Special Collections
High Interest Y. A. Novels
Description: High Interest, Low Vocabulary books are for teenagers looking to advance their reading capabilities. Perfect for emerging teen readers. #teens
- Table View
- List View
Out
by Sandra DierschAfter several shocking events, Alex must decide where his loyalties and beliefs lie.
Play On
by Sandra DierschFast-paced sports action novels that get kids reading. Alecia is about to be adopted by a new stepfather, her soccer team, the Burrards, is preparing for the championship game, and a cute new boy has arrived on the scene. But there are even more changes on the horizon. The team's game is suffering as the players get distracted by other interests. If the Burrards are to make it to the finals, they must renew their commitment to their sport and to each other. Play On is the satisfying conclusion to the acclaimed series that also includes Offside! and Alecia's Challenge.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (An Adapted Classic)
by Frederick DouglassIt is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. Includes a reading review at the end.
The Three Musketeers (Adapted)
by Alexandre Dumas and Malvina G. VogelIn this series, literary masterworks have been adapted for young scholars. Large, easy-to-read type and charming pen-and-ink drawings enhance the text. Students are sure to enjoy becoming acquainted with traditional literature through these well-loved classics. [Proofreader's Note: Illustrations are described. Original copy printing errors are left intact.]
The Scarlet Letter (Adapted)
by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Stephen FeinsteinAdapted from the classic by Stephen Feinstein. This 88-page book includes described drawings and an 8-page study guide at the end.
One More Step
by Sheree FitchFourteen-year-old Julian's parents separated when he was a baby and he is still angry and hurt. His mother has had relationships since -- all of which have ended disastrously -- but this time it seems serious. Jean-Paul looks like he might be the real thing. Julian is wary and critical as he comes to terms with the fact that he and his brother may have to let down their defences and allow their mother to find happiness. On a road trip with his mother and her new beau, Julian finds that love and happiness come in many guises. In the end, he realizes that it is not blood that determines true family, but the willingness to stand together.
He Who Dreams
by Melanie FlorenceJuggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else.
But one day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what's happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes with a bunch of little girls, skipping soccer practice and letting his other responsibilities slide.
When he attends a pow wow and witnesses a powerful performance, he realizes that he wants to be a dancer more than anything.
But the nearest class for boys is at the Native Cultural Center in the city, and he still hasn't told his family or friends about his new passion. If he wants to dance, he will have to stop hiding.
Between the mocking of his teammates and the hostility of the boys in his dance class, John must find a way to balance and embrace both the Irish and Cree sides of his heritage.
Adrenaline High
by C. A. ForsythD'Arcy is a 16-year-old overachiever and a budding newshound. When her classmate Zania's mother goes missing, D'Arcy thinks she's found the mother of all scoops. She's determined to solve the mystery and capture it all on film. But Zania's troubles are no game. She suspects her mother's drug-dealing boyfriend may be behind her sudden disappearance and Zania's too scared to go home. It's not long before the girls realize that they're in over their heads. Adrenalin High is a gripping, fast-paced story for mystery lovers.
Hockey Heat Wave
by C. A. ForsythMitch Stevens is keen to spend July at a hockey camp in Muskoka--half the time on the ice, and the other half drinking in the sun on the lake. But things start to go wrong right away: his best pal Zack is assigned to a different cabin, and then Zack makes friends with Mitch's worst enemy, Eddie. As they all struggle to make the camp select team, Zack faces a crisis that brings the friends back together--closer than ever. Hockey Heat Wave shows how young hockey players' ambitions can strain friendships--and make them stronger.
Katie's Midnight Ride
by C. A. ForsythKatie plans to win the junior girls' barrel race at her Alberta town's Heritage Days Rodeo. She has a good chance on her fast, sure-footed trail horse Fudge. As the day approaches, however, her older brother John claims he needs to ride Fudge, and their parents back him up. Katie scrambles to locate another mount. When she finally finds an all-black horse named Midnight, some are convinced he's bad luck. Katie aims to prove them wrong. Katie's Midnight Ride captures all the excitement of rodeo riding in an appealing story about a girl who learns to stand up for herself.
Power Hitter
by C. A. ForsythConnor Wells is looking forward to spending the whole summer parked on the couch with his video games, at home in Burlington, Ontario. Then something bad happens to his mother. Something really bad. When he's sent to stay with relatives in Winnipeg, he finds they play baseball--all day, every day--and he doesn't play at all. Soon, however, he discovers a hidden talent that helps him both on the diamond and off. Power Hitter shows how sport can help us understand even life's hardest experiences.
Two on One
by C. A. ForsythTwins Jeff and Melody are top players on the same hockey team. Jeff is the number one goal-scorer, and almost no one can get a puck past Melody in net. But after a new coach arrives on the scene, Jeff suddenly realizes that his star power comes from being the best on a so-so team. And the better the other players get under the direction of Coach Lehmann, the more attention Melody gets as the team's shining talent. Funny and full of action, Two on One looks at sibling rivalry and what it really means to be the best.
