Special Collections
High Interest Y. A. Novels
Description: High Interest, Low Vocabulary books are for teenagers looking to advance their reading capabilities. Perfect for emerging teen readers. #teens
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Chains
by Laurie Halse AndersonFrom acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling first novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.
Chance and the Butterfly
by Maggie De VriesEvery time Chance turns around, he gets in trouble. In school, he can't sit still. Reading is hard and math is harder, but anything to do with science fascinates him. When his class starts raising butterflies from caterpillars, Chance is hooked. School is suddenly fun again, but when he decides to take his caterpillar home, he learns that loving something often means letting it go.
Chasing Brooklyn
by Lisa SchroederWhen Lucca died, no one took it harder than his best friend, Gabe. It's exactly one year later, and Gabe has just died of a drug overdose. Tragedy striking yet again. Brooklyn, Lucca's girlfriend, has learned to wear a mask of strength and indifference after losing the boy she loved. But inside, her emotions are in turmoil. Now her dreams are being haunted by a ghost, gray and sinister. She knows it's Gabe chasing after her, but she doesn't know why. She's desperate to find a way to stop the nightmares, but she feels like she has no one to turn to. Nico, Lucca's brother, has learned to cope by shutting everyone out. So when he learns of Gabe's death, he's not too fazed by it. But soon he begins hearing voices in his sleep, seeing notes on his window, and getting general signs requesting him to do one thing: Save Brooklyn. Convinced it's Lucca, Nico reaches out to help Brooklyn as best he can. Together they discover a mutual desire to live again, as they also discover a growing desire for each other.
Chat Room
by Kristin ButcherLinda joins her high school's private online forum and gains a following, but someone wants to take it offline. Linda is shy and avoids getting involved at school. But when her high school sets up online chat rooms she can't resist the urge to visit them. Fuelled by interest in a student with the nickname Cyrano, Linda participates in online conversations using the nickname Roxane and gains a reputation as the queen of one-liners. Soon Linda starts receiving gifts from a secret admirer who signs his gifts, "C." She is certain that her life has taken a turn for the better until "C" reveals his true identity. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Chief Honor
by Sigmund BrouwerLauren Cross is the first female player on a WHL team—goaltender Joseph Larken's team, the Spokane Chiefs. For Joseph, the prospect of a season in the publicity shadow of a new female goalie promises to be a nightmare. Hiding behind a carefully built wall of anger, Joseph is relieved when a scandal knocks Lauren off the team…until he begins to believe she was framed.
Chill
by Colin FrizzellHow far will Chill and Sean go to expose a teacher's deception? (Orca Soundings)
A Christmas Carol (Adapted)
by Charles Dickens and Emily HutchinsonAdapted from the classic by Emily Hutchinson. This 88-page book includes described drawings and an 8-page study guide at the end.
Cobra Strike
by Sigmund BrouwerAfter discovering tainted water in the creek near his grandmother's cabin in the Kentucky hills, senior Roy Linden slowly uncovers a connection between his high school team's new star quarterback, his own football future, and the source of the pollution. Roy Linden should be thrilled. His high school football team, the Johnstown Striking Cobras, just got a new quarterback, and that means a chance at a winning season and a college scholarship for Linden, the team's senior receiver. But then he stumbles onto a deadly secret in the small coal-mining town. Revealing this toxic threat may cost him his best friend and his football career. But remaining silent could cost him much more.
Comeback
by Vicki GrantRia is rich, slim, pretty, and popular. If you only knew her at school, you'd think she led a charmed life—and until recently you'd have been right. But her situation has taken a sudden, unfortunate change. Her parents' seemingly perfect marriage has broken up, and before she's had a chance to absorb the blow, her beloved father disappears in a plane crash. What's worse, rumors begin to surface that he may have perpetrated a multimillion-dollar investment scam and everybody—Ria's mother, her best friends, even her boyfriend—believes them. Ria sees no choice but to take her little brother and run. She vows to keep the memory of her father alive. Soon, though, she begins to wonder: is her memory playing tricks on her—or is he? Also available in Spanish or French. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
The Compound
by S. A. BodeenEli and his family have lived in the Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone. Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. Now, they can't get out. He won't let them.
Corner Kick
by Bill SwanMichael Strike is captain of both the school soccer and chess teams. He's got his eye on fellow soccer player and overachiever Miriah, the founder of the youth organization War Orphans of the World. Miriah is quick to befriend a new student, Zahir Jamiat, who has recently moved from the Middle East, but Michael sees the newcomer as a rival. When Michael works up to confronting Zahir, he discovers they have more in common that he initially thought. Corner Kick is a much-needed story of tolerance and friendship.
Courage on the Line
by Cynthia BatesAmelie has nightmares. She's a talented and well-liked player on her basketball team in Ottawa, but as a tournament game against her old school approaches, she seems more and more frightened. Her teammates wonder why she left her last school in the middle of the year, and why she's reluctant to meet her old friends again. Amelie finds she must confront the past, for her own good and for that of the team. "Courage on the Line" shows how sport can provide the courage to face violence, on the court and off.
