After River by Donna Miller
Natalie grows up on a Canadian farm as part of a close, connected family. When River,
a Vietnam War protester, comes to work for them, unsettling changes lead to
catastrophe.
Before Wings : a novel by Beth Goobie
In Adrien, Beth Goobie has created a memorable character-intelligent, strong,
irreverent, stubborn, funny, independent, fragile -- who learns to confront the reality of
her own death and to "believe" in life.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in
Kabul, Afghanistan. Because Parvana's father has a foreign education, he is arrested by
the Taliban. The family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan.
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
A young adult novel set in modern Africa tells the story of Chanda, a 16-year-old girl
who must confront the realities of HIV/AIDS, as well as the corrosive nature of secrets
and the healing power of truth.
Cheeseburger Subversive by Richard Scarsbrook
Dak Sifter's stories take us through his life - from grade seven embarrassments to high
school relationships to first year university independence.
The First Stone by Don Aker
Squeezing the rock in his clenched fist made Reef Kennedy feel powerful. And angry. It
was easy, then, to look down from the overpass and choose an anonymous target....
Now Leeza Hemming's world has exploded, her body twisted and broken from the car
crash that nearly killed her. Facing months of torturous rehabilitation to cure her
damaged body and spirit Leeza finds a friend in an unlikely hospital volunteer, a young
man about her age who looks like he would rather be anywhere than in a hospital.
Reaching out to one another in an unconscious need for healing, neither Leeza nor Reef
can guess that their fragile bond is based on an act of cruelty and hate.
Four Step to Death by John Wilson
“It is 1942. The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest in history, is underway. Three
participants – two fighters and a boy – are caught in its horrors…..their fates will be
intertwined as the catalysm engulfs them”(from the back cover)
Freak the Mighty by W. R. Philbrick, W. R.
Two boys--a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny genius in leg
braces--forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human
force. Basis for the film "The Mighty". Named as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
Grist by Heather Waldorf
Sixteen year old Charlie spends the summer up in the north woods where she finds a
new boyfriend and discovers new things about herself and her family.
Kate by Valerie Sherrard
Fourteen-year-old Kate Benchworth isn't like other kids her age. Quiet and studious,
she likes to read, and is very close to her family, especially her kid brother. When she
starts suffering from debilitating headaches, she visits her doctor, who delivers stunning
news: Kate is dying. She has an inoperable brain tumour that could end her life at any
moment. As her family and the members of the small community she lives in struggle
to accept her diagnosis, Kate becomes determined to make the most of the time she
has left. She falls in love with the boy locked up in the local jail and befriends the town
recluse.
Keturah and Lord Death by Matine Leavitt
When Lord Death comes to claim sixteen-year-old Keturah while she is lost in the King's
Forest, she charms him with her story and is granted a twenty-four hour reprieve in
which to seek her one true love.
The Lottery by Beth Goobie
Every student at Saskatoon Collegiate knows about the lottery. The secret club, "The
Shadow Council", hold a draw every fall to decide which "lucky" student will win. The
student chosen is then shunned and humiliated for the school year, by the entire
student population. This year's victim is fifteen-year-old Sally Hanson.
me and the Blondes by Teresa Toten
Sophia wants very much to fit in at her new high school. She befriends a group of ever
popular, stereotypical, blond girls and begins to feel at home for the first time in her life
– but the closer
The Road to Chlifa by Michele Martineau
Karim has journeyed a long way from his home in war-torn Beirut to his new high
school in Quebec. Now he must travel the difficult road to a life without war. There is
contempt and racism here, too. But there is also My-Lan, a new companion in a new
and challenging country. It is an adventure behind the headlines and a lesson in life you
couldn't learn in the classroom.
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants Series by Ann Brashares
Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great; they were
worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends
part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Lena decides they
should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them.
Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. . .
Song of Kahunsha by Anosh Irani
"It is January 1993 and Bombay is threatened by terrorism and sectarian violence. Tenyear-old Chamdi has rarely ventured outside his orphanage, and entertains an idyllic
fantasy of a paradise he calls Kahunsha, "the city of no sadness." But when he runs
away to search for his long-lost father, he is thrust into the chaos of the streets, alone,
possessing only the blood-stained cloth he was left in as a baby. There Chamdi meets
Sumdi and Guddi, brother and sister who beg in order to provide for their sick mother.
The three become fast friends." "Fuelled only by a desire to find his father and the
dream that Bombay will someday become Kahunsha, Chamdi struggles for survival. But
when he is caught up against his will in the violence engulfing the city, his
dreams confront reality."--
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.
Three Songs for Courage by Maxine Trottier
“For sixteen-year-old Gordon Westley, this (1956) is the summer of first love, fast cars,
the best buddies on earth, and heartrending tragedy……a glimpse into the rock-and-roll,
loss-of-innocence decade that signaled rebellious change in an awakening youth
culture.” (from the inside cover
Tweaked by Kathryn Holubitsky
Tweaked is an honest, accurate, and non-judgmental portrait of a family dealing with
methamphetamine addiction. Told from the perspective of the addict’s little brother,
Tweaked depicts the highs, the lows and everything in between.
Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
In this acclaimed novel, a dejected boy tries to kill himself in a car crash and ends up
killing an innocent teen. The victim's mother asks that the boy create four whirligigs
from a picture of the girl and set them up at the four corners of the United States to
keep her spirit alive.