Book Reviews

What Happened to Ivy by Kathy Stinson

Posted by on Jul 13, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

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...

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Ordinary Miracles by Diana Aspin

Posted by on Jul 12, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

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:...

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The Darkest Corner of the World by Urve Tamberg

Posted by on Jul 11, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

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...

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Posted by on Jul 10, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

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...

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Homeland by Cory Doctorow

Posted by on Jul 9, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

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...

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Week in Review: Ontario Continued

Posted by on Jul 9, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario, Week in Review | 0 comments

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