Middle Division - Grade 7 to 9
• Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
• The Book of the Lion by Michael Cadnum
• Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
• Kit's Wilderness by David Almond
• No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

Senior Division - Grade 10 to 12
• Battle Dress by Amy Efaw
• Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
• Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
• Men of Stone by Gayle Friesen
• The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price
  
  
  
  

Middle Division - Grade 7 to 9
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
  Artemis Fowl is twelve, he is brilliant, and he is a criminal. He gets more than he bargains for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short, a fairy from the LEPrecon Unit. This is a very dangerous fairy!
• Fair Weather by Richard Peck
  Set in 1893 in America. A family's life is turned upside down when a wealthy Aunt invites the country family to Chicago for the 1893 World's Fair.
• Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
  This story is told from two points of view, that of Bryce and that of Julianna. Julianna has had a crush on Bryce since second grade. Bryce is not interested in the girl who raises chickens in her back yard and likes to climb trees. He becomes interested in Julianna when they hit eight grade, which is when Julianna begins to wonder if Bryce is all she thought he was.
• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
  Set in twelth-century Korea. Tree-ear is an orphan who lives under a bridge and survives on food scraps. He sneaks into a master potter's workshop to see his beautiful work. When Tree-ear accidentally breaks a pot, the master makes him work off his debt. This is only the beginning of great changes in his life.
• Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
  Cole Matthews is a fifteen year old Native America is constantly in trouble for stealing and fighting. After a serious incident he has a choice of a year in jail or the Native American Circle of Justice. His sentence is a year alone on a remote island. He is mauled by a legendary white bear.
• The Witness by Karen Hess
  Set in a small Vermont town in 1924, the townspeople turn against one another when the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, move in with disastrous consequences. The story is told from the point of view of some of the towns inhabitants.
• Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
  Zach’s father is in jail and his family have been place in the Witness Protection Plan. His name, hometown, and even his eye colour are lies. The safety of his family depends on Zach’s living the lies.

Senior Division - Grade 10 to 12

• The Boy in the Burning House by Tim Wynne-Jones
  Jim Hawkins’ father has disappeared and his family may lose the farm that has been in the family for generations. Life becomes even more complicated when Jim meets Ruth Rose who is being treat for manic depression. She insists that her father is a murderer and Jim gets involved.
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
  An inspiring story about four girls who have been friends since birth. The book follows them for the first summer that they spend apart. The traveling pants are a pair of thrift store jeans that the girls share. Although they are all different shapes and sizes the jeans fit them all perfectly.
• Slap Your Sides by M. E. Kerr
  Set during World War II in a small Pennsylvania town, a Quaker family must endure the consequences when Bud declares his pacifism and his opposition to the war.
• True Believer by Virgiia Euwer Wolff
  This is the sequel to Make Lemonade. Fifteen year old La Vaughn has more than her share of problems. There is a new man in her mother’s life and her own boyfriend is less than sincere. (National Book Award Winner)
• Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
  TJ is an athlete who chooses not to play high school sports. In his senior year he is persuaded to swim on the newly formed swim team. The school has no pool and he is the only real swimmer. These are only minor problems compared to the other issues that arise in TJs eventful senior year.

• Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath is nominated in the Junior Category.
  Primrose Squarp is orphaned when her parents are lost at sea in a storm. She goes to live with an uncle, but finds most comfort at a restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, where there is a sympathetic owner and everything is served on a waffle.

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Intermediate Division: Grade 7 to 9 Crispin by Avi Set in the Middle Ages, Crispin is an orphaned serf. When his mother dies, he runs away from the farm where he and his mother had worked. Little does he know that powerful people want something that he has in his possession. Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman In this time-slip story Lucien receives a marble notebook to write in when he has lost his voice. In his sleep he dreams of Venice only to wake up and find himself in 16th century Bellezza where the city and the Duchessa are in danger. As Lucien goes back and forth is he also in danger? Might he get stuck in the 16th century? Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman Set in the 1830s in England, Emmaline’s family becomes impoverished when her father dies. Her comfortable life is exchanged for a life of hardship. Her life is full of traumatic events, including a desperate search for her brother who has been indentured to a chimney sweep by her mother. Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman Vince Luca has a problem. His father is a crime boss. It is hard to be a normal kid when everyone knows who your father is. Things get more complicated when he falls for a girl whose father happens to be an FBI agent who would like nothing better than to put his father in jail. Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson Angel Morgan lives with her little brother great-grandmother in her dilapidated farmhouse. She has been abandoned by her mother and her father is in jail. Angel is inspired by a stranger who teaches her about the stars and planets in the night sky and reminds her that she is made of “the same stuff as stars.” Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan Jake Semple has been thrown out of every school that he has attended. He ends up in a home school run by the Applewhites. Is Jake really as tough as he thinks he is or has he met his match in the Applewhites? Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde In this fantasy, if you lose the game, you lose your life. Follow Giannine as she plays the virtual reality game Heir Apparent. There are many ways to die in this game and ultimately if you don’t win you will really die.

Senior Division: Grade 10 to 12 Catalyst by Laurie Anderson Kate Malone has her life under control. She is a top student, a good athlete and has a Harvard-bound boyfriend. While she waits to hear from MIT, her university of choice, life begins to get complicated. Her next door neighbours move in when their house burns. (She can’t stand Teri and is forced to share her room.) Things begin to spiral out of control when tragedy strikes. By the same author as Speak. First French Kiss: And Other Traumas by Adam Bagdasarian Hanging On To Max by Margaret Bechard Sam must grow up very quickly when he becomes a single father in his last year of high school. What will happen to his plans for the future? How can he take care of his son and his school work? Sam struggles to do both. House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer Matteo Alacran is a clone in a future world. His father, El Patron, is the lord of Opium, a small country lying between the United States and what used to be Mexico. He is considered a monster by many and his life is threatened by other family members. His only hope for survival seems to be in escaping the closely guarded family estate. What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci Who is Lani Garver? Lani arrives on Hackett Island and the local bullies immediately start to bully this strange boy...or is he a boy? Claire recounts Lani’s arrival and the events that lead to tragedy. If you enjoy this mystery, try The Body of Christopher Creed by the same author.

Intermediate Division: Grade 7 to 9 Rodzilla by Karen Cushman Rodzilla, an orphaned twelve-year-old Polish immigrant on a mystery train journey into the Wild West of 1881 where she’s sure she’ll become a slave! Follow her into the unknown wilds of the West and find out what happens. The Conch Bearer by Banerjee Divakaruni The Conch will transport you into the exotic world of India. Nisha possesses a magical conch shell he must attempt to return to its rightful owner. The tale of his strange journey is will interest anyone who dreams of far-off worlds. The City of Ember by Jeanne duPrau On the distant and fascinating world of Ember, Lina and Doon find each other and luckily, swap work assignments. Lina becomes a “messenger”, while Doon goes deep into the nether world of the “Pipeworks” where he tries to save their world from complete darkness. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow are unaware that that they a secret. The former classmates are not friends, but weeks after a tragic accident Martha cannot get Olive out of her mind. Warriors Into the Wild by Erin Hunter Four ancient forest-cat clans find their world in danger. In steps Rusty, an “ordinary” house-cat, to fight for right like no other cat before. Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpugo Carried out to sea and hopelessly lost, Michael washes up on a deserted island. He’s far from home with no food or water. He seems to be alone. But is he? This is a mythic journey brought to life. Eragon by Christopher Paolini A blue stone found by Eragon gives birth to a dragon. Now, Eragon’s once simple life becomes a spellbinding journey into strange lands, darkness, and destiny. East by Edith Pattou Open this book and enter the magical world of Rose and her companion, a great white bear. Theirs is an unforgettable journey to an icy kingdom and into even greater mysteries of love, truth, and beauty. The River Between Us by Richard Peck During the American civil war, Delphine and her mysterious companion get caught in a web of intrigue that impacts the lives of all around them proving that one person can make all the difference. Magnificent Min: Girl Genius by Lisa Yee Meet Millicent. Her parents think she’s magnificent and a genius. Well, she is. But not in the way they think she is. Millicent is madly trying to juggle family, friends, tutor and volleyballs all over a net of lies and blackmail which is just the kind of game where a girl better be a genius at thinking fast.

Senior Division: Grade 10 to 12 A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey’s world is North America in 1906; a place where poverty, unwanted pregnancy, murder and injustice were harsh realities all to easily encountered. The story of her struggles is told through a mix of history, mystery and romance. Breakout by Paul Fleischman Del has had about enough of both Los Angeles and her seventeen-year-old self. Del discovers, “Afternoon knows what morning never suspected” as her story moves between the traffic jam she is stuck in, and her near future. Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going If you are a teenager who weighs 134 kg, you’ll tend to stand out. Such is Troy: friendless and out of luck. That is, until he finds an unlikely friend in skinny, guitar-slinging, street-kid Curt. Troy becomes Curt’s drummer, and together they out- punk punks and blow-away all challengers. Acceleration by Graham McNamee It’s pretty sad if you have a juvenile criminal record for attempted theft of a toilet. Not only that, you watched a girl drown right in front of you. Things couldn’t look worse for Duncan. But, he gets out of the “hole” he is literally in, by tracking down a psychotic murderer. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Why do we meet and fall in love with one particular person rather than another? Is it chance or destiny? The moving story of Henry and Clare is no ordinary love story, but one involving time-travel, danger and forces that will pull you in and won’t let you go! Young Readers Choice Awards These books are chosen essentially by students in the Pacific Northwest. The main criteria for the nominated books listed here are popularity and high quality. If you want to vote, contact your public library.

BEN
Bennett, Holly
The Bonemender
In this Celtic fantasy, Gabrielle is a bonemender and a member of the royal family of Verdeau. Eleves, who are seldom seen, arrive with news of a pending invasion which will threaten the kingdom. Sequel: Bonemender's Oath

CHO
Choyce, Lesley
Smoke and Mirrors
Simon is a little strange. A skateboarding accident causes a head injury and that does not improve matters. Simon spends a lot of time day-dreaming. When Angela appears in class, he is not sure if she is real or a figment of his imagination.

DYE
Dyer, Hadley
Johnny Kellock Died Today
Set in Halifax in 1959. Rosalie feels guilty about causing her mother's fractured ankle, but her mind soon turns to other more serious things when her cousin disappears.

ELL
Ellis, Deborah
I Am a Taxi
Set in Bolivia. Diego runs errands for prisoners in the prison where his mother is imprisoned in order to make some money for food. He takes a chance on a new job, only to find himself in the Bolivian jungle.

GED
Geddes, John
Sundog Season
Set in West Spirit Lake, a Northern Ontario mining town. A new police sergent has come to town and takes over the boys hockey team. Rumours abound about a mysterious past. What is the truth about the new sergent?

HUS
Huser, Glen
Touch of the Clown
Can clown school help Barbara cope with the problems that she faces at home?

JUB
Juby, Susan
Alice, I Think and Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last
Set in Smithers, B.C. Alice is a pretty wacky teenager. Follow her exploits both in and out of school. Look for the series on CTV and the Comedy Network. Very funny!

LAN
Langston, Laura
Lesia's Dream
Set on the prairies in 1914. Lesia and her family flee hardship in the Ukraine and have big dreams of a better life in Canada. The reality of her new life is very different than she has imagined.

MACC
McClintock, Norah
Not a Trace: A Chloe and Levesque Mystery
When a body is found, David Mitchell seems to be the only suspect, but Chloe is not convinced that he is guilty.

MACN
McNaughton, Janet
The Raintree Rebellion
Sequel to The Secret Under My Skin. Erica, now eighteen, returns to Toronto to help her adopted mother who has been appointed to a new justice council which will address the wrongs of the technocaust.

PAY
Payne, Rob
How to be a hero on Earth 5
John is not thrilled to be sent off to England for the summer. But he never makes it across the Atlantic. His plane takes a wrong turn and ends up in another dimension - a parallel universe - called Earth 5. He is definitely not having a boring vacation.

RIV
Rivers, Karen
The Healing Time of Hickeys, The Cure For Crushes (and other deadly plagues), and The Quirky Girls' Guide to Rest Stops and Road Trips
Series: The Greatest Year of My Life. This series of three books follows Haley through her senior year of high school. Hilarious!

RUD
Rud, Jeff
In the Paint, High and Inside
In In the Paint Matt has just started middle school and can't wait for basketball tryouts. He soon discovers that making the basketball team will be much more competative than he had thought. High and Inside follows Matt after the basketball season to the baseball team.

TRO
Trottier, Maxine
Sister to the Wolf
Set in New France (Quebec) in 1703. Cécile, the daughter of a coureur de bois, rescues Lesharo, a native slave by buying him and setting him free. This does not end the problems that they face.

TUL
Tullson, Diane
Blue Highway
Truth and Skye have summer jobs at a pizza outlet and a new friend with a car. Things would be perfect if only Ryan wound notice Truth.

WAL
Waldorf, Heather
Fighting the Current
Theresa has a great life until the day that she is hit by a drunk driver and sustains a brain injury. Now everything is a struggle. How will she cope with her senior year of high school.

WIL
Wilson, John
Red Goodwin
Set in WWI on Vancouver Island. Will has been sent to live with his uncle in Cumberland when his father dies in the war. His uncle is a mine manager. Will is soon caught up in the terrible, dangerous conditions that the miners face and the racism faced by the Chinese miners.

BAU
Bauer, Joan
Best Foot Forward
A companion novel to Rules of the Road. Jenna has returned home from her summer on the road. Her life seems to be going well - she has a good job, a good friend, and her newly found maturity helps her to cope with her crazy family. Too good? A new boy with a bad past comes into her life, the store is in danger of closing. Suddenly, it is one crisis after another.

BRU
Brugman, Grace
Finding Grace
Rachel’s new job, her first after graduating from high school is a challenging one. She gets a job as a companion to Grace, a brain-injured woman. As Rachel slowly gets to know Grace she becomes more curious about her past. And what about those family members and neighbours?

BUF
Buffie, Margaret
Out of Focus
Bernice catches a break when her family moves to Black Spruce Lodge. Even though she still has to look after her younger siblings and her alcoholic mother still disappears for days at a time, Bernice hopes that her life has changed for the better.

HUS
Huser, Glen
Stitches
The story follows Travis from Grade 7 to 9. Travis is different. Like many who are different he becomes the target of school bullies. The bullying escalates from name-calling to physical violence. Travis does have a good friend, Chantelle, who is disabled. Govenor General’s Award Winner.

KOE
Koertge, Ron
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup
Kevin Boland is an MVP first baseman, a real jock. Kevin discovers a whole new side of himself when he is forced to spend months at home with mono. He discovers poetry and becomes a keen observer of what is going on around him. Written in poetic form.

MAC
Macler, Carolyn
Vegan, Virgin, Valentine
Mara Valentine’s life is good. She is a good student, her parents are proud of her. She has her life all planned. That plan does not include having her troubled sixteen-year-old niece moving in with her family.

MAR
Marsden, John
Tomorrow When the War Began
When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip, they discover a disserted town - no parents, no pets. They soon come to realize that the country has been invaded. What should they do? This is the first in a series of four books.

SAN
Sanchez, Alex
So Hard to Say
Xio thinks that the new boy at school looks like great boyfriend material. She manages to draw Frederick into her circle of friends, but Frederick is more interested in Victor, the captain of the soccer team.

SHU
Shuster, Neal
The Schwa Was Here
Antsy Bonano takes it upon himself to look out for his classmate, Calvin Schwa. The Schwa is one of those kids who seems to be invisible, no one notices him. Things change when Antsy and Calvin are caught during a dare.

TOT
Toten, Teresa
Me and the Blondes
Sophie has figured out how to fit in as she moves from school to school - find the most popular blondes. Her father is in prison, and her mother is a very boisterous Bulgarian. Trying to keep her private life private seems to be impossible. Will her latest school be her last move?

WAL
Walters, Eric
We All Fall Down
Grade 9 “Take Your Kid to Work Day” takes on a whole new meaning for Will when he accompanies his father to work at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.

WEB
Weber, Lori
Tatoo Heaven
Jackie is in for an eventful summer. Her dad has a new girlfriend, a tattoo artist. Her mother is preoccupied with a sick neighbour. Jackie learns to depend on herself and the gift of a butterfly tattoo has an amazing effect on her.

Wee
Weeks, Sarah
So B. It
Heidi’s mother is mentally disable. Heidi does not know her own birthday, her father, or her past. Heidi decides to spend the summer tracking her past.

YEE
Yee, Paul
What Happened This Summer
Short Stories. The nine short stories all involve Chinese-Canadian teens struggling to fit in to a new culture. They are caught between two worlds, the traditional family expectations and their new lives in Canada. In the first story Lincoln Wen struggles with school, even though he is a good student. He also struggles to come to terms with the fact that his brother is gay - something that his parents are not aware of.

ZUS
Zusak, Markus
I Am the Messenger
Not much is happening in nineteen-year-old Ed Kennedy’s life. He drives a cab and lives in a tiny apartment with his dog. Things Change dramatically when he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. Playing cards start arriving in the mail directing him to various address where he does good deeds. Who is behind the messages?

BAR
Barron, T.A.
The Great Tree of Avalon
Book two of Shadow on the Stars. It is 1002 in Avalon. Tamwyn, Elli, and Scree continue their adventures. Is Tamwyn Merlin’s true heir, or is he from the dark side?

BEL
Bell, Hilari
Fall of a Kingdom and Rise of a Hero
Books one and two of the Farsala Trilogy. Farsala has been a strong, prosperous land for thousands of years. Now it is threatened. The rulers of Farsala think that they can defeat any foe. Can they? Soraya, Jiaan, and Kavi are not so sure.

BEL
Bell, Hilari
The Wizard Test
Dayven has passed his wizard test which he was hoping desperately to fail. He did not want to be a sorcerer. He finds sorcerers deceitful and disloyal - not what he wants to be. It seem that he has no choice.

BOO
Booth, Martin
Soul Stealer
The Alchemist’s Son part II. Pip, Tim, and Sebastian (a medieval alchemist’s son who has awakened centuries later) have successfully defeated Sebastian’s fathers enemy, but new dangers arise.

