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Secondary School Grades (9-12) Basic Package |
These book titles are from our previous book package and can be back ordered through CanLit For Kids Books. To order individual titles or the whole package from this list, contact us at canlit@shaw.ca or by phone at 1-888-656-9906 |
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FICTION
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Afrika by Colleen Craig Regular list price $11.99 (Grades 7-11) (233 pages) For thirteen-year-old Kim, travel to South Africa with her journalist mother will mark the end of her childhood and the beginning of a remarkable journey. Expecting nothing more than three months in her mother’s homeland, Kim comes to terms with the country’s diverse and often shocking history. The Truth and Reconciliation Hearings in post-apartheid South Africa open her eyes to the tragedy and brutality of its segregationist policies. Layered and complex, this is a novel that raises questions and challenges beliefs.
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Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson Regular list price $25.00 (Grades 6 and up) (443 pages) Before she arrived at Green Gables, Anne Shirley had a difficult early life. Orphaned as a baby, she is sent from one foster-home to the next, caring for other people’s children though but a child herself, and escaping from her dark reality through the power of her vivid imagination. Curious, inventive, and outspoken, even at a young age, Anne battles to make a life for herself by searching out kindred spirits, finding solace in her books, and dreaming of the day she has a family of her own. Award-winning author Budge Wilson brings young Anne vibrantly to life in this fully authorized prequel to the much-loved Anne of Green Gables. It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the original publication. This is an excellent read. Reviewed by Sarah Ellis . Quill and Quire, January, 2008 "In Before Green Gables, a prequel to Anne, renowned Maritime writer Budge Wilson faces the paradox head on. In a recreation of Anne’s life from birth to age 11, Wilson pulls no punches. There’s no dumbing down and not a hint of parody... Loving and intelligent attention pretty much describes Wilson’s accomplishment, an impressive addition to the Anne canon."
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Big Big Sky by Krystyn Dunnion Regular list price $14.95 (Grades 10-12) (244 pages) Rustle is a young scout in a tight-knit female warrior group of five. They're trained to be aggressive, quick thinking, obedient, though for what exact purpose they couldn't quite tell you. But somehow the group is falling apart now. So when their StarPod is transported to the Living Lab, they all know that it's time to make a run for it, or else they'll be deplugged - finished, dead. And thus begins this account of five mutant girls who have to find their way in a totally unfamiliar world where they learn to survive. . . or not. |
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Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton Regular list price $15.99 (Grades 9-12) (382 pages) After the death of her mother, Chanda knows she alone is responsible for her five-year-old brother and six-year-old sister. Despite a strained relationship with her grandparents, Chanda turns to them for support, travelling to their remote rural village. But refuge is not what she finds. Without warning, rebels from across the border attack the village, kidnapping the children to serve as soldiers in a brutal civil war. Desperate, Chanda turns to a troubled young neighbour for help. Together, the two of them face miles of desolate bushland and a national park swarming with predators— animal and human. Chanda’s Wars—like its award-winning predecessor—is an unforgettable story of love, courage and inspiration, as told by a master storyteller with a boundless passion for life. |
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Cheating Fate by Audrey Pfitzenmaier Regular list price $12.95 (Grades 9-12) (284 pages) This is the charged story of four teens, all best friends. Loyal, compassionate, and trusting they accept their friendship bonds with a resoluteness that only another teen could understand. But when they survive a serious snowmobile accident and discover they share remarkable and frightening memories of their near-death experience, they fear that their fates are sealed and that they will die at some unknown time — together. The action is paced through four distinct voices Sukhwinder, a laidback Indo-Canadian teenager who loves his friends but gets lured into illegal activity with his urban cousins; Kyle, a restless teen wanting to conquer the motocross world with extreme riding; Jeremy, a sensitive teenager craving attention from a busy single father and absentee mother; and Cassidy, the only girl in the group of friends who fears for the boys and their flawed sense of invincibility.
