Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
Summary: When her mother dies, Jameela and her father move quickly to Kabul, Afghanistan, where her father remarries. His new wife doesn’t like Jameela, and convinces him to abandon her in the marketplace. Taken in by a kindly butcher and his family, Jameela makes new friends until they send her to an orphanage because they can’t take on the responsibility of another dependent. It turns out though that the orphanage is the best thing to ever happen to Jameela because there she is educated and appreciated, plus a surgeon from the American army fixes her cleft lip. Circumstances...
Read MoreThe Waiting Tree by Lindsay Moynihan
Summary: After being outed in his small and highly religious community not long after the death of his parents, Simon is trying to cope with his boyfriend Stephen being sent off to be reprogramed, and becoming the main caregiver of Jude, his twin brother who is mute. It’s a lot to handle for a seventeen year-old, and with only partial support from his brothers, Simon is forced to drop out of high school and get a job to pay for the necessities of life. Tensions run high at home because Simon’s oldest brother Paul thinks he should automatically be in charge, but Simon finds Paul...
Read MoreTo Dance at the Palais Royale by Janet McNaughton
Summary: Moving across the ocean from Scotland to Toronto, Ontario, Aggie Maxwell is joining her sister Emma in a new country to work as a domestic and raise money to fund the rest of her family’s immigration to Canada. At seventeen, Aggie finds herself the recipient of more than one young man’s affections, but love takes its time finding her. Her job and life as an independent young woman change her and give her confidence, so when she does fall in love with a man named Will, she is ready to make her own decisions about her life. Now she just has to figure out if she can stand...
Read MoreVirginia by Susan Hughes
Summary: During the summer before starting high school, Ivy receives an odd phone call from her former friend Virginia. Convinced she has been visited by an angel and is going to have God’s baby, Virginia wants Ivy to bear witness to these miraculous events, but Ivy is skeptical. In her own home life, Ivy is dealing with an alcoholic mother who defies any interventions, and a sister who is getting married, much to her mother’s dismay. Still Ivy finds the time to follow up on her concern for Virginia, picking up on the strange vibes from Virginia’s family and investigating...
Read MoreThe Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
Summary: In group therapy for teens dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Adam falls for Robyn, a fellow group member. Adam’s life isn’t easy, he’s trying to figure out how to best manage his illness but finds himself taking care of everyone else before himself. Determined to rescue Robyn too, Adam builds a friendship with her that turns into a relationship, and as she works through her issues Robyn is able to let go of her obsessive compulsive behaviours. For Adam though, OCD is something he will probably deal with for the rest of his life. Inspired by his...
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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