Featured Canadian Authors: Marty Chan, Kenneth Oppel, Kit Pearson, Deborah Ellis, Janet Lunn, David E. Robertson, Gary Paulsen, Iain Lawrence, Susin Nielson, William Bell, Stacey Matson or Gordon Korman. |
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Stormbreaker
by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6. Read more of the Alex Rider series.
Reading Level: 670L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Service
Themes: teenage spies, technology, suspense, terrorism.
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I Am Still Alive
by Kate Alice Marshall
Stranded in the woods after her cabin burns down and her father is killed, a disabled girl and her dog fervently prepare for the coming winter while plotting revenge on the person who murdered her father.
Reading Level: 690L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Resilience, wilderness survival, revenge, family relationships.
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Silver Fin: a James Bond Adventure
by Charles Higson
Prequel to the adventures of James Bond, 007, introduces the young James when he is just starting boarding school in England and is about to become involved in his first adventure. Read more of the Young Bond series.
Reading Level: 900L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Service
Themes: boys boarding school, technology, suspense, terrorism.
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The Hunchback Assignments
by Arthur G. Slade
The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania's efforts to rule the empire. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It's up to them to save their country. Read the rest of the Hunchback Assignment series.
Reading Level: 680L
Pillar: Service
Themes: Victorian London, steampunk, secret societies, spies.
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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather.
Read the sequel: The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate.
Reading Level: 830L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: family life, coming-of-age, young scientist, nature study.
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Making Bombs for Hitler
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
A tale inspired by a lesser-known aspect of World War II describes how young Lida loses her parents and is torn from her sister, even though she is not Jewish, by Nazis who place her in a brutal work camp with other Ukrainian children to make bombs for the German army.
Reading Level: 760L
Pillar: Service, courage
Themes: World War II, munitions factory, resistance, survival.
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Projekt 1065
by Alan Gratz
It is 1943, and thirteen-year-old Michael O'Shaunessey, son of the Irish ambassador to Nazi Germany in Berlin, is also a spy for the British Secret Service, so he has joined the Hitler Youth, and pretending that he agrees with their violence and book-burning is hard enough--but when he is asked to find out more about "Projekt 1065" both his and his parents' lives get a lot more dangerous.
Reading Level: 780L
Pillar: Courage, Service
Themes: Hitler Youth, teenage spies, World War II - Germany.
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War Horse
by Michael Morpurgo
Joey the horse recalls his experiences growing up on an English farm, his struggle for survival as a cavalry horse during World War I, and his reunion with his beloved master. Read more of the War Horse series.
Reading Level: 580L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Service
Themes: Realistic fiction, horses, World War I, soldiers, farm life.
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Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein
by Jennifer Rozines Roy
For forty-two days in 1991, eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil and his family struggle to survive as Basra, Iraq, is bombed by the United States and its allies.
Reading Level: 560L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: life during Persian Gulf War 1991, survival, friendships, video games.
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Fight For Freedom
by Simon Scarrow
After Marcus Cornelius Primus's father is murdered and his mother kidnapped and enslaved, Marcus is forced to fight as a gladiator, enduring brutal training while he secretly plots to avenge his father's death and rescue his mother. Read more of the Gladiator series.
Reading Level: 850L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Slavery, revenge, gladiators.
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Sphinx's Princess
by Esther Friesner
After being taken away to live with her aunt, Queen Tiye, and discovering that she is being used in her aunt's self-centered plot to gain more power, beautiful commoner Nefertiti is at odds with the court and so must find a way to return to the life and family she loved before danger strikes.
Read more of the Sphinx's Princess series.
Reading Level: 830L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Service
Themes: Historical fiction, Ancient Egypt, women rulers, duty.
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King of Ithaka
by Tracy Barrett
When sixteen-year-old Telemachos and his two best friends, one a centaur, leave their life of privilege to undertake a quest to find Telemachos's father Odysseus, they learn much along the way about what it means to be a man and a king.
Reading Level: 830L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: mythology, Ancient Greece, quests, prophecies, rulers.
