2016 Wordfest authors – The List

Meeting an actual person who wrote an Rencontrer LA personne qui a écrit un livre -en actual book -especially one that students particulier celui que les élèves ont lu et apprécié- have read and enjoyed- is a rare, captivating est une expérience relativement rare, captivante and transformative experience. Wordfest et précieuse. Wordfest et le Festival des mots Youth supplies authors from across rassemblent des auteurs et illustrateurs du and around the world to present fun, inspiring Canada du monde entier pour favoriser ces in- and out-of-school events that promote a rencontres entre élèves et auteurs lors love of reading and a deeper appreciation of d’événements en théâtre et en école qui the written word. favorisent un amour de la lecture et une appréciation plus profonde de la littérature.

Looking for a book of interest for your Vous cherchez un livre intéressant pour vos students? Look no further! The reading list élèves ? Ne cherchez plus! La liste de livres ci- below, organized by grade level, regroup all dessous, organisée par niveau scolaire, the artists available to visit your school1, from regroupe tous les artistes souhaitant visiter votre Kindergarten to Grade 12. école, de la maternelle à la 12e année.

Contact Wordfest to discuss your needs and Contactez Wordfest pour discuter de vos the artist you’d like to meet; depending on besoins et de l'artiste que vous souhaitez their availability, we will definitely work with rencontrer; en fonction de leur disponibilité1, you to create an event that will inspire your nous travaillons avec vous pour créer un students. événement qui inspirera vos élèves.

Wordfest - Youth 117-200 Barclay parade SW [email protected] Calgary, AB T2P 4R5

403-237-9068. ext. 223 @wordfestyouth

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DIVISION III - JUNIOR HIGH - GRADES 7-9 The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by Mark Leiren-Young - ALL AGES OCDaniel by Wesley King Grade 3-7 As-tu peur? – Sorcières de Mathieu Benoit (Illustrateur) - FRANÇAIS Année 4-7 Lightfinder by Aaron Paquette Grade 5 &up The Biggest Poutine in the World by Andrée Poulin Grade 5 &up Flickers by Arthur Slade Grade 5 &up Sea Change by Frank Viva Grade 5 &up The Swan Riders by Erin Bow Grade 6 &up Cahokia de Camille Bouchard Année 6+ THE KILLER WHALE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD by Mark Leiren-Young - Grade 6 &up The Hill by Karen Bass Grade 7 &up Urban Tribes by Lisa Charleyboy Grade 7 &up Jillian Christmas (Slam ) Grade 7 &up Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki Grade 7 &up The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben Grade 7 &up Lost Animal Club by Kevin A. Couture Grade 7 &up Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel Grade 8 &up Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson Grade 9 &up Poemw by Anne Fleming Grade 9 &up The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan by Robert Hough Grade 9 &up Flannery by Lisa Moore Grade 9 &up Beware that girl by Teresa Toten Grade 9 &up The Break by Katherena Vermette Grade 9 &up

OCDaniel by Wesley King Grade 3-7

Wesley King is the author of The Incredible Space Raiders from Space!, which Publishers Weekly called “a well-drafted coming-of-age story” that “will keep [readers] turning pages.” King’s first book, The Vindico and its sequel, The Feros, were both Junior Library Guild selections. The Vindico also won a Red Maple Award, a kid’s choice award that involved the participation of more than 250,000 kids Ontario, Canada. A brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder—until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything. Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy. He spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits—he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he’s crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school.

Theme(s) Fiction -; adventure; science; mental illness; depression, OCD; resilience; overcoming challenges.

