Special Collections

Bull Rider

Layne wants nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps and to be a bull rider. His dad was one ride away from a National Championship when he got trampled to death. Layne wants to be able to give his dad that championship—by winning it for him. What he doesn't want, though, is to end up like his father and die in the rodeo arena. When the chance comes, Layne realizes he must face up to his greatest fear. With the help of his friend Jana, and his bratty younger sister, Layne learns to reach deep inside and trust himself. Also available in French.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Home Before Dark

Erik and his friends spend all their time on the water, exploring the shoreline and islands off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. While they all have experience with boats and the outdoors, the unpredictable weather and fickle seas often manage to test their courage and abilities. While exploring a burned-out homestead on a remote island, the teens find themselves involved in a decades-old crime and realize that danger still lurks in the coastal rainforest. After befriending Gary, a retired logger who lives alone, Erik and the others learn of the death of Gary's aunt and uncle in a suspicious fire years before. They are then shocked to find they have aroused the interest of a shadowy stranger who seems to have designs on Gary's home and boat, and perhaps, most terrifyingly, his life. Frantically trying to unravel the web of secrets, the teenagers are in a race to save Gary and ultimately themselves.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Waking

Beauty is afraid to sleep--her dreams are haunted by the Shadow Lady who stalks and threatens her. During her waking hours, Beauty's life is safe, safer than she wants it to be. Since her mother's death, her father has become so over-protective that he has locked away all the knives in the house. Her mother's death, the accident, is never discussed. Beauty has lost her desire to be an artist. At school Beauty tries to be invisible to avoid the questions and innuendo that have arisen since her mother's death. But when a new student arrives, things begin to change. Luna is a free spirit, confident and exciting. She encourages and challenges Beauty to come out of her shell. Beauty finally admits to her attraction to Poe, a boy who lives a few doors away. Her artistic drive returns. But as Beauty gains self-confidence, her nightmares become ever more terrifying, filled with dark images of blood and death. Beauty must now struggle to solve the riddle posed by her dreams: who is the Shadow Lady and what is the nature of her curse?

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Bull's Eye

After Emily's aunt dies, Emily learns that everything she has always believed is a lie, and her world crumbles. Forced to face the fact that her mother is not who she thought she was, Emily tries to find the truth about her past and make sense of her future. Turning to graffiti and vandalism as a way to deal with her anger, she comes to realize that there is more to a family than shared DNA.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Death Benefits

Royce (aka Rolly) is having a bad year. Not only has his mother dragged him across the country in order to be close to her aged father Arthur, a celebrated cellist, but he's also recovering from mono. When he convinces his mother to let him finish the school year by correspondence, he's left feeling isolated and lonely, and spends his time watching TV and plotting ways to get back to his friends in Nova Scotia. But before his plans can be implemented, his grandfather has a small stroke. Suddenly Arthur needs more care than Royce's mother can provide and, after a couple of hired care aides quit, Royce is pressed into service. Looking after a ninety-five-year-old—especially one as cantankerous, crafty and stubborn as Arthur—is a challenge. But as Royce gets to know the eccentric old man—who loves the Pussycat Dolls, hates Anderson Cooper and never listens to the kind of music that made him famous—he gradually comes to appreciate that his grandfather's life still has meaning. Even if Arthur himself seems to want it to end.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Lit Report

Julia and Ruth have been unlikely best friends since they first met in Sunday school—Ruth was standing on the Bible-crafts table belting out "Jesus Loves Me." Now that they're a year away from graduation, they're putting the finishing touches on their getaway plans. But their dream of a funky big-city loft and rich, interesting older men is threatened when preacher's daughter Ruth goes to a wild party without studious Julia, and all hell breaks loose. Ruth gets pregnant; Julia gets creative. Determined to support her friend and stay on track for life after high school, Julia comes up with a plan that will require all her intelligence, compassion, ingenuity and patience. Drawing on some great (and some not-so-great) works of literature, Julia proves that you can learn a lot just by opening up a book.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Plastic

When Jack develops an interest in something, he puts his all into it, making lists, doing research and learning all he can. When his best friend Leah decides to have plastic surgery for her sixteenth birthday, Jack is horrified—and then determined to stop her. Researching the surgery and the results, he finds that there are unscrupulous surgeons operating on the very young, and no one does anything about it. Jack organizes a protest and becomes an instant celebrity. But when someone else takes up the cause and the protest turns violent, Jack is forced to make some tough decisions.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

