Aram's choice by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
PB SKR
Aram is like all the boys exiled in Greece. He has survived the Armenian genocide in
Turkey and now lives in an orphanage. He can never return home. One day Aram learns
that he will be one of fifty boys who will start a new life in a country called Canada. What
does he know of this distant land? There is snow, lots to eat, and no war. But most
important of all, Aram has heard that the trees are covered in gold. All he will have to do is
pluck the gold off the branches and he will have enough money to bring his grandmother
out to join him. But first he must get there. Aram is about to embark on a long adventure.
Will he find a land of endless riches, or a place he can finally call home?
Born to rock by Gordon Korman
PB KOR
Young Republican Leo Caraway discovers that his biological father is none other than
millionaire King Maggot, lead singer of the punk band Purge. He accepts a job on King's
tour in the hope of securing sorely needed college tuition. His journey to punk-rock
appreciation has him questioning his traditional values and every principle he holds dear.
The Bully Boys by Eric Walters
PB WAL
An adventure set during the War of 1812, 14-year-old Tom Roberts wants to be in the
action, but he has to look after the family farm while his father fights for the British Army.
He thwarts the robbery of a local store by American soldiers and attracts attention and then
finds himself fighting in the war.
Charlie Wilcox by Sharon E. McKay
PB MCK
In 1915 in Newfoundland, fourteen-year-old Charlie, anxious to disprove his parents' belief
that his club foot makes him unfit for fishing and seal hunting, stows away on a sealing
vessel only to find himself on a troop ship headed for the war in Europe.
Cheeseburger Subversive by Richard Scarsbrook
PB SCA
We have all been there: those sublime and ordinary moments in growing up that create the
evolution of change, or as Cheeseburger Subversive s Dak Sifter would call it, a "shifting of
gears". Scarsbrook s novel captures the weird logic of self discovery that marks the
explorations of boy becoming man, and in its noise and thrashing, explodes the maturity
myth.
Cold Sweat by Franklin W. Dixon
PB DIX
While working out in Bayport's new superspa, Frank and Joe Hardy begin to suspect that
an underworld gang is trying to take control of the business.
Deep Trouble by Franklin W. Dixon
PB DIX
Joining a crew of divers in the process of extracting gold from a shipwreck, Frank and Joe
Hardy become the targets of sabotage and are soon engaged in speedboat chases and
underwater combat.
Finnie Walsh by Steven Galloway
PB GAL
Canadian immigrants struggle with their Jewish identity in this poetic and poignant
collection of 11 interlinked short stories.
Gold Rush Orphan Sandy Frances Duncan
PB DUN
During the 1890s Canada was in a worldwide depression that forced thousands of people
to take part in the Klondike gold rush. Jeremy Britain, a young and mistreated orphan, has
dreams of fame, fortune, recognition and acceptance. He realizes that in order to survive
he must join the thousands of others to search for gold. Jeremy believes that he is capable
of getting to Dawson on his own; after all he did live in the streets of Vancouver selling
newspapers to earn a living.
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
PB TAS
When teenager Josh Swensen sees consumerism and waste in America, he tries to do
something about it with his controversial start-up Web site. When Josh rises to messiah
status, he's trapped inside his own creation. Josh feels his only way out is to stage his
death and be free of his Internet alter ego, "Larry." This plan comes with danger, and soon
Josh finds himself cut off from the world.
Grave Danger by Franklin W. Dixon
PB DIX
Frank and Joe travel to Mexico to search for hidden secrets at an archaeological dig. When
ancient artifacts are stolen from the site, the boys search for clues but discover they must
be careful--or they could be buried alive.
Home Invasion by Monique Polak
PB POL
He does not know why he does it. Lately, even with the news of a home invader breaking
into houses while the residents are home, Josh finds himself entering people's homes
uninvited and unannounced. Maybe he just wants to see how "normal" families live now
that his mother has remarried. Perhaps it is just the lure of the open window or the key left
in the door. Whatever the reason, Josh soon lands square in the middle of a real break-in.
Horse Thief : a novel by Robert Newton Peck
PB PEC
Published to spectacular reviews, this coming-of-age story features an orphan and wouldbe rodeo bulldogger who steals horses to keep them from being slaughtered.
Hunter in the Dark by Monica Hughes
PB HUG
Mike's got it made. He's a star on the high school basketball team. His girlfriend is the
gorgeous Gloria Hlady. And he about to go on a hunting trip with his best friend Doug. But
then he collapses on the basketball court and his parents won't tell the results of the
hospital tests. Mike's search for answers leads on a dangerous and lonely wilderness
quest.
