New: Orca Limelights

Getting the Brush Off by Mere Joyce

“Sydney lost a promising future in the arts, as well as her best friend, who didn't want to be seen with an art academy reject. But now, without Burke's rigid structure, Sydney has found her true passion in performance painting and is busking on Halifax's boardwalk to earn enough money to go to art camp. After the police shut her down, Sydney learns her old school is hosting a "brush-off" speed-painting contest with a cash prize. Entering would mean facing her painful past, not to mention her former friend, who's also competing.” -Amazon

Raw Talent by Jocelyn Shipley

“Paisley dreams of being a pop star just like her idol, Denzi, who also grew up in the small town of Stonehill. The problem is, Paisley suffers from severe stage fright. She can only sing in private. When word gets out that a famous Stratford actor who has worked with Denzi is staying at a local B&B, Paisley decides it's time to face her fears. She convinces the actor to tutor her and signs up to sing in a high-profile fundraiser.” -Amazon

Rock the Boat by Sigmund Brower

Webb believes that if you want to reach your dreams, you have to live life loud. Make sure that when you look back, you have no regrets. But when a shady music producer steals one of Webb’s songs, Webb finds out how hard it is for a kid on his own in Nashville to get justice. With the help of an unlikely ally, Webb discovers that he has what it takes to succeed: talent, determination and some good friends.

True Blue by Sigmund Brower and Cindy Morgan

“Elle is on the road as an opening act for Johnny James, the biggest star in country music. Touring is everything she's ever dreamed of, but it has unexpected downsides: crazy fans, jealous backup singers, weird rules on the tour bus. But when something goes terribly wrong during a performance, Elle struggles to figure out how she can make things right with her fans, her father, her record company and with her friend Webb.” -Amazon

Upstaged by Patricia McCowan

“Ellie is used to getting leading roles in her small-town school’s musicals. A move to the big city means losing her place at center stage. She auditions for the Youth Works Theater Company, and is thrilled to land a part. Then she learns she has to share a role with Marissa, who seems determined to do all she can to outshine Ellie. Out of her depth and far from all that she’s known, Ellie wonders just what she has to do to stop feeling upstaged by everyone around her.” -Publisher

New: Orca Soundings

Dreaming in Color by Melanie Florence

“Jennifer McCaffrey has been working hard on her art for years and is thrilled when she is accepted to a prestigious art school. The school is everything she always thought it would be, mostly. There is one group of kids who seem to resent her and say she only got in because of her skin color. Jen, who loves to create new pieces of artwork that incorporate her Indigenous heritage, finds herself a target when the group tells her to stop being “so Indian”. The night before the big art show at school, Jen’s beading art project is defaced. Jen has to find a way not to let the haters win.” -Amazon

Impossible by Jocelyn Shipley

“Jemma's older brother took her in when she needed to get away from her abusive ex-boyfriend, Razor. One night she needs to go out, just for a few minutes, to get diapers and ice cream. On her way back, she witnesses the drive-by shooting of a kid, Kwame, who lives in the same building. The driver is Razor. Jemma is terrified. If she tells anyone what she saw, they'll know she left her baby alone and she might lose custody. But if she doesn't, Kwame's killer will go free. Razor convinces Jemma to make a deal to save her life, but Jemma isn't sure she can live with the consequences.” -Publisher

Overdrive by Eric Walters

“Jake has finally got his driver's license, and tonight he has his brother's car as well. He and his friend Mickey take the car out and cruise the strip. When they challenge another driver to a street race, a disastrous chain reaction causes an accident. Jake and Mickey leave the scene, trying to convince themselves they were not involved. Jake finds he cannot pretend it didn't happen and struggles with deciding on the right thing to do. Should he pretend he was not involved? Or should he go to the police?” -Amazon

Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie

“Jujube is thrilled when Brent asks her out. She is not so happy when the rumors start flying at school. Pretty soon her name is showing up on bathroom walls and everyone is whispering behind her back. When her mother gets involved, Jujube's reputation takes another hit. Deciding that someone has to take a stand, Jujube gathers all the other girls who have been labeled sluts—and worse—and tries to impress on her fellow students the damaging effects words can have on a person.” -Publisher

