A Hijacked Future World

Imagine a world…
where it is unsafe to walk to school,
unsafe to leave your home without armed guards.

Imagine a world…
where children are implanted with transmitters,
so they can be found if kidnapped.

Taken

Bloor, Edward. Taken. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
In 2036, wealthy Americans live behind security gates in fear of being kidnapped, and transmitters are surgically implanted into their children so they can be found if kidnapped. Armed guards escort their children to and from school. Thirteen-year-old Charity tries to follow the survival strategies she has been taught when she is snatched from her home in the middle of the night. An engrossing novel for readers 12-years-old and up. [Fathers and daughters; Florida; Kidnapping; Poverty; Science fiction]

More science fiction novels: HERE

A Mystery

Looking for a traditional mystery novel?

“It often seems to me that’s all detective work is, wiping out your false starts and beginning again.”
“Yes, it is very true, that. And it is just what some people will not do. They conceive a certain theory, and everything has to fit into that theory. If one little fact will not fit it, they throw it aside. But it is always the facts that will not fit in that are significant.”Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile

Cobra Strike

Brouwer, Sigmund. Cobra Strike. Custer, WA: Orca Book Publishers, 2007.
“After 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.” – CIP.  Other novels in this sports series focus on soccer, racing, baseball, basketball and track. Written by a prolific author, this series will appeal to sports fans 12-years-old and up.

Half-moon

Colfer, Eoin. Half-moon Investigations. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2006.
“Fletcher Moon, nicknamed “Half Moon” because of his shortness, must track down a conspiracy or be framed for a crime he did not commit.” – CIP. A humorous story for 11 to 13-year-olds. [Gangs; Ireland]

Smith

Garfield, Leon. Smith. London: Puffin, 2004.
“Moments after he steals a document from a man’s pocket, an illiterate young pickpocket in eighteenth-century London witnesses the man’s murder by two men who want the document.” – CIP. Highly recommended for competent readers 12-years-old and up. Other great mysteries by Garfield: Black Jack and John Diamond[London, England; Historical fiction; Orphans; Thieves]

Quid Pro Quo

Grant, Vicki. Quid Pro Quo. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2005.
“When Cyril MacIntyre’s mother disappears, Cyril must use every skill at his disposal to find and rescue her.” — CIP A humorous quick read for 11 to 13-years-old. Sequel: Res Judicata. [Canada; Lawyers; Mothers and sons]

Ghost Canoe

Hobbs, Will. Ghost Canoe. New York: Avon Books, 1998, c1997.
“Fourteen-year-old Nathan, fishing with the Makah in the Pacific Northwest, finds himself holding a vital clue when a mysterious stranger comes to town looking for Spanish treasure.” – CIP. A spell-binding adventure for readers 12-years-old and up.

The Great Trouble

Hopkinson, Deborah. The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.
“Eel, an orphan, and his best friend Florrie must help Dr. John Snow prove that cholera is spread through water, and not poisonous air, when an epidemic sweeps across their London neighborhood in 1854.” – CIP. [Cholera; Epidemics; Historical fiction; London, England; Orphans]

Kidnapped The Abduction

Korman, Gordon. The Abduction. New York : Scholastic, 2006.
The first in a trilogy by a prolific Canadian author. The short novels are recommended for readers, 9 to 13-years old, who want a quick read.

Mystery at Lake Placid

MacGregor, Roy. Mystery at Lake Placid. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2013.
The first in the Screech Owl hockey series, written by a Canadian sports columnist. These short, action-packed novels are ideal for sports lovers up to 13-years-old. Website for the series: HERE

Eye of the Crow

Peacock, Shane. Eye of the Crow. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2007.First in a series of six novels about 13-year-old Sherlock Holmes. Winner of multiple awards. [Historical fiction; London, England] Website for series: HERE.

