Breathless by Pam Withers
Summary: Staying with her Uncle Tom for Christmas break to help him with his dive shop, Beverley gets to do what she loves while hanging out in Kauai, Hawaii. Intending to take full advantage of her trip, Beverley decides the time she has in Hawaii is perfect for losing ten pounds and finding her first boyfriend. While she drastically cuts back on her food intake immediately, even before she starts losing the weight she meets Garth, a confident young divemaster who appears to be interested in her. Before Beverley knows it, she is breathless not only because of Garth’s persistent...
Read MoreThe Knife Sharpener’s Bell by Rhea Tregebov
Summary: Living in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 1930s, Annette is the daughter of two Russian Jews eager to return home to Joseph Stalin’s communist Russia. Used to living in Canada, Annette is less than enthusiastic about being uprooted, but the hope and optimism Russia harbours for the future under their new regime is contagious. The start of World War II begins to reveal all is not what it seems though, and as Annette grows she is faced with reconciling the propaganda with the truth. Surviving the war is an achievement in itself as it comes at a very high personal cost for Annette,...
Read MoreThe Lynching of Louie Sam by Elizabeth Stewart
Summary: When a local man is murdered and a Native named Louie Sam is suspected of the crime, the charged atmosphere of 1884 demands justice. Unhappy when the Canadian law enforcement seeks a trial for Louie Sam, a lynch mob calling themselves the Nooksack Vigilance Committee crosses the Canadian/United States border and strings him up to hang from a tree. George Gillies and his friend Pete Harkness are observers of the act, and afterwards George finds himself questioning the ‘facts’ of the case. As he pieces what really happened to Mr. Bell together, his challenge is trying to...
Read MoreRed Sea by Diane Tullson
Summary: Heading down a troubling path with a nineteen year-old boyfriend named Ty, fourteen year-old Libby takes it hard when her mother divorces her father to marry a new man named Duncan. Despite her attempts to break them up including her claim that Duncan has abused her, Libby still finds herself on a year-long sailing trip with Duncan and her mother. But when Libby’s stalling means their boat leaves for their Red Sea journey after the others they’ve been travelling with, an encounter with pirates changes all of their lives forever. Number of Pages: 169 Age Range: 13-14...
Read MoreWhen Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid
Summary: Despite facing prejudice on a daily basis for wearing makeup and dressing like a girl, Jude views life in the context of filming a movie in which Jude’s own experiences are the subject matter. Everyone in Jude’s life has a part to play, from the crew to the paparazzi and fans. Jude is in love with Luke, one of the movie stars of the production, and is irrepressible in expressing interest, even when punished for it. As Jude’s movie approaches its’ ending, Jude’s intentions to leave small town life and start over triumphantly in Hollywood are conquered by...
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