CRO
Croggan, Alison
The Naming
First Book of Pellinor. Maerad has been a slave in a harsh settlement since childhood. Her family was killed in a war. She is unaware that she has great powers until she is discovered by Cadvan who must try to get her to safely.

DEL
Delaney
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch
Gregory is the county Spook who rides the villages of evil. He is getting old and is looking for an apprentice. Of the twenty-nine who apply, only Thomas Ward remains. Will he succeed?

DEL
DE Lint, Charles
The Blue Girl
When seventeen-year-old Imogene moves to Newford with her family, she decides that it is time to change her rebellious ways. But, it is not as simple and it seems. She soon becomes to target of some bullies, the school ghost, and a pack of unfriendly fairies.

DOH
Doherty-Wayne, C.H.
The Book of Broken Hours
Elves, Dwarves, and Fairies must band together to resist the Human threat against magic.

FRI
Griggs, Terry
Invisible Ink
Cat’s Eye Corner series. Fleeing a yard sale, that has suddenly become dangerous, Olivier and Murray end up in the Dark Woods where they meet strange and sometimes dangerous people.

HAL
Hale, Shannon
Enna Burning
Sixteen-year-old Enna has returned to the forest to look after her dying mother. Enna’s brother discovers the power to set fires without any apparent spark. Unfortunately, he cannot control this new power and dies. Will Enna be more successful in using file to defeat the enemy?

KER
Kernaghan, Eileen
The Alchemist's Daughter
Set in Elizabethan England. Elizabeth I is looking for financing to defend against the Spanish threat. Sidone’s father, an Alchemist, is summoned to court to do the impossible. Here begins Sidone’s efforts to save her father and her country.

NIC
Nicholson, William
Seeker
First Book of the Noble Warriors trilogy. Seeker of Truth has always wanted to be a Noble Warrior to protect his religion. When Seeker, Wildman, and Morning Star all fail to gain acceptance into the Normana, they set out to prove themselves. See the next entry for the sequel, Jango.

NIC
Nicholson, William
Jango
Book two of the Noble Warriors trilogy. Seeker, Wildman, and Morning Star have earned acceptance into the Noble Warriors and find that they have much to learn.

OPP
Oppel, Kenneth
SSkybreaker
Sequel to Airborn. Matt is on the trail of a mysterious airship that was lost long ago and is believed to contain a vast treasure. Of course, there are more than a few others interested in the treasure.

PIE
Pierce, Tamora
The Will of the Empress
The four young mages, Daja, Briar, Tris, and Sandry are reunited. Sandry’s uncle sends the four into a trap. Can they work together to save themselves?

STR
Stroud, Jonathan
The Golem's Eye
Book two of the Bartimaeus trilogy. Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel is now working for the Department of Internal Affairs. His task is to identify and stop rebels who are challenging the power of the magician-run government. But, are the rebels really the problem?

WAR
Ward, David
Beyond the Mask
Book three in the Mask trilogy. The runaways have a dilemma. They can see the raiders approaching the village. Do they try to save the village or save themselves.

WOO
Wood, Maggie
Princess Pawn
Grade nine is tough enough, then Willow finds herself parachuted into the kingdom of Mistolear where as a princess, she must struggle to save her kingdom.

YEP
Yep, Laurence
Tiger's Blood
Book two of the Tiger’s Apprentice. Tom and Mr. Hu flee to the dragon kingdom beneath the sea in an effort to protect the phoenix egg. Mr. Hu is still recovering from battle and Tom must find a way to protect the egg himself.

YOL
Yolen, Jane and Adam Stemple
Pay the Piper
A retelling of the Pied Piper. Callie is thrilled to get a backstage pass to interview rock singer Peter Gringras. Callie gets a strange feeling about Gringras. When her little brother and other village children disappear Callie has an idea about who might be responsible and sets out to find them.

BRA
Bradford, Karleen
Angeline
Set in the Middle Ages. Little does Angeline realize when she sets out on the Children’s Crusade that she will be kidnapped and sold into slavery.

BRU
Bruchac, Joseph
Code Talker
Set in WW II. Sixteen-year-old Ned Begay is a Navajo. When he sneaks into the army, he is assigned to a special code unit and sees action in the Pacific. Based on fact. Navajo Indians did act as code talkers during WWII.

IBB
Ibbotson, Eva
A Song for Summer
Ellen is thrilled to escape her intellectual household in London for a job as a housekeeper at a Fine Arts school in Vienna. However, her timing is not good as Hitler begins his rise in Europe.

ING
Ingold, Jeanette
Hitch
Set during the great depression. Moss has a plan. At seventeen, he has been accepted to a technical school and is saving money from his job. Unfortunately, his job disappears and he finds himself without work or a home. Things look up when he signs up for the Civilian Conservation Corps, a US government make-work program.

LAW
Lawrence, Iain
The Convicts
Book one of the Curse of the Jolly Stone Trilogy. Set in London. Tom is in dire straights. His father has been hauled away to debtor’s prison and Tom is trying to survive on the streets. When he is accused of murder, he is place on a prison ship where the conditions are so vile that he plots his escape.

LAW
Lawrence, Iain
B for Buster
Seeking adventure, sixteen-year-old Kak joins the Canadian Air Force in WWII. He soon finds himself in a bomber over Germany. War is terrifying, not a great adventure. How will he cope?

PEC
Peck, Richard
The Teacher's Funeral
Set in 1904 in rural America. Russell and his friends are thrilled when the teacher of their one-room school dies. Unfortunately for Russell, the new teacher turns out to be his older sister.

TUR
Turnball, Ann
No Shame, No Fear
Set in England in 1662 after the Civil War. There is still tension between faiths and levels of culture. Will has just started his apprenticeship when he meets Susanna, a Quaker. Can they stay together despite all the hurdles?

UPD
Updale, Eleanor
Montmorency On the Rocks" Doctor, Aristocrat, Murderer?
Book two. Five years after giving up his life of crime, Montmorency is again tempted by the underworld. However, England is in trouble. Can he use some of his less desirable talents to save the day?

BUN
Bunting, Eve
The Lambkins
Kyle is just a regular kid in grade nine until Mrs. Shepard injects him with a shrinking formula and he ends up as a lambkin in her doll house. How can Kyle and the others escape?

HAD
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Among the Enemy
Book six of the Shadow Children series. Matthias saves a Population Police officer’s life and is offered a place in the Population Police. He meets Nina, who is another third-born child, and she tries to persuade him to help her undermine the Population Police.

MOS
Mosse, Kate
Labyrinth
A time slip novel. Set in Carcassonne in 1209 and in the French Pyrenees in 2005. Alice Tanner finds two skeletons and labyrinth markings in a cave which link her back to Carcassonne where a young woman has been entrusted with a special book that may have clues to the Holy Grail.

MACN
McNaughton, Janet
The Raintree Rebellion
Sequel to The Secret Under My Skin. Set in 2352. At the age of eighteen Blake returns to Toronto and begins to learn things about herself from the chip implanted in her arm - her name, her birthdate, her age, who her parents were.

WAU
Waugh, Sylvia
Who Goes Home?
Last book of the Ormingat series. It is time for the Ormingat to leave earth for home. This brings about some serious issues. Some do not want to leave. Some have married earthlings. Who will go home?

WIN
Winterson, Jeanette
Tanglewreck
Time tornadoes have struck. Sometimes time speeds up, other times, it jerks to a halt. It jumps from the past to the present to the future. Silver must find the Timekeeper in order to stop the tornadoes.

BEL
Bell, William
just some stuff i wrote
Short stories. Bell writes about everyday happenings in the lives of teens. In The “Scream” School of Parenting Naomi wonders who is better off, the kids across the street whose parents always seem to be yelling at them or Naomi who is virtually ignored by her parents.

BRE
Brenna, Beverley
Wild Orchid
Eighteen year old Taylor is spending the summer in Prince Albert National Park where her mother is working in her current boyfriend's restaurant. Taylor finds the situation overwhelming as she tries to make friends and strike out on her own overcoming her autism.

CHA
Chalifour, Francis
After
Luc's world falls apart when his father commits suicide while Luc is on a school field trip.

CLI
Cliffe, Susan
Thread of Deceit
Set in Ontario in 1835. In this mystery, Lilly, a hat maker, stumbles upon a frozen corpse.

FIT
Fitch, Sheree
The Gravesavers
Minn Hotchkiss is shipped off to her grandmother’s for the summer where she becomes involved in saving a graveyard that is crumbling into the sea. The graveyard contains the graves of those lost at sea when a passenger ship ran aground in the late 1800s.

FRI
Friesen, Gail
The Isabel Factor
Anna must face her first year as a counselor at summer camp without her best friend Zoe. Anna has always depended on Zoe to lead. Zoe may not be at camp but Isabel is. And what is with Isabel?

GHE
Ghent, Natalie
The Book of Living and Dying
Sarah’s brother, John, has died and she is having great difficulty coping. Her life spirals downwards as she starts using drugs to dull the pain. Can she survive?

HUN
Hunter, Bernice Thurman
The Girls They Left Behind
Set in Ontario during WWII. Natalie (aka Beryl) is an Ontario teenager who watches all the young men she knows going off to war. Experience WWII from the Home Front. See how young girls like Natalie made a real difference.

JOH
Johnston, Julie
Susanna's Quill
Based on the life of Susanna Moodie, a BC pioneer who fased many hardships when she and her husband moved to Canada. If you are interested in BC history, you might want to also read Moodie's own account, Roughing It In the Bush.

LAW
Lawrence, Iain
Lord of the Nutcracker Men
Set in WW I England. Johnny’s father is a toymaker who makes Johnny an army of toy soldiers. When his father joins up and is set to the front his letters home include more soldiers that become increasingly realistic. An excellent portrayal of what war is really like.

MAJ
Major, Kevin
Far From Shore
Set in small town Newfoundland. This story is alternately told from different points of view by different members of one family – Jennifer, the brainy older sister; Chris, the out of control son; the alcoholic father, and the mother who is trying to keep everything together.

NYO
Nyoka, Gail
Mella and the N'anga
Zimbabwe. Mella’s father, the King of an ancient kingdom is ill and the kingdom itself is in danger. Mella must learn the spiritual past of her people in order to save the present.

POR
Porter, Pamela
The Crazy Man YRCA 2007
Written in free verse.
Emaline struggles to come to terms with the injuries that she has suffered when her leg gets caught in a plow as she tries to rescue her dog and to her father leaving the family. Help comes from unexpected places, including the Crazy Man.

POU
Poulsen, David A.
Last Sam's Cage
Set in Calgary. Fifteen-year-old Eddie runs away from home to escape an abusive stepfather. His new home is the Calgary Zoo. There are ways to sneak in and out. Of course, without funds, Jack must find ways to survive. Could Jack be his answer?

PRI
Prinz, Yvonne
Still There, Clare
Clare is no fashionista, prefering T-shirts and torn jeans over looking fashionable. She does have a very stylish friend, Elsa. However, there is something unusual about Elsa.

RAZ
Razzell, Mary
Snow Apples
Set during WWII (1940s) on the Sunshine Coast of BC. Sheila’s family is really poor. Her father and older brother are both in the army. Sheila has dreams of becoming a nurse. A relationship with a boy has devastating consequences. Will she realize her dream?

SEL
SELVADURAI, SHYAM
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea (CLA YA Book of the Year 2006)
Set in 1980 in Sri Lanka. Fourteen-year-old Amrith was orphaned when his parents were killed in a cycling accident. He has the good fortune of being taken in by a great family, but he still feels like an outsider and he tries desperately to fit in.

RUS
Russell, Nancy L.M.
Rink of Dreams
Set in Prince Edward Island. When Gary is playing on his backyard rink he has dreams of the NHL. Reality, however, is a bit different. He is small for his age and is finding first year Bantam hockey a real struggle.

WIT
Withrow, Sarah
What Gloria Wants
Gloria and her friends are looking forward to high school and they desperately want boyfriends. Gloria is not rich, not particularly cute (in her mind) so she is surprised when the cutest guy in her grade singles her out. But is he a good choice for a first boyfriend?

BAR
Barry, Dave and Ridley Peterson
Peter and the Starcatchers
Did you ever wonder how Peter Pan became the boy who never grew up? Or how Peter learned to fly? Or what Peter’s life as a child was like? Learn all this and more in this exciting adventure.

COL
Colfer, Eion
The Supernaturalist (YRCA 2007)
In a future world Cosmos Hill escapes from a home for the “parentally challenged” where the boys are abused and used as guinea pigs for research. He discovers that he has the ability to supernatural parasites that suck the life out of humans. He and the other supernaturalists must try to contain and destroy the parasites while at the same time avoid the police.

CON
Constable, Kate
The Waterless Sea
Book two of The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy. You will want to read The Singer of All Songs” before reading book two. Book two finds Calwyn and her friends in the Empire of Merithuros, the desert empire. They must try to save the children whose enchantments are vital to the Empire.

FAR
Farmer, Nancy
The Sea of Trolls (YRCA 2007)
The year is 793 when Northern Europe is beset by marauding Northmen. Jack has just begun his apprenticeship with the Bard when he and his sister are kidnapped by beserkers. Will they survive? Will they ever see their home again? Why does a mysterious crow follow Jack everywhere?

LEG
Le Guin, Ursula
Gifts
The Uplanders may be far poorer than their lowland cousins, but they have gifts. When Orrec discovers that his gift is uncontrollable he chooses a blindfold to protect his family and others. Gry, who has also rejected her gift and refuses to call the animals for the hunt, leads him around.

PRA
Pratchett, Terry
A Hat Full of Sky (YRCA 2007)
Tiffany has just begun her education as a witch. She sometimes does dangerous things. By leaving her body she leaves a way in for an evil presence that cannot die.

SED
Sedgwick, Marcus
The Book of Dead Days
Valerian is a magician who will die in a short time if he cannot find The Book and figure out how to save himself. The story also centers on Boy, a street child who has become Valerian’s assistant and Willow, another urchin whose mistress is an Opera singer.

CHO
Choldenko, Gennifer
Al Capone Does My Shirts (YRCA 2007)
In 1935 Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz, where Moose’s father is a guard and electrician at the prison. Besides a new school, a weird address, and trying to make new friends, Moose also has a sister who is autistic. In 1935, autism had not yet been defined or recognized.

GRA
Grant, K.M.
Blood Red Horse
Set in Medieval England and the Middle East during the Crusades. The horse in the title is Will’s undersized warhorse. The story follows Will and his brother on a Crusade as well as the Saracens, Kamil, a young Saracen, in particular.

PEC
Peck, Richard
The Teacher's Funderal: A Comedy in Three Parts (YRCA 2007)
Set in 1904 in rural America. Russell Culver’s dream of escaping his boring farm life seems to become more possible when the teacher of their one-room school dies in August just before school is about to begin. To Russell’s dismay, his older sister becomes the new teacher.

UPD
Updale, Eleanor
Montmorency: theif, liar, gentleman? (YRCA 2007)
It is 1875. Montmorency is a petty thief. His life changes when he falls through a skylight as he is escaping over a rooftop and is badly injured. A young, progressive, doctor saves his life. The doctor takes him from prison and presents him at scientific meetings. It is at one of these meetings that Monmorency learns something that will change his life.

BAL
Balliet, Blue
Chasing Vermeer
Petra and Calder are caught up in a mystery where seemingly unrelated events all point in one direction – to the theft of a valuable Vermeer painting. What has happened to the Vermeer and is it really a Vermeer?

HAD
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
The House On the Gulf
When Britt’s brother finds a housesitting job for the summer it is great news for their mother who is struggling through college. Britt, however, soon discovers that something is not quite right.

AND
Anderson, Jodi Lynn
Peaches
Three girls from very different backgrounds are thrown together on a Georgia Peach farm. Birdie, the daughter of the house, carries the money worries and much of the responsibility for the farm on her shoulders. Leeda is the rich cousin who would rather be elsewhere and sneaks off to see her boyfriend. Murphy is there to make restitution for damage that she has caused.

AND
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Prom
Ashley is a bit of a rebel. She is not going to the prom and does not care about the prom. But, when the prom sponsor makes off with the cash, Ashley is roped in to help organize the prom. It is not an easy task, especially when Ashley is not too popular with a particular administrator.

AVI
AVI and Rachel Vail
Never Mind!
Told from the points of view of twins Meg and Edward. Meg is the brainy one and goes to an academic high school. Edward goes to an alternate school. Meg is having trouble fitting in to her new school. She desperately wants to make it into an elite group. (Read clique.) When she makes a claim about a rock band, the story takes a hilarious turn when Edward invites his very bad rock band to play at a party that Meg has been invited to.

CUM
Cummings, Priscilla
Red Kayak (YRCA 2007)
Brady has a wonderful life on Chesapeake Bay. He loves crabbing and oyster fishing. Things are changing though as the fishing industry is in decline and property is being sold to rich outsiders. Brady is horrified when tragedy strikes on of the neighbours. He is even more distressed when he finds out the details of what happened.

CUR
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Bucking the Sarge (YRCA 2007)
What do you do when you know that your mother is a criminal running an empire of slum housing and group homes. Luther is just as much a victim as his mother’s tenants, but Luther has a plan. Can he execute it and get away from his powerful mother?

DEN
Dent, Grace
LBD: Live and Fabulous
Sequel to LBD: It’s a Girl Thing. The girls’ summer takes a turn for the better when they get tickets to the Astlebury Music Festival. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems.

KAD
Kadonhata, Cynthia
Kira-Kira YRCA 2007
Glitter or kira-kira. Everything in Lynn's world was kira-kira. Told from the point of view of Lynn's sister Katie. Life is pretty normal until Lynn becomes very sick and the extended family must come to grips with her illness.

KON
Konigsburg, E.L.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (YRCA 2007)
Margaret Rose Kane’s summer turns into a nightmare when her globetrotting parents leave her behind at Camp Telequa. Help is on the way in the form of her eccentric uncle who rescues her from the camp. However, when she arrives at her uncle’s home, she discovers something is not quite right. Now it is her turn to come to the rescue.