The Maze of Bones

Riordan, Rick. The Maze of Bones. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.
The first in the lengthy 39 Clues series. Written by various well-known and competent authors, each novel furthers the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill who discover their family has been powerful in world events throughout history.  Recommended for 9 to 12-year-olds. Website of series: HERE

Framed

Rose, Malcolm. Framed! Boston : Kingfisher, 2005.
In a futuristic London, Luke qualifies as the youngest-ever forensic investigator. But his first case is complicated by the fact that it appears he is the murderer! First in a series. Author’s website: HERE

Murder on the Canadian

Wilson, Eric. Murder on the Canadian. Toronto : HarperCollins, 1996, c1976.First in a lengthy Canadian series featuring Tom and Liz Austen, these short but well-written mystery novels will appeal to readers 11 to 14 -years-old. Author’s website: HERE

More mysteries: HERE

“As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Coming of Age: Novels for Young Adults

“At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” – Lemony Snicket

What I Was

Rosoff, Meg. What I Was.  Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2007.
“In 1960s Britain, a young boarding school student breaks rules to maintain a friendship with a reclusive teen who lives in a hut by the sea, and after his friend falls ill, learns a dark secret that changes both of their lives.” – ARBookfinder. Highly recommended for mature introspective readers in grade 8 and up. [Boarding schools; England; Friendship; Historical fiction; Homelessness; Secrets]

More young adult novels: HERE

Christopher, Lucy. The Killing Woods. New York : Chicken House/Scholastic, 2014.
“When her father, an ex-soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, is arrested for murder, Emily’s efforts to exonerate him take her into the woods to play the Game, an extreme version of childhood games.” – CIP. Recommended for readers in grade 8 and up. [Fathers and daughters; Games; Mystery and detective stories; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Young adult fiction]

More mystery novels: HERE

“It is a very strange sensation to inexperienced youth to feel itself quite alone in the world, cut adrift from every connection, uncertain whether the port to which it is bound can be reached, and prevented by many impediments from returning to that it has quitted.” – Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Kiely, Brendan. The Gospel of Winter. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014.
Sixteen-year-old Aidan turns to his priest for help when his family falls apart. But after gaining his trust, his priest turns to him for sex. Aidan suffers in silence until something happens that gives him the courage to speak up. A powerful novel for mature readers. [Faith; Friendship; Priests; Secrets; Sexual abuse; Teenagers]

More novels about abuse: HERE

Yellow Line

Olsen, Sylvia.  Yellow Line. Victoria: Orca, 2005.
In Vince’s small town, the First Nations people and the white people don’t mix. Not until Vince starts dating a girl from the reserve. And everyone seems determined to separate them. A short but powerful ‘Orca Soundings’ novel for readers in grades 8 through 12.  [Bullying; Racism; Prejudice; Courage; First Nations; Love; Canada; Peer pressure; Young adult fiction]

More novels about dating: HERE

Becoming Chloe

Hyde, Catherine Ryan. Becoming Chloe. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
[This] is the story of Jordan who lives a lonely life in the streets. This all changes when he meets Chloe. Chloe, a small blonde girl who has also lived her life in the streets, thinks the world is ugly and full of misery. But when, Jordan takes Chloe on a road trip across the country to show her that the world is a wonderful place, they have lots of adventures, make many memories, and Chloe changes her mind. She realizes that the world really is a beautiful place. This book entertains, heals your heart, and feeds your soul. I really enjoyed reading it… – Megan. [Automobile travel; Friendship; Gays; Homelessness; New York City]

More novels about independent young adults:HERE

“Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.” – Charles Dickens


Fly into Books

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” – Frederick Douglass

“Frederick Douglass taught that literacy is the path from slavery to freedom. There are many kinds of slavery and many kinds of freedom, but reading is still the path.” – Carl Sagan

“There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” – Frank Serafini, Arizona literacy professor

It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations—something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own. – Katherine Patterson

“All the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk.” – Lemony Snicket

One and Only

Literary classics for children and adolescents: HERE

Newbery Medal winners: HERE

Realistic easy-to-read novels for adolescents: HERE

Good Places

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
–  Anatole France, French novelist

Everything on a Horse

Hobbie, Holly. Everything but the Horse. New York: Little, Brown, 2010.
Holly and her family move to the country. They have cats and ducks, geese and chickens. They even have a dog.  But they do not have a horse.  And a horse is what Holly longs for when she wakes up on her birthday. Cheerful full-page illustrations help tell a heart-warming story based on the author’s childhood. [Birthdays; Country life; Farm life; Horses]

More stories based on recollections: HERE

I Want a Dog

Khalsa, Dayal Kaur. I Want a Dog. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2002, c1987.
May desperately wants a dog. But her parents will not get her one. So she gets a roller skate, ties it to a leash and sets off on a walk. Lively, full-page illustrations help tell this humorous story, the winner of various awards including the Governor General’s Award and Best Children’s Book of the Year, NYPL. [Dogs; Humorous stories; Imagination; Pets]

More stories with strong female protagonists: HERE

“It is good people who make good places.”
– Anna Sewell, Black Beauty