The Book of Michael by Lesley Choyce
Summary: When Michael gets out of jail after his wrongful conviction for the murder of his girlfriend Lisa, he finds that trying to go back to life as it was is impossible. Even though he has been exonerated, people still believe he is guilty and treat him differently. His struggle to land on his feet is supported by his grandmother Phyllis, the kindness of strangers and the former friends of Lisa, but figuring out what to do next takes some time. A poem from Lisa and letters from the person who really killed her end up giving him some direction. Number of Pages: 267 Age Range: 16-18 Review:...
Read MoreWay to Go by Tom Ryan
Summary: Seventeen year-old Danny is launched into the summer of 1994 with a new job and a secret that’s becoming increasingly more difficult to hide. Unsure of what he wants to do after senior year, what Danny does know is that he wants to get as far away as possible from the small town mentality of Deep Cove, Cape Breton Island. His summer job at The Sandbar opens up new possibilities and creates new friendships, but it is ultimately Danny who must decide what to do with his life and who is safe to share his secret with. Number of Pages: 214 Age Range: 15-17 Review: With a cast of...
Read MoreLast Summer in Louisbourg by Claire Mowat
Summary: After winning an essay writing contest, fifteen year-old Andrea is offered a chance to work at any Canada Park for the summer. She chooses to go to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to work at the historical Fortress of Louisbourg because she was born in the Maritimes and misses being there. Her summer job leads to new friends, a role in a movie production, and the revelation of a long held family secret. Number of Pages: 147 Age Range: 12-13 Review: The last book in The Girl From Away trilogy, main character Andrea is now fifteen years-old and venturing out to Cape Breton Island to...
Read MoreBlood Brothers in Louisbourg by Philip Roy
Summary: The stories of two teens interweave in 1700s Louisbourg, located in pre-Cape Breton Island. Jacques has been forced by his military father to leave his home in France to serve at the Fortress of Louisburg, and Two-feathers has encountered the Fortress in a search for his birth father, whom he knows is a Frenchman. Friendship with Celestine is the only connecting link between the two, because neither is aware of the real connection that binds them together. As the war between England and France comes to a head in the New World, Two-feathers must choose between love and duty to his...
Read MoreNix Minus One by Jill MacLean
Summary: Nixon (Nix) Humbolt is a fifteen year-old who pretty much keeps to himself. Working with his hands in his father’s carpentry shop seems to be the only time when things make sense and words aren’t needed. A friendship with a neighbour’s dog he names Twig gives him some confidence, but then his sister Roxy starts pushing the family boundaries with her new boyfriend. Left to pick up the pieces when the relationship goes south, Nix does his best to keep things together when the unthinkable happens. Number of Pages: 287 Age Range: 15-17 Review: For me, the beauty of...
Read MoreAbout Amy
Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
Sponsors