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The Hidden Oracle
by Rick Riordan
How do you punish an immortal? By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
Enjoy others in the Trials of Apollo series.
Reading Level: 830L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Fantasy adventure, mythology, Ancient Greece, quests, prophecies, rulers.
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister. Read more of the Tales from Alcatraz series.
Reading Level: 600L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Alcatraz, prison life, siblings, family problems, humour, autism.
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The Fire of Ares
by Michael Ford
When slaves rebel in ancient Sparta, twelve-year-old Lysander, guarded by an heirloom amulet, the Fire of Ares, is caught between the Spartan ruling class, with whom he has been training as a warrior since his noble heritage was revealed, and those among whom he was recently laboring as a slave. Enjoy others in the Spartan Warrior series.
Reading Level: 690L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: slavery, amulets, social classes.
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The wolf wilder
by Katherine Rundell
In the days before the Russian Revolution, twelve-year-old Feodora sets out to rescue her mother when the Tsar's Imperial Army imprisons her for teaching tamed wolves to fend for themselves.
Reading Level: 640L
Pillar: Service
Themes: animal training, wolves, Russia.
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Blitzcat
by Robert Westall
An extraordinary and heart-warming story about one brave cat's experiences during World War Two from prize-winning author Robert Westall.
Reading Level: 760L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: pets and owners, WW2, London, emotional story.
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Moon Over Manifest
by Clare Vanderpool
Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past.
Reading Level: 800L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: secrets, fathers, depressions, Kansas.
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The Iron Trial
by Holly Black
Warned away from magic all of his life, Callum endeavours to fail the trials that would admit him to the Magisterium only to be drawn into its ranks against his will and forced to confront dark elements from his past. Check out the rest of The Magisterium Series
Reading Level: 830L, SORA audiobook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Fantasy adventure, quests, wizards, magic, friendship.
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The List
by Patricia Forde
Letta, charged with collecting and saving words, uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language, robbing the people of Ark of the power of speech, and realizes she must also save the culture itself.
Reading Level: 600L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: survival, post-apocalyptic world, leadership, language.
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The Letter for the King
by Tonke Dragt
On the night of his final vigil before being knighted, Tiuri responds to a request to deliver an urgent letter to a distant kingdom across the Great Mountains—a journey that will threaten his life and teach him the true meaning of what it is to be a knight. Read the sequel The Secrets of the Wild Wood.
Reading Level: 660L
Pillar: Service
Themes: Classics, knights and kings, murder, revenge.
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The Hazel Wood
by Melissa Albert
When the scary, magical world in her grandmother's book of dark feminist fairy tales becomes real, seventeen-year-old Alice, partnered with Ellery, an obsessed fan of the fairy tales, must enter the world to rescue Alice's kidnapped mother. Read the sequel The Night Country.
Reading Level: 760L, SORA audiobook
Pillar: Service
Themes: Fantasy adventure, friendships, dark fairy tales, survival.
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Thrones & Bones: Frostborn
by Lou Anders
Destined to take over his family farm in Norrøgard, Karn would rather play the board game Thrones and Bones until half-human, half-frost giantess Thianna appears and they set out on an adventure, chased by a dragon and undead warriors.
Reading Level: 660L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Adventures, destiny, bravery, friendships.
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The Ruins of Gorlan
by John Flanagan
With Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, on the brink of attacking the kingdom, fifteen-year-old Will is chosen as the Ranger's new apprentice and must learn all the skills necessary to take part in the fierce battle ahead with their unique form of magic in the hopes of saving the villagers from pending annihilation.
Read more of The Ranger's Apprentice series.
Reading Level: 920L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Respect
Themes: magic, battles, survival, apprentices.
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The Night Gardener
by Jonathan Auxier
Irish orphans Molly, 14, and Kip, 10, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and the secrets of the cursed house.
Reading Level: 690L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: brothers and sisters, orphans, storytelling, curses.
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The Astounding Broccoli Boy
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Forging a diligent sense of preparedness to handle a bully and his eccentric family members, young Rory lands in an experimental hospital ward when he suddenly and inexplicably turns green from head to foot.
Reading Level: 620L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: superhuman abilities, life changing events, humour, bullying, viruses.
