Revenge On The Fly By Sylvia McNicoll It’s the summer of 1912 and William Alton is traveling from Ireland to Canada to start a new life. William and his father, Arthur, will be reunited with Will’s Uncle Charlie and Will is to start school. The impoverished Altons have lost both Will’s mom and sister, Colleen, […]
By Natasha Tarpley A mystery with history, The Harlem Charade unites three very different kids who must solve a brutal attack on a senior while tracking down some precious paintings that could help save their Harlem neighbourhood. Jin is being raised by her grandparents and spends a lot of time in their bodega (corner grocery […]
by Jason ReynoldsCastle Cranshaw, aka Ghost, has been running for a long time. Three years ago, his father tried to shoot Ghost and his mom. His father is now behind bars, and Ghost has a lot of anger issues that lead to him continually getting into trouble at school.His mom works long hours at a […]
And Then It Happened By M & L Wade“…After dinner that evening, we had a large bonfire and the Head Counsellor read us some really hokey, kiddie stories… until Gordon interrupted and asked if he could tell a story. The Head Counsellor smiled and said, ‘Sure, go right […]
The Skeleton TreeBy Iain Lawrence I’ve already mentioned that I love survival stories and this one is no exception. Twelve-year-old Chris doesn’t know much about the outdoors. His parents never taught him to fish or hunt or survive in the wild. He’s scared of wild animals and downright terrified of mountain climbing. Chris’s dad, who […]
Don’t I Know You?by Marni Jackson There is a slightly surreal quality to Marni Jackson’s debut novel, Don’t I Know You? A novel broken into short stories, each one following Rose McEwan’s life from 16-60. These stories go through Rose’s life chronologically, and each one contains a pop culture figure as a central character role […]
Jungle JittersBy Lisa DalrympleThis post was originally published in Canadian Materials, Volume XXIII, Number 23, February 24, 2017. Tate, aka the Potato, is known as a pretty boring kid. Nonetheless, when he and some of his grade six classmates get the opportunity to travel to the Amazon with their teacher to help build a school, he […]
The Thickety: A Path BeginsBy J.A. White Kara Westfall is a witch – at least that’s what the townsfolk keep telling her. Her mother was a witch too, although Kara doesn’t remember any magic or spells. She does remember a loving mother whom she misses very much. Kara’s mother’s legacy and reputation as a witch […]
Mark of the Plague By Kevin Sands This follow up to the wildly popular Blackthorn Key is equally good. Christopher Rowe is back, but his master is dead. Although the apothecary shop has been left to him, he is still an apprentice and therefore not allowed to sell his wares. He is in dire straits […]
The Husband’s SecretThe Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty The Husband’s Secret was an unexpected choice for me as I don’t usually seek out mystery, and am always wary of it getting too dark and creepy. Luckily Liane Moriarty filled the bill on a great, suspenseful read. A mysterious sealed letter from her husband- to […]