A Kind of Courage

Everything changes when Hattie Tamblyn's much-adored older brother, Will, enlists in the Canadian army in 1916 and is sent to fight in France. Hattie lives for Will's letters from the front, but her mother retreats into depression, her younger brother, Johnny, becomes violent and her father despairs of running the family farm without Will's help. Tension mounts when Hattie's father hires a young conscientious objector to work on the farm. Although his wealthy Toronto family is mystified and disgusted by his decision not to fight, David Ross's friendship with an elderly German musician has led him to question the narrow notion of patriotism that has overtaken the country. His appearance at the Tamblyn farm enrages Hattie and Johnny, who, like most of their neighbors, believe all "conchies" are cowards. As more and more of her childhood friends are maimed and killed overseas, Hattie fears for Will's safety. But when her own safety is threatened, it is David who protects her, putting himself squarely in harm's way. In a world gripped by prejudice, fear and hatred, David and Hattie discover that there are many kinds of courage and that real power lies in forgiveness and redemption.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

All Sleek and Skimming

A collection of 22 compelling short fiction for older teen readers.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Hit Squad

This is Mickey's first year at Grandview High. After transferring, all he wants to do is keep his head down, work hard and fit in with the upscale crowd. He is approached, because of his tough reputation, to join a group of students to take back the school from the bullies. Mickey finds himself caught up in a shadowy world of violence and retribution. When their planned payback goes horribly wrong, Mickey is forced to acknowledge the thin line between victim and victimizer.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Torn Away

Thirteen-year-old Declan lives only for revenge. His mother, father and sister were all killed on the streets of Belfast, and Declan will stop at nothing to settle the score. When he is torn away from his native soil and sent to live with relatives in Canada, he is disgusted by their efforts to welcome him into their lives, and determined to make them regret their hospitality. Can he devise a plan to return to Ireland and rejoin his cause? Or will the strange beauty of his new life and surroundings weaken his resolve?

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Waiting for Sarah

Mike's parents and sister are dead and his legs are gone. The horrific accident that shattered his life continues to haunt him. When he grudgingly returns to school and a life that he no longer understands, Mike is bitter and unwilling to participate in school life. To avoid one of his classes Mike agrees to put together a 50th Anniversary history of the school. Looking forward to time alone, he is annoyed when a young girl shows up in the archives on a regular basis. Sarah seems too young to be a student in the school, but her resemblance to Mike's sister and her bubbly personality have him intrigued. She gradually draws him out of his shell and manages to interest him in the archives project, and more importantly, in life itself. As their relationship grows and changes, Mike slowly becomes convinced that Sarah is more than just another student. When he discovers the shocking secret she is carrying, he sets out to give Sarah the peace that she so desperately needs.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Alone at Ninety Foot (Orca Books)

A realistic portrait of a young girl's struggle to come to terms with her mother's death.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Hippie House

Summer, 1970. When a local girl is found brutally murdered, the freedom and innocence of "the summer of love" are forgotten and for fourteen-year-old Emma, things will never be the same.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Tweaked

Sixteen-year-old Gordie Jessup is a good kid but he's living a nightmare. His eighteen-year-old brother Chase's two-year addiction to crystal meth has left their family emotionally and financially drained. And just when Gordie thinks he can no longer stand the manipulating, the lying and the stealing, things get even worse. Chase is arrested for aggravated assault, released on bail and sent home to his family. But his dealers are after him and Chase appeals to Gordie for help. Gordie, disgusted with his brother and fully aware that it's a gamble, risks everything he has in the hope of bringing his family some peace.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Plunge

Cade's dad thinks triathlons are for wimps. He doesn't think it's a real sport and wishes Cade would play football instead, like his older brother, Trent. So Cade trains in secret and qualifies to compete in the provincial championship in Sylvan Lake. The night before the event, Cade's coach suddenly can't go, and Cade is forced to ask his dad for a ride there. He only agrees because Trent has a football game nearby. The road trip takes a nasty turn when his dad swerves to avoid a deer and their car hurtles into an ice-cold river. It's up to Cade to use his skills to save his entire family.

Date Added: 03/15/2018

Dancing Naked

Kia is sixteen and pregnant. Her world crumbles as she attempts to come to terms with the life growing inside her and what she must do. Initially convinced that abortion is her only option, Kia comes to understand that for her, the answers are not always black and white. As the pregnancy progresses, Kia discovers who her real friends are and where their loyalties lie. It is through her relationship with the elderly Grace that she learns what it means to take responsibility for one's life and the joy that can come from trusting oneself. Faced with the most difficult decision of her life, Kia learns that the path to adulthood is not the easily navigable trail she once thought, but a twisting labyrinth where every turn produces a new array of choices, and where the journey is often undertaken alone.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Gotcha!

