Posts Tagged "Penguin Canada"

The Courtesan’s Daughter by Priscilla Galloway

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

Summary: Thirteen year-old Phano has had a complicated life. With a step-mother who is a Courtesan and a father who has mismanaged the money of relatives and friends, it seems her hopes of marrying well are slim. When Phano and her step-mother finally escape the clutches of Phrynion who claims to own them both, a journey begins that will see Phano in love with a man who is shortly to become the most powerful man in Greece. But will her claims to Athenian citizenship hold up under scruntiny Phrynion keeps raising? In a city facing likely invasion, the favour of the gods is not something to...

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Wake by Robert J. Sawyer

Posted by on Aug 5, 2014 in Book Reviews, Ontario | 0 comments

Summary: Fifteen year-old Caitlin has been blind since birth, but after a move to Waterloo, Ontario for her dad’s job, she receives an email from a Japanese scientist named Dr. Kuroda, who thinks he can restore her sight. The installation of this device has unintended side effects as instead of being able to see the world around her, Caitlin is able to see the World Wide Web. The device interpreting the signals coming through her visual cortex becomes a conduit for a growing web consciousness, and Caitlin is the first to realise there is something out there. Drawing inspiration from...

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As She Grows by Lesley Anne Cowan

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

Summary: Fifteen year-old Snow is mature beyond her years. Girlfriend of an eighteen year-old with his own apartment and caretaker of her grandmother who may have mental health issues but is definitely an alcoholic, she reaches her breaking point when her grandmother’s boyfriend tries to molest her in the middle of the night. For her own safety and protection, Snow moves into a group home and is determined to finish high school, until she learns the devastating news that she is pregnant. As her world slowly crumbles around her, she learns truths about her family history that leave her...

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Esther by Sharon E. McKay

Posted by on Mar 10, 2014 in Book Reviews, Quebec | 0 comments

Summary: Esther is a Jewish girl living in the 1700s, a time when both Jewish people and women are controlled and undervalued. An outsider in her own community due to the nature of her birth, Esther uses a shipwreck to escape her family after learning her father is going to marry her off to Red, the rag picker. She is rescued by Philippe, a sailor, who helps her get on her feet by finding her a place to stay and work. When things go wrong though, Esther transforms herself into a boy and runs away. Thus begins a series of adventures that lead her to New France, where she must confront the...

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Last Chance Bay by Anne Laurel Carter

Posted by on Jan 17, 2014 in Book Reviews, Nova Scotia | 0 comments

Summary: Thirteen year-old Meg Christie wants to be a pilot. Unfortunately she lives in 1940s Cape Breton Island where women are expected to get married, have children and keep house while their men work in the coal mines. Inspired by Amelia Earhart and a chance encounter with Beryl Markham, Meg pushes the boundaries of her small town with her dreams, encouraged by her older cousin Caleb and her teacher Miss MacKinnon. When Caleb enlists to fight in WWII, however, Meg is forced to reconsider her dreams in the face of having to take care of her family. Number of Pages: 169 Age Range: 13-16...

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