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As-tu peur? – Sorcières de Mathieu Benoit (Illustrateur) - FRANÇAIS Année 4-7

Mathieu Benoit a étudié en communication graphique à Montréal et travaillé en publicité imprimée. De 2005 à 2008, il a été l’une des têtes dirigeantes du groupe d’auteurs de bande dessinée Surpriz Comix, aboutissant à la publication de trois albums collectifs ainsi qu’à de nombreuses animations à travers le Québec. Depuis 2011, il partage son temps entre l’illustration et le dessin de coin de table avec sa fille de quatre ans. C’est avec beaucoup d’humour que la collection As-tu peur? catapulte les enfants dans des mondes qui fascinent et font frémir. Dans leur marmite, les sorcières concoctent potions et philtres. Toutes connaissent des formules magiques abracadabrantes, certaines se prennent pour des pharmaciennes, d’autres savent comment changer ton prof en grenouille, plusieurs souhaitent envoûter l’élu de leur cœur. Attention, les sorcières ne sortent pas seulement à l’Halloween.

Thème(s) Album illustré – Sorcières; Halloween; magie; découvertes.

Lightfinder by Aaron Paquette Grade 5 &up

At the age of three, Aaron Paquette was terrified and enchanted by his Mother’s impersonation of Gollum while reading The Hobbit. It was then that he knew he wanted to tell stories. As an artist, his work has gone around the world. As a speaker he is in great demand for his powerful messages. As a writer, Lightfinder is his first novel, and it won the 2015 Burt Award for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Literature. Written & illustrated by Aaron Paquette Lightfinder is a Young Adult novel about Aisling, a young Cree woman who sets out into the wilderness with her Kokum (grandmother), Aunty and two young men she barely knows. Together they must find and rescue her runaway younger brother, Eric. Along the way Aisling learns that the legends of her people might be real and that she has a growing power of her own. The story follows the paths of Aisling and Eric, siblings unwittingly thrust into a millennia old struggle for the future of life on earth.

Theme(s) Fiction - First Nations, fantasy; stereotyping; growing up; love; loss

La Plus Grosse Poutine du Monde d’Andrée Poulin - FRANÇAIS. Année 5 +

Andrée Poulin a publié plus de 30 livres qui lui ont valu plusieurs distinctions et prix littéraires. Son défi est d’écrire des romans qui stimulent l’esprit et remuent le coeur, qui font rire et réfléchir. Afin de partager sa passion de l’écriture, elle fait des animations et des ateliers dans les écoles et les bibliothèques.

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Thomas a peu de souvenirs de sa mère. Il se rappelle seulement que pour ses cinq ans, elle lui a fait la meilleure poutine au monde. Le lendemain, elle n’était plus là. Elle n’est jamais revenue. Pour souligner ses quatorze ans, Thomas décide de soumettre une idée au livre des records Guinness. Aidé de son meilleur ami Samuel et de son équipe de soccer, il va cuisiner la plus grosse poutine au monde. Si son record fait le tour de la planète, sa mère le saura et elle reviendra. Thomas et ses amis échafaudent les plans les plus fous, et des révélations viennent remettre en question le projet « Prodigieuse Poutine ».

Thème(s) Fiction – Relations; amitié, adolescence; amour; perte

The Biggest Poutine in the World by Andrée Poulin Grade 5 &up

Andrée Poulin has written over 30 books for children. Many have won awards, including the TD Children’s Literature Award (French language) for La plus grosse poutine du monde, now published in English by Annick Press as The Biggest Poutine in the World. On his fifth birthday, Thomas’s mother made him a delicious dish of poutine. The next day, she disappeared; he hasn’t seen her since. On the day of this twelfth birthday, Thomas comes up with the idea of setting a Guinness world record for the biggest poutine in the world. As he puts together all the pieces of his “Phenomenal Poutine Project,” Thomas not only discovers why his mother disappeared, but he also learns the meaning of friendship.

Theme(s) Fiction – Relationship, friendship, growing up; love; loss

Flickers by Arthur Slade Grade 5 &up

Arthur Slade’s The Hunchback Assignments won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Its three sequels were all finalists for the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award, and The Dark Deeps was also a finalist for the CLA Young Adult Book Award. Slade’s previous books include Dust, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature, as well as Tribes, Monsterology, Villainology and the Canadian Chills series. Far from the isolated prairie ranch where they were born, orphaned twins Isabelle and Beatrice Thorn are living a glamorous 1920s Hollywood life as wards of Mr. Cecil, a mysterious and influential director. Isabelle is a silent film starlet, destined for greatness in the very first talking picture—a horror flick that will showcase her famous scream, often seen but never before heard by audiences. A movie scream so piercing, so chilling and so powerful, it will open up another dimension and summon something beyond all imagining.