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The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
by Janet S Fox
In 1940, during the Blitz, Kat Bateson is sent to a school in a Scottish castle that is said to be haunted by dark magic from the past, but when some of her classmates disappear, she wonders if the magic exists very much in the present.
Reading Level: 740L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: magic, secrecy, siblings, WW II, missing persons.
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A Dog's Purpose
by W. Bruce Cameron
Searching for his purpose over the course of multiple canine lives, Bailey is reborn as a golden-haired puppy after a tragic death as a stray and shares a loving bond with young Ethan before he again dies and starts over.
Reading Level: 970L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: belonging, family, reincarnation, anthropomorphic dogs.
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The Sword in the Stone
by T. H. White
Before there was a famous king named Arthur, there was a curious boy named Wart and a kind old wizard named Merlyn. Transformed by Merlyn into the forms of his fantasy, Wart learns the value of history from a snake, of education from a badger, and of courage from a hawk--the lessons that help turn a boy into a man. Together, Wart and Merlyn take the reader through this timeless story of childhood and adventure.
Reading Level: 1120L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: knights, Great Britain, magic, wizards, rulers.
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Deep Blue
by Jennifer Donnelly
Uncovering an ancient evil, Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas, to save their hidden world. Enjoy more of the Waterfire series.
Reading Level: 580L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: mermaids, good and evil, supernatural, magic.
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Endling: The Last
by Katherine Applegate
Byx, the youngest member and only survivor of her pack of mythical doglike creatures, dairnes, sets out to find safe haven and, perhaps, more of her kind, aided by allies, both animal and human. Read the rest of this exciting series.
Reading Level: 690L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: war, survival, friendship, allies.
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H.I.V.E. : the Higher Institute of Villainous Education
by Mark Walden
Swept away to a hidden academy for training budding evil geniuses, Otto, a brilliant orphan, Wing, a sensitive warrior, Laura, a shy computer specialist, and Shelby, an infamous jewel thief, plot to beat the odds and escape the prison known as H.I.V.E. Read more of the H.I.V.E. Series
Reading Level: 950L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: gifted teenagers, Villains, friendship, Science fiction boot camp, fast-paced suspense.
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MiNRS
by Kevin Sylvester
Twelve-year-old Christopher Nichols and his family live on a new planet, Perses, as colonists of Melming Mining's Great Mission to save the earth. When Landers, as the attackers are called, obliterate the colony to steal the metal and raw ore, Christopher and a small group of survivors are forced into the maze of mining tunnels below the surface of Perses. Read more in the MiNRS series.
Reading Level: 620L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: space colonies, survival, resources.
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Mars evacuees
by Sophia McDougall
When Earth comes under attack by aliens, a select group of kids are evacuated to Mars, but when they learn that they are safer on Mars, a place where they can only "sort of breathe the air, and sort of not get sunburned to death," they get the idea that the war with the aliens was not going fantastically well.
Reading Level: 970L
Pillar: Service
Themes: action adventure, humor, space colonies, survival, aliens.
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Last Day on Mars
by Kevin Emerson
Moving to Mars with his scientist parents and the other survivors of Earth when the sun inexplicably starts to go supernova, Liam, a boy from the early 23rd century, makes a profound discovery about the nature of time and space. Read more of the Chronicle of the Dark Star Series.
Reading Level: 800L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: attention-grabbing, fast-past, life on other planets, space colonies, survival, aliens, time travel.
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TimeRiders
by Alex Scarrow
Rescued from imminent death, teens Maddy, Liam, and Sal join forces in 2001 Manhattan to correct changes in history made by other time travelers, using a "time bubble" surrounding the attack on the Twin Towers to hide their journeys. Read more of the TimeRiders series
Reading Level: 820L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Service
Themes: Science fiction adventure, suspense, time travel, World War II, space and time, September 11 terrorist attacks.
