Staff Picks
HiLo Teen Fiction
- Thomas M.
- Wednesday, December 08, 2021
Collection
HiLo fiction stands for High interest, Low reading level. Most HiLo books have certain storytelling techniques in common. Their sentences and paragraphs are short, with generous line spacing. Vocabulary is fairly simple. These features make the text easy to follow. Plots are driven by action and a linear sequence of events. HiLo books are, to use a popular expression, "the books where stuff happens." They can be a building block in the development of a growing reader as well as an engaging, fast-paced read. You won't believe some of the sudden twists and turns these stories take!
Drawn Away
Published in 2017
In this paranormal novel for teens, Jack finds himself drawn into the world of a malevolent character from one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales.
Devil's Pass
Published in 2012
"Webb, a young street musician, faces grizzly bears and a madman on the Canol Trail when he tries to fulfill a request in his late grandfather's will"--Unedited summary from book.
Rock the Boat
Published in 2015
When Webb moves to Nashville to make his mark as a singer-songwriter, he finds out how tough the music business can be.
Identify
Published in 2017
"In this high-interest novel for teen readers, Ethan's new friend Gabe is being harassed for being different than all the other girls."-- Provided by publisher.
Homecoming
Published in 2014
When Fiona's father returns home from prison, Fiona must come to terms with her relationship with him, her family's instability due to his incarceration, and her resolve over whether or not he committed the crime.
Across the Floor
Published in 2016
In this high-interest novel for teen readers, football player Luc is forced to take a dance class, where he discovers an unexpected new passion.
Agent Angus
Published in 2012
Angus and his best buddy, Shahid, share a love of science and their robot, Gordon. But recently, the artistic Ella Eckles has had a peculiar effect on Angus. When a stink bomb at the school provides a chance for him to talk to her, he claims to share her interest in reading facial expressions and declares his ambition to become a crime-solving mentalist. He impresses Ella by identifying the stink bomber, but fails to mention he witnessed a scrawny kid setting off the bomb. When Ella's treasured sketchbook is stolen, she asks Angus to find the thief. Shahid thinks Angus should confess that he's not a mentalist, but Angus is certain he can learn to read people and recover Ella's sketchbook. He asks Shahid to help him investigate the suspects: Gaga Girl; the art teacher, Mr. Wilder; and finally, "scrawny kid." Equipped with rearview sunglasses and an informant who lurks in the washroom, the duo bungles their way through a series of encounters that alarm Shahid and provide Angus with some unfamiliar exercise.
Breaking Big
Published in 2016
Can Robin learn the discipline he needs to succeed as the principal dancer of his dance company?
He Who Dreams
Published in 2021
"When John discovers dancing, he finds himself facing ridicule from his soccer teammates and hostility from the dancers at the cultural center. To dance at the Pow Wow, he must learn to balance his responsibilities, confront his fears and embrace both the Irish and the Cree sides of his heritage"--Back cover.
See No Color
Published in 2015
Alex has always identified herself as a baseball player, the daughter of a winning coach, but when she realizes that is not enough she begins to come to terms with her adoption and her race.
B Negative
Published in 2011
Paddy loves his family, all except for his annoying stepfather Anthony. When they have a discussion about his future, Paddy overreacts and threatens to join the army. Unable to back down, he finds he is alienating everyone around him. And when he takes the physical exam and learns his blood type, his world starts to crumble and he starts to question everything he thought he knew.
Hold the Pickles
Published in 2012
"Fifteen-year-old Dan Hogg gets a job as a hotdog mascot at a food fair and finds himself caught up in another action-packed mystery"--Unedited summary from book.
Maxed out
Published in 2012
Max would love to play hockey again, but ever since the death of his father he has had to take care of his brother with special needs, and with a big game coming up Max searches for a way to meet his responsibilities to his brother and his team.
Munro Vs. the Coyote
Published in 2017
Munro Maddux goes to Australia on a student exchange in order to try and deal with his younger sister's death.
Eye Sore
Published in 2015
The last thing Chaz wants is to spend his summer working on his father's Eye, a Ferris wheel with glass-bottomed gondolas set up to view scenic North Vancouver. For one thing, Chaz would prefer to pursue his own passion: dance in the style of the late, great Gene Kelly. More important, Chaz suffers from vertigo, and even the thought of the Eye makes him want to lose his lunch. But when a crowd of angry protestors and a mysterious vandal threaten his father's dream, and the family's livelihood, Chaz is forced to overcome his own fears to help out.
The Way Back from Broken
Published in 2015
"After losing his infant sister, Rakmen's family is devastated. While his parents figure things out, they send Rakmen on a camping trip in the Canadian wilderness with another grieving family. Rakmen is far from thrilled about the trip, and he has to decide whether it's too late to find his way back from broken"-- Provided by publisher.
Rodent
Published in 2016
"Alcoholic mother, two younger siblings to look after, a crappy job at a mini-mart. Isabelle thinks her life can't get any worse. But can it get any better?"--Page 4 of cover.
Timber Creek Station
Published in 2016
Thirteen-year-old Danny Dawson lives on a cattle station in the Australian outback, where his family struggles to cope with the accidental death of his older brother a year earlier and his sister's pregnancy by an Aboriginal.
Close to the Heel
Published in 2012
At the request of his late grandfather, Rennie goes to Iceland to right an old wrong, and gets drawn into investigating a murder.
