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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Strawberry Moon
by Becky CitraThe year is 1838 and Ellie's grandmother has arrived all the way from England. Ellie is horrified to discover that the forbidding old woman intends to take her back to Britain to be raised properly. Ellie is determined that she will not go, but what can a nine-year-old girl do in the face of an adult with her mind made up?
Hippie House
by Katherine HolubitskySummer, 1970. When a local girl is found brutally murdered, the freedom and innocence of "the summer of love" are forgotten and for fourteen-year-old Emma, things will never be the same.
Delaying the Game
by Lorna Schultz NicholsonFor the first time, Kaleigh is playing on an all-girls hockey team. Never a "girlygirl," she misses her former teammates, has trouble following the different rules of girls' hockey, and gets frustrated when her fellow players get distracted from their game. That is, until Shane comes along. Soon the attention of this older boy is taking up too much of her time, and Kaleigh finds herself unsure whether she can balance hockey, her friendships, and this new dating-life.
Chance and the Butterfly
by Maggie De VriesEvery time Chance turns around, he gets in trouble. In school, he can't sit still. Reading is hard and math is harder, but anything to do with science fascinates him. When his class starts raising butterflies from caterpillars, Chance is hooked. School is suddenly fun again, but when he decides to take his caterpillar home, he learns that loving something often means letting it go.
Courage on the Line
by Cynthia BatesAmelie has nightmares. She's a talented and well-liked player on her basketball team in Ottawa, but as a tournament game against her old school approaches, she seems more and more frightened. Her teammates wonder why she left her last school in the middle of the year, and why she's reluctant to meet her old friends again. Amelie finds she must confront the past, for her own good and for that of the team. "Courage on the Line" shows how sport can provide the courage to face violence, on the court and off.
The Spy in the Alley
by Melanie JacksonConfronting a prowler in the backyard, Dinah is determined to find out why someone has taken an interest in her older sister and herself. Who is the buck-tooth burglar? Why are the Rinaldi's tomatoes always involved? And what is the connection between Madge's boyfriend and GASP, a group of well-intentioned anti-smoking activists? When it becomes apparent that Wellman Talent, the modeling agency Madge works for, is making deals with an unscrupulous tobacco company, and that the spy is out to sabotage GASP's plans to expose the connection, Dinah has to call on all her talents, both sleuthing and singing, to solve the case. In the spirit of Sammy Keyes, Dinah gets by on pluck, courage and an irrepressible sense of humor as she is catapulted into a mystery that twists and turns from the blackberry patch to the corporate boardroom.
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.
The White Horse Talisman
by Andrea SpaldingThe White Horse Talisman is the first volume of The Summer of Magic Quartet, four books involving a Canadian brother and sister visiting their two English cousins.
War of the Eagles
by Eric WaltersDuring WWII, Jed’s English father serves as a fighter pilot overseas, while Jed and his mother move back to her Tsimshian community on Canada's west coast. When the military sets up a naval base in town, Jed is hired to help out, honored it seems, for both his father's bravery and his own native skills as a hunter. Presented with a military jacket, Jed finds an allegiance to his country and a pride in his mixed heritage that he's never felt before. But one day Jed's world is shattered. His best friend Tadashi, along with the other members of the nearby Japanese village, are declared enemy aliens and told to prepare to leave their homes. Now Jed must ask himself where his allegiance really belongs…to his country's rigid code, or to the truth that is buried in his Tsimshian soul. War of the Eagles is the first of two books in a series. Book two is Caged Eagles.
Ceiling Stars
by Sandra Diersch"Ceiling Stars" is a moving story about the strength and limits of friendship in the presence of mental illness.
Sewer Rats
by Sigmund BrouwerJim, Mickey and Lisa belong to a secret club called the Sewer Rats. Every Saturday the Sewer Rats reign supreme in paintball wars held in the city's storm drain system. The new kid, Carter, wants to join, but Lisa doesn't want him in the club. When Carter is hurt in his first paintball war, Jim and Mickey suspect that Lisa planned the accident. They try to confront her, but she runs into the tunnels just as a rainstorm begins. Jim and Mickey have to get Lisa out before the tunnels fill with water.