Tornado by Sharon Jennings

“When a distant storm knocks out the power at his high school, Cam and his friends head out for burgers. On their way back to pick up Cam's little brother, Peter, at the bus stop, they are caught up in the middle of a deadly tornado. Cam manages to survive and makes his way home only to discover that his house has been destroyed and his parents are locked in an argument that ends in a startling revelation. And Peter is still missing.” -Amazon

New: Orca Sports

Boarder Patrol by Erin Thomas

“Ryan is determined to be a professional snowboarder, but he’s learned from what happened to his father that doing the right thing can get you in trouble. So when his board is stolen, and he discovers that his cousin knows more than he should about recent thefts at the resort, Ryan has to choose between career and family, and hope that, for him, doing the right thing will pay off.” Back Cover

Centerville by Jeff Rud

“Basketball-crazy Jake Burnett is thrilled to be leaving home to attend the prestigious Centerville Prep and pursue his hoop dreams at the highest level. But when things at his new school aren’t quite as advertised, Jake has a difficult choice to make—advance his basketball career or do the right thing.” -Back cover

Hurricane Power by Sigmund Brouwer

“David joins his school's track team, hoping to make new friends, but soon he is pulled into a school-wide web of secrecy and danger. And the one person who can help him keeps running away.” -Publisher

Paralyzed by Jeff Rud

“A football tackle gone wrong puts a boy in the hospital and leaves star linebacker Reggie Scott feeling confused, guilty and alone.” -WorldCat

Shutout by Jeff Ross

“Alex is thrilled that his team has made the playoffs. But when graffiti that apparently can be traced back to Alex is found on the walls of the school, and a photo of Alex at a party with a beer in his hand starts making the rounds, he is suspended from the team, and his reputation as a good kid is put in doubt. Alex knows he's innocent. The problem is, he cannot figure out who would want to frame him. Or why.” -Amazon

New: Orca Soundings

 

Enough by Mary Jennifer Payne

“Shortly after Lizzie Jackson’s father died, her mother, Lydia, began dating and drinking herself into oblivion, leaving Lizzie to parent her younger brother, Charlie. Things go from bad to worse when Lydia marries Dean. To protect Charlie from Dean's rage, Lizzie makes herself the target of his abuse. But when Dean sexually assaults Lizzie, things change forever. Can she continue to ensure her brother's safety after she flees their home?” -Publisher

Firewall by Sean Rodman

“Josh is a gamer. After his parents' divorce and his move from Chicago to a small town where he doesn't know anybody, he copes by staying up way too late playing Killswitch online. Then he discovers a 'mod' version of the game that is an exact reproduction of his new town. Strange things start to happen in the game, and they are somehow connected with events in the real world.” -Publisher

Hide and Shriek by Alison Hughes

“When Emily, Tess, Cam and Dylan decide to ignore the new town curfew during their Friday-night game of hide-and-seek, they get more than they bargained for. Down by the river, they witness a shady deal go down involving some criminal types who recently moved into their neighborhood. When the teens are discovered, they are hunted through the dark streets and back alleys. They will have to use all their hide-and-seek skills to save each other.” -Publisher

In Plain Sight by Laura Langston

“Fifteen-year-old Megan is president of the political science club and likes to make her voice heard. But after the protest she organized on the Las Vegas Strip takes an unexpected turn, Megan is suddenly wishing she could disappear. When her mother comes to pick her up at the police station, Megan learns that her whole life has been a lie. Her father is a convicted terrorist  and her mother has been living under an assumed name for fifteen years.” -Publisher

Kryptonite by Lesley Choyce

“Jackson knows how to get what he wants. Whether it's sweet-talking his friends into buying lunch or convincing teachers to give him extensions, he feels entitled to take whatever he wants—even a day off school or a new pair of shoes. Now he's set his sights on Abby, a troubled girl fresh out of juvie who only has eyes for Bryce, the go-to dealer of a dangerous new drug called kryptonite.” - Publisher