MAZ
Mazetti, Katarina
God and I Broke Up
Linnea’s life is just like most other sixteen-year-olds, school, friends, and little brothers. Linnea’s life comes crashing down around her when her friend, Pia, dies. How can she make sense of what has happened?

PIC
Picoulti, Jodi
My Sister's Keeper (YRCA 2007)
Anna was a designer child. She was conceived to save her sister’s life. While her sister, Kate struggles on fighting a rare form of cancer, so too does Anna, enduring surgeries and procedures that will prolong Kate’s life. When is enough enough?

ROS
Rosoff, Meg
How I Live Now (YRCA 2007)
Set sometime after WW II in a future war. When New Yorker, Daisy, can’t get along with her stepmother she is sent to England to live with her cousins on their farm. She is having the time of her life until war breaks out.

WOO
Woods, Brenda
Emako Blue
Emako is a shining star, beautiful, kind, and talented. How can one explain what happens to her.

BAR
Barron, T. A.
Great Tree of Avalon: Book One - Child of Dark Prophecy
Another fine fantasy set in Avalon by the author of the Lost Years of Merlin series. If you like Arthurian legend, you will enjoy this. More sophisticated than the Merlin series.

BOO
Booth, Martin
Doctor Illuminatus
Image moving into your dream home, an English country estate, only to discover a strange boy. Sebastian claims to be 600 years old, and the son of an alchemist. Things only get worse when one of Sebastian’ father’s enemies also awakens from a long sleep and intends to use alchemy for evil purposes.

DIC
DiCamillo, Kate
Tale of Despereaux
This award winner is a fantasy with a mouse as the main character. Add a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread and you have a very compelling story. Hard to believe, but give it a try. Also by DiCamillo - Tiger Rising, Because of Winn-Dixie.

DES
Dessin, Sarah
The Truth About Forever
Macy Queen is sixteen and not looking forward to summer. Her father has died recently. Her boyfriend will be away for the summer, she has to study for SATs, and she has a “boring” job at the library. Things change when she attends one of her mother’s open house events and meets the Wish Caterers.

FUL
Fulke, Cornelia
Thief Lord
By the author of the Inkheart series. Set in the Venice Underworld, Prosper and Bo have run away from their Aunt and Uncle. They meet up with a boy who calls himself “Thief Lord.” The mischief the kids do seems harmless, but then Prosper and Bo discover a darker side to the Thief Lord.

LEG
Le Guin, Ursula
Gifts
By the author of the Earthsea series. Set in a place called Uplands. There are poor farms and even poorer people. The Uplander’s wealth lies in their gifts to summon animals, create fire, and even move the land with only a glance or a gesture. Young Orrec has a terrifying gift that he cannot control.

LOW
Lowry, Lois
Messenger
Companion book to The Giver and Gathering Blue. Matty lives in the village with the Seer. His goal is to become the messenger for the village. He seems to be one of the few who can travel from village to village without being harmed. When trouble comes to the village, Matty must exercise his newly-found power.

ROS
Roscroff, Meg
How I Live Now
Daisy, a 15 year-old from New York is sent to live with her cousins on a farm in England. It is a great life until England falls to an unnamed enemy. The infrastructure fails, and the cousins find themselves more and more isolated on the farm. Until the day that the enemy arrives on their doorstep...

SLE
Sleator, William
The Boy Who Couldn't Die
When Ken’s best friend dies in a plane crash, he vows that he will live for ever. Amazingly he gets his wish. However, there are some unanticipated consequences.

SMI
Smith, Dodie
I Capture the Castle
Cassandra is probably the envy of her neighbourhood. After all, she lives in a castle. Cassandra tells the story of her unusual family’s life in the crumbling castle.

WES
Westerfield, Scott
Pretties
Sequel to Uglies. Tally is now beautiful, she has beautiful clothes, and a great boyfriend. Her life is perfect...Wrong. Tally remembers Ugly and it turns her world upside down.

WOO
Wood, Maggie
Princess Pawn
Willow is a typical grade 9 student until she is transported to the magical world of Mistolear where she discovers that she is a princess. She also discovers that Mistolear is under a terrible spell. All her courage and intelligence is needed to defeat the spell.

BEN
Bennett, Holly
The Bonemender
Gabrielle is a bonemender. Her life takes a dramatic change when a stranger arrives at her gate. The stranger is an elf, who not only needs her help, but brings news of a coming invasion.

CAL
Chalifour, Francis
After
Francis’s world falls apart when his father commits suicide. A story of how Francis copes with his grief and guilt and begins to overcome the tragedy.

GUE
Guest, Jacqueline
Widl Ride
First Nations. January and her family take in an RCMP summer student named Willow who helps January connect with her First Nations heritage. January is dismayed when clues suggest that Willow is involved in illegal activities.

HAW
Haworth-Attard, Barbara
Forget-Me-Not
Set at the end of World War II. Bobby is thrilled to have her older brother home from the war. However, the war has had an impact on her brother and he withdraws. Bobby’s dad may lose his job at the airplane factory. Bobby’s best friend still come to the house, but not just to see Bobby.

JOH
Johntson, Julie
The Only Outcast
Set at an Ontario lake in the early 1900s. Fred escapes his father’s harsh criticism for a wonderful summer at the lake with his mother’s relatives. The death of Fred’s mother three years earlier still affects the family, but Fred is enjoying his summer and is shocked when his father decides to join the family at the lake. The title comes from the fact that Fred stutters.

KOS
Kositisky, Lynne
Claire by Moonlight
This historical novel is set during the British attack on Acadia and the expulsion of the Acadians. Claire befriends a British soldier, but know that this is a dangerous thing for a French girl to do. The novel puts a human face on a traumatic event in Canadian history.

LEA
Leavey, Peggy Dymond
The Path Through the Trees
Norah goes by herself to spend Christmas with her great-aunt Caroline when her mother can’t get away from work. Norah’s aunt is not happy to have her, but things pick up when her cousins arrive. Her aunt seems to have lots of mysteries including the identity of a boy dressed in old clothes that the cousins see in the backyard.

MACD
MacDonald, Ann-Marie
Fall On Your Knees
Adult fiction. Fall on Your Knees is a multiple award winning Canadian fiction book. The story moves through Cape Breton Island, the battlefields of WWII, and New York city as it follows the lives of the four Piper sisters.

MAT
Matas, Carol
Dark Clone
Someone who looks exactly like Miranda is caught on camera committing a crime. Is it one of Miranda’s cloned sisters? What will happen if her secret is revealed?

SHE
Sherrard, Valerie
Chasing Shadows
Shelby, now sixteen, has a new job at a steak house. Her investigating days are behind her...until one of the waitresses at the restaurant goes missing. The police don’t seem to take the situation seriously and Shelby’s boyfriend is not at all happy with her meddling. What is a girl to do?

SHE
Sherrard,Valerie
Hiding in Plain Sight
Shelby wonders what she will do with her summer vacation when her best friends leave town for the holidays. Things take a surprising turn when she discovers that her friend, Betts, family is hiding out in their own house. Betts’ mother has been accused of stealing a computer program. Can Shelby figure out what really happened?

WIT
Withers, Pam
A Raging River
A white water rafting trip turns into a disaster. Peter and Jake must kayak the rapids to get help for the stranded group. Can they overcome their rivalry to accomplish their goal?

Short Stories

819.1 TAP

Tapestry of Hope: Holocaust Writing For Your People
First person accounts by survivors in the form of poetry, drama, novel selections, and short stories. Edited by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz.

DAH
Dahl, Roald
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
A great selection from the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other short story collections by Dahl include Skin and other stories, The Umbrella Man and other stories, and Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories.

UNE

Unexpected: 11 Mysterious Stories
Mysteries by Norma Fox Mazer, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Jane Yolen, and more.

YEA

Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens
Edited by Jane Yolen. This book contains an excellent collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens. Authors include Garth Nix, David Gerrold, Kelly Link, and more. For Jane Yolen’s own short stories find Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast. (YOL)

Historical Fiction

ALE
Alexander, Lloyd
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
Set in Ancient China. Prince Jen faces a series of misadventures when he sets out to find the legendary court of T’ien-kuo.

ERD
Erdich, Louise
The Birch House, The Game of Silence
First Nations. These books are set in the mid 1850s. Omakayas and her family live a traditional life. Their way of life is threatened when Europeans arrive.

PAU
Paulsen, Gary

Set in 1944 in a small American town during WW II. All the men have gone to war. The quilt represents the family history, which a young boy learns as the women work on the quilt and tell stories of the past. (Easy Fiction)

LOW
Lowry, Lois
The Silent Boy
Set in rural America in 1908 to 1911. Katy loves to go on house calls with her father who is a doctor. Katy gets to know a young boy who doesn’t speak. Tragedy strikes when the boy thinks that he is helping his family, but something terrible happens.

YOL
Yolen, Jane
The Devil's Arithmetic
Hannah resents having to go to her Grampa Will’s for the Passover Seder. She is stunned when she time slips to a Jewish home in WWII Europe and experiences the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. (Easy Fiction)

Fantasy

ALE
Alexander, Lloyd
Westmark
First book of the Westmark Triolgy. It all starts when Theo, an apprentice printer, agrees to print a pamphlet for a travelling showman. When the printing press is smashed and his master killed, Theo ends up on the run with the showman.

ALE
Alexander, Lloyd
The Book of Three (The Prydain Chronicles)
Nothing exciting ever happens to Taran, an assistant pig keeper. Then a pig runs away and he chases it into the woods where evil lurks. He makes new friends in his battle with evil forces.

ALE
Alexander, Lloyd
The Black Cauldron (The Prydain Chronicles)
Once more evil threathens Prydain. Arawn’s army gets larger by the day. His army is created in the black cauldron which must be destroyed.

KER
Kerr, P.B.
The Akhenaten Adventure (Children of the Lamp)
Twins John and Philippa Gaunt are descended from the djinn and have magical powers. It is a good thing that their uncle Nimrod is along to guide them as they search for the pharaoh Akhenaten.

PAO
Paolini, Christopher
Elder
Sequel to Eragon. Eragon travels to the amazing world of the elves where he continues his education as a rider. He also comes in contact with the Empire once more.

PIE
Pierce, Tamora
Trickster Queen
Sequel to Trickster’s Choice. Revolution seems inevitable. Aly, the master spy, along with Sarai, Dove, and Nawat are set to change the future. Can they succeed?

SNY
Synder, Zilpha Keatley
The Witches of Worm
Bad things begin to happen when Jessica adopts a skinny cat she calls Worm. She comes to believe that the cat is a witch’s cat, but none will believe her. How else can she explain the mean tricks she suddenly feels compelled to play on people?

Mystery

BUN
Bunting, Eve
The Ghost Children
Matt’s Aunt Gerda has a “family” of life-size wooden dolls that she treats like her family. But they are not alive, right? Why is one buried in the back yard? (Easy Fiction)

HOB
Hobbs, Will
Ghost Canoe
Nathan and his father are lighthouse keepers on the Washington State Coast. When I ship is wrecked, Nathan does not believe that all are lost because he has seen footprints in the sand. Nathan and Light House George, a member of the Makah band, set out to find out what has happened.

CLI
Clifford, Eth
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library
Mary Rose and Jo-Beth run into an old library to use the washroom. They are trapped when the doors are locked before they leave. What goes on in the library after dark? (Easy Fiction)

COD
Codell, Esmé Raji
Sahara Special
Sahara is “special” as in special needs. Things look up when she gets a new teacher who is something special herself. Have you taken courses in puzzling or time travel? (Easy Fiction)

CRE
Creech, Sharon
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
Bailey and Rose are best friends. Like most best friends they sometime have their disagreements. Granny Torrrelli comes to the rescue. (Easy Fiction)

CRE
Creech, Sharon
Heartbeat
Annie loves to run and listen to the rhythm of her heart. When life gets complicated Annie discovers other rhythms in her life. (Easy Fiction)

CRE
Creech, Sharon
Love That Dog
Jack thinks that he hates poetry and cannot write poetry. As he explains himself, he does so poetically. (Easy Fiction)

DAH
Dahl, Roald
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Did you like the movie? Try the Book! What happens when five children win a trip to the chocolate factory.

DES
Dessen, Sarah
Someone Like You
“A true friend is a promise you keep forever.” Halley and Scarlett are best friends. Halley has always depended on Scarlett. But when Scarlett’s boyfriend is killed in an accident and she discovers that she is pregnant Halley must be the strong one.

HAD
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Because of Anya
Anya wears a wig and Keely would like to know what is wrong with her.Things come to a head when Anya’s wig falls off and Keely defends her to her friends. (Easy Fiction)

HEN
Henkes, Kevin
Words of Stone
Blaze’s summer is going according to plan. He wanders around the neighbouring hill during the day and tries to avoid his nightmares by night. Thinks change when he discovers some mysterious writing on the hill and meets Joselle. (Easy Fiction)

HOB
Hobbs, Valerie
Tender
A tender is the person who stays on a boat while divers are diving in order to keep them safe. Liv is very bitter towards her father. Her mother died when she was born and her father left Liv with her grandmother. When Liv’s grandmother dies she must go and live with her father who is a diver. When his tender is injured, Liv must take over. How does she feel about this turn of events?

LIP
Lipsyte, Robert
Warrior Angel
First Nations. Sequel to The Contender. Sonny Bear is preparing for a championship boxing match, but things are spiralling out of control in his life. He receives an email signed “Warrior Angel,” encouraging him to keep fighting. Who is the Warrior Angel?

THO
Thomson, Celia
The Chosen
Volume Three of The Nine Lives of Chloe King. Chloe just wants to be an ordinary kid hanging out with her friends, not the kid with super powers. But when her friend turns up bleeding in an alley she realizes that she must accept her fate and take charge.

TRU
Trueman, Terry
Cruise Control
Companion novel to Stuck in Neutral. Paul is a great athlete and a great student. The biggest problem in his life is his severely disabled brother. He loves his brother, but at the same time is very angry that his father has abandoned the family and everything is made more difficult by his brother’s disabilities.

WHE
Whelan, Gloria
Chu Ju's House
Chu Ju lives in rural China. Under Chinese law families in rural China may have two children. Many girl babies are given away or placed in orphanages because families want boys. When Chu Ju’s mother has another girl, she leaves home so that her sister can be safe. (Easy Fiction)

WAL
Walters, Eric
Northern Exposure
Someone has entered one of Kevin’s pictures in a photography contest. The judges don’t know that it was an accidental picture, but he wins the contest. The prize - a trip to Churchill Manitoba to photograph polar bears. The trip is not uneventful. What can go wrong does go wrong.

WES
Westerfeld, Scott
Uglies
Tally lives in a future world where on your sixteenth birthday you have an operation which makes you stunningly beautiful. When Tally’s friend runs away because she has doubt about becoming pretty Tally must find her and turn her in or risk being ugly forever.

NEW CANADIAN FICTION: NOVEMBER 2005

ATW
Atwood, Margaret
Oryx and Crake
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Adult Science Fiction. Set in a future devastated world.

DIN
Dinsdale, Christopher
Broken Circle
First Nations. Thirteen year old Jesse would rather stay home and play video games, but goes on a special camping trip with his uncle. He is introduced to native traditions and has a vision.

DOY
Doyle, Brian
Angel Square
Winner of the Phoenix Honour award. Someone has beaten up his best friend’s father who is Jewish. Tommy sets out to find out who is responsible.

FOO
Foon, Dennis
The Dirt Eaters
Roan’s parents die in a raid on their village. Roan’s dilemma is that he has grown up with a philosophy of peace, but now he wants revenge.

FRI
Friesen, Gayle
The Isabel Factor
Anna has always been overshadowed by her best friend Zoe. When Zoe breaks her arm Anna must brave her first summer as camp counselor alone. Anna does a lot of growing up and her relationship with Zoe changes too.

HAW
Hawworth-Attard, Barbara
Home Child
A CLA notable book of the year. It is 1914 and, like many children, Arthur is sent from Europe to Canada to escape the war where he is treated badly by the family that takes him in. Based on real events.

HAW
Hawworth-Attard, Barbara
Theories of Relativity
Dylan is sixteen and living on the street, barely begging enough money to eat. He can’t understand what he’s done to deserve this life. He develops theories to explain the world around him. Finalist in The Governor General’s Literary Awards.

HAW
Hawworth-Attard, Barbara
Irish Chain
Thirteen year old Rose is devastated when she is held back in school. She prays that she’ll never have to go back. Then the Halifax explosion destroys the whole town. Rose is sure that it is her fault. Nominated for the Red Maple Award.

HRD
Hrdlitschka, Shelley
Sun Signs
Fifteen year old Kaleigh Wyse tries to complete her classes online by correspondence, while trying to fight cancer.

JAC
Jackson-Davis
Digging For Phillip
Phillip’s father has died and he is having difficulty coping. He decides to investigate a mound of earth near his summer cottage. He disturbs an Anishinaabe (First Nations) spirit who once lived and hunted on the lake.

KOR
Korman, Gordon
Son of Mob 2
Vince is sure that he will leave his family and their criminal dealings behind him when he heads out to a film school; however, he gradually finds that you can take the kid out of the mob, but no taking mob out of the kid. The book is the sequel Son of the Mob.

KOR
Korman, Gordon
Series: On the Run
Chasing the Falconers
The Fugitive Factor
Now You See Them, Now You Don't
The Stowaway Solution
Aidan and Meg’s parents are condemned to a lifetime imprisonment, unless Aidan and Meg can prove their innocence. They escape form Juvenile hall and follow a trail of clues, as they are pursued by the FBI and a mysterious attacker.

KRO
Krossing, Karen
Pure
Lenni is a misfit artist who is in the future where genetic engineering of humans is forbidden. She finds that she has a surprising gift for healing and must prove to the council that she has pure and unaltered DNA.

LAW
Lawson, Julie
White Jade Tiger
Winner of BC Book Prize. Jasmine doesn’t want to stay in Victoria and she wants to go to China with her father; however she changes her mind. Jasmine mysteriously finds herself in the Chinatown of the 1880s when she passing through a doorway.