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Dingo by Charles de Lint Regular list price $11.99 (Grades 9-12) (213 pages) High school student Miguel’s life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey, whose family has just moved from Australia. With her tumbled red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog—a real Australian dingo—she’s unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. Dingo is quintessential Charles de Lint—a mixture of darkness and hope, humour and mystery, and the friendship within love. |
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Emily’s Rebellion (Not Just Proms and Parties) by Patricia G. Penny Regular list price $8.95 (Grades 8-11) (144 pages) Emily has a mind of her own and a flair for defying her mother. When her grandmother asks her to house-sit, Emily jumps at the chance to throw a party, and makes sure to invite her new boyfriend's buddies. By the end of the night, her grandmother's jewelry has gone missing, and all fingers point to Emily’s boyfriend. Determined to clear his name, Emily starts digging to uncover the thief's identity, and in the process learns that her brooding boyfriend has more than his share of problems. Add to this the fact that Emily's parents are in the middle of a difficult separation, and that her brother has a gambling problem, and Emily realizes she needs to stop causing trouble and start figuring out how to help the people around her. From the "Not Just Proms & Parties" series for reluctant readers, ESL students, and any teen girl looking for a quick read with characters and plots she can relate to!
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Feral by Bev Cooke Regular list price $9.95 (Grades 8-11) (197 pages) (some mature language) She lives in fear—of the two-legs, of the noisy, massive trains that scream in and out of the station, of cats and rats and dogs and the dark of the tunnels. She lives in the subway, where the hard shoes kick her ribs, where shrill voices beat her ears, where she subsists on the garbage of the humans. But the little cat walks alone. Until she meets Candlewax, a street kid exiled from the subway tunnels, and Katherine, a student photographer who loves her on sight. From these two she learns that trust can banish fear and love provides a home wherever you are. Very clever, well written story. |
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Gotcha! by Shelley Hrdlitschka Regular list price $9.95 (Grades 9-12) (259 pages) This year the bead-snatching grad game called ‘Gotcha' has been banned as an official school activity because the teachers have decided to put an end to a dangerous tradition. However after the game is banned it becomes even more appealing and goes underground. Katie is reluctant to join in, but as a member of grad council she feels she has to go along. The game quickly spins out of control. Katie finds herself losing friends and falling victim to her classmates’ obsession with the game. Can she bring a safe end to this deadly game? |
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The Law of Three (A Sarah Martin Mystery) by Caroline Rennie Pattison Regular list price $12.99 (Grade 8-11) (228 pages) Sarah Martin isn‘t the only outsider in her small Muskoka town. But when she‘s teamed up with Byron Hopper for a geometry project, she discovers that she‘s had an easier time being accepted in her new town than some long-time residents. Byron‘s family has long been the subject of rumours. Sarah resolves to get closer to Byron to find out more about his family. In so doing, she learns that the family has another secret: they‘re Wiccans. As Sarah learns more about the family, she also cuts through popular misconceptions about Wicca and finds out what Wiccans believe, how they worship, and what values they hold dear. |
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Middle Row by Sylvia Olsen Regular list price $9.95 (Grade 9-12) (112 pages) (Reluctant Readers) Things have changed since Raedawn and Vince started going out and the racial boundaries in town have slipped a bit. But when Dune, who never took sides, disappears, Raedawn is determined to find out where he has gone - or what happened to him. Fighting against ignorance and hate, they track Dune down and find he is in more trouble than they thought and that nothing is black and white. |
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Mountain Girl River Girl by Ting-Xing Ye Regular list price $14.00 (Grade 9-12) (209 pages) Pan-pan and Shui-lian, two teenage girls born miles apart in modern-day rural China, leave home with dreams of a better future in Beijing or Shanghai. As dreams turn slowly into nightmares, they cross paths and decide to face their challenges together. This is a powerful tale of friendship and a stark, authentic portrait of modern China. |
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The Outlander by Gil Adamson Regular list price $18.95 (Grade 10 to adult) (387 pages) (New in paperback) In 1903 a mysterious, desperate young woman flees alone across the west, one quick step ahead of the law. She has just become a widow by her own hand. Gil Adamson's extraordinary novel opens in heart-pounding mid-flight and propels the reader through a gripping road trip with a twist -- the steely outlaw in this story is a grief-struck nineteen-year-old woman. As the young widow encounters characters of all stripes -- unsavoury, wheedling, greedy, lascivious, self-reliant, and occasionally generous and trustworthy -- Adamson weds her brilliant literary style to the gripping and moving tale of one woman's deliberate journey into the wild. Reviewed by Bronwyn Drainie . Quill and Quire, July, 2007 "Adamson’s outlander is Mary Boulton, a 19-year-old “widow by her own hand” – in other words, a murderess on the lam... There are plenty of improbabilities in The Outlander, and yet it’s a great read. Adamson is an impressive stylist who knows how to keep an unlikely story moving at a swift and graceful pace." |
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Pain & Wastings by Carrie Mac Regular list price $9.95 (Grade 9-12) (122 pages) (Reluctant Readers) At fifteen, Ethan is on the fast track to nowhere. In and out of group homes and constantly in trouble, Ethan is fighting to find a sense of who he is. After breaking into an amusement park and being savaged by a police dog, he is befriended by a paramedic. Offered a choice of court or going on a ride-along in an ambulance, Ethan takes what he thinks is the easy way out. On Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Ethan comes face to face with the horrific truth from his past and must learn to deal with where he came from—and where he is going. Reviewed by Deirdre Baker . Quill and Quire, March, 2008 "Carrie Mac’s story meets the guidelines and conventions of the Orca Soundings series with brisk efficiency. First-person narrator, present tense, colloquial language, limited vocabulary, and the drastic problems of urban youth are all part of the package... The fluidity of the storytelling, as well as the dramatic circumstances of the story, are likely to attract Orca Soundings readers."