Chill
by Colin FrizzellHow far will Chill and Sean go to expose a teacher's deception? (Orca Soundings)
Crossbow
by Dayle Campbell GaetzFourteen-year-old Matt has only one goal in life: to become a hermit. He has no use for school, but he loves the solitude of the forest. When he hikes up to the cabin he built for himself, he discovers a mysterious stranger named Forrest has moved in. At first, Matt doesn't connect Forrest's appearance with the rash of local robberies. Forrest seems to be the perfect hermit, and he teaches Matt the skills he needs to achieve his goal, including how to hunt with a crossbow. But when Forrest tries to kill an endangered Roosevelt elk, Matt questions the ethics of his new friend. When Matt discovers a stolen rifle in his cabin, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous situation. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
No Problem
by Dayle Campbell GaetzCurt seems to have it all: a girlfriend, friends, a good summer job and a guaranteed position on the baseball team with the promise of a professional career. Then, one misstep causes his world to unravel and his life to plummet into the depths of depression and addiction. A bleak yet ultimately hopeful story about one teen's struggle with the pressures of growing up, fitting in and getting by.
Spoiled Rotten
by Dayle Campbell GaetzJessica loves her yearly backpacking trip with her father, but this year everything has changed. This year Jessica has to share her vacation with her new stepmother and her spoiled new stepsister, Amy. Jessica tries to salvage her holiday by sneaking off for a day hike alone, but Amy follows. Jessica is certain that Amy will ruin the day. Amy rises to the challenge of the rigourous hike and Jessica learns that Amy is not as spoiled as she thought. When Amy is injured and night falls, Jessica must face the challenge of hiking through bear country in the dark. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Gool
by Maurice GeeThe gool cannot be seen, not properly, but Xantee, Lo and their friends sense its evil presence. It lurks in the jungle in rock clefts, an enemy from outside nature. And now a fragment of gool grips Hari by the throat, draining the life from him. They can hold it back with the force of their minds, but for how long? Xantee, Lo and Duro set out on a perilous mission to find the Dog King Tarl, Hari's father, and the ruined city of Belong. Can he help them find the source of the gool? Will they find it in time? And do they have the strength to destroy the mother gool to rid the world of this life-sucking force? Want more Gool? Visit www. salt-the-trilogy. comto read excerpts from each book in the Salt Trilogy and learn more about Maurice Gee.
Salt (The Salt Trilogy #1) (Orca Books)
by Maurice GeeIn this compelling fantasy Hari and Pearl must discover the secrets of Deep Salt in order to rescue Hari's father Tarl. Their journey becomes far more than a quest to save Tarl-- their world is on the brink of unspeakable terror.
Explore
by Christy GoerzenWhen Mike Longridge gets himself in trouble yet again, he is given a choice: juvenile detention or an outdoor program called Explore. He opts for Explore, but soon finds himself wondering how he is going to survive ten months with the hippies and keeners in the program. He's never felt so out of place and is certain he will never get the hang of the outdoor activities. Will Mike go back to his old trouble-making ways or will he finally find a place to belong? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Before Wings
by Beth GoobieHaving barely survived a brain aneurysm two years earlier, fifteen-year-old Adrien, working at her Aunt Erin's summer camp, is caught between the land of the living and the spirit world, unsure where she belongs. As she struggles to understand the message delivered by the spirits of the five young women that only she sees, she learns of the tragic consequences of their connection to her aunt. Faced with the knowledge that another aneurysm could strike her at any time and mostly shunned by the other staff because she is the boss's niece, Adrien finds a soulmate in Paul, the camp handyman, who is convinced that he has seen his own death foretold.
The Dream Where Losers Go
by Beth GoobieNo one knows why she hurt herself, least of all Skey. After five long months in treatment for self-destructive behavior, Skey continues to dream of dark tunnels with mysterious designs carved into their stone walls, a place where she is safe and alone. Then she encounters another dreamer, a boy her own age, dreaming the same dream, wandering the same tunnels. A boy with secrets much like her own. While trying desperately to remember what happened that sent her away and who the boy is that she met in the dream tunnels, Skey's life plummets farther out of control. When she realizes her friends do not have her best interests at heart and they may be the reason she is lost, Skey must face her fears and the truth of the dream tunnels, and find her way back to solid reality.
Flux (Orca Books)
by Beth GoobieDeep in another reality, while using her ability to travel to parallel worlds, Nellie uncovers a conspiracy to abduct children for an experimental laboratory.
Hello Groin
by Beth GoobieWhen Dylan Kowolski agrees to create a display for her high school library, she has no idea of the trouble it's going to cause -- for the school principal, her family, her boyfriend Cam and his jock friends, and her best friend Jocelyn. And for Dylan herself. If only her English class had been studying a normal, run-of-the-mill, mundane book like Lord of the Flies instead of Foxfire things wouldn't have gotten so twisted. Then the world wouldn't have gone into such a massive funk. And then Dylan wouldn't have had to face her deepest fear and the way she was letting it run her life. Hello, Groin presents a compelling, realistic and refreshing look at teen sexuality and one girl's struggle to make the difficult choices that face her.
Kicked Out
by Beth GoobieDime is fifteen and angry all the time. Her parents don't like the way she dresses, her boyfriend, her attitude. Her older brother Darren was paralyzed in an accident she walked away from, and Dime is sure her parents wish she were the one in the wheelchair. When the fights and accusations finally become too much, Dime moves in with her brother. At first she is overjoyed with the change of scenery and lack of parental control. But when her troubles follow her she finds that maybe it isn't everyone else who is the problem, and realizes that she has to start taking some responsibility for her actions. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! Available in Spanish as Ni un dia más.