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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Misconduct
by Beverly ScudamoreMatthew has always been a popular student and hockey player. But after an altercation with a tough kid named Dillon at hockey camp, Matt finds himself number one on the bully's hit list.
Juggling Fire
by Joanne BellSixteen-year-old Rachel embarks on a solo quest to find her father, who disappeared years ago in the Yukon wilderness.
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.
Corner Kick
by Bill SwanMichael Strike is captain of both the school soccer and chess teams. He's got his eye on fellow soccer player and overachiever Miriah, the founder of the youth organization War Orphans of the World. Miriah is quick to befriend a new student, Zahir Jamiat, who has recently moved from the Middle East, but Michael sees the newcomer as a rival. When Michael works up to confronting Zahir, he discovers they have more in common that he initially thought. Corner Kick is a much-needed story of tolerance and friendship.
Falling Star
by Robert RaynerThe Brunswick Valley kids are back, and this time they're taking it on the road. In order to secure the top spot in the league, the gang is playing a series of away-games at schools around the province. With their teenage coach, Ice, at the wheel of the van, victory, hilarity, and complications are sure to follow!
Adrenaline High
by C. A. ForsythD'Arcy is a 16-year-old overachiever and a budding newshound. When her classmate Zania's mother goes missing, D'Arcy thinks she's found the mother of all scoops. She's determined to solve the mystery and capture it all on film. But Zania's troubles are no game. She suspects her mother's drug-dealing boyfriend may be behind her sudden disappearance and Zania's too scared to go home. It's not long before the girls realize that they're in over their heads. Adrenalin High is a gripping, fast-paced story for mystery lovers.
Yellow Line
by Sylvia OlsenVince lives in a small town, a town that is divided right down the middle. Indians on one side, Whites on the other. The unspoken rule has been there as long as Vince remembers and no one challenges it. But when Vince's friend Sherry starts seeing an Indian boy, Vince is outraged and determined to fight back -- until he notices Raedawn, a girl from the reserve. Trying to balance his community's prejudices with his shifting alliances, Vince is forced to take a stand, and see where his heart will lead him.
Written in Blood
by John WilsonSet in the harsh desert world of the Arizona Territory and northern Mexico during the 1870s, Written in Blood follows young Jim Doolen as he attempts to find some trace of the father who abandoned his family ten years earlier. As he travels through a scorched landscape very different from the lush West Coast forests of his home, Jim crosses paths with an assortment of intriguing characters, including an Apache warrior, a cave-dwelling mystic, an old Mexican revolutionary and a mysterious cowboy. And with each encounter he learns something more of the strange world he has entered and adds one more link in a chain that leads back to his father-and back to a dark, violent past. As his story approaches its thrilling conclusion in a ruined Mexican hacienda, Jim comes to realize that his father's life was much more complex than he had imagined, and that, in discovering his past, he has opened the way to his future.
Grind
by Eric WaltersWhen Wally is badly injured skateboarding, Philip must decide what is more important--skating or making things right with his friends. (Orca Soundings)
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.
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.
The Perfect Gymnast
by Michele Martin BossleyAbby has been having a hard time since her family moved from Edmonton to Calgary--she misses her best friend, and at school she feels terribly awkward, a klutz. So she's outraged when her mother signs her up for gymnastics at a local club; outraged, that is, until Hilary befriends her. Hilary is outgoing, confident, and a top-ranked gymnast: in short, everything Abby wants to be. Soon, however, she discovers that Hilary has a serious problem: an eating disorder she tries to keep secret from everyone. Abby wants to act, but doesn't know whether she'll be helping Hilary or betraying her. The Perfect Gymnast is a story about a girl who struggles to do the right thing, even at the risk of losing her best friend.
Saving Grace
by Darlene RyanEvie was pregnant and forced to give up the baby. But she can't just leave the child with strangers, especially when she thinks the baby is being neglected. With her boyfriend waiting in the truck, Evie snatches the baby and convinces him to drive her to Montreal where she plans to start a new life with her child. But when the baby won't eat and she and Justin argue, she ends up alone in a small town. As the baby becomes sicker, Evie must decide whether to admit her mistake and turn herself in, or to keep running. Also available in Spanish.