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Bloom
by Kenneth Oppel
It was just rain. But after the downpour, odd black plants begin to shoot up. Suddenly—They. Are. Everywhere. They take over fields and twine around houses. They bloom and throw off toxic pollen—and feed. Strangely, three Salt Spring Island teens seem immune. Anaya, Petra and Seth. What’s their connection? What’s their secret? A week ago, they wouldn’t have thought they had one. But they’d better figure it out fast—the invasion has already begun. Read the rest of The Overthrow series.
Reading Level: 670L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: fast-past, friendships, alien invasion, survival, science.
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The Merchant of Death
by D. J MacHale
When the seemingly normal fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon is swept into an alternate dimension, he finds himself hailed as a savior in a place called Denduron, a territory in the throes of revolution against a magical tyrant. Read more of the Pendragon series
Reading Level: 660L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: space and time, time travel, life on other planets, adventure.
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The Sons of Scarlatti
by John McNally
A young boy called Infinity, or Finn, goes on a holiday with his scientist uncle which turns into a mission to avert disaster as a dangerous creature threatens the human race. Finn didn't plan to get caught up in any of this, and somehow ends up only 9 mm tall! Read more of the Infinity Drake series.
Reading Level: 700L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: adventure, science, humour.
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A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg and Charles Wallace set out with their friend Calvin in a search for their father. His top secret job as a physicist for the government has taken him away and the children search through time and space to find him. Read more of the Time Quintet.
Reading Level: 740L, SORA audiobook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Science fiction, fantasy, time travel, witches, good and evil.
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The Search for WondLa
by Tony DiTerlizzi
Living in isolation, a twelve-year-old human girl called Eva Nine sets out on a journey to find others like her, in a story that features "augmented reality" pages, in which readers with a webcam can access additional information about Eva Nine's world. Read more of the Search for WondLa series
Reading Level: 760L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: alien encounters, identity, quests, female protagonist, robots, multimedia.
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Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.
Read others in the Lunar Chronicles
Reading Level: 790L, SORA ebook and audiobook
Pillar: Service, Courage
Themes: Science Fiction, fast-paced, cyborgs, plague, mind control, social classes, strong female protagonist.
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Point Guard
by Mike Lupica
Reading Level: 620L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: humor, middle school, sports, basketball, friendships, LGBTQ+.
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The best at it
by Maulik Pancholy
Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay.
Reading Level: 620L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: humor, middle school, sports, basketball, friendships, LGBTQ+.
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Nothing ever happens here
by Sarah Hagger-Holt
Izzy's family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy's always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what's right?
Reading Level: 700L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Self-discovery, family, advocacy, middle school, LGBTQ+.
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The Trail
by Meika Hashimoto
Having completed all of the challenges on The List except a hike on the Appalachian Trail, Toby embarks on a solitary quest without Lucas before encountering two boys in desperate need of help.
Reading Level: 780L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: friendship, helping others, wilderness survival.
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The skeleton tree
by Iain Lawrence
Surviving a shipwreck along the Alaskan coast, 12-year-old Chris struggles to find food and shelter alongside a prickly boy and a friendly raven as the salmon migration ends and dangerous cold weather sets in.
Reading Level: 670L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: friendship, family issues, wilderness survival.
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Birdie and me
by J. M. M. Nuanez
Losing their home when their mama dies, a girl named Jack and her gender-diverse little brother, Birdie, find unexpected healing and transformative family love in the homes of their eccentric uncles.
Reading Level: approx. 600L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Mental health, humour, middle school, LGBTQ+, family.
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Meow or never
by Jazz Taylor
Avery prefers to stay backstage and sing rather than be in the spotlight, but when she lands the lead role in the school's musical, she'll need the help of a stray cat named Phantom to help her through her stage fright.
Reading Level: 550L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Mental health, animals, middle school, stage fright, LGBTQ+.
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The boy in the dress
by David Walliams
Struggling with a host of dysfunctional family challenges, soccer star Dennis hides the truth about his enthusiasm for fashion until his friend, Lisa, encourages him to dress in drag at school and embrace the persona of "Denise," a gag that has unexpected consequences.
Reading Level: approx. 730L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Mental health, soccer, fashion, friendships, LGBTQ+.
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Word Nerd
by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund
When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich, nerd Ambrose coerces his neighbor Cosmo into taking him to the West Side Scrabble Club, where people accept him for who he is.
