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
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Pool Princess
by Michele Martin BossleyWhen Gracie is suddenly moved from the life she loves in Cochrane, Alberta, to the big city of Calgary, she feels lost. She leaves behind her school, her friends, and worst of all her synchronized swimming team. So things start to look up when she finds a new team in the city: she's excited to be training with some of the best swimmers in the province. When Rosalyn, the star of the Calgary team, starts driving Gracie to shape up fast or quit, she's relieved to see the familiar face of Christy Aldredge, the top swimmer at her Cochrane synchro club. Talking with Christy, Gracie finds allies in her stand against Rosalyn's unfair bullying. Pool Princess is a story about the pressures of competitive amateur sport, and about how friendship can help overcome them.
Soccer Star!
by Jacqueline GuestSamantha Keyes is used to a life on the move. Her military family has been transferred across Canada, and she's grown up with stories of her Inuit ancestors exploring the far north. For Sam, soccer has been the one constant in her life. But now that she's thirteen, her home base isn't the only thing that's changing. Sam longs to show up Carly, her school's reigning soccer star, but Sam's new interest in theatre is taking up a lot of time. Does she have the time to practice her sport and be the lead in the school play? And just how far will she go to prove to her parents that she can handle more than one extracurricular activity?
Death Benefits
by Sarah N. HarveyRoyce (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.
Shadows on the Train
by Melanie JacksonIt's all aboard! for mystery when Dinah Galloway takes the cross-country train from Vancouver to Toronto, to appear on a TV talent show. But will she make it-or be permanently derailed? Along with her sister Madge, and her fellow junior musicians, tree fanatic Pantelli Audia and history buff Talbot St. John, Dinah is shadowed by someone who wants to get hold of an $80,000 treasure left by her late dad. But what is the treasure? The redheaded, singing sleuth realizes that the secret dwells somewhere in her dad's murky past, and involves a funny, if less than respectable, ex-con named Ardle McBean, and a mysterious man with a bowl cut. The mystery accelerates when Dinah's sweet, elderly piano teacher, also on the train, disappears and the danger to Dinah increases. She struggles to keep on the tracks of the mystery before the shadows, past and present, overwhelm her.
Overdrive
by Eric WaltersJake has finally got his driver's license, and tonight he has his brother's car as well. He and his friend Mickey take the car out and cruise the strip. When they challenge another driver to a street race, a disastrous chain reaction causes an accident. Jake and Mickey leave the scene, trying to convince themselves they were not involved. Jake finds he cannot pretend it didn't happen and struggles with the right thing to do. Should he pretend he was not involved? Or should he go to the police?
Roller Hockey Blues
by Steven Barwin and Gabriel David TickMason dreams of spending the summer canoeing and kayaking at a camp up north with his pals from Cabbagetown Junior High. He's stuck in Toronto, though, ready to go crazy with boredom. When hears about tryouts for a local roller hockey team, he sees a way out. But that way seems blocked at every turn: the team captain is tough on him, the coach even tougher, and finding a way to pay the league fees might be toughest of all. To top it off, his mother's new boyfriend arrives on the scene at the worst possible time. But as Mason works hard, moving from the third line to the first, he manages to work it out--with a little help from his friends. Set against a backdrop of fast hockey action, Roller Hockey Blues follows one young man's struggle to overcome personal obstacles and stay in the game.
Home Court Advantage
by Sandra DierschWhen Debbie is on the basketball court she feels free and alive. But while she's a good player she's also an aggressive one, and rough tactics get her in trouble more than once. Off the court she's different from other girls, a foster child without "real" parents of her own. When Debbie learns she's going to be adopted, her world is turned upside down. Until, that is, she's accused of stealing from a teammate. From then on, it's an uphill battle to prove herself to her new parents and her team. "Home Court Advantage" shows how young players' behavior on the court and their lives off it are inextricably linked.
The Call of the Wild (An Adapted Classic)
by Jack LondonGlobe Books presents an adapted and unbowdlerized text, with extensive notes and bibliography.
Queen of the Court
by Michele Martin BossleyKallana wears the wildest clothes of anyone at her suburban Calgary junior high school. Still, it seems it's not enough to get the attention of her freelance photographer father or her non-kid-friendly mother. When her dad signs her up for the basketball team after Kallana is sent home from school for wearing "provocative" clothes, she's mortified: she can't dribble, she can't shoot, and the uniforms are just hideous. But as things get worse at home, basketball practice comes to be a welcome relief, and the self-confidence she learns at the free-throw line helps her prepare for the difficult changes she has to face. "Queen of the Court" is the touching story of a young girl whose experience of sport helps her cope with unexpected change.
Daredevil Club
by Pam WithersKip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right.
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.
Great Lengths
by Sandra DierschTroy Aitken has just joined the Vancouver club where Jessie Cameron has been swimming for half her life. At first Jessie and her friends are in awe of Troy, who is one of the best athletes they've ever seen. Then the rumors begin to surface...