Lottery Rose : a Novel by Irene Hunt
Abused by his mother and her boyfriend, George Burgess learns to hide his pain and
withdraws into a safe and secret world of beautiful gardens filled with roses, just like those
in the library book he treasures. When Georgie wins a small rosebush in a grocery store
lottery, he gives it the love and caring he's never had.
Men of Stone by Gayle Friesen
PB FRI
Fifteen-year-old Ben can't make sense of his life. He lives in a house full of women, yet he
can't talk to girls. He tries to be a jock, but can't even make the co-ed volleyball team. And
ridicule from the guys has driven Ben to give up the one thing at which he truly excels —
dance. Now, he's being bullied by a thug named Claude, who's found out about Ben's
ballet classes. Ben feels his anger and frustration grow with each passing day.
Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
PB WOO
tells the story of three boys who have one thing in common: they are all orphans. Charlie
has been arrested and is in a correctional facility; Ty'ree is working a full-time job instead of
going to college; and Lafayette questions how the three of them are going to make it when
so much seems to be against them.
No More Pranks by Monique Polak
PB POL
PETE LIKES TO PLAY pranks. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it gets a laugh. When
he impersonates his vice-principal on a radio call-in show, he goes too far and is
suspended from school. Pete's parents send him to spend the summer working with his
uncle, a whale-watching guide in a tourist town far from the city. When a whale is injured
by a reckless tour guide, Pete struggles to save the animal. Then Pete has to pull the most
important prank of his life to bring the guide to justice.
Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
PB FER
High school senior Theo interprets in sign for his parents and brother, who are deaf.
Unfortunately, Theo does not welcome this duty, especially with his mother, Palma, a
sculptor. When he meets Ivy, Theo wants to spend time with her, but when his father
suffers a stroke, his self-absorbed mother leaves Theo to care for his father and brother.
Open Season by Franklin W. Dixon
PB DIX
When the boys' conservationist friend, K.D., is shot and wounded while trying to preserve a
piece of land in the Colorado Rockies, Frank and Joe search for the culprit among the
ranchers, hunters, and Native Americans who have claimed the land.
The Outsiders by E. Hinton
When it was first published in 1967, "The Outsiders" defied convention with its immediate,
deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy and his struggle to find a place for himself in a
difficult world.
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
PB SAN
Introduces Jason Carillo, a popular high school jock with a secret. When he musters up the
courage to attend a nearby meeting for gay teens, he runs into two of his classmates.
Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
PB SAN
This sequel to Sanchez's critically acclaimed "Rainbow Boys" is a captivating and honest
depiction that goes straight to the heart of what it means to be young and gay in America.
Son of the Mob by Gordon Kprman
Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a
powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter
of an FBI agent.
The Sundog Season by John Geddes
For the northern Ontario town of West Spirit Lake the center of winter life was the arena
and all the boys were hockey mad. When a new police sergeant arrives in town and takes
over coaching the boys’ hockey team life changes dramatically especially for the main
character.
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for
the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the
incident that damaged his eyesight.
Tom Finder by Martine Leavitt
Fifteen-year-old Tom can't remember who he is, and finds himself living on the streets,
learning to survive. When he does remember, he must choose who he'll be--the Tom of the
past or the new Tom.
Tribes by Arthur G. Slade
The luckless non-Alpha male being beaten by Justin is Percival Montmount Jr., son of an
anthropologist. Like his dad, who disappeared while off on a field study, Perc (pronounced
"perk") also observes tribes, although the subjects of his observations are fellow students
at Groverly High in Saskatoon: members of the Jock Tribe, the fashionistas of the
Lipstick/Hairspray Tribe, the various sub-clans of the Hockey Tribe, the computer geeks of
the Digerati Tribe, and so on. Assuming his father's role as observer and recorder, Perc is
definitely on the outside of high school society. Still, he is not totally alone: there is his
gorgeous not-quite girlfriend, Elissa (described by Justin as "Freak Girl" due to her choice
of clothing and association with Perc), and amongst teachers, he counts as a friend the
school librarian, Ms. Peters (yes, really, that's her name!-page 23), who is kind to him and
buys books that he likes. Together, he and Elissa view, record and dissect the tribal
behaviour of their graduating class, and, as the school year draws to a close, no event is
more deserving of anthropological study than the culminating ritual of Grade Twelve
graduation.