MACB
McBay, Bruce and James Heneghan
Waiting For Sarah
Mike loses his parents and sister in a terrible accident in which he loses his legs. When he returns to school he is very angry. He meets Sarah and discovers that she has troubles of her own.

OLS
Olsen, Sylvia
No Time to Say Goodbye
First Nations. Five aboriginal children are sent to Kuper Island Residential School. They try to adjust to a completely new environment. Their life is very hard, but they find adventure in competition and friendships with other students.

SCA
Scarsbrook, Richard
Cheeseburger Subversive
Dak grows from a bright 12-year-old up into first year university. This book follows Dak from grade 7 all the way up to university. Short listed for the CLA’s book of the year award.

SCH
Schwartz, Virginia
Initiation
First Nations twins Nana and Nanolatch are nearing the time of their initiation as full adults. Nana is being assigned to “female tasks” and Nanolatch worries that he will be unable to the expectations of manly prowess.

SHE
Sheppard, Mary
Seven For a Secret
It is a year of changes for Rebecca, Melinda, and Kate. Each year Kate visits them on a small Newfoundland island called Cook’s Cove. As they approach their 17th birthdays a mysterious stranger appears and upsets their lives.

SKR
Skrypuch, Marsha
Nobody's Child
Orphaned in the 1909 Adana Massacre, Mariam and her siblings travel back to Marash hoping to find remaining family. Six years later they face deportation from Turkey and are torn apart. They someday hope to be reunited.

SPA
Spalding, Andrea
White Horse Talisman
Dance of the Stones
Heart of the Hill

Chantel, Adam, Holly, and Owen try to help the Great White Horse regain his magical talisman. But when the Horse awakes so does the evil Dragon... Watch for the fourth book of the quartet.

TRE
Trembeth, Don
Rooster
Rooster Cobb is in trouble. He smokes too much, hates his stepfather, and he might not graduate from high school. But he doesn’t care. Then the guidance councelor and the principal come up with a plan to get Rooster out of their lives permanently.

WAG
Wagamese, Richard
Keeper 'N Me
First Nations. Garnet has been placed in a series of foster homes since the age of three. When he is old enough he escapes...to the streets of the big city. At age 20 he receives a letter from his long lost native family. He decides to stay on the Native reserve and finds a sense of self from the Keeper, a friend of his grandfather.

YEE
Yee, Paul
The Bone Collector's Son
Fourteen year-old Bing-Wing Chan resents his father for gambling away their money and forcing him to help him dig Chinese bones up for shipment back to China. Strange things begin to happen after Bing comes back from the graveyard.

WOO
Wood, Maggie L.
Princess Pawn
This is a time slip story. Willow is struggling through grade 9 when she is transported to another time where she is a Princess in the middle of a kingdom at war. She thought that grade 9 was difficult!

CAL
Caletti, Deb
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
Ruby is a quiet sixteen year-old...until she starts hanging around with a rich, gorgeous guy who likes to take risks. In order to distract her, her mother drags her along to her book club where they discover an intriguing mystery.
FUN
Funke, Cornelia
Inkheart
This is the beginning of a new trilogy by Cornelia Funke. If you enjoyed Thief Lord or Dragon Rider give this a try. Meggie’s father is reading from the book Inkheart when one of the characters, a evil ruler, come to life.
FUS
Fusco, Kimberley Newton
Tending to Grace
Cornelia’s project is to take care of her mother. When her mother runs off with her boyfriend, Cornelia is left with her Aunt Agatha. Aunt Agatha dos not need fixing, so, perhaps it is Cornelia’s turn.
JOH
Johnson, Maureen
The Key to the Golden Firebird: A Novel
When their father dies, their world falls apart. Mayzie, Brooks, and Palmer must learn to cope and move on. The key to the firebird refers to Mayzie learning how to drive her dad’s car as well as to the bigger lessons that the girls need to learn.
LAW
Lawrence, Michael
A Crack in the Line: The Withern Rise Trilogy
Unknown to each other, Alaric and Naia have been linked together by a tragic train accident. When they do meet, strange things start to happen. There is something very powerful that links their lives.
LEV
Leavitt, Martine
Heck: Superhero
Heck is a talented artist and good citizen. His mother calls him her superhero. Heck’s life unravels when his mother does not pay the rent and they are evicted. When his mother disappears, Heck is too ashamed to ask for help and ends up on the streets. Can he survive?
MEY
Meyer, Carolyn
Patience, Princess Catherine
Catherine of Aragon marries the English Prince Arthur, only to have him die months later. Catherine is relegated to a lonely existence in a remote castle. Things start to look up when there is the possibility that she might marry Prince Henry, her dead husband’s younger brother. (Based on the history of Tudor England.)
MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
The Beast
In this story the beast is drugs. Anthony Witherspoon has had the advantage of going to an exclusive private school. While he is there, all he thinks about is going home to Harlem. His return home is a huge shock, especially when he discovers that his beautiful, intelligent, girlfriend has become a drug addict. Can her save her?
PLU
Plum-Ucci, Carol
The She
Evan’s parents mysteriously disappeared at sea eight years ago. Could the legendary sea creature, the She, be responsible? When Evan starts to investigate, he learns of some terrible allegations against his parents. What is the truth behind their disappearance?
STR
Strasser, Todd
Can't Get There From Here
Maybe, her street name, lives on the streets with other homeless kids. She tries to help a newcomer, Tears, whose mother does not believe that she has been abused by her stepfather. The group gets smaller as kids fall victim to violence, drugs, and the cold. Can Maybe help Tears and save herself?
STR
Stratton, Allan
Chanda's Secrets
Chanda’s secrets centre around the AIDS epidemic in Africa where thousands of children are being orphaned. This is a powerful story of love and courage.
WES
Westerfield, Scott
Uglies
In a future world, when you turn sixteen you undergo a procedure that turns you from an “ugly” into a beauty. Tally’s friend Shay runs away after refusing the procedure. Tally is told that she must find Shay or she will remain an ugly for life. But, is the beautiful life really a good life? A similar book - The Barcode Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn.
WOO
Wooding, Chris
Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
Thaniel and Cathaline are wych-hunters seeking out these evil creature who inhabit the Old Quarter in London. Here they encounter Alaizabel, a beautiful girl who is possessed and seems to attract evil.

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NEW FICTION: SEPTEMBER 2005

DIC
Dickinson, Peter
The Rope Maker
Tilja’s valley home has been protected from the Empire by an enchanted forest. But, when the enchantment weakens, her valley is threatened. Tilja and three others venture into the Empire to find the magician who can save them. Along the way Tilja discovers her own powers.
HOL
Holt, Kimberley Willis
Keeper of the Night
Isabel has a wonderful life on the exotic island of Guam. Then, her mother commits suicide and her family begins to fall apart. No one will talk about what happened and Isabel’s father and siblings cannot cope. Isabel becomes the “keeper of the night” as she struggles to help both herself and her family.
IBB
Ibbitson, Eva
Star of Kazan
Annika is a servant in Vienna at the beginning of the 1900s. She is also a foundling. She was only a few days old when her guardians found her abandoned in a mountain church. Annika has long hoped that her mother would come to claim her, but when she does; all is not what it seems. (by the author of Journey to the River Sea)
ING
Inglod, Jeannette
Mountain Solo
Tess is a musical prodigy. Her mother moved her to New York at a young age so that she could have all the best teachers. Her world comes crashing down when she blows her solo at an important concert. She gives up the violin and moves to Colorado to live with her father. Can she find the courage to return to her music?
JEN
Jenkins, A.M.
Out of Order
Colt, a good student and athlete, has always liked order. He has always played by the rules. But suddenly things in his life are not so orderly. His girlfriend dumps him and his mother threatens to keep him out of baseball if he doesn’t improve his grades. Maybe it is time to bend a few rules.
MAR
Marchetta, Melina
Saving Francesca
Set in Australia. Francesca has gone to a girls school all her life. Now, in grade 11, her mother has sent her to a formerly all boys school as part of the first class of girls. She struggles to make new friends and cope with the new environment. To add to her problems, her energetic, vivacious mother breaks down. No one will explain what has happened. (By the author of Looking for Alibrandi)
MAR
Marillier, Juliet
Foxmask
Set in the Orkney Islands. This fantasy finds the Norse warriors and Orkney islanders finally at peace after years of unrest. But, can the peace hold? Thorvald’s life changes forever the day his mother gives him a letter that she has kept from him. Foxmask follows Thorvald as he attempts to find out the truth about his father.
MOR
Moriarty, Jaclyn
Year of Secret Assignments
A pen pal program between two rival high schools which was designed to bring students from the two schools together has some unforeseen consequences.
MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
Shooter
By the author of Monster. A student dies in a shooting incident at Madison High School. Myers unravels what led up to the shooting in a series of interviews and diary entries.
SPI
Spinelli, Jerry
Milkweed
Set in Warsaw Poland during the Nazi occupation of World War II. The horrific story of the Jewish ghetto is told through the eyes of a young Jewish orphan. Check the catalogue for other Spinelli books including Stargirl.
VAN
Van Draanan, Wendelin
Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception
Sammy seems to find trouble everywhere she goes. She has already made a stir at the art gallery reception by showing up in her high-tops. Things get really exciting when Sammy tackles a thief as he tries to make off with some of the paintings. But, what about those paintings? Is there something else going on?
WER
Werlin, Nancy
Double Helix: A Mystery
Eli has landed a great job at the Wyatt Transgenics lab which is run by the famous molecular biologist Dr. Quincy Wyatt. Eli’s Dad does not want him to take the job. His objections have something to do with Eli’s Mom who is suffering from Huntington’s disease, a fatal hereditary disease. As Eli works in the lab he begins to discover some troubling information.
WEY
Weyn, Suzanne
Bar Code Tattoo
This story is set in a future world where the government has instituted a system of personal barcodes which contain all your information. The president of the US is nothing more than a figurehead for a huge corporation which is quickly gaining control of the world economy and the US people. Teens are expected to have their barcode tattooed on their wrist on their 17th birthday. But after some very troubling incidents Kayla refuses to get her tattoo and joins a movement which aims to halt the tattoo program. Can they succeed?
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NEW FICTION: SPRING 2005

BAI
Baird, Alison
Witches of Willowmere
What is going on at Willowmere? As Claire begins to investigate the ideas of Wiccan and as she visits Willowmere, she senses strange things. Be sure to follow the series. The next book is The Warding of Willowmere.
BEL
Bell, Hilari
Fall of a Kingdom
Book One of the Farsala Trilogy. Legendary Farsala has been threatened by an outside force that three young people see in Time’s Wheel will lead to its destruction. They do not realize how they may be the heroes who will come to Farsala’s aid.
BOW
Bowler, Tim
Storm Catchers
Fin’s sister Ella has been kidnapped, but money is not enough to have her returned. When a storm breaks and any hope of Ella’s safe return seems remote. What did the kidnapper really want?
BRO
Brooks, Kevin
Kissing the Rain
Moo, who is bullied and isolated witnesses a car chase and murder. Everyone is interested in some version of the truth. Moo must separate fact from fiction despite pressure from police officers, gangsters, and friends.
CHE
Chen, Da
Wandering Warrior
According to Ancient Scriptures, Luca is destined to be the next emperor of China. Many dangers must be overcome if he is to survive and claim his destiny.
CLA
Clarke, Arthur C.
Time's Eye
Book one of A Time Odyssey. Can you imagine the world reconstructed in time so that chunks of the earth exist in different eras? A great book for Science Fiction fans.
COO
Cooney, Caroline B.
Fog
This psychological thriller describes two island girls who are boarding with a principal and his wife. Something evil is happening in their house making one of the girls slowly lose her mind. The other girl is convinced that she knows who is behind it, but they are already working on her.
COO
Cooney, Caroline B.
The Terrorist
Laura’s brother has been killed by a bomb in a London subway. She wants to avenge his death and suspects everyone even her friends. She must find the motive to stop it from happening again.
CUN
Cunningham, Julia
Dorp Dead
Gilly Ground escapes from an orphanage and becomes an apprentice for the town's ladder builder. Gilly discovers his master's terrible secret and must once more run for his life.
DAV
Davis, Amanda
Wonder When You'll Miss Me
Faith Duckle leads a very turbulent life. She is traumatized when she is brutally attacked by a group of boys. She runs away, but really cannot outrun her problems. Yes, she runs away to the circus.
DON
Donnelly, Jennifer
A Northern Light
Set in 1906. Sixteen year-old Mattie is desperately poor but has big dreams. She goes to work at a hotel where a hotel guest asks her to burn some letters. Mattie is caught up in a mystery when the guest is murdered.
DUP
Duprau, Jeanne
City of Ember
In this science fiction novel Ember is threatened when the lights that keep away the darkness begin to fade. Can Leena and Doon save Ember?
ELL
Ellis, Deborah
Heaven Shop
Set in Malawi, Africa. Binti Phiri was a child star on Malawi radio untill her parents died of AIDS. Now she is separated from her brother and sister and treated like a servant by her relatives. Binti struggles to recover her former life.
GAR
Gardner, Graham
Inventing Elliot
Elliot, who has been bullied at his old school, is determined that that won't happen at his new school. Unfortunately, he runs up against the Guardians who offer him power. But at what cost?
HAU
Hautman, Pete
Sweet-blood
Interested in vampires? Follow Lucy Szabo as she explores the world of the undead.
HOS
Hosseini, Khaled
Kite Rider
Set in war-torn Afghanistan. Assam and his wealthy father escape to the USA. But Assam feels guilty because he was disloyal to his friend Hassan, who was poor. Years later, when Assam returns to Afghanistan, he has a chance to redeem himself.
HUG
Hughes,Monica
Invitation to the Game
Set in 2154, most humans graduating from school are unemployed because robots have taken most of the jobs. A group of students play The Game, a treasure hunt that becomes more challenging, more dangerous, and more addictive as you play.
JON
Jones, Diane Wynne
Hexwood
When entering the Hexwood Estate you gain access to human memory, but there is no order to the memories. Is there something dangerous going on? Controller Borasus thinks so when he receives a strange letter saying that someone is using an ancient machine in ways that were not intended.
KOR
Korman, Gordon
Jake, Reinvented
Jake is a new student, well dressed, good athlete, and throws great parties. But is there a mystery in his past? Gordon Korman is a Canadian writer who has written more that forty books for teens.
MACK
McKay, Sharon E.
Ester
Based on a true story. Set in the early 1700s. Ester was the first Jew to arrive in New France. She got to North America disguised as a boy. When she is discovered, there are serious problems on both sides of the ocean.
MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
Slam!
Greg “Slam” Harris is a basketball star. To pursue his dreams of basketball stardom he must get the rest of his life in order.
MYR
Myracle, Lauren
Kissing Kate
When best friends Kate and Lissa have too much to drink at a party Kate kisses Lissa and she kisses her back. Now Kate won't talk to Lissa and ignores her completely. The incident leads Lissa to ask questions about herself and where she fits in.
NIX
Nix, Garth
Mister Monday
Grim Tuesday
Books one and two in the Keys to the Kingdom series. Look for book three soon. By the same author as Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, This series features Arthur Penhaligon, a young man who is saved from an early death by a key shaped like a minute hand. Follow Arthur to a fantastical house where danger awaits.
OPP
Oppel, Kenneth
Airborn
Kenneth Oppel is the author of Silverwing and its sequels. Matt is a cabin boy on a luxury airship crossing Pacificus. He rescues the pilot of a damaged air balloon who tells fantastic tales of flying creatures. Matt does not believe him until...
THO
Thomson, Celia
The Fallen
Chloe appears to be a good student. However, she has a darker side. When she falls from a high rise building her adventures really begin. Yes, she dies....but comes back. If you enjoy this book read the next in the series, The Chosen.
VAN
Van Velde, Vivian
Being Dead
These seven short stories are extremely creepy. The dead are not really gone, but are haunting the living.

NEW FICTION: JANUARY 2005

BER
Berg, Carol
Guardians of the Keep: Book Two of the Bridge of D’Arnath
Karon and Seri find themselves parted when Seri goes home for a visit and must stay to fight the evil Lords of Zhev’Na. (Fantasy)
BRA
Brashares, Ann
Second Summer of the Sisterhood
In this sequel to Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants the girls set out on a second summer of adventure and discovery.
CRO
Crossley-Holland, Kevin
Arthur: King of the Middle March
In this third volume of the trilogy Arthur finds himself in Venice where troops are gathering to launch the Fourth Crusade. He soon learns that war is a terrible thing.
DIC
Dickinson, Peter
The Ropemaker
Tilja’s peaceful valley has been protected from the wider world by the powers of the enchanted forest. When the power of the forest begins to fade Tilja and three others brave the Empire to try to save her village from the Empire. (Award winning fantasy)
FAL
Fallon, Jen
Medalon
This fantasy is set in a world where there is strict control. R’shiel and her half-brother Traja must flee when they cross their powerful mother. They become involved in a rebellion where they learn the startling truth about the Demon Child.
FAR
Farrell, S.L.
Holder of Lightning
The legend of the mage-lights becomes reality when Jenna picks up a particular stone and the sky is filled with mage-lights. As First holder of the stone, Jenna faces great challenges and responsibilities.
FRA
Frank, E.R.
Friction
Set in an alternative school that is functioning harmoniously, everything changes when Stacy arrives and spreads rumours that test friendships and cause Friction.
HOL
Holdstock, Robert
Celtika: Book One of the Merlin Codex
Set hundreds of years before Merlin meets Arthur, this story involves Jason searching for the Holy Grail and the loss of Jason's sons.

