fifteen, Wilf is adamant that he is too old for summer camp. When his parents ignore his protests and ship him off anyway, he knows how he will get their attention: He will escape from camp by canoe and spend the rest of his vacation alone in the woods, proving to his parents he deserves his independence. His plan begins to unravel when his cabin mate forces Wilf to take him along. Things go from bad to worse when a younger camper follows them and they all end up in a fight for their lives against the unforgiving river.
Can Your Outfit Change the World?
by Erinne PaisleyWhat you choose to wear becomes part of your identity, but it doesn't affect just you. Your clothing sends a message to the world, whether you want it to or not! And often we don't know what that message really is. Can Your Outfit Change the World? looks at how and where clothes are made, how the people who make the clothes are treated and how the companies who sell the clothes affect the health of our planet. Armed with information, you can follow the book's guide to spending your fashion dollars in a responsible and eco-friendly way. Your outfits have more power than you might realize!
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.
Casting Lily
by Holly BennettFourteen-year-old Ava is thrilled when she lands a part in a play based on the true story of orphans sent to Canada in the 1800s to work on farms. But is she good enough to hold her own in a professional production? As the rehearsal pressures crank up, Ava struggles with her character, with the vocal demands of outdoor theater and with the annoying ego of her castmate Kiefer. But as she learns more about the historical Lily on which her part is based, things begin to fall into place. Then one bad decision jeopardizes Ava's chances of being able to perform on opening night.
Ceiling Stars
by Sandra Diersch"Ceiling Stars" is a moving story about the strength and limits of friendship in the presence of mental illness.