A Face First. 1st ed.
Fat Kid Rules the World
Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles Series
The Finder
Finding Sophie
The Fire-Eaters
Firewing
First French Kiss and Other Traumas. 1st ed..
The First Stone
The Flags of War
Flame
Flames of the Tiger
Flood
Flux
Flying Blind
Fractures: Family Stories
Freewalker
Funny You Should Ask: Weird But True Answers to 115½ Wacky Questions
Futures

A Face First. 1st ed. (Print-Fiction). Cummings, Priscilla. Dutton Books (CDS), 2001. 197 p. ISBN 0-14-230247-3 ($9.99 pbk.).

A victim of a horrific car accident, Kelley must endure painful physical rehabilitation to repair her severely burned face and maimed hand. Her grief causes her to sever communication with friends and family. Ultimately, the 12-year-old overcomes her emotional turmoil as she delves into her inner strength to determine that she is still the same person inside. This realistic novel will help readers to understand the young girl’s struggle to recover from trauma and her discovery of what is truly valuable in life.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

Fat Kid Rules the World (Print-Fiction). Going, K. L. Puffin Books (CDS), 2003. 185 p. ISBN 0-14-240208-7 ($9.99 pbk.).

A chance encounter brings two troubled teens together in this powerful novel that addresses teen issues sensitively and humorously. Curt MacCrae, a punk rocker, befriends an overweight teenager named Troy because they share a love of music. As the friendship between the boys develops, Troy’s emerging self-identity leads him to make a decision that could destroy his relationship with the increasingly troubled Curt. The two characters are well developed as the teens try to save each other. Sensitive topics such as obesity, suicide, and drug abuse are prevalent in this book.

Teachers should note that some rather coarse language is used to depict the lifestyle of the street.

This book was an Honour Book for the Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adults in 2003.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context

Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles Series (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the title: The Mob.

The Finder (Print-Fiction). Buffie, Margaret. (The Watcher's Quest Series). Kids Can Press (UTP), 2004. 406 p. ISBN 1-55337-671-4 ($16.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55337-672-2 ($8.95 pbk.).

(CAN) This third book in The Watcher’s Quest trilogy can stand alone. Emma and Tom enter a cave on Argadnel, another world, where Emma must find the four wands (Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire) because everything Emma values and everyone she loves depends on her success. The adventure brings into play all of Emma’s experience and her wits, as well as assistance from others. The fast-paced action includes character morphing and setting meltdowns. Heroes with magical powers and a love story are interwoven into the plot. The powerful themes of discovering one’s own identity and persisting in the face of danger are dominant. The enduring strength of family love that gives Emma the power to fulfill her quest is refreshing.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Imaginative and Literary Context; Personal and Philosophical Context

Finding Sophie (Print-Fiction). Watts, Irene N. Tundra Books Inc. (ULS), 2002. 136 p. ISBN 0-88776-613-7 ($9.99 pbk.).

(CAN) An award-winning author, Irene Watts, tells the story of seven-year-old Sophie Mandel who arrives on the first Kindertransport from Germany. She makes a good life in England with a family friend, Auntie Em. When she is 14, she receives word that her non-Jewish mother has died, but her Jewish father has survived. It is then that her world is truly turned upside down as she deals with both her grief and her confusion about who she is and where she belongs.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9
Initiative: Multicultural Content and Perspectives

The Fire-Eaters (Print-Fiction). Almond, David. Delacorte Press (ULS), 2003. 218 p. ISBN 0-385-73170-1 ($23.95 hdc.). ISBN 0-440-42012-1 ($7.99 pbk.).

(CAN) In 1962, Bobby’s life in an English seaside village is touched with amazing experiences. He has a friend, Alisa Spink, who can heal injured fawns with her dreams, and he knows an illusionist, McCultry, who can eat fire. However, things begin to change, and Bobby’s life is filled with darkness. At home, his world is shattered by his father’s illness, and at school Bobby encounters abusive treatment from his classmates and teacher. Further, the media keep relaying the doom-and-gloom message that Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union are readying missiles for nuclear warfare. Then, with help from his wonder-working friend and the fire-eating illusionist, Bobby learns to believe in miracles.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

Firewing (Print-Fiction). Oppel, Kenneth. HarperCollins Canada Ltd. (HCP), 2004. 329 p. ISBN 0-00-639302-0 ($8.99 pbk.).

(CAN) In Firewing, the third book of the Silverwing Series, Oppel continues the adventures of Shade and his son Griffin in the Underworld setting. Griffin tries to steal fire from the humans to try to live up to his father’s reputation. In the process, his friend Luna gets badly burned. Firewing is a darker story than its prequels, but the images can be interpreted as religious allusions, such as the Underworld, a kind of purgatory where everything appears beautiful, but is really false. The story of the bat family in crisis could be paralleled with human life choice and decisions. Oppel’s imagination and ability makes the life of the bats both fascinating and believable for readers.