Theme(s) Fiction – Relationship, friendship, fear, history, movie

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Sea Change by Frank Viva Grade 5 &up

Frank Viva is an award-winning illustrator and designer who has published several children’s books. His first picture book Along a Long Road was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Illustration. His other books for children include Outstanding in the Rain and A Long Way Away amongst many. His art has appeared in many places such as The New York Times and the cover of the New Yorker. Frank runs a branding and design agency in Toronto and is past president of the Advertising & Design Club of Canada. One summer can change your whole life. As soon as school lets out, Eliot’s parents send him to the very edge of the world: a fishing village in a remote part of Nova Scotia. And what does the small town of Point Aconi have to offer? Maggots, bullies and grumpy old men. But along the way, Eliot discovers much more – a hidden library, starry nights and a mysterious girl named Mary Beth. A warm, funny and innovatively designed coming-of-age story.

Theme(s) Fiction – Graphic novel; travel; friendship; bullying; mystery

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow Grade 6 &up

Erin Bow — physicist turned poet turned author of young adult novels is the author of The Scorpion Rules, which received three starred reviews and was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; the acclaimed Russian-flavored fantasy Plain Kate, which received two starred reviews and was a YALSA Best Book of the Year; and the terrifying YA ghost story Sorrow’s Knot, which received five starred reviews and was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Treacherous twists await Greta as the stakes get even higher in this stunning follow-up to the “masterful” novel, The Scorpion Rules. Greta Stuart has become AI. New transmitters have silvered her fingerprints. New receptors have transformed her vision. And the whole of her memory has become one book in a vast library of instant knowledge. Greta is ready to rule the world. But the new technology is also killing her. Greta is only sixteen years old, but her new enhancements are burning through her mortal body at an alarming rate.

Theme(s) Fiction – ; technology; leadership, resilience, action & adventure.

Cahokia de Camille Bouchard - FRANÇAIS Année 6+

Auteur de 85 romans, Camille Bouchard est récipiendaire de nombreux prix littéraires, dont la plus prestigieuse récompense canadienne, le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général du Canada, qu’il a reçu en 2005 et auquel il a été finaliste à cinq autres reprises depuis 2008. La plume de Camille Bouchard alterne avec un égal plaisir entre les textes pour adultes et ceux pour les jeunes. Voyageur passionné, Camille Bouchard puise son inspiration dans ses escapades aux quatre coins du monde.

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Jason Byrd est un drôle d’oiseau. Ses camarades de classe l’ont remarqué et ne se gênent pas pour le lui dire. On se moque d’ailleurs souvent de son nez crochu, qui lui donne un profil de volatile. Or ce trait physique un peu particulier n’est pas la seule chose dont Jason a hérité de ses ancêtres : il fait partie d’une longue lignée d’hommes-oiseaux aux pouvoirs extraordinaires. Par les histoires successives des ancêtres de Jason, on assiste à la naissance, à l’apogée et enfin au déclin d’un peuple méconnu.

Thème(s) Fiction – Histoire; fantastique; culture amérindienne.

The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by Mark Leiren-Young - ALL AGES

Mark Leiren-Young is the author of two comic memoirs, Free Magic Secrets Revealed and Never Shoot a Stampede Queen: A Rookie Reporter in the Cariboo, which won the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and was also adapted for the stage. He won the Jack Webster Award for his CBC Ideas radio documentary Moby Doll: The Whale that Changed the World. Leiren-Young is currently finishing a feature length film on the Moby Doll, the subject of his new book. His stage plays have been produced throughout Canada and the US and have also been seen in Europe and Australia. As a journalist Leiren-Young has written for TIME, Maclean’s, The Hollywood Reporter, The Walrus and most of Canada’s daily newspapers. Killer whales had always been seen as bloodthirsty sea monsters. That all changed when a young killer whale was captured off the West Coast of North America and displayed to the public in 1964. Moby Doll was an instant celebrity. He died within a few months, but his famous gentleness sparked a worldwide crusade that transformed how people understood and appreciated orcas. Mark Leiren-Young gives a fascinating and heartbreaking account of Moby Doll, the first publicly exhibited captive killer whale, whose story forever changed the way we see orcas and sparked the movement to save them.