Iron Grail: Book Two of the Merlin Codex
This series interweaves history and mythology. Merlin returns to Alba (England). Urtha returns to his kingdom and finds that his kingdom has been taken over by warriors from Ghostland which leads to war with the Otherworld. And...Jason is sailing in to find his son who is hiding out in the kingdom.
HEA
Hearn, Lian
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otoro: Book One
Grass For His Pillow: Tales of the Otori: Book Two
(Trilogy) Set in Ancient Japan. Takeo has grown up in a peaceful, secluded mountain village. Everything changes when his village is ransacked and he comes under the care of Lord Otori Shigeri.
LEK
Lekich, John
Losers' Club
A group of grade 9 boys band together to form the losers’ club. This humorous books deals with the many challenges that face kids in school every day. The author lives in Vancouver.
MACK
McKay, Hilary
Saffy's Angel
Cadmium (Caddy), Indigo, Saffron, and Rose are sisters. Saffron (Saffy) discovers that she is adopted and sets out on a hilarious adventure to Siena to find a stone angel that she remembers in her dreams.
MACK
McKillip, Patricia A.
Alphabet of Thorn
Nepentha is an orphan living in a royal palace at the edge of the world. She spends her time translating books in the library. One day she is brought a book that no one has been able to translate. It is written in the alphabet of thorns. As Nepentha unravels the mysteries of the book, her life changes forever.
MOR
Morpurgo, Michael
Private Peaceful
Set on the battlefields of World War I, a young soldier, Thomas Peaceful, recalls wonderful memories of his childhood and families. His childhood memories contrast with the terrible conditions he faces in battle.
MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
Handbook for Boys: A Novel
Growing up is really hard. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a handbook for growing up? Kevin and Jimmy find some answers when they hang out at Duke’s Place.
NIX
Nix, Garth
Mr. Monday
This is the first book in a new triology called The Keys to the Kingdom. Arthur Penhaligon’s life is save by an unusual key that is shaped like a clock’s minute hand. With the key comes danger in the form of a stranger called Mister Monday. Arthur must enter a mysterious house that only he can see and discover the secrets of the key.
Also by Garth Nix - Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen
WIT
Wittlinger, Ellen
The Long Night of Leo and Bree
It has been four years since Leo’s sister Michelle was killed but his family still cannot get past her death. Bree has “escaped” from her mother for the evening. She is tired of being told where she should go to college and who she should like. Leo sees Bree on the street and asks himself why she is alive and his sister is not. This story is told from two points of view.

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NEW FICTION: NOVEMBER 2004

Historical Fiction

GAV
Gavin, Jamila
Coram Boy
Set in 18th Century England. The Coram boy in the title is an orphan who is taken in by the Coram Hospital. Children in the Coram Hospital fared much better than other orphans, but life is still pretty grim and full of danger.
MACN
McNaughton, Janet
An Earthly Knight
Set in the Middle Ages. Sixteen-year-old Lady Jeannette’s life changes when her older sister disgraces herself and Jeanette must take over the role of eldest daughter and possible wife for the King of Scotland. While she is learning about the royal court, she meets a young man with a mysterious and perhaps dangerous past.
MEY
Meyer, Carolyn
Doomed Queen Anne
This third book in the Young Royals series. Tells the story of Anne Boleyn who becomes the wife of Henry VIII of England. This story does not have a happy ending as Anne is beheaded. (Based on the true events of Anne Boleyn’s life.)
PAR
Park, Linda Sue
A Single Shard
Set in Korea in the Middle Ages. A young Korean orphan is living out under a bridge. His life changes when he discovers a master potter who creates beautiful pottery. He sneaks in to look at the pottery when the potter is out and breaks a piece. The potter makes him work to pay off his debt, and his adventures truly begin.
PUL
Pullman, Philip
The Shadow in the North
A mystery thriller set in 1978 in England. (Reign of Queen Victoria:1837-1901) All is not what it should be in Victorian Society. Jim Taylor and Sally Lockhart investigate industrialist Axel Bellmann as he is about to marry a young aristocrat.
YOL
Yolen, Jane and Robert J. Harris
Girl in a Cage
Marjorie Bruce is the daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. Her life is endangered and she is imprisoned in a wooden cage when King Edward of England wages war against her father.

Animals

ALM
Almond, David
Secret Heart
From the author of Skellig. Joe Maloney does not fit in. He is preoccupied with the weird creatures in sees. Then a tiger comes for him.
BAU
Bauer, Marion Dane
Runt
Runt is exactly that. He is the runt of a litter of wolf pups. Follow Runt as he struggles to keep up with the other pups and to please his Dad.
GIP
Gipson, Fred
Old Yeller
A classic story about a boy and his dog. A must read for all.
MOR
Morpurgo, Michael
The Butterfly Lion
Bertie rescues an orphaned lion cub from the African veld.
SAC
Sacher, Louis
Dogs Don't Tell Jokes
From the author of Holes. Gary is the class clown, and wants to be a stand-up comedian. Not everyone is amused. Things look up when his school announces a talent contest.

Humour

KOR
Korman, Gordon
Go Jump in the Pool
Macdonald Hall badly needs its own pool so that it can challenge rival York. They are $50,000 short of their goal. How hard can it be to raise $50,000?
KOR
Korman, Gordon
Beware the Fish
Once again Macdonald Hall is in financial trouble. Bruno and Boots are facing the closure of their dorm and perhaps the closure of their school.
KOR
Korman, Gordon
The Joke's On Us
Someone is pulling pranks - turning the pool water blue, dressing up Sir John A. Macdonald’s statue, putting extra soap in the dishwasher. Bruno and Boots are innocent, but can the find the prankster?

Easy Reads

BAU
Bauer, Marion Dane
On My Honor
Joel is allowed to go on a bicycle trip, but he promises his Dad that he will stay away from the dangerous river. He dares his best friend to swim with him and his best friend is swept away.
BRI
Brink, Carol Ryrie
Caddie Woodlawn
Set in 1864, Caddie is not your typical pioneer girl. She would rather be out hunting and ploughing with her brothers than at home baking.
DIN
Dinsdale, Christopher
Broken Circle
Jesse would rather be at home playing video games, but his mother sends him on a Quest with is Uncle Matthew and cousin Jason to learn about his First Nations Heritage.
ELL
Ellis, Sarah
The Several Lives of Orphan Jack
Young Jack is an orphan. He manages to stay out of trouble at his very strict orphanage. But, then he turns twelve and things change.
GIF
Giff, Patricia
Pictures of Hollis Woods
Hollis was abandoned at birth. She has bounced from one foster home to another. She finally finds a home with Josie, an elderly artist. Her happiness is short-lived as Josie begins to lose her memory.
IBB
Ibbotson, Eva
Dial a Ghost
Oliver’s evil Uncle goes to Dial a Ghost to hire ghosts to scare Oliver to death. Oliver’s uncle doesn’t know that he actually likes ghosts.
MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
The Dream Bearer
By the author of Monster. Can David escape from his abusive father through his dreams?

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NEW FICTION: SEPTEMBER 2004

ALL
Allende, Isobel
City of Beasts
Alexander Cold sets out with his grandmother on an Amazon adventure to look for the legendary Amazon Yeti. They soon find that the Amazon is a very dangerous place and that there are many things to discover.
ARM
Armstrong, Jennifer, Nancy Butcher
The Kindling: Book 1: Fire-Us Trilogy
Seven children remain after a plague wipes out all the adults and most of the children die of hunger and disease. The children create their own family. Things change when a stranger appears and persuades the children to help him solve the mystery of the Fire-us.
BRA
Brandis, Marianne
The Quarter-Pie Window
Set in the 1830 England, Emma Anderson and her brother start a new life after their parents die. Emma will work in her aunt’s hotel while her brother works in a nearby livery stable.
ASA
Asaro, Catherine
The Moon's Shadow
Jaibriol Qox has grown up in exile. An intergalactic war has been raging. Jia becomes a puppet leader, but must seize the power that is rightfully his.
BAU
Bauer, Joan
Stand Tall
Tree stands out in a crowd. He is six foot three and a half and is only twelve. He doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. To add to his problems his parents are recently divorced. He befriends a new girl at school who is being teased by the “in” crowd. Sophie helps Tree be himself.
BRO
Brooks, Kevin
Martyn Pig
Martyn has a big problem. His father is dead. If he tells the police he might be suspected of killing him. Should he hide the body? One lie leads to another and Martyn finds himself in more trouble.
BRO
Brooks, Terry
Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
Another book in the Shannara saga. The Morgawrs are after the Isle Witch and the ancient books of magic. The Ilsa Witch is protected by her brother Bek Ohmsford.
COL
Colfer Eoin
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
Artemis is going straight...after he pulls off one more job. But the job goes wrong as Artemis is double-crossed by the buyer of his C-Cube and Butler is badly hurt. Artemis must again join forces with Captain Holly Short in order to save Butler.
GAN
Gantos, Jack
What Did Joey Do?
Joey Pigza’s life is still in turmoil. His father has shown up and is chased away by his mother. His grandmother is doing weird things. His mother has put him into home schooling with an extremely religious woman. And his dog has been dognapped!
HOR
Horvath, Polly
The Canning Season
Ratchet’s mother is more interested in her social life than she is in Ratchet. She sends Ratchet to her Aunts’ farm for the summer. She finds a community of motherless people - her aunts, whose mother committed suicide years earlier, and Harper, a girl who never knew her mother.
IHI
Ihimaera, Witi
The Whale Rider
Kahu’s great-grandfather is the chief of the Whangara Maori. When Kahu is rejected as the next chief because she is a girl, she finds an ally in the whale rider.
JON
Jones, Diane Wynne
The Merlin Conspiracy
In this fantasy the world of Wizards and of normal people become intertwined. Roddy’s parents are wizards in the royal court and she gets to travel with the King. Nick is an ordinary earthling who finds himself transported to a magical world. The Merlin dies and a new one is appointed, but Nick senses that there is something wrong.
LAW
Lawrence, Iain
The Lightkeeper's Daughter
Squid McCrae returns to the remote lighthouse off the BC coast where she grew up and where her brother died. She is returning at age 17 with a baby after being away for three years. How will her parents react. Will the past still haunt them?
KOE
Koertge, Ron
Stoner & Spaz
Ben is sixteen and has cerebral palsy (Spaz), and Colleen is a druggie (Stoner). Does Ben get more excitement than he bargained for when their lives come together?
PRA
Pratchett, Terry
Wee Free Men: A Story of Discworld
In this Discworld fantasy Tiffany Aching’s little brother is kidnapped. She enlists the help of the Wee Free Men (pictsie outcasts) to find her brother.
WEI
Weis, Margaret
Mistress of Dragons
The Parliament of Dragons has a hands-off policy concerning humans. When this policy is broken, the human race is threatened. These are not nice dragons!
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NEW FICTION: MARCH 2004

ALM
Almond, David
Heaven's Eyes
Erin and January are runaways. On this adventure they encounter a strange girl called Heaven Eyes. If you liked Skellig or Kit’s Wilderness you will enjoy this book.
AND
Anderson, MT
Burger Wuss
If you are looking for humour, try this story about a shy teen who gets a job at burger joint.
BRO
Brooks, Kevin
Lucas
Lucas is an outcast, but Caitlin can’t help being attracted to him. She has some serious decisions to make when her small town turns against Lucas.
CHO
Choyce, Leslie
Shoulder the Sky
Martin Emerson’s mother has died and everyone is worried about him. He has never shown much reaction to his mother’s death. He starts a web site that gathers quite a following, but...
CRE
Creech, Sharon
Ruby Holler
Dallas and Florida are orphaned twins who don’t believe that there is such a thing as a loving home. They change their mind when an eccentric older couple invite them to Ruby Holler.
DEU
Deuker, Carl
On the Devil's Court
All of a sudden Joe’s life has turned around. He makes the varsity basketball team and goes from C’s to A’s. Has he made a bargain with the devil?
GAV
Gavin, Jamila
Wheel of Surya
Set in India in 1947, Marvinder and Jaspal become separated from their mother as they flee the civil war led to the burning of their village in the Punjab. Part 1 of a trilogy.
GOO
Goobie, Beth
The Lottery
If you enjoy Robert Cormier, you should try this book. Each year a shadowy high school group hold a lottery to choose their victim for the year. Sal has the misfortune of being selected. What follows is at times terrifying and horrifying.
HAR
Hartinger, Brent
Geography Club
A humorous story of two boys and two girls who create the their own club to hide the fact that there is romance involved. They don’t expect anyone else to be interested in the Geography Club.
JAC
Jackson, Jeremy
Life at These Speeds
Kevin Schuler is only an average runner until he experiences a tragedy in his life. He is not on the bus when it crashes and kills his classmates and his girlfriend. In his shocked state, Kevin becomes an excellent runner, but is detached from life.
KOR
Korman, Gordon
I Want To Go Home
More comedy from Gordon Korman. Rudy and his friend, Mike, really hate camp. They make many futile attempts to escape.
LYN
Lynch, Chris
Who the Man
Earl Pryor is by far the biggest kid at school so why does everyone want to fight him? He is really a nice guy at heart.
MAR
Martin, Ann
A Corner of the Universe
Hattie Owen’s whole world consists of her small town and the boarding house that her family runs. Her life changes when the family must deal with her uncle Adam’s mental illness.
STA
Staples, Suzanne Fisher
Haveli
This is the companion novel to Shabanu. Shabanu is the fourth wife of Rahim. Although loved by Rahim, she is resented by the older wives. She retreats to Rahim’s old family home where things get more complicated when she falls in love with another man.
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NEW FICTION: SEPTEMBER 2003

PB BEL
Bell, Hilari
A Matter of Profit
Wars, family honour, dreams of freedom, mysterious surrenders, and the mystery of the T’Chin all contribute to the turbulent world of the Ahvren, and his sister Sabri.
PB BRI
Brin, David
Kiln People
Imagine being able to clone workers as needed and use them as though they were disposable. David Brin has created such a world.
PB BUF
Buffie, Margaret
The Seeker
This is the second book of the Watcher’s Quest Triology. Emma Sweeney could be come a great Watcher, but her upbringing by humans has made her too emotional. Emma becomes involved in a dangerous search to find the daughter of her Earth mother. She soon discovers that others are also trying to find Ailla.
PB CAR
Carmi, Daniella
Samir and Yonatan
Samir is a young Palestinian boy who is injured and ends up in an Israeli hospital. Samir feels trapped and afraid. He learns about the enemy he has come to fear from the Israeli children that he meets.
PB CHA
Chambers, Aiden
Postcards From No Man's Land
Jacob is in Amsterdam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem in which his grandfather had fought. He meets an old woman who tells Jacob of the link to her family. The story recounts what happened during the war and Jacob’s experience in today’s Amsterdam. (Winner of the Carnegie Medal)
PB CHA
Chan, Gillian
A Foreign Field
Set in World War II England. Fourteen-year-old Ellen is forced to grow up. Her brothers are at war and her parents are also involved in the war effort. She meets Stephen, a young pilot in training, who has discovered that there is nothing romantic about war.
PB CLE
Clement-Davis, David
The Sight
Set in the Carpathian mountains, in the area long ago known as Transylvania, this is a story of wolves. What is “The Sight”? What is the legend of the wolves?
PB COR
Cormier, Robert
The Rag and Bone Shop
Jason seems to be the last person to see alive a young girl who was brutally murdered. A tough interrogator is brought in to get a confession, but did Jason kill the girl. This is Robert Cormier’s last book and was published after his death.
PB DES
Dessen, Sarah
Keeping the Moon
Colie is a misfit. She used to be fat, but even losing weight has not helped her make friends. She finds unexpected friendship when she goes to stay with her aunt for the summer and lands a job in the Last Chance Bar and Grill.
PB HOF
Hoffman, Mary
Stravanganza: City of Masks
In this time-slip story, Lucien travels between his own world and the parallel world of Talia. He becomes involved in the political intrigues of 16th century Bellezza where the Duchessa is in real danger. He also has troubles of his own. Might he get stuck in this strange world?
PB HOP
Hopkins, Cathy
Mates, Dates, and Cosmic Kisses
Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras
If you are looking for a light read about the trials and tribulations of being a teenaged female you will enjoy these books.
PB KRO
Kropp, Paul
Tag Team Hitting the Road
In Tag Team Jes joins the wrestling team and it changes his life. When two boys run away they soon discover how difficult life can be in Hitting the Road. Both these books are easy reads.
PB NA
Na, An
A Step From Heaven
This story follows Young Ju Park as she leaves Korea for America and chronicles her life in a new and strange land
PB NAI
Naidoo, Beverly
The Other Side of Truth
Set in Nigeria and London. When their mother is killed by the corrupt military government Sade and Femi’s father smuggles them out of Nigeria to London. There are worried that they will never see their father again. They also must face being lost and alone in London. (Carnegie Medal Winner)
PB NIX
Nix, Garth
Lirael
In this sequel to Sabriel, Lirael has passed the age where she should have gained the Sight. Even without this power, the fate of the Old Kingdom is in her hands. For those who like intense, complicated fantasy.
PB NIX
Nixon, Joan Lowery
Playing for Keeps
Rose Ann accompanies her grandmother on a cruise. Things get confusing when she meets two boys who both say that they are Ricky Diago. When one of them disappears, Rose Ann is caught up in a dangerous mystery.
PB OAT
Oates, Joyce Carol
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl
Ursula (Ugly Girl - even though she knows that she is not) defends Matt (Big Mouth) when someone reports that Matt has made a threat against the school and Matt is arrested. He is soon cleared, but the fallout continues. Matt’s friends are forbidden to see him. Ursula and Matt are drawn together.
PB PIE
Pierce, Tamora
Cold Fire
This is book three in the Circle Opens series. Daja and Frostpine are visiting Kugisko in the heart of winter. Daja becomes involved in the hunt for a mysterious firestarter who is endangering the city.
PB PRA
Prachett, Terry
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rats
In this fantasy of good and evil, Maurice’s Pied Piper scam goes awry when his rodents are lured away by someone playing a different tune.
PB SAL
Salisbury, Graham
Lord of the Deep
Follow Mikey’s adventures as the youngest deckhand on his stepdad’s charter boat in Hawaii. He loves the sea, but soon learns that both the sea and some of the clients who rent the boat are a challenge.
PB VAN
Van Draanen, Wendelin
Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes
Once again Sammy finds herself trying to solve a mystery while unwittingly putting herself in danger. A young girl who she encountered in the mall has disappeared and Sammy bets the man who was following her is to blame.
PB WER
Werlin, Nancy
Black Mirror
When Frances’ brother commits suicide, she must come out of her shell to try to discover what happened. She discovers that her brother’s friends in the Unity group are hiding something.
PB WIT
Wittlinger, Ellen
Razzle
Kenyon Baker’s life is turned upside down when his parents decide to move to Cape Cod during his senior year. Their concession is that they will provide him with a darkroom in exchange for help running their newly acquired camp colony. Things look up when he meets Razzle, a very eccentric girl. Things go downhill again when Razzle introduces another girl to Ken and when Razzle’s mother shows up.
PB YOL
Yolen, Jane & Robert J. Harris
Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots
Follow the intrigue of the court of Mary Queen of Scots and seen by her fool, Nicola. Nicola, La Jarniniere follows Queen Mary from France to Scotland.
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NEW FICTION: JANUARY 2003