Firewing won the Mr. Christie’s Book Award in 2002.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Imaginative and Literary Context

First French Kiss and Other Traumas. 1st ed. (Print-Fiction). Bagdasarian, Adam. Farrar, Straus & Giroux (HCP), 2002. 134 p. ISBN 0-374-32338-0 ($21.50 hdc.). ISBN 0-374-42323-7 ($8.00 pbk.).

Enduring life as a teenager means surviving awkward moments as illustrated by Bagdasarian in this humourous and poignant novel. Written in autobiographical vignettes, the author’s reminiscences range from disastrous encounters with girls to heartwarming moments with his father. Readers will commiserate as they identify with the agony of puberty.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

The First Stone (Print-Fiction). Aker, Don. HarperCollins Canada Ltd. (HCP), 2003. 292 p. ISBN 0-00-639286-5 ($7.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Chad Kennedy, otherwise known as Reef, is angry with the world after his grandmother dies. Reef, orphaned at birth, was raised by an alcoholic grandfather and a supportive grandmother. Now as a young offender, he has become a ward of the government. A random act of violence by Reef, when he throws a stone from the overpass into a windshield of a car, changes both his life and Leeza Hemmingway’s life. The car crash nearly kills Leeza, and she must spend months rehabilitating her broken body. Ironically, Leeza finds a friend in Reef, the unlikely hospital volunteer. Leeza and Reef reach out to one another and do not realize their bond exists because of Reef’s act of cruelty and hate. In The First Stone, Aker has dealt with the difficult issues of teen violence and crime.

Teachers should note that some people might be offended by the coarse language in the novel, but the climax will appeal to teens and possibly make them think about their actions.

This book was the winner of the Ann Connor Brimer Award and the White Pine Award in 2004.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

The Flags of War (Print-Fiction). Wilson, John. Kids Can Press (UTP), 2004. 166 p. ISBN 1-55337-567-X ($16.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55337-568-8 ($7.95 pbk.).

(CAN) Wilson follows the path of the McGregor family members to show how war has influenced their lives. The historically accurate content, the uniforms, and the descriptions of the weapons and battles will attract male readers who can identify with the young male characters, Walt and Nate, as they fought for a dream. Students will learn how families were split when their sons chose different sides of the war during the American Revolution. Rory McGregor’s great grandsons Nate, a southern Loyalist, and Walt, a Canadian supporter of abolition, meet through fate. Sunday, a runaway slave from Nate’s plantation, makes his way to Canada and the McGregor farm using the Underground Railroad to find his friend Touss, an ex-slave who works for Walt McGregor. Sunday is tracked by the overseer from Nate’s plantation. Walt prevents the recapturing of Sunday, who has decided along with Touss to join the Union forces to help abolish slavery. The overseer returns to Canada to capture Walt and sells him to the Confederate army. At the Battle of Shiloh, the cousins, Walt and Nate, would have killed one another if Sunday had not intervened.

This book could spark lively discussions regarding the ambiguities of war.
Suggested Use: Grade 7; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

Flame (Print-Fiction). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.

Flames of the Tiger (Print-Fiction). Wilson, John. Kids Can Press (UTP), 2003. 176 p. ISBN 1-55337-618-8 ($16.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55337-619-6 ($7.95 pbk.).

(CAN) This book offers a realistic portrayal of a German boy’s experiences during World War II written from a child’s point of view. Dieter is caught between the blind patriotism of his older brother for the Hitler Youth and the growing scepticism for Hitler and the SS by his father. The plot shows Canadian soldiers in a positive light during World War II and presents another viewpoint in that it humanizes the German children and shows the Germans as more than simply Nazis. The subject treatment was well balanced.

This novel could be used in conjunction with Letters From Rifka and Daniel’s Story (both are annotated in English Language Arts: A Bibliography for Grades 6 to 9 (1997) and The Diary of a Young Girl (annotated in this bibliography).
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context
Initiative: Multicultural Content and Perspectives

Flood (Print-Fiction). Heneghan, James. Groundwood Books (HCP), 2002. 188 p. ISBN 0-88899-466-4 ($12.95 pbk.).

(CAN) After a devastating flood claims the lives of an Andy’s mother and stepfather, the 11-year-old boy is sent to live with his aunt in Halifax. Upon learning that his father is still alive, Andy flees his harsh environment in search of a man he has long forgotten. When Andy finds his dysfunctional father, his unreliability and lack of parental skills force Andy to assume the role of an adult. Heneghan infuses Irish folklore as the Sheehogue, or fairies, follow Andy and serve as protectors. As Andy returns to his aunt’s house, the grief-stricken boy discovers a place where he belongs.
Suggested Use: Grade 6; Personal and Philosophical Context
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9
Initiative: Multicultural Content and Perspectives

Flux (Print-Fiction). Goobie, Beth. Orca Book Publishers Ltd. (ORC), 2004. 258 p. ISBN 1-55143-314-1 ($19.95 hdc.).