Theme(s) Non-fiction – Animal, killer whales, conservation, animal protection, environment.

Lettre à ma douce de Laurent Tardy - FRANÇAIS Année 6+

Laurent Tardy a illustré des livres scolaires, des romans et le 7e de ses albums dont il écrit aussi les textes est sorti en mars 2016. Laurent vit dans les montagnes des Alpes et trouve en ce lieu privilégié, une source quotidienne d’inspiration. Il partage ses journées entre l’écriture de ses textes et la mise en page de nombreux projets, des rencontres avec les enfants des écoles de France et de Suisse notamment, l’enseignement en école d’art (EPAC - Suisse -) ainsi que la mise en scène par la lumière de sites architecturaux. Sur un fond d actualité, pas toujours très rose, un pigeon va nous conter son périple et son histoire d amour pour une belle hirondelle dans un quotidien plutôt surprenant. Des thèmes délicats comme le chômage et la crise, l environnement et un climat déprimant, Lettre à ma douce s écrit sur les pages d un journal, en passant du noir et blanc à la couleur. Nous vous présentons un livre truffé d aventures amusantes,de clein d oeil d ouvrages précédents, de références culturelles et sociétales. Notre pigeon de l aéropostale et son quotidien isolite vont vous faire voyager. Vous allez être surpris.

Thème(s) Album illustré – Relations; amitié; réflexions; références culturelles; sciences sociales, humour

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The Hill by Karen Bass Grade 7 &up

Karen Bass is a multi-award-winning author of novels for young adult readers. Graffiti Knight won the CLA Young Adult Book Award, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for for Young People, the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature, and the CAA Exporting Alberta Award. Uncertain Soldier is nominated for the OLA Forest of Reading Red Maple Award. A former library manager, Karen now dedicates herself full-time to writing. The Hill is an eerie thriller that draws on the Cree Wîhtiko legend. Jared’s plane has crashed in the Alberta wilderness, and Kyle is first on the scene. When Jared insists on hiking up the highest hill in search of cell phone reception, Kyle hesitates; his Cree grandmother has always forbidden him to go near it. There’s no stopping Jared, though, so Kyle reluctantly follows. After a night spent on the hilltop—with no cell service—the teens discover something odd: the plane has disappeared. Nothing in the forest surrounding them seems right. In fact, things seem very wrong. And worst of all, something is hunting them.

Theme(s) Fiction – Survival; First Nations; stereotyping; acceptance; prejudice; friendship.

Urban Tribes by Lisa Charleyboy Grade 7 &up

With over ten years as a published writer, Lisa Charleyboy has written for publications such as The Guardian, CBC, THIS Magazine, Spirituality & Health, and SPIRIT Magazine. Lisa enjoys every platform where she’s able to share stories from the heart. She is the founder of Urban Native Magazine, a Native lifestyle magazine geared toward inspiring Indigenous youth with positive success stories. Urban Tribes offers unique insight into this growing and often misperceived group. Emotionally potent and visually arresting, the anthology profiles young urban Natives from across North America, exploring how they connect with Native culture and values in their contemporary lives. Their stories are as diverse as they are.

