Lily and Taylor by Elise Moser
Summary: Taylor and her nephew Mason move in with Taylor’s grandmother after her sister is killed by her partner Bracken. In an abusive relationship herself, Taylor is anxious about moving away from her boyfriend Devon and how upset he will be over their now limited contact. Taylor makes friends with a girl named Lily at school, and that friendship gives her a glimpse into what it is like to be loved and appreciated. When Devon shows up unexpectedly with a friend to take Taylor out, Lily can sense the danger behind his intentions and insists on going with them. They wind up in an...
Read MoreThe King’s Daughter by Suzanne Martel
Summary: Jeanne Chatel is an orphan taken in by nuns after her grandfather dies. Not suited for a life in the church, Jeanne is thrilled when she is accepted as a King’s Daughter to go across the ocean and marry a settler in New France. When she gets there, she takes the place of her friend Marie in an arranged marriage to Marie’s cousin after his first wife dies. Suddenly Jeanne is living in the wilds of the Canadian bush with two kids, discovering that a King’s Daughter is capable of more things than she ever dreamed. Number of Pages: 211 Age Range: 13-15 Review: Jeanne...
Read MoreJane, the Fox & Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault
Summary: Hélène is an outsider at school. Abandoned by her so-called friends and mercilessly teased by them, Hélène finds some solace in reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. She is dreading attending a class camping trip when she has no friends, yet she has to go. While Hélène is there she is so lonely she tries to befriend a fox, but it is a girl named Geraldine who manages to bring the outcasts of Hélène’s tent together to create new friendships. Hélène realises that plain girls like Jane Eyre deserve love too, and perhaps she doesn’t need to believe what the mean girls have...
Read MoreIf You Live Like Me by Lori Weber
Summary: Cheryl has followed her parents from coast to coast across Canada for her father’s job for the past four years, and all she wants is to go home to Montreal. But when her family ends up in Newfoundland so her father can write about the demise of the cod fishing industry, something different happens – she finds a friend and love interest in her neighbour, Jim. A dangerous situation involving Jim’s safety makes Cheryl realise she’s not longing for Montreal in the same way anymore, and when circumstances conspire to give Cheryl the opportunity to go home, she is...
Read MoreGuitar Hero by Day’s Lee
Summary: David Chang is a sixteen year-old who has a passion for playing guitar. His band’s attempt at entering the Montreal Rocks Contest reinforces that he still has a lot to learn, but he is committed to doing so, even when his father’s gambling debts mean his parents can’t pay for his guitar lessons anymore. He starts working for his guitar instructor to earn free guitar lessons, but being so strapped for cash at home gets to him and he makes a couple of stupid mistakes. David has also been keeping a close eye on his father with his gambling problem, and when he sees...
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