Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen
Summary: Forced to put his own safety first, Eddie leaves home and takes up residence in the local zoo to get away from his mother’s boyfriend Steve who is bent on harming him. At the zoo he meets Jack, a bit of a lost soul still dealing with his grief over the tragic and violent death of his sister decades ago. Jack becomes a mentor-figure, helping Eddie when he needs it and getting him to reconsider his life choices. But when Eddie’s cash dwindles, he turns to his old ways of breaking and entering to find stuff to sell, finding himself in a world of trouble when former...
Read MoreMetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
Summary: In a land containing a metal that allows certain people to do magic, siblings Jaren and Morgaine are both convinced magical skills will be what gets them off the farm where they live with their parents. But while Morgaine has the talent to use Metanduil, Jaren seems to have no such talent. When the siblings have a run-in with a rich girl from town though, they must leave their home quickly. What they don’t know is that a Warwitch who has gone so far as to inject the metal into her skin is trying to take over the land, and Jaren and Morgaine may be the only ones who can stop...
Read MoreFastback Beach by Shirlee Smith Matheson
Summary: Lured into the wrong crowd by his best friend Larry the Lark, Miles finds himself being charged for auto theft after being abandoned at the scene of an accident on Fastback Beach. Sentenced to 100 hours of community service, Miles spends time with the Berniers, an elderly couple with a love for fast cars as well. Their positive influence leads Miles to realise he can have the cars he loves if he really works at it, but his friends, while grateful he didn’t give them up as well, are reluctant to change their ways. When another car goes missing, and then the car Miles was...
Read MoreThe Vow by Jessica Martinez
Summary: Annie’s best friend Mo is the most important person in her life. Their entrance into each others’ lives in grade school is a saving grace for both with Mo being a new immigrant to the United States and Annie losing her sister. So when Mo’s father loses his job and his family must move back to Jordan from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, the idea is unthinkable. Annie and Mo need each other, and to prevent their separation, Annie comes up with an idea to keep him in the United States. But neither of them truly realises what is involved in what Annie is proposing, and what...
Read MoreChild of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji
Summary: When Ugandan President Idi Admin has a dream that all British Indians should be expelled from the country in 90 days, a nightmare begins for Sabine and her family. With a grandfather who came over from India with his family, Sabine was born in Uganda, and considers herself a Ugandan citizen. Struggling to come to terms with the sudden hatred from friends and the country she loves, Sabina must find within herself the strength to face reality, help her family and grasp the courage to start over again. Number of Pages: 215 Age Range: 13-15 Review: In a powerful, historical tale of the...
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