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 […]
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 […]
by E. K. JohnstonExit, Pursued by a Bear is a worthy successor to Laurie Halse Anderson’s seminal novel Speak. In Speak, Melinda Sordino was so traumatised by her assault that she was unable to even say the words “I was raped,” to herself, much less out loud for months afterwards. Hermione Winters, the protagonist of Exit, […]
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 […]
By Sophie Kinsella Sophie Kinsella, of the Shopaholic series fame, brings us this account of Audrey, a teen suffering from anxiety as the result of some sort of traumatic event (we don’t know what) that has sent her into darkness and despair. She is unable to leave her house, or go to school, or talk […]
By: Laura Ruby Gossip reigns high in the small farm town of Bone Gap, USA. In a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business (or at least thinks they do), Finn is laden with guilt over the misconceptions of his peers. Roza, a beautiful Polish woman who recently appeared in Bone Gap under mysterious circumstances […]
Lost in the Backyard By Alison Hughes I love survival stories, and this is a good one! Flynn is 13 and couldn’t care less about nature or the environment. He finds camping pretty boring and he doesn’t pay attention in his Outdoor Ed. class. He is far more interested in his phone and his Nike […]
The Best Mistake MysteryBy Sylvia McNicoll Stephen Noble tends to worry a lot. His mom often says that he makes too much out of things. But when the fire alarm goes off at school and all the kids get sent home without even getting their agendas, Stephen suspects something is really wrong. Later that afternoon, […]