This one is one of my favourites and it has been a favourite for all the classes I have read it to. Who doesn't love a story about second chances and bit of mystery??!

A really fun read with a whole lot of heart. The underlying message throughout is kindness and it takes the reader for a quite the ride.

Another wonderful graphic novel about discovering who you are and what your superpower really is.

A beautifully written novel-in-verse which provides readers with a perspective of the pandemic and the treatment of indigenous people from their perspective, both now and in the past.

I chose this book based on the cover, and such a great pick it was! This brilliant story, told from the perspectives of Joe and Ravi, shares the trials of trying to fit in and overcoming the challenges that many face in middle school.

Marjorie is 13 and is dealing with so many hard things- the recent death of her mom, her dad no coping with the death well, running their family Laundromat, and feeling like no one sees her. Wendell is a ghost dealing with his own death and struggling to do so in the afterlife. Their stories intertwine to make a lovely story about loss and grief.

A lovely book about kindness, friendship, family, and about wondering who we are. Rick standing up for what is right is an important lesson for many and hopefully will give others the strength to do it too.

Another fantastic book by Dan Gemeinhart (Some Kind of Courage, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise). Jonathan has been sent to a reformatory school (think Alcatraz but worse) and is at this horrible school with 15 other misfits. When a freak accident occurs, leaving them without supervision, they decide to stay on the island. What could possibly go wrong?! This fast-paced thriller keeps the reader on the edge of their seat the whole time.

I loved Holly Goldberg Sloan's novel Counting by 7s (read it- such a great book!) so when I found Short I hoped it would be as good. It didn't disappoint. Short is funny and sweet and one of those reads that leaves you feeling good. We need more of these kinds of stories in this dark and uncertain time we face currently.