 Best Books for Kids & Teens 2016, *starred selection, Canadian Children’s Book Centre  Skipping Stones Honor  Book Information Book Award finalist, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Theme(s) Non-Fiction - First Nations, biography; multicultural; stereotyping; acceptance; prejudice; self-esteem; tolerance

Jillian Christmas (Slam Poetry) Grade 7 &up

Born and raised in Markham, Ontario, Jillian Christmas serves as Artistic Director of Versəs Festival of Words. An enthusiastic organizer and activist in the Canadian arts community, Jillian’s focus is to increase anti-oppression initiatives in spoken word. Jillian’s work has been featured in numerous publications including the Huffington Post, and published in a number of collections, including Matrix New Queer Writing (issue 98), The Post Feminist Post, Plenitude Magazine, Room Magazine and celebrated anthology, The Great Black North. She has participated in, developed and executed programs in partnership with Toronto Poetry Project, Wordplay, Brendan McLeod’s Travelling Slam, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Opera, and the CULTCH Mentorship, and facilitated spoken word workshops for youth and adults across the country. wordfest.com • [email protected] • last updated: 2016-08-29 Page 7 of 11 Back to top

Theme(s) Poetry – Activism; feminism; marginalised groups; multiculturalism; racism; resilience; hope; courage.

Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki Grade 7 &up

Mariko Tamaki has garnered much acclaim for both her written and performance-based work. The graphic novel Skim (with Jillian Tamaki) was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award and received numerous other accolades, including the Doug Wright Award for Best Graphic Novel, the Ignatz Award, and the Joe Schuster Award. Tamaki was also awarded the Writers’ Trust Honour of Distinction for her body of work. Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, a girl with two moms forced to go to a school full of homophobes and people who don’t even know what irony is. Her saving grace–her two best friends, Thomas and Naoki. When strange things actually start happening to Monty, she realizes that the greatest mystery of all is herself. Thoughtful, funny, and honest, this book will make you want to laugh and cry over a big cup of frozen yogurt with extra toppings and your best friends at your side.

Theme(s) Fiction –Peer pressure; alternative family; bullying; stereotype; resilience; relationship

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben Grade 7 &up

Peter Wohlleben spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He runs an environmentally friendly woodland in Germany, where he is working for the return of ancient, sustainably managed forests. He holds lectures and seminars and has written a number of books on woodlands and nature conservancy. His presentations can be in English and/or German How do trees live? Do they feel pain, or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known. In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben tells their stories, revealing the delightfully complex life of the trees around us and the incredible role forests play in our world. Wohlleben draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries and his own observations to describe the wonders of the tree, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration within forests. In evocative language, he explains how forests are social groups akin to human families; tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers.

Theme(s) Non-Fiction - Nature, forest, trees, environment, sustainable farming

Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel Grade 8 &up

Kenneth Oppel is the Governor General’s Award–winning author of the Airborn series and the Silverwing Saga, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. His most recent novels are Half Brother, winner of both the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award and the Young Adult Book Award; This Dark Endeavour, finalist for the Governor General’s Literary wordfest.com • [email protected] • last updated: 2016-08-29 Page 8 of 11 Back to top

Award; and Such Wicked Intent, finalist for the CLA Young Adult Book Award. Canada’s nominated author for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award, Romeo and Juliet meets Indiana Jones in this this new YA epic from prize-winning author Kenneth Oppel that combines the hunt for a dinosaur skeleton buried for millions of years, a mysterious legend, bitter rivalries and a forbidden romance. Every Hidden Thing is an historical YA novel about the forbidden love between the son and daughter of arch-rival fossil hunters who are racing against each other to uncover the first complete T. Rex skeleton.

Theme(s) Fiction – Conflict; safety; anxiety; paleontology; Badlands (AB); relationships.

Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson Grade 9 &up

Craig Davidson has published previous books of literary fiction: Rust and Bone, which was made into an Oscar-nominated feature film, The Fighter, Sarah Court and Cataract City established him as one of our most talented novelists. Davidson’s articles and journalism have been published in the National Post, Esquire, GQ, The Walrus, and The Washington Post, among other places. One morning in 2008, desperate and impoverished while trying unsuccessfully to write, Davidson plucked a flyer out of his mailbox that read, "Bus Drivers Wanted." That was the first step towards an unlikely new career: driving a school bus full of special-needs kids for a year. Precious Cargo is the extraordinary story of that year and those relationships. It is also a moving, important and universal story about how we see and treat people with special needs in our society.