The Summer of the Spotted Owl
by Melanie JacksonAfter a hang glider crashes into the pool of the house where Dinah and Madge are house-sitting, the hapless pilot creates more than a splash of suspicion in Dinah's mind. Why does this itchy intruder make off with Dinah's inflatable turtle? Why is someone trying to drive their cat-mad neighbor away? And what is the connection with the balding stranger seen lurking behind the hedge? And when Madge's boyfriend starts a campaign to save the endangered spotted owl, it seems that a crooked politician may be out to destroy the habitat of the near-extinct animal. While Madge paints, Dinah brushes aside suggestions that she be a quiet, well-behaved guest in this posh North Vancouver neighborhood. There's just too much for Dinah and her friends--tree-fanatic Pantelli and irritatingly conscientious Talbot--to investigate in this hilariously suspenseful adventure. Along with learning about endangered animals and fragile ecosystems, Dinah runs across clueless reporters and greedy developers, all the while continuing to belt out her favorite songs and satisfy her healthy appetite.
The Book of Trees (Orca Books)
by Leanne LiebermanWhen Mia, a Jewish teenager from Ontario, goes to Israel to spend the summer studying at a yeshiva, or seminary, she wants to connect with the land and deepen her understanding of Judaism.
Middle Row
by Sylvia OlsenThings have changed since Raedawn and Vince started going out and the racial boundaries in town have slipped a bit. But when Dune, who never took sides, disappears, Raedawn is determined to find out where he has gone—or what happened to him. Fighting against ignorance and hate, they track Dune down and find he is in more trouble than they thought and that nothing is black and white.
A Goal in Sight (Sports Stories)
by Jacqueline GuestAiden is the roughest player on his Calgary hockey team, as likely to be in the penalty box as on the ice. When he hits another player after a game, however, he's charged with assault and sentenced to one hundred hours of community service. He's bored and annoyed when he's forced to help Eric, a blind player with the Calgary Seeing Eye Dogs. In time, his new team shows him hockey is more fun on the ice than in the box.
Road Rage
by Bill SwanMatt Thompson is in trouble again. A rare old book about legendary track star Alfie Shrubb has gone missing from the local museum, and all fingers point to Matt. To make matters worse, his new running club won't be running in the annual race named after Shrubb, but is instead volunteering. With help of his friends and a former Olympic runner with serious challenges of his own, Matt tries to clear his name. He also learns again what it means to be a runner in this follow up to Mud Run and Mud Happens.
Blue Moon
by Marilyn HalvorsonBobbie Joe didn't set out to buy a limping blue roan mare -- she wanted a colt she could train to barrel race. But the horse is a fighter, just like Bobbie Joe. Now all she has to do is train the sour old mare that obviously has a past. While she nurses the horse back to health, Bobbie Joe realizes that the horse, now called Blue Moon, may have more history than she first thought. With the help of the enigmatic Cole, she slowly turns the horse into a barrel racer.
Tweaked
by Katherine HolubitskySixteen-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.
Against the Boards
by Lorna Schultz NicholsonPeter has done it! He's made it onto an AAA Bantam team and is now playing hockey in Edmonton. But this shy boy from the Northwest Territories is having a hard time adjusting to city life, his new school, and host family.
Kicked Out
by Beth GoobieDime is fifteen and always angry. Her parents don't understand her, and her brother was paralyzed in an accident. When the fights and accusations become too much, Dime moves in with her brother. But her troubles follow her. Until she realizes that she has to start taking some responsibility, nothing will change.
Taking a Dive
by Michele Martin BossleyJosie is afraid that her record-breaking swim in the 200-metre butterfly at the Alberta provincial championship was a fluke. As her Calgary swim team trains for a big meet she can't come anywhere near her best time, and sees her dreams of national and Olympic glory slipping away. When she participates in her school's Athletic Challenge, however, she's forced to learn the meaning of "personal best" all over again. The insight she gains there spurs her on when she hits the water again. Taking a Dive uses the exciting world of competitive swimming to explore the links between self-confidence and success.
Shooting Star
by Cynthia BatesQuyen is a basketball star at her Ottawa school until a fight with her coach forces her to find another team. Her new teammates are hard to get along with and one of them goes out of her way to pick on Quyen. Then, when her parents start acting strangely, Quyen is forced to confront her family's past in Vietnam in order to face the challenges of the present. Shooting Star is a touching story of how past tragedy affects future generations, for good and ill.
Ice Dreams
by Beverly ScudamoreTwelve-year-old Maya is an accomplished figure skater whose mother, a former world champion skater and Olympic hopeful, died four years ago. Maya's family pressures her to pursue her mother's Olympic dream, but Maya lacks the drive and the passion. In fact, she has a dream of her own: to play hockey. The transition between sports is not easy, but Maya learns that drive is born of persistence as she discovers a passion for goaltending. Ice Dreams is a touching novel about the hopes and struggles of one ambitious athlete.
Swiped
by Michele Martin BossleyWould-be detectives Trevor, Nick and Robyn are hot on the trail of a sandwich thief when they learn that more than food has been going missing at school. A valuable hockey book has been stolen from the library, and the kids worry that the librarian might lose her job if it isn't found. Who would steal a hockey book? Could it be Robyn's arch-nemesis and hockey enthusiast Cray? Or could it be Ms. Thorson, the Oiler fan teacher? The kids are determined to solve these mysteries even though their sleuthing efforts land them into trouble at every turn.