New: Rapid Reads

 Coming Back by K.L. Denman

“Julie survived a horrific car accident, but she has no memory of the event or the boyfriend who was with her in the car. He disappeared, and she is diagnosed with PTSD. Her doctor recommends a therapy animal, and Julie chooses to get a horse. Julie's experience with horses is limited, but it's empowering to finally be involved in life again, and her symptoms abate. However, she has a lot to learn, and when the riding coach gives confusing lessons, Julie is thrown off balance, both emotionally and in the saddle. The improvement she'd begun to experience with PTSD symptoms is lost, and her nightmares return. Can Julie and the horse recover and heal their broken spirits?” -Amazon

Epic Game by William Kowalski

“Kat is a tough, independent woman who makes her living as a professional poker player. She is single, childless, and happy about it. But when her best friend, Josie, commits suicide, Kat becomes the temporary guardian of Josie's ten-year-old son, David. As the days pass, Kat begins to realize that all the money and success in the world don't mean a thing unless you have someone to share it with” -Publisher

Never Going Back by Sam Wiebe

“Before she went to prison, Alison Kidd was the best thief in the city. But Ali has changed. All she wants now is to clean up her act and work in her brother Dean’s restaurant. She never wants to go back inside. On the day she gets out, Dean is supposed to pick her up. But he never shows. Ali makes her way to Dean’s apartment and uses her unique skill set to let herself in. Dean is missing. After some investigation, Ali discovers that he was kidnapped and is being held hostage by a powerful crime boss, Lisa Wan. Lisa is the reason that Ali was in prison and wants Ali to work one last job in exchange for Dean's safety. Now, to save her brother and her own future, Ali must pull off the toughest job of her career.” -Publisher

The Italian Cure by Melodie Campbell

“Charlie's world comes crashing down when her fiancé leaves her for another woman. Then Aunt Della wins a trip for two to Rome. Maybe Italy can mend her broken heart? Or at least distract her from it—who needs romance when you have Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast? But with adventure come mishaps, and Charlie's trip seems to be full of them! In between the chaos and hijinks, will Charlie take another chance at love?” -Publisher

Tiny House, Big Fix by Gail Anderson-Dargatz

“Sadie lost her own home in a recent divorce and now lives with her two daughters in a rented bungalow. When her landlady says she needs to move out, Sadie finds there's a housing crisis in her community. She can't find a place to live and is forced to move her family into a travel trailer at a local campsite. When her ex-husband finds out, he insists that the girls come live with him in another city. Desperate to keep her daughters with her in their home community, Sadie is forced to rethink her dream of living in a full-sized house. In the short term, she moves her girls into a co-worker's apartment. Then, with the help of her friends and daughters, she builds a tiny house. In the process she finds living with less has its rewards and that living in a small space brings her family closer together.” -Publisher

New: Orca Sports

Hitmen Triumph by Sigmund Brouwer

“Left winger Nolan Andrews thinks it's great that he can play hockey in Calgary, where his older brother, Nathan, is a star center for the Hitmen. When Nolan finds out that a lot of things about Nate's new life in Calgary don't make sense—or might not even be legal—Nolan has to make some difficult choices that will affect him and his brother for the rest of their lives.” -Publisher

Off The Rim by Sonya Spreen Bates

“Dylan’s wish comes true when Coach Scott names him to the starting lineup for the Mountview High Hunters’ first game of the playoffs. But just when Dylan should be concentrating on basketball, he becomes the target of some off-court aggression. As he’s driving his girlfriend, Jenna, home one night, a black pickup truck tries to run them off the road. The police call it an accident. But even as Dylan tries to put it behind him, he has a sense of impending danger that he can’t shake.” -Publisher

Powerslide by Jeff Ross

“At the end of his final year of high school, Casey is wondering what to do with his life. He hasn't applied to any colleges, and other than skateboarding, he doesn't believe he's very good at much of anything. When a young movie star contacts Casey and offers him the job of stunt double in an upcoming skateboarding movie, Casey is stoked. But when word gets out about Casey's new gig, a local skater has other ideas about who would make the best stunt double.” -Publisher

