Lesley Choyce – författare

The year is 2014. Dylan Gibson is 16 and knows there is something unusual about him, but he doesn''t know what - aside from his fascination for things like insects, opera, old Japanese sci-fi movies, playing the didgeridoo, and the Loch Ness monster. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Caroline, who thinks he''s too strange, Dylan meets Robyn, who''s something of an outcast herself.

Dylan''s father works for a big drug company, and his mom, a former geneticist, dropped out of research after a mysterious event. When Dylan discovers a mysterious photograph of himself at a younger age, he starts to suspect that there may be more to his identity crisis than he realized. With Robyn''s help, he begins to investigate the mystery that is his own life.

For Sylvie, Ragged Island - and the whales who swam around it - is the only world she has ever known. It is the place where she was born and raised, where she lived with her four late husbands, and where she plans to live out her remaining years.

It is also the home to a community whose love for the island is immense. But when the Nova Scotia government decides to shut down the ferry service that is the lifeblood of Ragged Island, the residents see their world beginning to disappear.

Sea of Tranquility is the lyrical and moving story of an island struggling to survive. Lesley Choyce''s seventh novel, it contains the elements for which the author is known: engaging characters, page-turning storyline, and uproarious humour. Choyce is in top form.

Winner of the 2003 Ann Connor Brimer Award, short-listed for the 2004 White Pine Award Martin Emerson''s family, friends, and even his therapist have trouble figuring him out. He never showed much of a reaction to the death of his mother, and his behaviour of late has been getting more and more bizarre.And yet, his website -- Emerso.com -- has made him something of a cult figure to followers who believe that, if not having all the right answers, "Emerso" at least has all the right questions. Shoulder the Sky is a rarity among young adult novels - it challenges the reader with philosophical thought and complex observations.

Short-listed for the 2005 CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award Sixteen-year-old Simon has always been considered odd. Three years ago, a skateboarding accident caused some minor brain damage and made him a little stranger. His career-driven parents mostly leave him alone, and he spends much of his time living in his imagination. When Andrea, whom no one else can see, appears to Simon in class, he is fascinated by her and strikes up a friendship, even though he knows she may be pure hallucination - he’s had imaginary friends before. Andrea says she is there to "help" him, but before the story ends, Simon discovers that it is he who needs to help Andrea, not the other way around.

Winner of the 2003 Ann Connor Brimer Award, short-listed for the 2004 White Pine Award Martin Emerson’s family, friends, and even his therapist have trouble figuring him out. He never showed much of a reaction to the death of his mother, and his behaviour of late has been getting more and more bizarre. And yet, his website – Emerso.com – has made him something of a cult figure to followers who believe that, if not having all the right answers, "Emerso" at least has all the right questions. Shoulder the Sky is a rarity among young adult novels – it challenges the reader with philosophical thought and complex observations.

For Sylvie, Ragged Island - and the whales who swam around it - is the only world she has ever known. It is the place where she was born and raised, where she lived with her four late husbands, and where she plans to live out her remaining years.

It is also the home to a community whose love for the island is immense. But when the Nova Scotia government decides to shut down the ferry service that is the lifeblood of Ragged Island, the residents see their world beginning to disappear.

Sea of Tranquility is the lyrical and moving story of an island struggling to survive. Lesley Choyce’s seventh novel, it contains the elements for which the author is known: engaging characters, page-turning storyline, and uproarious humour. Choyce is in top form.

Short-listed for the 2005 CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award Sixteen-year-old Simon has always been considered odd. Three years ago, a skateboarding accident caused some minor brain damage and made him a little stranger. His career-driven parents mostly leave him alone, and he spends much of his time living in his imagination. When Andrea, whom no one else can see, appears to Simon in class, he is fascinated by her and strikes up a friendship, even though he knows she may be pure hallucination - he’s had imaginary friends before. Andrea says she is there to "help" him, but before the story ends, Simon discovers that it is he who needs to help Andrea, not the other way around.

Commended for the 2006 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice Selection The year is 2014. Dylan Gibson is 16 and knows there is something unusual about him, but he doesn’t know what - aside from his fascination for things like insects, opera, old Japanese sci-fi movies, playing the didgeridoo, and the Loch Ness monster. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Caroline, who thinks he’s too strange, Dylan meets Robyn, who’s something of an outcast herself. Dylan’s father works for a big drug company, and his mom, a former geneticist, dropped out of research after a mysterious event. When Dylan discovers a mysterious photograph of himself at a younger age, he starts to suspect that there may be more to his identity crisis than he realized. With Robyn’s help, he begins to investigate the mystery that is his own life.

Cameron has been in trouble with the law more than once for breaking and entering.

After Cameron's latest conviction, he's sent to an outdoor program for young offenders rather than a standard juvenile detention facility. There he meets Brianna, a girl who has been caught selling drugs at her school. They bond quickly, and she convinces Cameron to steal two sea kayaks and head off with her into the wilderness of bays and coves of Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. It's a fearless but ill-timed escape as a hurricane is about to pound the coast. They must use all their courage and newfound survival skills if they are going to make it back to shore alive. And Cameron suspects that Brianna may not be telling him the truth about her real plans.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!