Reading Level: 800L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Realistic fiction, humour, bullying, homeschooling, misfits, friendship.
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Ghost
by Jason Renyolds
Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential.
Read more of the Track series.
Reading Level: 730L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Honesty
Themes: track star, middle school, athletics, friendship.
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Travel Team
by Mike Lupica
When twelve-year-old Danny Walker is cut from the travel team for questionable reasons, his father and he decide to take matters in their own hands by joining forces with other determined kids to make a team of their own and prove the coach wrong in a show of strength on the court. Read others in the Danny Walker series.
Reading Level: 930L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: sports, basketball, fathers and sons.
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Playing the cards you're dealt
by Varian Johnson
Hoping to measure up to his father’s expectations at the card table, 10-year-old Anthony Joplin keeps his strategy a secret until he discovers his father has been hiding one that could tear their family apart.
Reading Level: appox, 730L
Pillar: Honesty
Themes: humor, cards, friendship, family secrets.
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Connect the Stars
by Marisa De los Santos
When thirteen-year-olds Aaron and Audrey meet at a wilderness camp in the desert, they think their quirks are enough to prevent them from ever having friends. But as they trek through the challenging and unforgiving landscape, they learn that they each have what it takes to make the other whole.
Reading Level: 840L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: wilderness adventure, humour, gifted persons, bullying, friendship.
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Gracefully Grayson
by Ami Polonsky
Hiding the truth about her awareness that she is a girl trapped inside a male body, Grayson finds new strength to embrace her true identity from an unexpected friendship and a supportive teacher.
Reading Level: 720L
Pillar: Honesty
Themes: transgender persons, families, school plays, self-acceptance.
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Athlete vs. Mathlete
by W. C. Mack
When their two worlds collide in seventh grade, fraternal twins and opposites Owen and Russell find themselves in direct competition at school, on the court and at home.
Reading Level: 610L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: basketball, twins, jealousy, school stories, humour.
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Fish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still does not know how to read.
Reading Level: 550L SORA ebook and audiobook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Realistic Fiction, reading, dyslexia, school stories, belonging, secrets.
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The Goldfish Boy
by Lisa Thompson
Suffering from a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder that prevents him from going to school and subjects him to terrible episodes, Matthew is challenged to step outside of his insular world when he realizes he is the last person who saw a missing toddler.
Reading Level: 750L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: obsessive-compulsive disorder, families, missing persons, mystery.
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My Summer of Pink & Green
by Lisa Greenwald
Rather than a summer of fun transforming her family's pharmacy into an eco-spa, Lucy Desberg must face her sister Claudia's new boyfriend Bean, investor Gary's irritating daughter Bevin, and a spa coordinator who is put in charge of the plans. Read others in the Pink & Green series.
Reading Level: 740L
Pillar: Service
Themes: humour, environmental movement, cosmetics, mothers and daughters, family problems, dysfunctional families.
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Son of the Mob
by Gordon Korman
Seventeen-year-old Vince Luca's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.
Read others in the Son of the Mob series.
Reading Level: 690L, SORA audiobook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Realistic fiction, organized crime, problem families, mafia, romance.
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Summerlost
by Allyson Braithwaite Condie
At the beginning of the first summer since the devastating accident that killed her father and younger brother, Cedar and her surviving family members settle into a different home, where a new friendship and job introduce her to a local mystery involving the death of a young Hollywood actress.
Reading Level: 600L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: friendship, mystery, loss of family, moving, gifts.
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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by C. Alan Bradley
Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, begins her adventure when a dead bird is found on the doorstep of her family's mansion in the summer of 1950, thus propelling her into a mystery that involves an investigation into a man's murder where her father is the main suspect. Read more of the Flavia de Luce series.
Reading Level: 960L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Mystery, young female scientist and detective, murder investigation, suspense.
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Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
Ten-year-old Jesse Aarons, who has lived all his life on a farm in Virginia, becomes friends with Leslie Burke, a "city girl" who has moved into a farmhouse down the road and opens doors to an imaginary world they create together when then swing across a stream near their houses.