It's "bead season" at slippery rock high. This year the bead-snatching grad game called "Gotcha" has been banned as an official school activity because the teachers have decided to put an end to a dangerous tradition. After paying an entry fee the players are given a bead and someone's name. The object of the game is snatch the bead of your victim and take their name. The winner ends up with all the beads—and all the money. After the game is banned it becomes even more appealing. The game goes underground and more grads than ever are participating. Katie is reluctant to join in, but as a member of grad council she feels she has to go along. The game quickly spins out of control. Katie finds herself losing friends and falling victim to her classmates' obsession with the game. She considers dropping out of the game but then devises a better way of getting even with her classmates. Katie finds herself sliding further and further down the chute that leads to disaster. Can she bring a safe end to this deadly game?

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Kat's Fall

Darcy's mother is getting out of jail. Ten years ago Darcy's mom was convicted of throwing Darcy's baby sister off a fifth-floor balcony. Kat survived, but Darcy has spent the last decade raising his sister, giving her the love and support she has been denied by an absent mother and an uncaring father. Now, with their mother about to be released, their father has decided he has had enough of parental responsibility and is determined to return the children to their mother's care. Darcy is horrified, and adamant that he will not subject his sister to the woman who once tried to murder her. Struggling to understand and control the anger and resentment that has consumed him, Darcy is forced to confront his feelings and engage with the outside world. With newfound friendships and the unflagging support of his teacher, Darcy is able to understand some of the pain of the past and accept that he cannot control everything. As he grudgingly re-establishes ties with the mother he thinks he hates, he is accused of a horrific act. It will take incredible strength—his own and others—to fight the charges, but he finds that truth is often an elusive concept and that trust—and love—are powerful allies.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Sun Signs

Unable to attend school while she battles cancer, fifteen-year-old Kaleigh Wyse tries to complete her classes online Developing a science project on astrology, Kaleigh enlists other online learners as study participants. What starts as a collaborative and supportive project based on the scientific method, slowly becomes unwieldy and then flawed when it is apparent that all the project participants are hiding vital clues about their identities. As Kaleigh struggles with the effects of chemotherapy and radiation, she is forced to examine the assumptions she has made about others and the manner in which she presents herself to the world. Sun Signs is a compelling story that examines the danger of blind faith in an electronic age and the ease with which our identities, in the absence of traditional clues, can shift and change.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Tangled Web

A gripping tale of family loyalty and doing the right thing.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Hit the Ground Running

Sixteen-year-old Dee and her seven-year-old brother, Eddie, have been on their own for six weeks.

Their father has seemingly vanished into the baking Arizona desert. Their money is drying up and the rent is coming due, but it's a visit from a social worker and the prospect of being separated from Eddie that scares Dee enough to flee.

She dupes her brother into packing up and embarking on the long road trip to Canada, their birthplace and former home.

Lacking a driver's license and facing a looming interrogation at the border, Dee rations their money and food as they burn down the interstate in their ancient, decrepit car.

Date Added: 03/15/2018

Heads Up

Glen and Jacob are best friends and line mates until a new hotshot, Danny, joins their Toronto soccer team. Glen thinks Danny is cool, and together they get deeper and deeper in trouble.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Hit and Run

Glen aims to be the starting pitcher and best player on the East York Eagles baseball team. He works hard achieve this--maybe too hard. None of his teammates seem to measure up to Glen's impossibly high standards. His mother reminds him "there's no 'I' in 'team'," but his bad temper and narrow focus on winning threaten the Eagles' chances and his own future with the team. To avoid disaster, Glen is forced to face the problems that drive him, both on the diamond and off. Hit and Run is the story of a driven young athlete whose ambition finally teaches him the meaning of sportsmanship.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Frankenstein (An Adapted Classic)

From the Book Jacket: AN EXCERPT FROM FRANKENSTEIN : Just then, I saw the figure of a man climbing toward me. He was moving with superhuman speed. As he came closer, I saw that it was the wretch whom I had created. I trembled with rage and horror. "Devil!" I exclaimed. "Do you dare approach me? Do you not fear my vengeance? Begone! Or rather, stay, so I may trample you to dust!" "I expected such a welcome," said the creature. "Yet you are my creator. It is your fault that I am so wretched. You are bound to me until death. You want to kill me? How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty to me and I will do mine to you." "Hated monster! Come closer so I may put out the spark of life I so foolishly gave you!" "I have no wish to harm you. I am your creature, and you owe me something. Oh, Frankenstein, everywhere I see happiness that I alone cannot have. I was good, but misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be good." ENJOY THESE OTHER ADAPTED CLASSICS FROM GLOBE FEARON: Gulliver's Travels Ethan Frome The Canterbury Tales Heart of Darkness Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The Call of the Wild . � The Red Badge of Courage A Christmas Carol Les Miserables Tom Sawyer Jane Eyre A Tale of Two Cities The Odyssey Treasure Island Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl An Edgar Allan Poe Reader Great Expectations The Scarlet Letter

Date Added: 05/25/2017