Underdog
by Eric WaltersIt's a new season for Nick and Kia and once again they have to prove they've got what it takes to make the Mississauga Magic rep team. There is no free ride on Coach Barkley's team. The tryouts are tough but fair and it looks like the nucleus of last yearÃs team will be together once again. But there is one new player who seems to have the skills to impress the coach. Though Ashton has great skills, he's not much of a team player. On top of that he's not even sure he wants to make the team. Unable to imagine that anyone wouldn't want to play for the Magic, Nick and Kia set out to solve this dilemma and learn some tough lessons along the way.
A Thousand Shades of Blue
by Robin StevensonA sailing trip to the Caribbean might sound great, but sixteen-year-old Rachel can't stand being trapped on a small boat with her family. She misses her best friend and feels guilty about leaving her older sister Emma, who lives in a group home. Her father is driving her crazy with his schedules and rules, her brother is miserable, and there is never anyone her own age around. Worst of all, there is nowhere to go when her parents fight. While their boat is being repaired, the family spends a few weeks in a small Bahamian community, where Rachel and Tim discover a secret which turns their world upside down and threatens to destroy the fragile ties that hold their family together.
Red-line Blues
by Camilla Reghelini RiversLee comes from a family of NHL hockey players, but he's no hotshot--he plays because he loves the game. His coaches, however, spend all their time with the team's stars and leave ordinary players warming the bench. When the coaches' determination to win puts Lee in hospital, however, he's forced to take a stand against their recklessness. Red-Line Blues is the story of one player's fight for what's important in sport: fair play and love of the game.
At Risk
by Jacqueline GuestEdgy and suspenseful young adult fiction that explores topics teens want to read about. Tia is spending the summer working at a special ranch designed to "scare straight" at-risk youth. She tries to bond with Sage, a street kid who has been given one last chance to get her life together. But Sage resists Tia's overtures, and when money goes missing, all fingers point to the troubled teen. At Risk combines a satisfying mystery plot with a sympathetic portrayal of teens grappling with dark pasts and uncertain futures.
Belle of Batoche
by Jacqueline GuestBelle, an 11-year-old Metis girl, and Sarah both want the coveted job of church bell ringer. An embroidery contest is held to award the position, and Sarah cheats. Before Belle can expose her, the two are caught up in the advancing forces of General Middleton and his troops as they surround Batoche in the 1885 Riel Rebellion. The church bell disappeared that day and remains missing to this day.
Cracked
by Michele Martin BossleyTrevor, Nick and Robyn are ready to solve another mystery. When bobsledder Josh Gantz is accused of deliberately injuring a fellow competitor, he runs the risk of being thrown out of the sport -- right before the World Cup. Courtney Gantz asks Trevor, Nick and Robyn to help clear her brother's name. Can they find out who framed Josh? What is the meaning of the strange coded messages they keep finding around Olympic Park? Who eats orange bananas, anyway? The kids must unearth the clues in a race against time, before Josh's championship dreams end up on ice.
Rebel's Tag
by K. L. DenmanSam's grandfather vanished from his life the day Sam's father was buried. Now, ten years later, Grandpa Max wants to make amends. He sends letters that lead Sam on a scavenger hunt. Sam follows his grandfather's bizarre instructions though he's still not ready to forgive. To alleviate his anger at his grandfather, Sam turns to his favorite stress release: climbing onto roofs and leaving his tag, a spray painted symbol for Aquarius. When he gets caught by an elderly couple, Sam learns a valuable lesson about forgiveness. He's ready to forgive his grandfather, but is he too late?
Heads Up
by Dawn Hunter and Karen HunterGlen and Jacob are best friends and line mates until a new hotshot, Danny, joins their Toronto soccer team. Glen thinks Danny is cool, and together they get deeper and deeper in trouble.
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.
Marked
by Norah McclintockWhen Colin accepts the job to clean up the graffiti in an upscale neighborhood he worries that he might be targeted by gangs. But he didn't expect to become a suspect in a series of robberies. 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.
The Lottery
by Beth GoobieEvery student at Saskatoon Collegiate knew that all the most important aspects of school life were controlled by a secret club called Shadow Council. Each fall, Shadow held a traditional lottery during which a single student's name was drawn. The rest of the student body called the student the lottery winner. But Shadow Council knew better; to them, the winner was the lottery victim. Whatever the label, the fated student became the Council's gofer, delivering messages of doom to selected targets. In response, the student body shunned the lottery winner for the entire year. This year's victim was fifteen-year-old Sally Hanson.