PB BAB Babbitt, Natalie
Tuck Everlasting
A good companion to Haddix's Turnabout. The Tuck family are "doomed" to eternal life after drinking from a magic spring. A nice problem to have? It is more complicated than you might think.
PB BED Bedard, Michael
Stained Glass
Charle's life is going along just fine. Then he meets a homeless, confused girl and life gets very complicated. (ALA 2002 Book for Teens Award)
F BRO Brooks, Bruce
Dolores
Seven short stories about Dolores. If you liked The Moves Make the Man you will like these stories.
PB COO Cooney, Caroline
Tune in Anytime
Sophie's life is a soap opera. Her father wants out of his marriage because he is in love with someone else. Her mother is so busy "finding herself" that she doesn't notice that the family is falling apart. Her angry sister is no help.
PB HRD Hrdlitschka, Shelley
Dancing Naked
Shelley Hrdlitschka is a Vancouver writer. In this book, Kia is sixteen and pregnant. She discovers that she has many hard choices to make.
PB JOH Johnston, Julie
Hero of Lesser Causes
Keely sees herself as a fighter for just causes. She is shaken when her brother contracts polio. She learns what is really important when she focuses her attention on her brother.
PB KOR Korman Gordon
No More Dead Dogs
Wallace Wallace hates the fact that the dog dies at the end of Old Shep, My Pal, the novel his class is reading. His English teacher disapproves of his book report. When Wallace refuses to rewrite the report, his punishment is to attend rehersals for the play Old Shep, My Pal. He does not change his mind, but does manage to have a dramatic impact on the play. (YRCA 2003 nominee)
PB LIS Lisle, Janet Taylor
The Art of Keeping Cool
Set during World War II in Rhode Island. Robert, his mother, and sister are living with Robert's grandparents while his father is at war. Fear of Nazi submarines, German-born residents, and family secrets make for a tense situation.
PB LOW Lowry, Lois
Gathering Blue
This is a companion book to The Giver. Kira, is a lame orphan living in a society that does not tolerate disability. Her special talents save her and also put her in a position to discover some of the secrets of her society.
PB LUN Lunn, Janet
The Hollow Tree
Set in 1775 during the American Revolution. Phoebe Alcott's cousin is hung as a British spy. He leaves behind a message that Phoebe feels that she must deliver despite the dangers involved.
PB LUN Lunn, Janet
Shadow in Hawthorn Bay
Set in 19th century Scotland and Upper Canada. Mary Urquhart and her cousin Duncan have always been very close. Four years after he has left for Upper Canada, Mary senses that he is in trouble and sets out to find him.
PB MAR Maracle, Lee
Ravensong
Set in a First Nation's village in the 1950s. The village is devastated by a 'flu epidemic. Seventeen year-old Stacey is also struggling with traditional family values and those of a wider white society.
PB MACK McKinley, Robin
Outlaws of Sherwood
This is an excellent retelling of Robin Hood. Other retellings my McKinley include Beauty, Blue Sword, Hero and the Crown and Spindle's End.
PB PAU Paulsen, Gary
The River
Sequel to Hatchet. The government wants Brian to return to the wilderness so that they can study his survival strategies. Things go wrong when the psychologist who is accompanying him is hit by lightning.
PB TRE Trembath, Don
The Popsicle Journal
This sequel to Tuesday Cafe finds Harper working for the local newspaper. Life gets complicated when his father runs for mayor and Harper is assigned to dig up dirt on the candidates.
PB WEL Wells, Rosemary
Through the Hidden Door
Barney and Snowy are outcasts at their school so they go off on their own. Life gets very interesting when they discover ancient treasures hidden in caves below the school. But have they put themselves in danger?
PB WIL Wilson, Budge
Fractures
Fractures is a short story collection. The stories feature ordinary kids struggling with difficult circumstances.
PB WYN Wynne-Jones, Tim
Boy's Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers
This collection of short stories is a companion to Girl's Own.
PB YEE Yee, Paul
Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories
This short story collection features stories about Chinese immigrants to North America. If you like these stories read Tales from Gold Mountain also by Paul Yee.
PB YOL Yolen, Jane
The Wizard's Map
What if you could change the world around you by making changes on a map? What if the ancient wizard who had lost the map wanted it back?
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NEW FICTION: NOVEMBER 2002

PB BAU Bauer, Joan
Hope Was Here
Hope moves from New York to a small town to help her aunt run a diner. She gets caught up in small town politics. Bauer's books always have strong female characters. Read also: Backwater, Squashed, Sticks, Thwonk. (A YRCA 2003 nomination)
PB BEL Bell, William
Zack
Zack is lonely and unhappy when his family moves to a small town in Ontario. He soon becomes engrossed in research about a former slave who had farmed the land on which Zack's house is located. A trip to Mississippi to trace his own roots leads to some startling revelations about his own family.
PB CRO Crossley-Holland, Kevin
Arthur at the Crossing Place
This is the second book in the Arthur trilogy. (Arthur: The Seeing Stone) Set in Wales and in France in 1200, this book continues the story of Arthur de Caldicot. If you are interested in the Middle Ages you will enjoy this trilogy.
PB DAH Dahl, Roald
Skin and Other Stories
You will find a touch of horror and of the bizarre in this collection of Roald Dahl short stories.
PB DEL DeLint, Charles
Riddle of the Wren
Minda cannot sleep because when she does she has terrible dreams. One night in her dreams she meets Jan who promises to free her from her terrible dreams. Join Minda in her dream world and enjoy her adventures.
PB ELL Ellis, Sarah
Girls' Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers
Here is a great collection of Canadian short stories.
PB GAN Gantos, Jack
Joey Pigza Loses Control
Joey is hyper. On a visit to his dad, Joey tries to control himself in order to please his dad. Joey's dad has not been the best dad, but now he is trying hard. Does he really know how to be a good dad?
PB GIF Giff, Patricia R.
Nory Ryan's Song
Set in Ireland in 1845, Nory Ryan's family are crofters and fishermen. The English lord would like to force the poor farmers from the land so that he can raise sheep, a lucrative business at the time. Things go from bad to worse when Nory's father fails to return from a fishing trip and the potato crop fails.
PB HOL Holm, Jennifer
Our Only May Amelia
Set in a pioneer settlement in Washington in 1899. May Amelia is the only girl in the settlement. She has seven older brothers and loves adventure. Unfortunately, everyone wants her to behave like a lady.
PB KEH Kehert, Peg
Don't Tell Anyone
Megan has a cause - saving the feral cats that live in an apartment block which is about to be knocked down. The cause takes a back seat when Megan witnesses an accident and begins to receive threatening messages.
PB KER Kerr, M. E.
What Became of Her?
In this suspenseful thriller Rose Fitch returns to a town that has forgotten her. She is now a rich woman. What is wrong with her companion?
PB KOR Korman, Gordon
Island (Book One: Shipwrecked)
Six kids, one shipwreck, one desert island. How will they survive?
PB LEV Levine, Gail
Ella Enchanted
Ella is under a fairy spell. She was given the gift of obedience at birth. Unfortunately, she must do everything she is told. Follow Ella's quest to break the curse.
PB OPP Oppel, Kenneth
Firewing
Firewing is the sequel to Sunwing and Silverwing. Follow Shade as he continues to struggle to survive in his hazardous life.
PB PAU Paulson, Gary
Brian's Return
Brian has left the wilderness and returned to the city. While he thrived in the wilderness, he hasn't got a clue how to survive in a big city high school.
PB PUL Pullman, Philip
I Was a Rat
The author of the Golden Compass trilogy has written a very convoluted fairy tale.
PB SCR Scrimger, Richard
The Way to Schenectady
What happens when your family takes a driving vacation? The author of A Nose From Jupiter has written a very funny road trip story.
PB SPI Spinelli, Jerry
The Library Card
Some unlikely characters find out the power of a library card in these four short stories by the author of Maniac Magee, Wringer, and Stargirl.
PB VAN Vande Velde, Vivian
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem
Vivian Vande Velde has written six variations on the Rumpelstiltskin story. Also by Vande Velda: Never Trust a Dead Man
PB WAL Wallace, Rich
Playing Without the Ball
Jay's great love is basketball. It is the only constant in his life. He lives alone above a bar where he works part time in the kitchen to support himself. Being independent is tough, but he is not ready to join his father who is "finding himself" in California. If you like basketball you might also like On the Devil's Court and Night Hoops by Carl Deuker.
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NEW FICTION: SEPTEMBER 2002

PB BEL Bell, William
Death Wind
An easy read about a girl who experiences a tornado. Set in Canada.
PB BRA Bradley, Marion Zimmer
Ages of Chaos
This book contains the two Darkover novels Stormqueen and Hawkmistress. These fantasies feature strong female characters.
PB CAD Cadnum, Michael
Book of the Lion
Set in Britain in the Middle Ages, Edmund is rescued from punishment for the crime of his master only to find himself on a crusade to the Holy Land. (YRCA 2003 nominee)
PB COL Howe, James (ed.)
Color of Absence: 12 Stories About Loss and Hope
These short stories were written specifically for teens.
PB DOY Doyle, Brian
Mary Ann Alice
Mary Ann Alice loves where she lives near the Gatineau River. She also loves the fossils and rock formations found along the river. The river is threatened when a dam is proposed.
PB FRI Friesen, Gayle
Men of Stone
Ben gains the courage that he needs to deal with a bully when his Great-Aunt Frieda comes to visit and recounts how she stood up to Stalin's "Men of Stone" in Russia. (YRCA 2003 nominee)
PB GER Gerrold, David
Jumping Off the Planet
Bouncing Off the Moon
In the first book Charles Dingillian and his two brothers devorce their parents while on vacation in space. Their dilema - do they go back to earth or travel on in the universe?
PB GOO Goobie, Beth
Sticks and Stones
Jujube's life takes a humiliating turn when her reputation is damaged by lies. Things escalate when graffiti appears on the bathroom walls at school. Find out how Jujube resolves the issue in this easy read.
PB HAD Haddix, Margaret P.
Turnabout
Melly and Anny Beth are old. They take a chance on an experiment that reverses the aging process. Eighty-five years later they are teenagers now seeking help to stop the process. (YRCA 2003 nominee)
PB HAR Harrison, Troon
Goodbye to Atlantis
Stella looks forward to an adventurous summer with her father in England. Her expectations are not met immediately, but there is a mystery to solve and some strange characters to figure out.
F HOE Hoeye, Michael
Time Stops For No Mouse
Hermux Tantamoq, who happens to be a mouse, is a watchmaker. His adventure begins when Linka Perflinger drops off a watch for repair. When a questionable rat demands the watch, Hermux is suspicious and sets out to rescue Ms. Perflinger.
PB HOP Hopkinson, Nalo
Skin Folk
Nalo Hopkinson was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada at the age of sixteen. Skin Folk is a collection of stories set in the Caribbean and Toronto.
PB MAJ Major, Kevin
Thirty-six Exposures
The thiry-six exposures refer to the number of pictures on a roll of film. Lorne is about to graduate from high school. His last few months of school prove to be very eventful.
PB PIE Pierce, Tomora
Circle Opens: Street Magic
This is book two in The Circle Opens Quartet. Briar discovers a young street girl with great powers. He discovers that a gang wants to recruit her to act as their mage. Watch for book three, Cold Fire, coming soon.
PB PRE Pressler, Mirjam
Shylock's Daughter
The setting is Venice in 1568. Shylock and Jessica are based on characters in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. Jessica is sixteen and Jewish. She fall is love with Lorenzo who is a Christian. This is a very dangerous combination.
F PRI Price, Susan
Sterkarm Handshake
This fantasy is set in the 16th century on the Scottish / English border. The Sterkarms who have been plundering the border for generations are confronted by time travelers from the 21st century.
PB REN Rennison, Louise
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
This is the sequel to Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging ... and just as funny.
F SHI Shields, Carol
Unless
Reta Winter’s life is turned upside down when one of her daughters runs away. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
PB SHI Shinn, Sharon
Summers at Castle Auburn
Corie is skilled at witchcraft at loves the summers spent at the castle. Her disadvantage is that she is the illegitimate daughter of a royal lord. If you like Robin McKinley or Anne McCaffrey, you will enjoy this fantasy.
PB SIL Silverberg, Robert
King of Dreams
This fantasy is book three in the Prestimion Triology.
PB SPI Spinelli, Jerry
Stargirl
The eccentric Stargirl Caraway causes quite a sensation at her new high school, but after a period of time things change and classmates turn against her. (YRCA 2003 nominee)
PB STR Stratton, Allan
Leslie's Journal
Leslie records her life as it spins out of control. She is having problems at school and at home and when she breaks up with her boyfriend, he won’t let go.
PB TRE Trembeth, Don
Frog Face and the Three Boys
Charley, Jeffrey, and Sidney are always in trouble. The principal decides to enroll them in karate classes. A story about growing up. An easy read.
F WOL Wolfe, Virginia Euwer
True Believer
This is the sequel to Make Lemonade. Fifteen year old LaVaughn has more than her share of problems. There is a new man in her mother’s life and her own boyfriend is less than sincere. (National Book Award Winner)
PB WIT Withrow, Sarah
Box Girl
Gwen’s mother ran away five years ago. Now Gwen is getting post cards from France promising a reunion. Gwen decides not to make new friends whom she expects to leave behind soon. Then she meets Clara.
PB ZIN Zindel, Paul
The Lethal Gorilla
A scientist dies from a lethal dose of gorilla blood. P.C. and Mackenzie try to find out who administered the lethal injection.
PB ZUS Zusak, Marcus
Fighting Ruben Wolfe
Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are desperate for money. They become involved in underground boxing and get more than they bargained for.