Theme(s) Non-Fiction – Autobiography; Personal Memoirs; Disability, Acceptance, stereotyping, Relationship; Humour

Poemw by Anne Fleming Grade 9 &up

Anne Fleming’s first book, Pool-Hopping and Other Stories (1998), was shortlisted for the Governor-General’s Award, the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Danuta Gleed Award. She now divides her time between Vancouver and BC's Okanagan Valley, where she teaches creative writing at UBC's Kelowna campus. In poemw, the third finger of the left hand hits 'w' instead of 's' and makes up a new kind of poem, the sort-of poem, the approxi-lyric, the poem that doesn't want to claim poemness. poemw are about daily things -- graffitti, hair, sea gulls, second-hand clothes -- and rarer things -- dead crows, baked mice, ski accidents, Judith Butler. They're jokes-and-not-jokes, cheeky, goofy. poemw is unapologetically quirky. poemw is proudly other. poemw is the perfect choice for Pride reading.

Theme(s) Poetry

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Flannery by Lisa Moore Grade 9 &up

Lisa Moore is the acclaimed author of February and Alligator. February won CBC’s Canada Reads competition, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book. Alligator was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Canada and the Caribbean. Her story collection Open was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and a national bestseller. Sixteen-year-old Flannery Malone has it bad. She’s been in love with Tyrone O’Rourke since the days she still believed in Santa Claus. But Tyrone has grown from a dorky kid into an outlaw graffiti artist, the rebel-with-a-cause of Flannery’s dreams, literally too cool for school. Written in Lisa Moore’s exuberant and inimitable style, Flannery is by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, empowering and harrowing — often all on the same page.

Theme(s) Fiction – Fantasy; magic; women, relationship; choices and consequences.

The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan by Robert Hough Grade 9 &up

Robert Hough’s novels have garnered critical praise and have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Trillium Book Award, and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. His most recent novel, Dr. Brinkley’s Tower, a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. The Sisters Brothers meets Master and Commander in Robert Hough’s rollicking and raucous new historical novel. The year is 1664, and Benny Wand is arrested in London for illegal gaming. Deported to the city of Port Royal, Jamaica, known as “the wickedest city on earth,” Wand is forced to join a raid on the Spanish city of Villahermosa. Wand attracts the attention of the mission’s leader, Captain Henry Morgan, whose raids on Spanish strongholds are funded by the British government.

Theme(s) Fiction – History (UK, Jamaica, Spain); Pirates; War; Games; Strategy

Beware that girl by Teresa Toten Grade 9 &up

Teresa Toten was born in Zagreb and left with her parents for Canada on the day she was born. Toten received a BA and then a MA in political science from the University of Toronto. Toten won the Governor General's Literary Award for The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B. She is the author of the acclaimed Blondes series, as well as The Game, The Only house, and, with Eric Walters, The Taming.

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Kate and Olivia are both seniors at Waverly School in New York City. Kate is a scholarship student. Olivia, on the other hand, is rich and privileged and leads a life of glamour. The two truly become best friends until Mark Redkin arrives at the school. The novel is a psychological study of two very different young women and what happens when they live together and attempt a friendship. Beware that Girl is a thriller which will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Theme(s) Fiction – relationship, trust, conflict, use of prescription drugs, mental illness and sexual abuse

The Break by Katherena Vermette Grade 9 &up

Katherena Vermette is a Métis writer of poetry, fiction and children’s literature. Her first book, North End Love Songs, won the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry. Vermette has recently been shortlisted for the inaugural Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. The Break showcases Vermette’s abundant writing talent and positions her as an exciting new voice in Canadian literature. When Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and spots someone in trouble on the Break — a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house — she calls the police about the possible crime. In a series of shifting narratives, people who are connected in some way with the victim — police, family, and friends — tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night. What emerges is a fascinating novel exposing the lives of residents in Winnipeg's North End.

Theme(s) Fiction – Literary, women conditions, women lives, crime, resilience, family

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