The Bone Collector’s Son by Paul Yee
Summary: Forced to accompany his father on one of his bone collecting assignments, Bing is fearful of the ghosts that may haunt them while his Ba is skeptical they exist. When the body they dig up doesn’t have a skull though and Ba’s health begins to deteriorate, Bing knows the bones are haunting them. Determined to help his father out since he is unable to work and to get away from collecting bones himself, Bing takes a job as a houseboy in a wealthy Vancouver household. Living in 1907 Bing faces the mounting prejudice against Asian people, but his cultural knowledge of ghosts...
Read MoreRoxy by PJ Reece
Summary: While attending the funeral of her despised great aunt, Roxy’s mother receives a phone call about her estranged father. He’s in a coma, and because her mother is completely overwhelmed at the thought of dealing with him, she sends Roxy in her place to Greece to sort things out. Just before she leaves however, Roxy gets some life-altering news herself. Arriving in Greece reveals a web of secrets and lies hiding the truth about her family’s history, as well as a connection to the land and a different kind of life. As Roxy uncovers the truth behind the lies, she also...
Read MoreSiena Summer by Ann Chandler
Summary: Spending her summer in Italy with relatives, Angela is taking a break from her mourning mother after the death of her father and exposing herself to a new way of life. When she has the opportunity to help out a family by exercising their horses, she jumps at the chance. Introduced to a horse she calls Storm who is marked to be destroyed after throwing another rider and stepping on her, Angela quickly realises this horse is scared instead of angry and endeavours to save his life. With a summer romance in the works, a new friend and a community caught up in an upcoming horse race,...
Read MoreVictoria by Silvana Goldemberg, translated by Emilie Smith
Summary: With younger twin brothers, Victoria knows living with her aunt and her aunt’s abusive boyfriend after her parents are out of the picture is not ideal, but isn’t sure how support them on her own. When her aunt’s boyfriend makes a pass at her though, Victoria has to choose between taking a risk by leaving home or being raped. Life on the streets of Parana, Argentina isn’t easy, and Victoria encounters several seedy characters dealing with drugs. Still she manages to find a place to live, support, and love, but all is put in danger when those calling the shots...
Read MoreWhat Happened This Summer by Paul Yee
Summary: A collection of short stories featuring Chinese teens living in Toronto. Stories cover generational rifts, identity issues, sexuality, immigration, the bonds of family and culture in the midst of the regular stress of finishing high school and growing up. Number of Pages: 178 Age Range: 15-17 Review: Sadly, a day is not long enough to do justice to a collection of short stories. I liked the way Paul Yee connected the stories in his book by using and referring to characters who all knew each other, but I needed more time to let the stories sink in and realise their true meaning. A...
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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