A Foreign Field by Gillian Chan
Summary: Growing up during World War II in Hagersville, Ontario, fourteen year-old Ellen finds herself thrust into a homemaker role as her mother invests herself in volunteer work to aid the war effort. When her younger brother is brought home by a pilot-in-training named Stephen from England, Ellen’s family embraces him as he seems to fill the gap left by Ellen’s older brothers being away at war. Over time, Ellen and Stephen’s friendship develops into something more, and though the end of Stephen’s training brings physical separation as he sent to be a bomber in...
Read MoreWhat Happened to Ivy by Kathy Stinson
Summary: Growing up with a younger sister dealing with cerebral palsy, David is used to being independent and coming second in his parents’ attentions. In love with the girl across the street, David’s attraction only grows when Heather shows she is comfortable being around Ivy and his parents. But a trip to the family cottage changes everything when David’s dad takes Ivy for a swim and she has a seizure and dies. When questions are raised about whether Ivy’s death was accidental or intentional and David’s father comes out with a startling confession, David...
Read MoreOrdinary Miracles by Diana Aspin
Summary: A collection of short stories located in fictional town of Sky Falls, Ordinary Miracles begins with the story of a home boy named Art who is sent to Canada to work on a farm from an orphanage in England. A mysterious encounter as a child gives him hope for the future, and the collection tells his story and the stories of teens dealing with issues of identity, family, self-esteem, grief and the tragedy of life. The last story brings everything full circle for Art, and gives his granddaughter Amy some closure on a sudden loss in her life. Number of Pages: 167 Age Range: 15-18 Review:...
Read MoreThe Darkest Corner of the World by Urve Tamberg
Summary: Living in Estonia during World War II, Madli witnesses her independent homeland being taken over by the Soviet army. As the army tries to convince Estonian citizens to become comrades, Madli’s father is arrested for writing about the truth of the occupation. When Madli and her brothers go to stay with their grandparents for a summer vacation, they find themselves in the middle of the war, caught between the Soviets on one side and the Nazis on the other. Faced with impossible decisions when it comes to trying to survive and protect those she loves, Madli ponders the importance...
Read MoreFalling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Summary: On the island of Mytica, the three kingdoms of Limeros, Paelsia and Auranos have co-existed somewhat peacefully for centuries in cultures steeped with myths of powerful goddesses and mysterious watchers. When the Auranos’ princess is involved in a Paelsian wine deal gone horribly wrong, it becomes an international incident that fuels old grudges between the kingdoms. Taking advantage of the growing unrest to achieve darker ambitions of blood lust and power, the Limeros’ king offers to partner with Paelsia in a war against Auranos. As the three kingdoms clash, four teens on the cusp...
Read MoreHomeland by Cory Doctorow
Summary: In the sequel to Little Brother, Marcus is mysteriously approached by Masha at an event called The Burning Man with a USB stick containing the key to unlocking secrets from the US government with strict instructions to release the documents if something happens to her. When he sees Masha being kidnapped and can’t stop it, Marcus takes some time to realise he must follow through on his promise. Uncovering over 800,000 files detailing horrendous abuses of power, Marcus teams up with some old friends to go through them and figure out how to leak them to the public. Living in San...
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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