(SK) Twelve-year-old Nellie and her mother escaped to the Outbacks from the Interior, a dystopia controlled by police who divide people into castes and insert chips for identification purposes. In the Outbacks, Nellie’s mother disappears, and she must look after herself. When loneliness opens Nellie’s mind to “flux,” she learns how to travel between different levels of existence by stepping through doors that only she can see. However, when an unruly gang plays a prank that reveals scars on Nellie’s head, she must face the truth regarding experiments that were conducted on her during her time in the Interior. The timeless themes of how to parent, how to grow up productive and happy, and the necessity of freedom over control arise in this novel and are continued in the sequel.

This book was nominated for a Snow Willow Award in 2005 by the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Willow Awards Committee and won the Children’s Literature Award at the Saskatchewan Book Awards in 2004.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

Flying Blind (Print-Fiction). Myers, Anna. Walker & Co. (HZB), 2003. 180 p. ISBN 0-8027-8879-3 ($16.95 U.S. hdc.).

A professor, his young apprentice named Ben, and a caustic macaw named Murphy are an unusual trio who tour the country performing their Shakespearean Elocution Show and selling magic elixir. A psychic Murphy convinces his companions that they must travel to Florida as he believes Ben is destined to save the egrets that are being massacred to provide feathers for fashionable hats. Ben, horrified with the slaughter, faces a moral dilemma when he befriends two impoverished siblings who rely on the selling of the feathers for survival. Issues of conservation, mortality, and family are woven into chapters that alternate between the first person narrative of the boy and the bird. Flying Blind focuses on a boy who is unsure of his destiny and a professor who envisions his protégé soaring to new heights.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Environmental and Technological Context

Fractures: Family Stories (Print-Anthology). Wilson, Budge. Penguin Books Canada Limited (CDS), 2002. 195 p. ISBN 0-14-331201-4 ($16.00 pbk.).

(CAN) In these short stories, families are often fractured but not broken, although some are flawed on many levels. Set in Wilson’s native Nova Scotia, the author includes memories from her past and reflects on common childhood emotions. The collection of stories focuses on sibling rivalry, self-image, relationships, dysfunctional families, illness, and death. A sensitive and insightful look into the discoveries, the agonies, and the joys of growing up can be found in these excellent short stories.

Teachers should note that the stories “My War” and “The Metaphor” are more suitable for Secondary Level students.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Personal and Philosophical Context; Short Stories
Other Use: Health Education: Grades 6 to 9

Freewalker (Print-Fiction). Foon, Dennis. Annick Press (FIR), 2004. 387 p. ISBN 1-55037-885-6 ($19.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55037-884-9 ($12.95 pbk.).

(CAN) This is the second book in a trilogy combining elements of a futuristic and a medieval setting in a post-apocalyptic future. Some of the characters contain traits that echo issues in contemporary Canadian culture: environment, religion, dreams and dream quests, education, and family.

Roan of Longlight continues his adventures, trying to get revenge for the destruction of his village, and trying to unite with his sister. On the way, there are many twists and turns. Roan has many helpers, several of which are female. In the end, he is involved in the start of a war which will lead to the final book in the trilogy. One of the assets of the book is that there is an intelligent and physical male protagonist.

The plot is not as strong as the first book, but it is exciting and engaging, and will likely be a good choice for students who enjoy the genre. The cryptic “quote” from the literature of this fantasy culture provides an opening to each chapter and perhaps presents an interesting contrast of two textual cues to enhance understanding.
Suggested Use: Grade 9; Environmental and Technological Context; Imaginative and Literary Context

Funny You Should Ask: Weird But True Answers to 115½ Wacky Questions (Print-Non-Fiction). Meikle, Marg. Scholastic Canada Ltd. (SCH), 1998. 154 p. ISBN 0-590-12489-7 ($6.99 pbk.).

(CAN) Questions that students ask teachers about superstition, customs, clothes, food, music, or science are found, along with the answers, in this prequel to You Asked for It: Strange But True Answers to 99 Wacky Questions (also annotated in this bibliography). Meikle points out that she gets her answers from the Internet, the library, a CD-ROM database, telephone calls, or whatever it takes. Interesting questions such as, “Who invented the wave at a baseball game?” will certainly appeal to the inquisitive student mind.

This book won the Silver Birch Award in 1999.
Suggested Use: Grade 8; Communicative Context

Futures (Print-Anthology). Please refer to the “Currently Out of Print but Still Useful Learning Resources” section.