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It’s the spring of 1984 in British Columbia, and life is just getting exciting for Esha. A secret that looms over her family has reinforced her proud resistance to her family’s Indian identity. However, one day changes everything, and Eshas well-thought-out rebellion is put to the test. In the blink of an eye, she is forced to step up and fulfill her father’s last wish, taking her thousands of miles away to a place she never dreamed of visiting: India.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe is many things, but confident is not one of them. Perhaps that’s why she prefers the company of animals. A self-professed advocate for their rights, Zoe is not above taking matters into her own hands. But the stakes are raised when she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous conspiracy involving the disappearance of animals from a shelter. She turns to street-savvy Alex Fisher, her troubled Social Studies partner, to help unravel the mystery.

Winner of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Choice: Best Books for Kids & Teens Seventeen year-old Nathan is running – running from his past and running from his present. Raised by a white mother and never having known his native father, he must cope with prejudice and stereotypes. When he meets Sally, the beautiful outsider, he finds someone who believes in him. But when Sally’s house is put to the torch by an arsonist, suspicion falls on Nathan and he finds himself embroiled in an intrigue and murder that threaten to drive the two teenagers apart.

In the fourth and final instalment in the Jennifer Bannon mystery series, Jennifer begins Grade Eleven at Springhills High, where her life is far from settled. Her mother has moved to L.A. with her new husband, Jennifers boyfriend moves to McGill to study pre-med and Jennifer fears their relationship will not survive the separation. She’s worried about her best friend Ambie who has been secretly e-mailing the biological father she has never met. This story deals with themes of belonging, friendship and loss.

Winner of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Choice: Best Books for Kids & Teens David Baird, a talented young rock musician, accompanies his estranged father to Wales. Fleeing after a quarrel, David has a bizarre motorcycle accident which hurls him back in time to medieval Prydein. A variation on the Arthurian legend, The Minstrel Boy introduces us to Merlin as a stern music teacher who takes David under his wing and a young King Arthur who becomes his friend.

Life at home isn’t easy for sixteen-year-old Corey. When he sees an ad for a retreat called Camp Liberty, he can’t wait to get away. But Corey has no idea of what he’s in for, as he and his fellow campers are brainwashed into joining a racist Aryan cult. In the end, he not only hurts his family and friends but is also forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about himself. And there’s another price to be paid; the Liberty Circle knows he’s betrayed them, and they’re coming after him…

An expert at fierce scowls and unpleasant grimaces, twelve-year-old Kaitlin Anderson presents a tough face to the world, usually hiding her quirky, imaginative nature. Still dealing with the loss of her mother to cancer, Kaitlin is less than kindly disposed to her stepmother Jane and her bratty half-sister, Anna. Meanwhile, Kaitlin has firmly fastened the bulk of her antagonism on her next-door neighbour - the odious boy, Michael, who used to be her best pal. Now, with the help of her friends, she devotes much of her energy to scheming to make him as miserable as possible.

Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Bannon cannot face another boring summer in Springhills. She convinces her mother to let her spend July at her grandmother’s cottage in Hawk’s Creek. She does not reveal that her plan is to live with her grandmother forever in order to avoid the problems back home. But Hawk’s Creek holds dark secrets, and Jennifer is soon drawn into the troubled world of Audrey Musquash, a Native girl accused of stealing and being out of control. In this tale of suspense and haunting friendship, Jennifer must face truths that will change her perspective on life forever.

In this dark and moving young adult novel, sixteen-year-old Naomi’s best friend has moved away, and Naomi herself is starting at a new high school. Curtis, the artistic guy she likes, seems to be avoiding her, making her feel alone and lonely. On top of lots of difficult homework and an awful part-time job, she also has problems at home. Her dying aunt has come to live with her family, Naomi’s mother seems to be on the verge of a breakdown, and her Polish father is absent and unsupportive. How can Naomi overcome all these negatives in her life?

TV stardom – fame, fortune, and Hollywood! It’s the chance of a lifetime for Kate Merriman when she lands a small role in a new TV series called Backbeat. But it’s less fun when Kate finds out her best friend Maria has turned down the part she’s been offered in the show. They’re always there for each other. How can Kate succeed when Maria’s not there to share this new adventure. And why doesn’t their friendship seem to work any more? In her first novel in the Backbeat series, Kathryn Ellis provides a lively look into the world of TV shows – and close friendships.