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Skim by Mariko Tamaki Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki Regular list price $18.95 (Grade 9-12) (Graphic novel) (Mature themes) It's the early nineties and "Skim" is Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth stuck in a private girls' school in Toronto. When a classmate's boyfriend kills himself because he was rumoured to be gay, the school goes into mourning overdrive, each clique trying to find something to hold on to and something to believe in. It's a weird time to fall in love, but that's high school, and that's what happens to Skim when she starts to meet in secret with her neo-hippie English teacher, Ms. Archer. But when Ms. Archer abruptly leaves, Skim struggles to cope with her confusion and isolation, armed with her trusty journal and a desire to shed old friendships while cautiously approaching new ones. Depression, love, sexual identity, crushes, manipulative peers--teen life in all its dramatic complexities is explored in this touching, pitch perfect, literary graphic masterpiece. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki collaborate brilliantly in this poignant glimpse into the heartache of being sixteen.
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Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky Regular list price $9.95 (Grades 9-12) (179 pages) Sixteen-year-old Gordie Jessup is a good kid but he’s living a nightmare. His eighteen-year-old brother Chase’s two-year addiction to crystal meth has left their family emotionally and financially drained. And just when Gordie thinks he can no longer stand the manipulating, the lying and the stealing, things get even worse. Chase is arrested for aggravated assault, released on bail and sent home to his family. But his dealers are after him and Chase appeals to Gordie for help. Gordie, disgusted with his brother and fully aware that it’s a gamble, risks everything he has in the hope of bringing his family some peace.
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Y in the Shadows by Karen Rivers Regular list price $11.95 (Grade 9-12) (292 pages) Yale knows she’s a freak—one of those weird loser kids that everyone ignores. She’s not pretty or popular. But then Yale discovers something: if she tries hard enough, she can actually make herself disappear. And then she can move undetected among the people who made her feel like she didn’t exist. Only this time she’s listening. Watching. Planning what to do with her newly discovered power. This is the latest in Karen Rivers’ haunting XYZ trilogy, an edgy and compelling series for young adults. |
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The Betrayal of Africa by Gerald Caplin Regular list price $11.00 (Grades 9-12) (144 pages) There is a widespread assumption among rich countries that Africa is the problem and that we in the rich world are the solution. This book turns this complacent conventional wisdom on its head. It argues that the policies of rich countries, though couched in benevolent terms, are in fact responsible for many of the ills in Africa. While Africa faces a daunting list of challenges, the vast majority of the continent's citizens live ordinary lives with the hopes and dreams that all of us share. |
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The Curse of Akkad by Peter Christie Regular list price $11.95 (Gardes 7-10) (144 pages ) Climate-related events have rocked civilizations since ancient times. While many wonder how today’s warming climate will affect our future, this book explores capricious climate shifts of the past. From an ice age that gave humans an evolutionary leg up to an El Niño that frustrated the battle plans of Hitler, the author shows that the prevailing weather of a place is not simply a backdrop to important events, but often a critical player. This is an acclaimed writer’s exciting and enlightening look at climate’s frequent place at the helm of human history. |
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The Deserter’s Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq by Joshua key as told to Lawrence Hill Regular list price $14.95 (Grades 9-12) (233 pages) (New in paperback) In clear-eyed, compelling prose crafted with the help of award-winning Canadian novelist and journalist Lawrence Hill, The Deserter's Tale tells the story of a man who went into the war believing unquestioningly in his government and who was transformed into a person who ethically, morally, and physically could no longer serve his country. This is the first-ever memoir from a young soldier who participated for eight months in the war in Iraq and then fled to Canada. It offers a vivid and damning indictment of how the war is being waged. Reviewed by Andrew Kett. Quill and Quire, March, 2007 "The Deserter’s Tale, told by Joshua Key to Canadian novelist and journalist Lawrence Hill, shows Key, like many young men and women, joining the U.S. military to escape the poverty of his youth ...Key (who is his own worst critic in this book) ultimately decides to defect from the army. He goes AWOL with his wife and children and eventually ends up in Canada. On its own, it is a story worth telling: how a good man became lost in an immoral system, and in the process lost his livelihood, his nation, and part of himself." |