Cracked
by Michele Martin BossleyTrevor, Nick and Robyn are ready to solve another mystery. When bobsledder Josh Gantz is accused of deliberately injuring a fellow competitor, he runs the risk of being thrown out of the sport—right before the World Cup. Courtney Gantz asks Trevor, Nick and Robyn to help clear her brother's name. Can they find out who framed Josh? What is the meaning of the strange coded messages they keep finding around Olympic Park? Who eats orange bananas, anyway? The kids must unearth the clues in a race against time, before Josh's championship dreams end up on ice. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Crossbow
by Dayle Campbell GaetzFourteen-year-old Matt has only one goal in life: to become a hermit. He has no use for school, but he loves the solitude of the forest. When he hikes up to the cabin he built for himself, he discovers a mysterious stranger named Forrest has moved in. At first, Matt doesn't connect Forrest's appearance with the rash of local robberies. Forrest seems to be the perfect hermit, and he teaches Matt the skills he needs to achieve his goal, including how to hunt with a crossbow. But when Forrest tries to kill an endangered Roosevelt elk, Matt questions the ethics of his new friend. When Matt discovers a stolen rifle in his cabin, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous situation. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Crossover
by Jeff RudFifteen-year-old Kyle Evans has been a jock for years -- a triple threat basketball player who can dribble, pass or shoot with considerable skill. But once he decides to try out for the school musical production at Sainsbury High, Kyle finds there is much more to life than hightops and hookshots. Conflicting priorities cause problems between Kyle and his coaches, teachers, teammates and friends. And when his buddy Lukas becomes the target of homophobic hatred, Kyle is left with some difficult choices to make.
Crush (Orca Books)
by Carrie MacHope, the daughter of hippies and raised on a commune, goes to spend the summer in New York while her parents are in Thailand. She meets a girl, has a crush on her, and questions whether she is a lesbian or just going through a phase.
Curve Ball
by John DanakasTom Poulos is sure his baseball team, the Jarvis Badgers, will make the Toronto playoffs this year.He' s looking forward to a summer of playing little league and watching big league ball, until he' s sent to Winnipeg to stay with relatives he hasn't even met. Winnipeg doesn't have a major league team and his Uncle Nick, a first-generation migrant from Greece, is strange in an old-world kind of way. Tom soon finds, however, that a smaller field still offers plenty of challenges--to play and to learn. "Curve Ball" shows how unexpected changes--in sport and in life--offer opportunities to learn and to grow.
Dancing Naked
by Shelley HrdlitschkaKia is sixteen and pregnant. Her world crumbles as she attempts to come to terms with the life growing inside her and what she must do. Initially convinced that abortion is her only option, Kia comes to understand that for her, the answers are not always black and white. As the pregnancy progresses, Kia discovers who her real friends are and where their loyalties lie. It is through her relationship with the elderly Grace that she learns what it means to take responsibility for one's life and the joy that can come from trusting oneself. Faced with the most difficult decision of her life, Kia learns that the path to adulthood is not the easily navigable trail she once thought, but a twisting labyrinth where every turn produces a new array of choices, and where the journey is often undertaken alone.
The Dangerous Breakup
by Anne SchraffHigh school junior Reece tried to break up with Natalie, but Natalie didn't like that idea. One of her favorite activities with Reece was to watch gory movies, the more gruesome the better. She liked to choose what they would do. She got jealous if he spent time with anyone, including his family. After the breakup, she began doing more and more to try to get him back, like sending dead flowers to his new girlfriend's parents, scratching words on his car, and eventually even kidnapping him. Will Reece survive being locked up in a remote spot while she has him at gunpoint?
Danger Zone
by Michele Martin BossleyJason loves playing for his Calgary hockey team, but everything changes when he accidentally checks an opposing player from behind. The player hits the boards hard and is seriously hurt, and Jason faces suspension from the league. Against tough odds, Jason must find a way to prove himself -- to his family, his friends, his teacher and to his team. Powerful and entertaining, Danger Zone follows the struggle of an underdog -- both on and off the ice.
Daredevil Club
by Pam WithersKip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff-diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil Club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Also available in French.
The Darwin Expedition
by Diane TullsonTej and Liam are going snowboarding. When they take a shortcut over a treacherous logging road and have an accident, their adventure becomes more about survival than fresh powder. Tracked by a hungry bear, while trying to outrun the weather without any food, Tej and Liam learn about their friendship and what it will take to survive. When Tej is hurt, Liam decides he has to go for help—alone.
Dead End Job
by Vicki GrantFrances works the night shift at a local convenience store, dividing her time between restocking shelves and working on her art. Her routine is broken one night when Devin comes into the store. He claims to be the son of a famous local artist and offers her advice on her drawings. Although he seems to know way too much about her, Frances decides, against the advice of her boyfriend, that he is odd but harmless. By the time she realizes the danger she is in, Devin is completely obsessed with her and convinced that if he can't have her, no one will. Frances will be forced to use all her strength to escape from Devin.
Dead in the Water
by Robin StevensonDespite his father's opposition, Simon "Spacey" Drake is determined to become a long-distance sailor, so he signs up for a week-long live-aboard sailing course. The trip gets off to a rough start, but the real trouble begins when Simon and Olivia, another student, get curious about a nearby cabin cruiser in an anchorage. They investigate and stumble upon an abalone poaching operation, but the poachers have far too much at stake to let a couple of kids get in their way. Simon has always believed that the only person you can count on is yourself, but when he and Olivia find their lives in danger, he knows they will have to work with the rest of the crew if they are to survive.
Death Benefits
by Sarah N. HarveyRoyce (aka Rolly) is having a bad year. Not only has his mother dragged him across the country in order to be close to her aged father Arthur, a celebrated cellist, but he's also recovering from mono. When he convinces his mother to let him finish the school year by correspondence, he's left feeling isolated and lonely, and spends his time watching TV and plotting ways to get back to his friends in Nova Scotia. But before his plans can be implemented, his grandfather has a small stroke. Suddenly Arthur needs more care than Royce's mother can provide and, after a couple of hired care aides quit, Royce is pressed into service. Looking after a ninety-five-year-old—especially one as cantankerous, crafty and stubborn as Arthur—is a challenge. But as Royce gets to know the eccentric old man—who loves the Pussycat Dolls, hates Anderson Cooper and never listens to the kind of music that made him famous—he gradually comes to appreciate that his grandfather's life still has meaning. Even if Arthur himself seems to want it to end.