Winter, teenagers, and dreams of glory come together in this novel about the reaction of a small working-class town when the local hero decides not to join a professional hockey team. Talented Alexandre McKenzie lives on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River, where in summer he rides the logging trails on his quad, and in winter—after school and hockey practice—he likes to head off alone to a bush camp outside town. When he meets and falls in love with an unusual girl, Jessie, who has ...

Alex McKenzie is a promising young hockey player with hopes of making the Quebec City junior hockey team. Once Alex and his friend Tommy, who is also vying to make the team, arrive in Quebec City, things begin to change. Tommy becomes sullen and obnoxious, hanging out with a bunch of dubious types. As the boys grow apart, tragedy befalls Tommy and their friendship is sorely tested. A thrilling yet very human story, this novel demonstrates how an unassuming hero deals with powerful peer pre...

Alex McKenzie is back, a promising young hockey player who hopes to make the juniors in Quebec City. Though he still prefers fishing and roaming bush roads on his quad, he trains hard under his demanding coach Larry in his hometown on the Lower North Shore of the St. Lawrence. His buddy Tommy is vying to make the juniors too. Once in Quebec City, things change. Tommy gets sullen and obnoxious as he hangs out with some dubious types. He and Alex grow apart and then tragedy strikes. In this ...

Alexandre McKenzie lives in a town on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River. Summer finds him riding through the bush on his quad or fishing in an inland lake. In winter he is a promising midget hockey star who often takes refuge at his camp in the woods. But one fall, his stature and talent take a turn for the worse as he plunges into a relationship with a girl whose future appears plagued by tragedy. Alex has to fight his own demons. Like the moose that haunts him from the moment he ...

There is a big old sledding hill not more than two or three good snowballs’ worth of distance from our home, just behind Hank Macabee’s house. That hill was waiting for me and my brand new toboggan. It’s one of those sneak-up kind of hills with a long slow ride down that picks up speed as it goes with a bump-hump at the end that you never see coming.I didn’t see what was coming next, either.The Christmas tree crashed through Hank Macabee’s bay window. The tree stand clatter...

Now a major film starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, a novel "like life itself: joyous, painful, moving, tragic, mysterious, and not to be missed" ( Booklist, starred review).The Robinas have shared a wonderful life for more than sixty years. Now in their eighties, Ella suffers from cancer and John has Alzheimer's. Yearning for one last adventure, the self-proclaimed "down-on-their-luck geezers" kidnap themselves from the adult children and doctors...

High school is never easy . . . and when you are suffering from a hubris complex and are convinced that the gods on Olympus have focused their attention on you, things are sure to get even harder. In this smart and sassy debut novel, the spotlight is on Jan Miller-a self-labeled "Not It" girl struggling to find out what and who she wants. From her best friend, who is an It girl, to her parents, who are way too embarrassing to her crushes (who always seem to be in the right place at the wro...

Franklin Delano Donuthead is a fifth grader with a lot of problems: For starters, his last name is Donuthead. He considers himself handicapped because one arm and leg are shorter than the other (by less than half an inch), his mother is trying to poison him with non-organic foods (like salami), he doesn’t have a father, and Sarah Kervick, the new girl, who’s mean and totally unhygienic, is attached to him, warts and all, like glue.This is a hilarious and touching novel featuring a ...

Dorf is all about skateboarding and so far that's worked out fine.But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wishes, school is more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding garners him the nickname and reputation of a freak. With daring stunts he gains the grudging respect of local troublemakers, but he needs to tap into another kind of courage to effect real change.This short novel is a high-int...

Alice is starting high school, and everything is new. But it’s the new girl, Penny, who’s making ninth grade a real challenge for Alice. Penny is tiny and perky and a real flirt, and she seems to be focusing her attention on Patrick. Even worse, Patrick seems to be enjoying it.Alice and Patrick have been a couple so long, Alice can’t imagine life without him. Suddenly she feels lost and unattractive and scared—not quite whole. How can Alice get back her confidence in herself, when ...

The year is 1957, and Bobby lives on the Tsartlip First Nation reserve on Vancouver Island where his family has lived for generations and generations.Bobby loves his weekend job at the nearby marina. He loves to play marbles with his friends. And he loves being able to give half his weekly earnings to his mother to eke out the grocery money, but he longs to enter the up-coming fishing derby. With the help of his uncle and Dan from the marina his wish just might com...

Jack Spencer has more to worry about than being kicked off his high school's basketball team.Jack uncovers suspicious circumstances surrounding the car crash that severely injured his mother and learns of his father's arrest for fraud. Jack's dad is tough on him, but he has learned to live with it. For the most part, he has it pretty good. Jack is a star player on his high school basketball team with everything going for him-scoring records, popularity and an easy ...