Reading Level: 810L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: emotional, rural life, imagination, friendship.
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Lumberjanes
by Noelle Stevenson
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance.
Reading Level: 390L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: graphic novel series, humour, best friends, camps, monsters, teenage girls, LGBTQ+, positive role models.
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Middle School, Get Me Out of Here!
by James Patterson
After Rafe is happily accepted into art school in a big city, he discovers more academic rigor and competition than he expected, compelling him to find inspiration in other exciting activities.
Read others in the Middle School series.
Reading Level: 680L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: humour, middle school life, family problems.
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Surviving the city
by Tasha Spillett
Indigenous teens Miikwan and Dez are best friends that navigate living in the city together, but when Dez's grandmother gets sick, Dez runs away instead of going to a group home, leaving Miikwan and the community to try and find her. Check out the sequel, From the Roots Up!
Reading Level: HL550L, SORA e-book
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Graphic novels, urban Indigenous people, colonialism.
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They Called Me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School
by Bev Sellars
Xat'sull Chief Bev Sellars spent her childhood in a church-run residential school whose aim it was to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings, forced separation from family and culture, and discipline. The first full-length memoir to be published out of St. Joseph's Mission at Williams Lake, BC, Sellars tells of three generations of women who attended the school, interweaving the personal histories of her grandmother and her mother with her own.
Reading Level: approx. 700L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Courage, Respect
Themes: Canadian residential schools, memoir, social justice, colonialism.
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What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal
by Eldon Yellowhorn
Traces the history of the indigenous populations of the Americas after the arrival of Europeans, discussing how different civilizations faced disease, war, broken promises, and forced assimilation to keep their cultures alive.
Reading Level: approx. 700L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Indigenous history, social justice, war, animals, colonialism.
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The Case of Windy Lake
by Michael Hutchinson
670Four inseparable cousins, known as the Mighty Muskrats, work together to find a missing archeologist on the Windy Lake First Nation. Read more of The Mighty Muskrats Mystery series.
Reading Level: 670L
Pillar: Service
Themes: Mystery, realistic fiction, friendship, family dynamics.
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Treaty Words: for as long as the rivers flow
by Aimée Craft
The first treaty that was made was between the earth and the sky. It was an agreement to work together. We build all of our treaties on that original treaty. On the banks of the river that have been Mishomis's home his whole life, he teaches his granddaughter to listen to hear both the sounds and the silences, and so to learn her place in Creation. Most importantly, he teaches her about treaties the bonds of reciprocity and renewal that endure for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the rivers flow.
Reading Level: 670L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Treaties, illustrated story, power of relationships, family dynamics.
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Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience
by Monique Gray Smith
Tilly has always known she’s part Lakota on her dad’s side. She’s grown up with the traditional teachings of her grandma, relishing the life lessons of her beloved mentor. But it isn’t until an angry man shouts something on the street that Tilly realizes her mom is Aboriginal, too—a Cree woman taken from her own parents as a baby.
Reading Level: 800L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Canadian residenÂtial schools, social justice, the Sixties Scoop, identity, resilience.
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Tilly and the Crazy Eights
by Monique Gray Smith
When Tilly receives an invitation to help drive eight elders on their ultimate bucket list road trip to Albuquerque for the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, she impulsively says yes. The trip proves to be powerful medicine as they laugh, heal, argue, and reveal hopes and dreams along the way. With friendships forged, love found, hearts broken and mended, Tilly and the Crazy Eights feel ready for anything by the time their bus rolls to a stop in New Mexico. But are they?
Reading Level: 800L
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Road trips, humour, elders, Canadian culture.
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A Storm Too Soon: a Remarkable True Survival Story in 80-Foot Seas
by Mike Tougias
When a forty-seven-foot sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream in the throes of a calamitous storm, it leaves behind three weary passengers struggling to stay alive on a life raft in violent waves eighty feet tall.
Reading Level: 1090L
Pillar: Service
Themes: storms, sailing, survival and rescue.