House Party
by Eric WaltersAs the new girl in a strange town, Casey is trying desperately to fit in and make friends. When her parents leave town for the weekend, her friend suggests she have a house party. Casey is reluctant to go along, until she realizes maybe this is the answer to fitting in and making friends -- and getting back at her parents. They invite a few people and then a few more, using msn and text messaging. Hundreds of people show up and things get out of hand. Casey is in more trouble than she thought possible and now she must decide whether -- and how -- to do the right thing.
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.
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 is 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. After a messy attack of allergies, Dan is excused to find a tissue. He sneaks back to the school bus and discovers the driver and teacher have been bound and gagged. The farmer is really an escaped convict with nasty plans. Will Dan be able to find help in time?
Northern Star
by Lorna Schultz NicholsonIt seems Peter Kuiksak's star just keeps rising. This young hockey hero from the Northwest Territories is the top player in his league, being pursued by agents, and becoming something of a celebrity. But being the centre of attention isn't all it is cracked up to be.
FastBack Beach
by Shirlee S. MathesonOn probation for car theft, Miles has to stand up to his friends and do the right thing. ( Orca Soundings)
Teen Tragedy
by Julia CampbellA high school senior died because his friends did not call 911. Pictures described, new words defined, glossary at the end.
Slam Dunk
by Kate JaimetSixteen-year-old Salvador "Slam" Amaro thinks being the assistant coach of the Brookfield High School girls' basketball team will be an easy gig. Show up, run a few drills and pad his resumé so he can win a spot on the Ontario Provincial Under-17 team. But Slam's job suddenly gets a lot harder when the girls' coach and her daughter, the star point-guard, vanish after being threatened. Getting to the bottom of their disappearance puts Slam in confrontation with a mysterious stalker. But that's not his only problem. With the girls facing playoff elimination, Slam has to come up with some new coaching strategies while he battles some tough competitors for a place on the Ontario squad.
Rink Rivals
by Jacqueline GuestWhen twin brothers Evan and Brynley Selkirk move with their family from the remote Cree community of Whapmagoostui to bustling Calgary, their worlds turn upside-down. In place of the grey, frigid waters of Hudson Bay, they see the downtown canyons of a modern city. Bryn, a musical prodigy, trades piano practice for hockey practice to impress a new girlfriend; Evan, the family hockey hero, starts running with a bad crowd and neglecting the game. As the brothers' lies get them in deeper and deeper trouble with their parents, they have to rely on each other to gain the courage to do what's right.
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.
Miss Little's Losers
by Robert RaynerThe Brunswick Valley School soccer team haven't won a game all season long. When their coach resigns, the only person who will coach them is Miss Little . . . their former kindergarten teacher!
Tell (Orca Soundings)
by Norah McclintockHow much does David know about his stepfather's death? (RL4.0)
A Kind of Courage
by Colleen HeffernanEverything changes when Hattie Tamblyn's much-adored older brother, Will, enlists in the Canadian army in 1916 and is sent to fight in France. Hattie lives for Will's letters from the front, but her mother retreats into depression, her younger brother, Johnny, becomes violent and her father despairs of running the family farm without Will's help. Tension mounts when Hattie's father hires a young conscientious objector to work on the farm. Although his wealthy Toronto family is mystified and disgusted by his decision not to fight, David Ross's friendship with an elderly German musician has led him to question the narrow notion of patriotism that has overtaken the country. His appearance at the Tamblyn farm enrages Hattie and Johnny, who, like most of their neighbors, believe all "conchies" are cowards. As more and more of her childhood friends are maimed and killed overseas, Hattie fears for Will's safety. But when her own safety is threatened, it is David who protects her, putting himself squarely in harm's way. In a world gripped by prejudice, fear and hatred, David and Hattie discover that there are many kinds of courage and that real power lies in forgiveness and redemption.
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.