All Good Children by Catherine Austen
Summary: Upon returning to New Middleton after attending his Aunt Sylvia’s funeral, Max notices that children at his sister Ally’s school are beginning to change. Once playful, rambunctious and loud children have become docile and rule-abiding, all impulsivity and free-thinking removed. This behaviour is spreading up the school grades thanks to mandatory ‘vaccinations,’ and Max and his friend Dallas find themselves pretending to be zombies just to fit in after Max’s mother rescues them from getting the shot. Living in a society that focuses on using its...
Read MoreGood for Nothing by Michel Noel
Summary: Fifteen year-old Nipishish comes home to life on the reserve from residential school with a lot of anger. Unsure of his place and his future, he is directed by the Canadian government to attend high school in another town and live with a foster family, but while the abuse has ended, Nipishish continually comes up against blatant racism. Caught between the world of the white man and the world of the Natives as a Métis, Nipishish has to work twice as hard to figure out who he is and how he fits in. A mystery involving his father’s death helps him clarify his own identity, and...
Read MoreYellow Mini by Lori Weber
Summary: A collection of free verse poems that make up stories about growing up told from various perspectives. Storylines include Mark and his grieving process over his father dying, Stacey and her need for attention, Annabelle focusing on changing the world, Christopher falling in love and getting his first girlfriend and Mary stepping out of her shell to play in the school’s talent show. These stories intertwine with each other, and insights are provided by everyone involved. Number of Pages: 240 Age Range: 13-15 Review: Yellow Mini by Lori Weber is a free-verse novel that contains...
Read MoreWhat World is Left by Monique Polak
Summary: Anneke and her family are forced to live in Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II because they are Jewish. Only 14 when she enters the camp, Anneke quickly loses her innocent and childlike nature in favour of survival at any cost. But although death touches those around them, causing Anneke to lose friends and a romantic interest, Anneke’s family makes out of Theresienstadt alive. Now 16, Anneke is forever changed, and must find a way to come to terms with everything her family had to do to survive. Number of Pages: 215 Age Range: 14-16 Review: Survival, for...
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
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