PB BAR Barrett, Tracy
Anna of Byzantium
Set in the Byzantine Empire, this historical novel finds the princess Anna Comnena as the rightful heir to the throne. However, there are those who feel threatened by her independent nature and replace her with her younger brother. She is not about to accept this loss.
PB BEN Bennett, James
The Squared Circle
Sonny Youngblood is an NCAA basketball star. His world comes crashing down when recruiting violations are uncovered.
F BRO Brooks, Bruce
All That Remains: Three Stories
Brooks presents three novellas in this book. If you liked The Moves Make the Man or What Hearts you will enjoy these stories.
PB COO Cooney, Caroline B.
Face on the Milk Carton
Imagine recognizing yourself as the missing child depicted on the milk carton. That is what happens to Janie. She has a good life with loving parents. Did they really kidnap her?
F COR Cormier, Robert
Rag and Bone Shop
This book was completed shortly before Cormier’s death. A seven year old girl is brutally murdered. Twelve year old Jason is the last know person to see her alive. What happens when Jason comes up against a ruthless interrogator? Is this justice? Other books by Cormier include Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese, Tenderness, and Heroes.
F CRU Crutcher, Chris
Whale Talk
T.J. Jones is good-looking, athletic, and smart. This does not mean that school is a smooth ride. He gets roped into joining the school’s new swim team. He is the only one that can swim. This is more about the team and getting along than it is about swimming. Other books by Crutcher include Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Ironman, Chinese Handcuffs, Stotan!, and Running Loose.
PB CUR Curtis, Christopher Paul
Bud, Not Buddy
This funny sad book has won many awards. Set in 1936 in Michigan, Bud runs off in search of the father that his dead mother never told him about. His only clue is some advertising for Herman E. Calloway’s band.
F DES Dessen, Sarah
Dreamland
Caitlin lives in a dreamworld which protects her from the realities of her relationship with the dangerous Rogerson Biscoe. (YRCA nominee for 2003)
PB DEU Deuker, Carl
Night Hoops
Nick has always been overshadowed by his older brother. Nick comes into his own when he makes the Varsity basketball team as a sophomore. (grade 10) He must learn to become a team player. Night hoops is about backyard practice with a troubled team-mate.
PB GOO Goobie, Beth
Before Wings
Fifteen year old Adrien lives with the threat of suffering another life-threatening brain aneurysm. Working at her Aunt’s summer camp, she is confronted by the spirits of five young women. Can they tell her of the dark secret that haunts her aunt?
PB HOO Hoobler, D., Hoobler, T.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
An historical mystery that involves a ghost - this book has it all. Set in Japan in the time of the Samurai, fourteen-year-old Seikei is the only witness to the theft of a precious ruby.
PB KAT Katz, Welwyn Wilton
Come Like Shadows
This fantasy / mystery centres around the play Macbeth. Macbeth is know as the “cursed” play. Kinny is delighted to land a job with the summer production, but things go wrong immediately. The lead witch dies at the first rehearsal. Her replacement seems to wield unusual powers, and Kinny is draw to the antique mirror.
F KOO Koontz, Dean
From the Corner of His Eye
Tragic events, a stalker, and Barty's beautiful eyes all play a part in this suspenseful novel.
PB KOR Korman, Gordon
Slapshots: The Stars From Mars
Another humourous book about hockey. If you liked The Chicken Doesn’t Skate you will enjoy this book.
F LEG Le Guin, Ursula
Other Wind
This is the latest instalment of The Wizard of Earthsea. Ged is now an old man. His help is enlisted by Alder. He sets Alder on a path which will lead to an attempt to “mend the world.” If you have not read A Wizard of Earthsea, start there.
F LYN Lynch, Chris
Freewill
Will is struggling to come to terms with the death of his father and stepmother. A series of teen suicides occur in his town for which he believes that he is responsible.
F MAZ Mazer, Norma Fox
Girlhearts
Sarabeth's mother dies. She is taken into a cramped apartment by friends with a young baby. She feels that she is a burden to the young family. This is a story of Sarabeth coming to terms with her mother's death and finding her own place in the world.
PB MACK McKay, Sharon E.
Charlie Wilcox
Charlie wants to go to sea. He thinks that he is stowing away on a sealing ship. He discovers that he is on a troop ship and ends up in WWI France.
PB MCNA McNaughton, Janet
The Secret Under My Skin
Set in a future world where slaves have no names, “Blay” is rescued from a slave camp to tutor a special child. She is soon caught up in the political intrigues.
PB MACN McNaughton, Janet
To Dance at the Palais Royale
Aggie leaves Scotland for a better life in Toronto where she is employed as a servant. To dance at the Palais Royale represents all her dreams and possibilities.
PB MOR Morpurgo
Kensuke’s Kingdom
After being washed overboard from a sailboat in rough weather, Michael washes up on a deserted island. He is just about to give up when he wakes to find a plate of food beside him. He is not alone...
PB MUR Murphy, Rita
Night Flying
The women in Georgia Hansen's family can fly. This fantasy explores family relationships and family secrets.
F NA Na, An
A Step From Heaven
The story begins with Young Ju, a Korean child, taking a plane with her family to "heaven" - which turns out to be the United States. The story follows the family as Young Ju grows up and the family struggles to join American society.
PB NAY Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Shadows on the Wall
Dan’s family has a dreadful secret. Things come to a head when they take a family vacation to York, England. With the ghosts of Roman soldiers, gypsies, and his own family, Dan has big problems.
PB NIC Nicholson, William
The Wind Singer
In the fantasy world of Aramanth, Kestrel Hath disgraces her family . To save her family, Kestrel learns the secret of the Wind Singer. With her brother she sets out to find the source of the evil that controls Aramanth.
F NIX Nixon, Joan Lowery
Playing for Keeps
Rose Ann’s grandmother invites her to share a cabin on a Caribbean cruise. She meets Ricky Diago as the ship departs, but sees nothing of him during the cruise. A mysterious Mr. Diago is rumoured to be a major league baseball player. On a land excursion, Rose Ann meets another boy who says that he is Ricky Diago. What is going on? Check the library catalogue for a long list of Nixon’s books.
PB NOL Nolan, Han
Send Me Down a Miracle
The quiet life of a small town changes dramatically when Adrienne Dabney returns, and after a month of isolation in her house claims to have seen Jesus sitting in a chair. Fourteen-year-old Charity, a preacher’s daughter, does not know what to make of Adrienne and begins to question her own beliefs. Other books by Nolan include If I Should Die Before I Wake and Dancing on the Edge.
F OCO O’Connor, Barbara
Moonpie and Ivy
After some very erratic behaviour, Pearl’s mother dumps her at her Aunt Ivy’s and disappears. Pearl meets Moonpie, a neighbourhood boy, who also seems unwanted by his mother. This is a story about family and feeling abandoned.
F PIE Pierce, Tamora
Squire
Squire is the third book in the Protector of the Small fantasy series. Keladry has finished her four years as a page and now faces four years as a squire on her path to becoming a knight. As she comes closer to the “Ordeal” at the end of her four years a troubling trend emerges. Many squires are failing their ordeal. Will Kelandry succeed? The first two books in the series are Page and First Test.
PB PLU Plum-Ucci, Carol
The Body of Christopher Creed
The disappearance of the misfit, Christopher Creed, causes turmoil in his town and lives are changed forever.
PB POT Potts, Stephen
Compass Murphy
Joshua stows away on a whaling ship headed for the Arctic in hopes of finding out the fate of his father’s missing ship. Much hardship and adventure awaits.
PB POP Pope, Elizabeth Marie
Perilous Gard
Perilous Gard is the castle to which Queen Mary Tudor exiles prisoners. Kate Sutton experiences some mysterious goings on and finds another world populated by “Fairy Folk.”
F POW Powell, Randy
Run If You Dare
Gardner is fifteen and has some growing up to do. Aside from his hardworking mother, his family is pretty disfunctional. Can Gardner motivate himself to get out of the family rut?
PB RAS Raskin, Ellen
The Westing Game
Who murdered Samuel Westing? Instead of doling out his estate, Westing’s will challenges his heirs to find out who killed him.
PB SCR Scrimger, Richard
Of Mice and Nutcrackers
From the author of A Nose From Jupiter, comes another hilarious book. Jane Peeler is in charge of the school production of The Nutcracker. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong. While trying to keep the play on track, she is also coping with chaos at home.
PB SHE Sheppard, Mary C.
Seven for a Secret
Set in 1960 in an outport community in Newfoundland, three girls struggle to plan their futures and simply survive the present.
PB SLA Slade, Arthur
Dust
Strange things are happening in Horseshoe. Robert’s little brother disappears. Strange people appear in town. This is a real thriller.
F SLE Sleator, William
Marco’s Millions
This book is the sequel to The Boxes. Marco and his young sister, Lily, are drawn to another world through a strange hole in the basement wall. They come across strange creatures whose “god” is bent on destroying the planet. Can their intervention save the world?
PB TAT Tate, Nikki
No Cafes in Narnia
In the sequel to Tarragon Island, Heather joins a writing group. Even though she hates the fact that everyone know about everyone else on the small island, she finds herself telling about herself in her writing and she gains new friendships.
F TUN Tunnel, Michael O.
Brothers in Valor: A Story of Resistance
Based on a true story, this novel is about German teenagers who resist Hitler.
PB VAN Vande Velde, Vivian
Never Trust a Dead Man
Selwyn is sealed in a burial cave with his murdered rival, Farold because he is believed to be the murderer. A witch comes to their rescue and brings Farold back to life as a bat. Unfortunately, he does not know who killed him. The two former enemies set out to find the killer.
PB WAL Walters, Eric
Caged Eagles
This sequel to War of the Eagles is set in World War II British Columbia. Tadashi Fukushima and his family lose everything when they are interned in a camp for the duration of the war.
PB WIE Wieler, Diana
Drive
Jen and his guitar-playing sixteen-year-old brother take off for a weekend road trip in a brand new pickup. Their adventure is hardly trouble-free.
F YOL Yolen, Jane
Boots and the Seven Leaguers
Gog is an ordinary teenage troll with typical teen problems. He has a smart little brother and a friend, Pook, who is always getting him into trouble. He wants tickets to a sold out concert. He uses magic to get into the concert, but magic has its price and bad things begin to happen.

F ALM Almond, David
Kit’s Wilderness
Kit’s family moves to a coal mining town. Kit hears old stories from his grandfather. He meets John and together they explore the old mines.
F ALM / PB ALM Almond, David
Skellig
In this fantasy set in England Michael finds a strange creature in the family’s tumbled-down garage.
PB AND Anderson, Laurie Halse
Speak
Melinda has an awful secret. So awful that she cannot even think about it. What happened at the end of summer party?
PB BAU Bauer, Joan
Backwater
Ivy is on a quest to find her mysterious hermit aunt. She is trying to escape a family of too many lawyers and too many demands.
PB BRO Brooks, Martha
Being With Henry
Laker Wyatt has been kicked out of his home. He is taken in by eight-three-year-old Henry who has problems of his own with a bossy daughter.
PB BUF Buffie, Margaret
Dark Garden
Sixteen year old Thea has amnesia. She is desperately trying to remember her past and who she is, but she seems to be caught in a terrible dream.
PB CHO Choyce, Lesley
Good Idea Gone Bad
Mick and his friends beat up a guy that they don’t like the look of. This is not a nice crowd. Mick, however, discovers music. Can he turn his life around?
PB CHR Christensen, Jo-Anne
Ghost Stories of British Columbia
Read these short stories based on British Columbia history and locations.
F COM Coman, Carolyn
Many Stones
Berry Morgan’s long absent father comes back into her life when her sister is murdered.
F CRE Creech, Sharon
Wanderer
Cousins Sophie and Cody are sailing across the Atlantic to England. Sophie is the only girl onboard and Everyone thinks that Cody is useless.
PB GRI Grimes, Martha
Biting the Moon
“Andi” has been abducted and does not know who she is or what has happened to her. She escapes into the wilderness where she meets Mary Dark Hope.
PB HOB Hobbes, Will
Jason’s Hope
Fifteen year old Jason is headed for the Klondike gold rush. An adventure of wilderness survival.
PB HOL Holubitsky, Katherine
Alone at Ninety Foot
Fourteen year old Pamela Collins is struggling with the death of her mother.
PB JON Jones, Diana Wynne
Time of the Ghost
A ghost is returned to her family. All she remembers is that there was an accident. She soon discovers that one of her sisters will die if she cannot change the course of events.
PB JOR Jordan, Sheryl
Raging Quiet
Marnie is widowed two days after an unwelcome marriage. She is alone in a strange town where she is not welcome. She befriends another outsider, Raven.
F KON Konigsburg, E.L.
Silent to the Bone
Branwell’s baby sister is in a coma. The baby sitter blames Branwell who is so traumatized that he cannot speak. What really happened?
PB Lawson, Julie
Destination Gold
Another Klondike adventure involving sixteen year old Ned, his sister Sarah, and a troubled girl named Catherine.
PB LEV Levine, Gail
The Wish
Be careful what you wish for. The consequences may not be what you expect. Wilma finds this out when she is granted the wish to become the most popular girl in the school.
PB MAC Mackel, Kathy
Can of Worms
A humorous science fiction story about a seventh grade misfit who seeks the help of aliens.
PB MEY Meyer, Carolyn
Mary, Bloody Mary
An historical novel about Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII.
PB NAM Namioka, Lensey
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Set in China in 1911, this is a story of foot binding and Ailin who challenges the tradition by refusing to have her feet bound.
F PEC Peck, Richard
Year Down Under
Mary Alice has an unconventional grandmother. Mary Alice has spent many exciting summers with her. But, now at fifteen, she is faced with spending a whole year with her.
PB RIC Richardson, Bill
After Hamlin
Did you know that the Pied Piper came back? Find out who he lured away.
PB SLE Sleator, William
Rewind
Peter is killed by a car. He gets a chance to “rewind.” He can go back and try to alter events. If he fails he dies for good.
PB SLE Sleator, William
Singularity
Twins Harry and Barry volunteer to look after their great-uncle’s farm. Why do the neighbours stay away? What is so terrible about the farm?
PB Spinelli, Jerry
Stargirl
The new girl at Mica High is amazing, extraordinary. But what happens when she falls out of favour?
PB WYN Wynne-Jones, Tim
Boy in the Burning House
Jim Hawkin’s father has disappeared. A strange girl comes into his life who claims that her step-father is a murderer. What is going on?

Avi
Poppy
Conflict in the forest. A power struggle played out by animals.
Bauer, Joan
Rules of the Road
Jenna Boller puts her family problems behind her when her boss, Madeline Gladstone, hires her as a driver for a cross-country trip.
Bunting, Eve
SOS Titanic
A story of a first class passenger trying to save some friends trapped in steerage on the sinking Titanic.
Clements, Andrew
Frindle
A very funny book about how new words come into the language. Do you know what a frindle is?
Creech, Sharon
Bloomability
Dinnie has a troubled family life. She is suddenly uprooted and taken to Switzerland to live with her aunt and uncle. She attends a private school, where her uncle is the headmaster. (principal) Also by Sharon Creech: Walk Two Moons.
Cooney, Caroline
Driver’s Ed
Driver’s Ed is the most dangerous class in school. Follow the exploits of these would be drivers. Also by Caroline Cooney: Face on the Milk Carton.
Cushman, Karen
The Midwife’s Apprentice
This is an historical novel. Brat has no name, no home, and no family. A midwife takes her in. She gradually gains confidence and a real name. But a mistake sets her on the run again...Also by Karen Cushman: Catherine, Called Birdy.
Farmer, Nancy
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
Set in Zimbabwe in 2194, the detectives of the title are hired to find General Matsika’s missing children. Lots of humour and adventure.
Fleischman, Paul
Whirligig
Brent Bishop is humiliated at a party and tries to take his own life. He survives, but an innocent girl dies. This is his quest to memorialize his victim, and to find out about himself.
Friesen, Gayle
Janey’s Girl
Claire tries to resolve some of the family mysteries. Her mother never talks about her grandfather. Claire has never met her father. Claire wonders why her mother left home.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Among the Hidden
Luke is a third child in a society that only allows two children. He has been in hiding all his life. He finally meets a girl who has also lived in hiding. Do they dare show themselves? Also by Margaret Haddix: Run for Your Life
Klass, David
Danger Zone
Jimmy Doyle is a great basketball player. He learns some life lessons when he and his African American teammates encounter racism on a trip to Italy.
Konigsburg, E.L.
The View From Saturday
How did Mrs. Olinski’s unlikely Academics team win the championship?
Korman, Gordon
The Chicken Doesn’t Skate
Milo is raising a chicken for his Science experiment. Somehow the chicken becomes the mascot for the hockey team. If you have enjoyed Korman’s other books you will like this one.
Lawrence, Iain
The Wreckers
In this historical novel set on the coast of Cornwall villagers lure ships onto the rocks so that they can salvage the cargo. This was not unusual at the time. John Spencer, a young sailor survives the wreck, but can her escape the wreckers?
Paterson, Katherine
The Flip-Flop Girl
Living with her grandmother and looking after her little brother make Vinnie’s life miserable. Then Vinnie meets Lupe, the mysterious “flip-flop” girl and life starts to look better. Also by Katherine Paterson on a similar theme: Bridge to Tarabithia
Paterson, Katherine
Jip: His Story
Jip has fallen off a wagon and been left behind by his family. He is given shelter and work on the “poor farm.” A crazy man helps Jip make sense of his life.
Pullman, Paul
Golden Compass
An epic fantasy with a female heroine.
Sacher, Louis
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
This is a very funny story about the improbable goings on at Wayside school.
Sacher, Louis
Holes
Stanley has been sent to a detention centre at Camp Green Lake. (There is no lake. The boys spend all their time digging holes five feet deep by five feet wide. What is the warden looking for?
Scrimger, Richard
The Nose from Jupiter
Life changes for Alan, a bully magnet, the day that an alien from Jupiter takes up residence in his nose.
Spinelli, Jerry
Crash
Crash Coogan, a football sensation, picks on his nerdy neighbour Penn Webb. Gradually he comes to realize that he and his friends have gone too far. Crash has to decide whose side he is on.
Sleator, William
The Boxes
Annie’s uncle leaves her in charge of two sealed boxes. She is told not to open them. Also by William Sleator: Interstellar Pig.
Smith, Roland
Sasquatch
Dylan is worried about his Sasquatch hunting father. He sets out with Samuel Johnson, a field biologist, to keep an eye on his father’s group. But, is he also being watched?
Trembeth, Don
The Tuesday Caf
Harper Winslow is in trouble. To try to get him “back on the rails” his mother enrolls him in a writing class called “The Tuesday Caf.” However, all is not as it should be in the writing class.
Wolff, Virginia Euwer
Bat 6
The annual sixth grade girls’ softball game is the setting for a confrontation between two girls.
Yep, Laurence
The Case of the Lion Dance
An explosion sabotages Lily’s great-aunt Tiger Lil’s promotion for a new restaurant. The police think that it is just a publicity stunt gone wrong. Lily and her aunt know better and set out to find the culprits.
Yolen, Jane
Armageddon Summer
The preacher at their church has declared that the end of the world is coming. Marina’s mother and Jed’s dad believe him. The families retreat to the mountains to witness armageddon.

Fantasy
After Hamelin by Bill Richardson
Among the Hidden by Margaret P. Haddix
Boxes by William Sleator
Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Kalifax by Duncan Thorton
Midnight Magic by Avi
Nose from Jupiter by Richard Scrimger
Running Out of Time by Margaret P. Haddix
Sandwriter by Monica Hughes
Sandry’s Book by Tamora Pierce
Singularity by William Sleator
Skellig by David Almond
Story Box by Monica Hughes
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Science Fiction
Grave by James Heneghan
Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes

Mystery
Name of the Game was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon
Nobody’s There by Joan Lowery Nixon
Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon
Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon
Who are You? By Joan Lowery Nixon
Scarred Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts

Teen Novels
Alone at Ninety Foot by Katherine Holubitsky
Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Castle Tourmandyne by Monica Hughes
Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt
Forbidden City by William Bell
Freak by Carol Matas
Grave Secrets by Sylvia McNicoll
Holes by Louis Sachar
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
No Signature by William Bell
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
Runner by Cynthia Voigt
Smugglers by Iain Lawrence
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes by Chris Crutcher
Stotan! By Chris Crutcher
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
Summer in Agatha by Katherine Holubitsky
Tuesday Caf by Don Trembath
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Who is Frances Rain? By Margaret Buffie
Wreckers by Iain Lawrence

Suspense
Try one of these Lois Duncan Titles:

Gallows Hill , Killing Mr. Griffin,
They Never Came Home, Daughters of Eve,
Third Eye , Summer of Fear, Ransom,
Stranger with My Face
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ENGLISH 9: RECOMMENDED READING