Running on Empty by Sonya Spreen Bates

“Everyone expected Leon Kline, anchor for the 4x100 sprint relay, to secure Gilburn High's spot in the record books. But a freak accident on the final stretch changes everything. Suddenly his future is gone. But then he meets sassy and straight-talking Casey De Vries, and life doesn't look quite so bleak. As he gets to know Casey better, he realizes that something is not quite right. How can he help her if she won't tell him what's going on?” -WorldCat

Squeeze by Rachel Dunstan Muller

“Byron is psyched when his older brother Jesse invites him on a weekend caving trip - even if it means spending time with Cole, Jesse's obnoxious college roommate. Exploring a wild cave is always dangerous, but it becomes deadly as tempers fray and the water level inside the cave starts to rise.” -Back Cover 

New: Orca Sports

 Blazer Drive by Sigmund Brouwer 

“When Josh Ellroy, left-winger for the Kamloops Blazers, and his dad find more than a dozen dead cattle on the family ranch, Josh has some serious decisions to make. On one hand, the Western Hockey League playoffs are ahead, plus a chance to play in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, there's a beautiful and interesting girl who believes more prize bulls will be killed.” -Publisher

Crossover by Jeff Rud

“Fifteen-year-old Kyle Evans has been a jock for years—a triple-threat basketball player who can dribble, pass or shoot with considerable skill. When an old friend encourages Kyle to try out for a part in the school play, he has to deal with more than stage fright. After an act of vandalism shocks the school, Kyle realizes that it’s time for him to take a stand, even if it means his team will suffer.” -Back Cover

Gang Tackle by Eric Howling

“After budget cuts force the Southside Saints football team to disband, Jamal and his friends have to settle for playing pickup on the hardscrabble field behind their high school. Then the president of a sporting goods company offers to donate $20,000 worth of equipment to the team. There's only one catch: he wants to be the coach. Thrilled to have a real team together, the players turn a blind eye to Coach Fort's racism, bullying and discrimination. Until he takes it too far. Now it’s up to Jamal and his teammates to take back their team and show what they’re made of.” -Publisher

Gravity Check by Alex Van Tol

“Jamie is determined that nothing—not even his annoyingly popular younger brother Seth—is going to spoil his fun at a mountain biking camp in the backcountry. Nothing except stumbling on a giant grow-op in the woods, that is. And watching their fellow campers get captured by violent drug dealers. And working with Seth to figure out a way to save them without getting caught themselves.” -Publisher

Hardball by Steven Barwin

“As a senior, Griffin has college in his sights and plans to land himself a baseball scholarship. His determination causes him to turn a blind eye to the hazing of new players by the team captain, Wade. But when Griffin senses that his cousin Carson is getting the brunt of Wade’s aggression, Griffin finally stands up to him. Soon after, steroids are found in Carson’s locker, and he’s kicked off the team. Can Griffin stop Wade’s reign of terror, prove his cousin’s innocence and still stay on track with his baseball dreams?” -Publisher

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

 If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

 In Flanders fields.

 

4 Nonfiction Books to Read During Mi'kmaw History Month

The Reconciliation Manifesto : Recovering the Land, Rebuilding the Economy by Arthur Manuel, Ronald Derrickson, et al.

In this step-by-step approach on where Indigenous peoples are today as nations, how they arrived at this point and where they are headed, this book offers reconciliation guidance. -Summary

There’s Something In The Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous & Black Communities by Ingrid R G Waldron

Using Nova Scotia as a case study, Ingrid R. G. Waldron examines environmental racism and its health impacts in Indigenous and Black communities in Canada. -Summary

Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

“Discover the amazing story of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the end of the Ice Age to the arrival of the Europeans. You'll learn what people ate, how they expressed themselves through art, and how they adapted to the land.” -WorldCat

Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call by Arthur Manuel

“Unsettling Canada chronicles the modern struggle for Indigenous rights covering fifty years of struggle over a wide range of historical, national, and recent international breakthroughs.” -WorldCat