A laugh-out-loud coming of age story of one teen’s preposterous experience in a wilderness therapy program.
Daniel grew up in the shadow of his older sister, the brash, self-assured and utterly reckless Jackie, now living with her dirtbag boyfriend and wandering through dead-end jobs. When his parents find her marijuana stash in his closet and decide they do not want him to turn out like his sister, Daniel suffers the “trickle-down parenting” effect and is sent to Quest Trail.
Surrounded by other similarly uprooted teens, Daniel endures a series of preposterous self-discovery exercises and gets caught up in a rivalry with Troy, a too-tough poser, as they vie for the attention of Vera, a charismatic California teen who grew up with too much money and not enough emotional connection.
Just as Daniel’s confidence begins to grow and things start to look up, the Quest Trail program dissolves into complete chaos.
Sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, Off Trail shows an authentic account of all the embarrassing and heart-wrenching moments of being a teen.
Winner: Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Amazon First Novel Awards, Kobo Emerging Author Prize. Finalist: Scotiabank Giller Prize, Atwood Gibson Writers Trust Prize, BC & Yukon Book Prize. Shortlist: Indigenous Voices Awards. Finalist: Kobo Emerging Author Prize. National Bestseller, a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of the Year, a CBC Best Book of the Year, an Apple Best Book of the Year, a Kobo Best Book of the Year, an Indigo Best Book of the Year.
Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention.
Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them. The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome, or at least forget, the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission.
Fuelled by rage and furious with God, Clara finds her way into the dangerous, highly charged world of the American Indian Movement. Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations. Famous for his daring escapes from the school, Kenny can’t stop running and moves restlessly from job to job—through fishing grounds, orchards and logging camps—trying to outrun his memories and his addiction. Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together. After almost beating one of his tormentors to death, Howie serves time in prison, then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew.
With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward.
The tenth book in the Six-Word Memoir series tells the story of a world we never expected to be in and can’t stop talking about. Told through the lens of students, teachers and parents around the world, A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year offers hundreds of inspirational, playful and profound takes on life during the pandemic. For some, this book will be a window. For others, a mirror of their own experience. For all of us, A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year is a time capsule to be read, shared and discussed and is certain to prompt friends, family and neighbors to ask each other: "What's your six-word pandemic story?"
A mysterious will launches the Math Kids into their riskiest adventure yet! When FBI Special Agent Carlson is kidnapped while investigating the plane crash of Willard Howell, an eccentric billionaire inventor, the Math Kids spring into action. If Catherine, Stephanie, Justin, and Jordan can figure out the Great Triangle mentioned in Howell's will, they might just uncover who's behind the crash and Agent Carlson's kidnapping―if they don't get caught themselves!
This middle grade book introduces readers to mathematical patterns, features an action-packed plot with international intrigue and includes an appendix for hands-on learning.
Life’s a pitch for teen football star Adrian "Colombian Cannon" Molina. With his powerful shot, he seems a shoe-in for the European junior league. When a Regents United elite prep school scout offers him a full scholarship, the news seems too good to be true. Adrian's celebration is short lived thanks to his meeting with team star, Titan Evans. Titan is everything Adrian is not; rich, powerful and connected. Despite that, Titan sees the Colombian Cannon as a threat to his domination on the pitch. Hallway brawls, threatening notes and constant bullying from Titan and his cronies consume Adrian’s new life along with crippling anxiety attacks thanks to the fear of losing his spot on the team.
Soccer and graphic novel fans will love the excellent illustration and high-action story.
They’ll also smile over some good lines like an announcer’s “Someone ring the Royal Air Force. Regent’s captain just turned the ball into a UFO!”