PB ADA Adams, Douglas
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
See: After Harry Potter
PB ALC Alcott, Louisa May
Little Women
This is a classic story of four sisters growing up in New England (Northeastern USA) during the US Civil War.
F ANT PB ANT Anthony, Piers
We have a large collection of this fantasy writer’s work.
See: After Harry Potter
PB ASP Asprin, Robert
Another Fine Myth
Asprin writes humourous fantasies.
See: After Harry Potter.
PB AVI AVI
Nothing But the Truth
A novel about how humming during the national anthem escalates into a national uproar. AVI has also written a number of short story collections that are on the scary side.
PB BRO Brooks, Terry
The Shannara Trilogy
See: After Harry Potter
F BUF PB BUF Buffie, Margaret
Who is Frances Rain?
See: After Harry Potter
F BRO Brooks, Bruce
Moves Make the Man
Set in North Carolina just as schools desegregation was beginning, a black student who is both an excellent athlete and student meets a white basketball player who has “all the moves” but has serious problems.
PB CAR Card, Orson Scott
Ender’s Game
In this fantasy aliens have twice attacked the world. The government is breeding and training “military geniuses” in hopes of averting defeat. Ender is very good at the games that are used for training. But is he good enough?
PB CHR Christie, Agatha
And Then There Were None
Ten strangers meet on an isolated island and one by one they are killed. Who is the killer? This is one of many Agatha Christie mysteries that you will find difficult to solve.
PB CRU Crutcher, Chris
Chinese Handcuffs
Dillon Hemingway has great adjustments to make after his brother commits suicide. There are many complications in his life.
The Crazy Horse Electric Game Willie is a star athlete until he is involved in a serious accident in which he suffers brain damage, which affects his speech and coordination.
Stotan Four friends on a high school swim team agree to participate in Stotan Week, which is a series of physical and mental challenges. Something happens that changes their lives.
Staying Fat for Sarah ByrnesStaying Fat for Sarah Byrnes A story of a friendship between a girl who was badly scarred in a childhood accident and an obese boy who starts losing weight when he joins the school swim team.
Look also for Althetic Shorts - short stories by Crutcher
F COL Cole, Brock
The Goats
As a summer camp prank a boy and a girl are left on an island. They do not go back to camp and what follows is what happens to them.
P COO Cooper, Susan
The Boggart
A Canadian family from Toronto inherits a run-down castle in Scotland. The castle is inhabited by a centuries old invisible Boggart. The family unwittingly transports him with them when they return to Toronto. Old magic meets modern technology with some unexpected results.
The Dark is Rising Sequence This fantasy series consists of five books: Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The Dark is an evil force. In the first book the Drew children discover a special map that could lead them to a source of power to fight the Dark.
F COR PB COR Cormier, Robert
In the Middle of the Night
Denny Colbert’s father was involved in an accident that killed twenty-two children. Every October he receives menacing phone calls in the middle of the night. At the age of sixteen Denny answers one of these calls and triggers a haunting series of events.
Also by Cormier: Chocolate War
This is a very dark story of high school intrigues and secret societies.
F CRE PB CRE Creech, Sharon
Walk Two Moons
This story is told in the first person. Salamanca Hiddle is uprooted from here happy life when her father moves after her mother has walked out of their lives. She meets Phoebe Winterbottom who has a wild imagination.
PB CRE Crew, Linda
Children of the River
Sundara is a Cambodian refugee who has fled to America with her aunt’s family leaving her own family behind. This is the story of her adjustment to American life and the conflicts that causes in her traditional family.
F CUS PB CUS Cushman, Karen
Catherine, Called Birdy
Set in the Middle Ages, Catherine comes from a wealthy family. Her mother wants to teach her how to become the “perfect wife.” Her father just wants to marry her off for profit. Catherine is not interested. This is her account of her fourteenth year. (Remember that most people did not live past forty, so that fourteen was a common age for marriage.)
F DEU Deuker, Carl
On the Devil’s Court
Joe Faust must spend his final year in high school at a school he hates. Find out how his deteriorating basketball skills suddenly improve.
PB DIC Dickinson, Peter
Eva
Eva regains consciousness in hospital after a car accident that she does not remember. But what is it that she can’t remember and what is happening to her?
PB DUN Duncan, Lois
Killing Mr. Griffin
A prank goes terribly wrong and the English teacher dies. Lois Duncan has written many books including Down a Dark Hall, Stranger with my Face, The Third Eye and Twisted Window.
F EDD PB EDD Eddings, David
Guardians of the West
See: After Harry Potter
F ELL Ellis, Sarah
Pick Up Sticks
Polly’s life is disrupted when the house that she and her mother live in is sold. Rather than go to live in her mother’s art studio, Polly chooses to go and live with rich relatives. She discovers that there is more to life than money and a comfortable home.
PB FOX Fox, Paula
The Moonlit Man
Catherine is supposed to spend the summer with the father she hardly knows. This is the story of their difficult and confusing relationship.
Slave Dancer Set during the slave trade, a young piper is kidnapped and taken on board a slave ship to pipe while the slaves were forced to dance to keep them in good physical condition. Jessie is horrified by what he witnesses. Monkey Island A story of homelessness.
PB GEO George, Jean Craighead
My Side of the Mountain
A New York teenager runs away to the Catskill Mountains and survives in the bush. If you liked Julie of the Wolves, you will like this book.
F GRE
The Pig-Out Blues Greenberg, Jan
Jodie would love to look like her beautiful mother, but the more unhappy she gets, the more she eats.
PB GRE Greene, Bette
Summer of my German Soldier
Set in World War II, a young Jewish girl befriends a young German soldier who has escaped from a prison camp near her Arkansas home.
PB GOL Goldman, William
The Princess Bride
This is an hilarious spoof of fairy tales. Follow the adventures and misadventures of an unlikely cast of characters.
F HAD Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Just Ella
This book is a rewrite of the Cinderella story. Not magic in this story - just brains, determination and imagination.
Also by Haddix: Running Out of Time and Among the Hidden
PB HAY Haywood, Gar Anthony
Bad News Travels Fast
This is a mystery involving an African-American couple. They go to Washington to visit their “radical Pacifist” son and become involved in a murder case.
F HOB Hobbs, Will
Downriver
This is the teenage version of the movie Deliverance and involves some troubled teenagers leaving an outdoor education program and striking out on their own in the wilderness. There is a sequel called River Thunder.
F HOU PB HOU Houston, James
Ghost Fox
Based on historical fact and set in 1750 America, this is a story of a girl who is kidnapped by Abnaki Indians. James Houston is a Canadian author who has written many adventure books with Canada’s north for a setting. Check out Frozen Fire or Whiteout.
F HUG PB HUG Hughes, Monica
Keeper of the Isis Light, Sandwriter
Monica Hughes has written many teen books. Some are Science Fiction, some Historical, and some are contemporary.
See: After Harry Potter
F JON PB JON Johnston, Julie
Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me
Sixteen year old Sara Moone must endure one more foster home placement before she can “drop out of the system.” She does not count on becoming involved with the family on the farm where she is placed. Nor does she count on a strange woman showing up looking for an abandoned daughter.
F KER PB KER Kerr, M. E.
Him She Loves?
A story of “star crossed” love, she is Jewish, he is not. Her father can’t stand him. As a famous comedian, her father makes fun of the relationship on national TV.
F KIN PB KIN King, Stephen
King is a master of horror. For a different book, an epic fantasy, see: After Harry Potter Handout.
F LEG PB LEG LeGuin, Ursula K.
A Wizard of Earth Sea Trilogy
See: After Harry Potter
PB LYN Linch, Chris
Slot Machine
At fourteen Elvin is an overweight non-athlete who suffers the trials of a sports camp where everyone is supposed to find their “slot.” In the three weeks of the camp he learns a lot about himself and about others.
PB LIV Lively, Penelope
Ghost of Thomas Kempe
Do you believe in ghosts? The angry ghost of Thomas Kempe, who had lived in the house several hundred years earlier, confronts James. The ghost’s activities cause problems.
PB LOW Lowry, Lois
The Giver
In Jonas’s world there is no pain or memory. Everyone has a role. When Jonas turns twelve he learns that he is to receive special training from the Giver, the one person in society who has a memory.
Number the Stars In Nazi occupied Denmark of 1943 a non-Jewish family shelters a Jewish girl.
PB MACLL MacLean, Alistair
Ice Station Zebra, Where Eagles Dare
Alistair MacLean writes thrillers and adventures often involving war or cold war settings. Ice Station Zebra takes place on the Arctic ice-pack. Something has happened at an weather-station zebra and a submarine is sent to the rescue. The station was sabotaged and one of the survivors is a killer. Where Eagles Dare is the story on a paratrooper landing during World War II. The mission is to rescue a prisoner of war from a mountain fortress.
F MAZ PB MAZ Mazer, Norma Fox
Silver
Sarabeth Silver is surprised when she is welcomed into a group of wealthy girls. She discovers that money is not everything.
F MCCA PB MCCA McCaffrey, Anne
Crystal Singer
Anne McCaffry is a prolific writer of fantasy and science fiction books. Killashandra Ree is a musician. After ten years of hard work, she has been told that she will never be a top musician. She decides to go to Ballybran where the Heptite Guild may offer a career and wealth. The problem is that few people who go to Ballybran ever leave.
F MIL Milne, A.A.
Winnie The Pooh
If you missed this book as a child you owe it to yourself to read it now. By the way, the real Winnie the Pooh was a Canadian bear.
PB NIX Nix, Garth
Shade’s Children
In a brutal future world children are killed at the age of fourteen. Their body parts are harvested to create machine-like creatures whose only purpose is to kill. Some children do escape and become Shade’s children. But who is Shade?
PB OBR O’Brien, Robert C.
Z for Zachariah
Ann Burden survives a nuclear holocaust and believes that she is the only survivor until a scientist protected by a radiation suit finds her. His behavior and his attempts to dominate her trouble Ann.
PB PAR Park, Ruth
Playing Beatie Bow
See: After Harry Potter
PB PAU Paulson, Gary
Brian’s Winter
Gary Paulson writes wilderness survival stories. This story is set in the winter where a simple mistake or oversight can be fatal.
PB PAT Paterson, Katherine
Jacob Have I Loved
This saying comes from the Bible and refers to the favourite son. Caroline is the favourite twin, while Louise is rejected. Louise takes refuge in learning the ways of the watermen on Chesapeake Bay. But there comes a point where she becomes dissatisfied. Also look for Bridge to Terabithia and Come Sing, Jimmy Jo.
PB PEC Peck, Richard
Are You in the House Alone?
This is the story of a teenager who is terrorized and finally raped. The book is about the emotional turmoil that follows the physical attack.
PB PEA Pearson, Kit
Awake and Dreaming
What is reality? Theo (a girl) has miserable life with her mother. Things change when she is taken is by the Kaldor family. When she finds herself back with her mother, she wonders if it was all a dream.
PB PEV Pevsner, Stella
How Could You Do It, Diane?
Bethany’s beautiful and popular stepsister commits suicide. Bethany is left to wonder why.
F PIE Pierce, Tamora
Tomora Pierce writes fantasies with female heroines.
See: After Harry Potter for information on the Lioness Trilogy.
PB PUL Pullman, Phillip
Golden Compass
This is an epic fantasy with a female heroine. Follow up with Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass.
F RUB PB RUB Rubinstein, Gillian
Galax-Arena
This fantasy is set in an alien world where children are forced to perform and frequently die. Joella, who is not a gymnast, knows that she must attempt to escape before her time runs out.
PB SLE Sleator, William
Interstellar Pig
Barney is invited to play a board game called Interstellar Pig by his strange summer neighbours. But is it really a game?
PB SPE Speare, Elizabeth
The Witch at Blackbird Pond
This is an historical novel set in Puritan Connecticut. Kit Tyler is uprooted from her tropical home in the Caribbean and finds herself in the very strict puritan community of here relatives. She befriends an old woman who is suspected of being a witch. When this becomes known, Kit herself comes under suspicion.
PB TAY Taylor, Cora
Summer of the Mad Monk
This book is set in Alberta in 1932 during the depression. Pip meets a man who his is sure must be the long dead Rasputin, a powerful priest in Tsarist Russia.
F TOL PB TOL Tolkien, J.R.R.
The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
See: After Harry Potter
PB ULL Ullman, James Ramsey
Banner in the Sky
The banner refers to the red shirt that belonged to Josef Matt, the father of Rudi. Josef died mountain climbing in the Alps. As a tribute to his father, sixteen year old Rudi retraces his father’s path carrying the red shirt as a flag.
F VOI Voight, Cynthia
Izzy, Willy-Nilly
Izzy’s date drives drunk and they are involved in an horrific car accident. Izzy’s leg is so badly damaged that it must be amputated. This is her story of how she adjusts to a very different life and the new friends that she makes. Look of other books by Voight.
PB WHI White, Ruth
Belle Prater’s Boy
Woodrow goes to live with his grandparents when his mother disappears. He becomes friends with his cousin Gypsy. So what happened to Woodrow’s mother. Only Woodrow knows.
F YOL Yolen, Jane
Armageddon Summer
Told in alternating chapters in the voices of Marina and Jed, this is an end of the world story. Marina’s Mom and Jed’s dad believe their preacher’s prophecy that the world is about to end. The families move to a mountain retreat to witness the “conflagration.”
PB ZIN Zindel, Paul
The Pigman
The story of a lonely old man called Mr. Pignati is told through the eyes of two high school sophomores. (grade 10 students)
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After Harry Potter: Suggestions for Older Readers

See also: VPL's "If you like Harry Potter, you will like these!"
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
PB ADA Adams, Douglas
This book is a sophisticated, humorous account of Ford Prefect, a roving researcher from Beetleguese, whose task it is to update "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” He manages to escape Earth just as it is demolished to make way for an intergalactic space corridor. He takes his earthling friend, Arthur Dent, with him. They stumble from one misadventure to the next. Be sure to read the sequel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Split Infinity
FIC ANT Anthony, Piers
Stile escapes from danger in a future world peopled by powerful citizens, powerless serfs and various robots to a world of unicorns and magic where he discovers that he has magical powers of his own. This is the first book in the Adept Series.
I, Robot
PB ASI Asimov, Isaac
Isaac Asimov coined the term robotics. He is famous for his “Three Laws of Robotics.” I, Robot is one of four books in the Robot Series. It is a compilation of eight short stories. Asimov was the first writer to give a sympathetic treatment to robots. These books have been in print continuously since the 1950’s. If you like these books, try Asimov’s Foundations Series.
Another Fine Myth
PB ASP Asprin, Robert (The Myth Series)
“Of all the various unpleasant ways to be aroused from a sound sleep, one of the worst is the noise of a dragon and a unicorn playing tag.” (Myth Conceptions) This is a series of books about Skeeve, a magician’s apprentice, who travels through different dimensions and has harrowing adventures along the way.
The Sword of Shannara
PB BRO Brooks, Terry
Shea Ohmsford’s peaceful life ends when, as the heir of Shannara, he must defend the world against the power of darkness. Follow the epic fantasy through generations of Ohmsfords in this epic fantasy series. For a female protagonist, read Wishsong of Shannara.
Wishsong of Shannara
PB BRO Brooks, Terry
This third book in the Shannara series pits Brin, the daughter of Wil Ohmsford and his son Jair against the forces of the dark. This is an epic fantasy with strong female characters. You might want to start at the beginning of the series with The Sword of Shannara.
Who is Frances Rain?
PB BUF Buffie, Margaret
Fifteen year old Lizzie is spending the summer at her gran’s cabin. To get away from her squabbling family she goes exploring on a neighbouring island and meets a ghost. This book won the 1987 Canadian YA novel award. Look for other books by Margaret Buffie.
Guardians of the West
PB EDD Eddings, David
Guardians of the West:Book One of the Malloreon begins the sequel to the Belgariad Series. This epic fantasy of the struggle between good versus evil introduces a new character, a child called Errand. Garion thought that the force of darkness had been defeated, but a new struggle between the light and dark emerges. This fantastic world includes ageless sorcerers, seers, brave rulers and treacherous plotters.
*Although the Preface summarizes what happened in the first series, you might want to begin with Pawn of Prophecy, the first book of the Belgariad Series.
Pawn of Prophecy
PB EDD Eddings, David
Book one of the Belgariad Series, this is an epic fantasy. You will meet thousand year old sorcerers, Gods who control the sources of good and evil and the boy, Garion, who will eventually prevail. Or does he? See: Guardians of the West
The Keeper of the Isis Light
PB HUG Hughes, Monica
This is the first in a series of three books that feature Olwen Pendennis. She is the keeper of a planetary lighthouse, living alone on a planet with only her guardian for company until a group of settlers arrive. The story takes some very unexpected twists along the way.
Sandwriter
FIC HUG Hughes, Monica
Seventeen year old Princess Antia is sent to marry a Rhoshanite prince to make an alliance. She is also to find out the secret of Roshan. She meets Sandwriter, a woman of mystical powers. Read the sequel The Promise.
The Eyes of the Dragon
PB KIN King, Stephen
Stephen King wrote this once upon a time epic fantasy for his thirteen year old daughter. He tells the tale of a royal household where an evil wizard will do anything for power.
A Wizard of Earthsea
PB LEG LeGuin, Ursula K.
This is the first book in the Earthsea Trilogy. A young boy, Ged , has magical powers which he uses to protect his village from raiders. This is the beginning of his life as a wizard. The book follows his life through his schooling and through several dangerous challenges. There are now six books in this series.
Playing Beatie Bow
PB PAR Parker, Ruth
Winner of the Australian Children’s Book Award, this book is about a 14 year Australian girl, Abigail Kirk, who slips through a door of time to Victorian Sydney where she has some terrifying experiences.
Alana: The First Adventure
FIC PIE Pierce, Tamora
This is the first book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet This book is followed by In the Hand of the Goddess and The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and Lioness Rampant. The books chronicle Alana’s adventures as she strives to become the only female knight.
Wild Magic
FIC PIE Pierce, Tamora
“Daine is a super new heroine who makes this action packed fantasy a joy to read. …The descriptions pull the reader into the fantasy until it plays like a movie in your head.” (VOYA) Wild Magic is the first book in the Immortals Series. Look for Wolf Speaker, Emperor Mage, and The Realms of the Gods. Daine is a young mage living in a war torn era. Her world is peopled with gods, immortals, nobles and mages. Daine possesses “wild magic”, the ability to communicate with the animals. Characters from the Lioness Series also appear in these books.
Golden Compass
PB PUL Pullman, Philip
Golden Compass is the first of three books of fantasy about Lyra, a young girl who spends her early years under the protection of the scholars at Jordan college. She has a wild carefree existance until political turmoil draws her into a dangerous struggle. Children are disappearing. Her uncle is imprisoned and she is taken from the college. As she leaves the Master gives her the Golden Compass. She must discover how it works and embark on a treacherous journey.
The Fellowship of the Ring
PB TOL Tolkien, J.R.R.
If you enjoyed The Hobbit, you will enjoy Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The rings are rings of power. The Fellowship of the Ring is the story of the One Ring. This ring is all- powerful, but using its power corrupts the possessor. This is the story of Frodo’s, heir to the ring, quest to return the ring to the fire from which it was made. Classic epic fantasy.
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