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Double Take: Karen Brain’s Olympic Journey by Nikki Tate Regular list price $12.95 (Grades 7 and up) (159 pages) From an early age, Canadian equestrian Karen Brain is determined to someday compete in the Olympics. Her first riding lessons aren't terribly encouraging, but Karen is determined. Soon after a tragic accident, jumping over obstacles becomes her specialty—literally and figuratively, as she struggles to get her own mount, the coaching she needs, and the funds to achieve her goals. This book is for young horse-lovers, biography fans, or simply anyone who loves an inspiring story. |
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How to Improve at Golf by Peter Parks Regular list price $11.95 (Grades 7-9) (48 pages) Become the best you can at whatever you choose to do! This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to master those tricky shots and enhance performance. Mastering the basic skills will lead to maximizing enjoyment of the game for both students and teacher-librarians!
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Kickstart: How Successful Canadians Got Started by Alexander Herman, Paul Matthews & Andrew Feindel Regular list price $26.99 (Grades 9-12) (204 pages) In 2005, recent graduates Alex Herman, Paul Matthews, and Andrew Feindel realised they weren't entirely sure where they were going in life. Then they had an idea. Over the next two years, they interviewed 70 well-known Canadians and asked them how they got started. The answers they found were not always what they expected. "Kickstart" profiles over 30 prominent Canadians, including professional athletes (former CFL star Norman Kwong), TV personalities (Valerie Pringle), Native leaders (Matthew Coon Come), and former prime ministers (Brian Mulroney). Their collective wisdom, offered in their own words, just might help readers "kickstart" their own lives and careers.
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Oil by James Laxer Regular list price $11.00 (Grades 9-12) (144 pages )
Oil, our main source of energy, underlies the world's economy. This tells the story of the ascent of the giant petroleum companies and how they seized control of oil fields and markets around the world. It also examines the relationship between oil and politics. And he explains the stark choices humanity faces as oil supplies diminish and as climate change, spurred on by the burning of petroleum and coal, threaten the future of the globe. |
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Passion for Fashion by Jeanne Beker Illustrated by Nathalie Dion Regular list price $22.99 (Grades 7 and up) (80 pages) This comprehensive career guide, with a detailed resource section at the back, is for those who dream of working in fashion. It captures the excitement, inspiration, and passion of the whole industry. From agent to designer, model, photographer, stylist, makeup artist, retail fashion director, publicist, journalist, fashion illustrator, creative director, editor-in-chief, trend forecaster, fashion show producer, color specialist, and personal shopper to all the people behind the scenes, it informs, entertains, and inspires.
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Want to Work in Oil and Gas? by Catherine Brownlee & Heather Johnson Regular list price $19.95 (Grades 10-12) (216 pages ) While this title focuses on the oil and gas industry it is essentially a guide to job search techniques. Topics include: how to make contact with the right people, making cold calls, writing great resumes and cover letters, conducting an interview and evaluating and negotiating an offer. The information is very current and the book is an easy read making it a valuable addition to any job seeker’s toolbox. |
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(5% gst, shipping and handling included)
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Copyright©2008 CANLIT FOR KIDS BOOKS Ltd.- All Rights Reserved.