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Accidental Archaeologists: true stories of unexpected discoveries
by Sarah Albee
A lighthearted but informative look at chance discoveries made by ordinary people, of artifacts (and treasures) from the past. Many of these discoveries have led to leaps in our knowledge of history and science. Each short chapter will begin with a dramatic story of discovery, followed by the significance of the artifact that was discovered, followed by a look into the history of the civilization/era from which the artifact originates.
Reading Level: 990L
Pillar: Service
Themes: Mystery, unexpected discoveries, history.
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We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World
by Malala Yousafzai
Malala's experiences visiting refugee camps caused her to reconsider her own displacement - first as an Internally Displaced Person when she was a young child in Pakistan, and then as an international activist who could travel anywhere in the world except to the home she loved. In We Are Displaced, which is part memoir, part communal storytelling, Malala not only explores her own story, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her journeys - girls who have lost their community, relatives, and often the only world they've ever known.
Reading Level: approx. 920L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Courage, respect
Themes: Refugee experience, women's rights, social justice, refugees, memoir.
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Becoming Muhammad Ali: a novel
by James Patterson
Fully authorized by and written in cooperation with the Muhammad Ali estate, two powerhouse authors come together to tell the inspiring story of Cassius Clay, the determined boy who would one day become Muhammed Ali, one of the greatest sports heroes of all time.
Reading Level: 1010L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Sports hero, boxing, biography, history.
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No One is Too Small to Make a Difference
by Greta Thunberg
The groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation, including her historic address to the United Nations.
Reading Level: 940L, SORA ebook
Pillar: Service
Themes: Climate change, activism, speeches.
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Outcasts United: the Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town
by Warren St. John
Shares the inspirational story of a youth soccer team comprised of refugees from around the world who, under the guidance of a formidable female coach, helped to transform their Georgia community.
Reading Level: 980L Sora ebook
Pillar: Courage
Themes: Non-fiction, inspiring, soccer, child refugees, determination.
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Breakaway: Beyond the Goal
by Alex Morgan
The Olympic gold medal-winning soccer player details her path to success, from her childhood in California to her time on the United States' National team.
Reading Level: 960L
Pillar: Service
Themes: Soccer, strong female athletes, inspiring female role model.
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The Gutsy Girl: Escapades For Your Life of Epic Adventure
by Caroline Paul
The author shares the risk-taking adventures of herself and others and offers advice and suggested activities for young girls to help them overcome fear, meet challenges, and build confidence and a positive self-image.
Reading Level: 1010L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: adventures, risk-taking, making positive decisions.
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Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done
by Andrea Gonzales
The two teens share the story of their experience at Girls Who Code and their rise to fame, sharing insider perspectives into today's startups, the influence of women in technology, and the power of coding.
Reading Level: 1030L SORA ebook
Pillar: Respect
Themes: Non-fiction, strong female role models in tech, coding, games, leaders.
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Phineas Gage: a Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
by John Fleischman
A fascinating exploration into how the brain works details the strange case of Phineas Gage, who, in 1848, was injured at work when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain, baffling scientists and doctors alike when he miraculously recovered but suffered a severe personality change.
Reading Level: 1030L SORA ebook
Pillar: Respect
Themes: psychology, brain-injury, science, criminology.
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Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina
by Michaela DePrince
The youngest principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem traces her extraordinary rise from being a reviled orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone to becoming one of America's most accomplished ballerinas, tracing her adoption, rigorous training and high-profile performances.
Reading Level: 940L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: autobiography, ballet, orphans, adoption.
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Guys Read: True Stories
by Jon Scieszka
Guys Read: True Stories edited by Jon Scieszka
Features ten stories (essays, biographies, travelogues and more) that are 100% amazing, 100% adventurous, 100% unbelievable and 100% true.
Reading Level: 970L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: explorers, travelers, true adventures.
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Elon Musk and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Young Readers' Edition
by Ashlee Vance
A middle-grade adaptation of the best-selling biography traces the story of the engineer, inventor, explorer and entrepreneur who made pivotal contributions to the space, automotive and energy industries.
Reading Level: 1150L
Pillar: Courage
Themes: biography, business leaders, entrepreneurs, technological innovations.
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