About That Night
Published in 2014
Right before Jordie plans to break up with her boyfriend Derek for bad-boy Ronan, Derek disappears, and Jordie must uncover the truth before she is pinned for the crime.
Trial by Fire
Published in 2016
"Riley Donovan is the new kid in town. When her next-door neighbor's barn catches on fire, with him inside it, Riley helps save him. But rather than being hailed a hero, Riley finds herself a target of harassment. When her neighbor is accused of starting the fire, Riley believes he is innocent and is determined to prove it--even if it means making powerful enemies."-- Back cover.
Be Not Far from Me
Published in 2020
Lost in the Great Smoky Mountains, rising high school senior Ashley Hawkins must fight for survival without any tools, growing in awareness that the world is not tame, and neither are people.
Subject to Change
Published in 2017
Fifteen-year-old Declan struggles to make sense of his older brother's delinquency, his father's sexuality, and his feelings for a girl who is way out of his league.
Last Message
Published in 2012
Adam thought he knew about his grandfather, but when he is sent to France to perform three very difficult (and dangerous, possibly illegal) tasks for him, Adam discovers things about his grandfather-- and himself--that he never imagined.
Disconnect
Published in 2012
Fourteen-year-old Daria's addiction to technology creates serious problems in her life.
Three Good Things
Published in 2015
Fifteen-year-old Leni copes with a mother with a mental illness.
Audacious
Published in 2013
Sixteen-year-old Raphaelle says the wrong thing, antagonizes the wrong people and has the wrong attitude. She can't do anything right except draw, but she draws the wrong pictures. When her father moves the family to a small prairie city, Raphaelle wants to make a new start. Reborn as "Ella," she tries to fit in at her new school. She's drawn to Samir, a Muslim boy in her art class, and expresses her confused feelings in explicit art. When a classmate texts a photo of Ella's art to a younger friend, the fallout spreads throughout Ella's life, threatening to destroy her already-fragile family. Told entirely in verse, "Audacious" is a brave, funny and hard-hitting portrait of a girl who embodies the word "audacity."
Capricious
Published in 2014
"Ella's grade-eleven year was a disaster (Audacious), but as summer approaches, things are looking up. She's back together with her brooding boyfriend, Samir, although they both want to keep that a secret. She's also best buddies with David and still not entirely sure about making him boyfriend number two. Though part of her wants to conform to high school norms, the temptation to be radical is just too great. Managing two secret boyfriends proves harder than Ella expected, especially when Samir and David face separate family crises, and Ella finds herself at the center of an emotional maelstrom. Someone will get hurt. Someone risks losing true love. Someone might finally learn that self-serving actions can have public consequences. And that someone is Ella."--Amazon.
Infiltration
Published in 2011
Bex breaks into locked and abandoned buildings just because he can, but when a new friend's behavior becomes more and more risky, he has to do the right thing.
Coming Clean
Published in 2012
"Rob wants to be a DJ, but when a girl overdoses during his first gig and his brother is implicated, Rob realizes he could lose everything."--T.p. verso.
The Drop
Published in 2011
Alex wants to be a part of the elite Backcountry Patrol of snowboarders, but first he and three other hopefuls--Dave, Bryce, and Hope--must endure a series of tests that forces them to confront their own fears and the treacherous mountain terrain.
Big Time
Published in 2014
Disillusioned after being kicked off a nationally-televised competition, aspiring singer Gerri reluctantly joins a school choral club and discovers there is more than one way to be a successful and happy singer.
Ink Me
Published in 2012
Bunny doesn't understand why his late grandfather wants him to get a tattoo. Actually, Bunny doesn't understand a lot of things, so it's good that his older brother, Spencer, is happy to explain things to him. But this is a task Bunny is supposed to do on his own, and nobody is more surprised than Bunny when, after he gets tattooed, he is befriended by a kid named Jaden and adopted into Jaden's gang.
Whisper to the Sky
Published in 2021
"Sydney was a bully at her old school, but when she moves to a new school, the roles are reversed, and she becomes the person who is bullied"-- Provided by publisher.
Hummingbird Heart
Published in 2012
Dylan is sixteen when she first meets her father, who is looking for a donor match for his sick toddler.
The World Without Us
Published in 2015
"When Mel meets Jeremy, she thinks she has finally found someone who understands her, someone who will listen to her, someone who cares. But Jeremy has secrets that torment him, and Mel isn't sure she can save him from his demons. All she knows is that she has to save herself. Set in Florida, against a backdrop of anti-death-penalty activism, [this book] examines one girl's choices in a world where the stakes are very high and one misstep can hurt--or even kill--you"--Amazon.com.
2 Days
Published in 2012
When Neema Powell's mother's boyfriend throws her out and her mother sides with him, Neema takes shelter with her boyfriend, Nate, for only two days before moving in with her Aunt Amina, but those two days will be enough to change her life forever.
Oracle
Published in 2012
"Owen has a crush on Kamryn. Kamryn has a crush on Owen's brother Kyle. Owen knows extreme action is necessary to make sure Kamryn does not date his brother, a jerk who manipulates every situation to get what he wants. So what does Owen do? He manipulates the situation. With the help of his friend Hannah, Owen sets up a blog called the Oracle that gives out relationship advice to local teens. At first, everything seems to be going great, but Owen soon discovers that fraudulent tactics have their consequences"--P. [4] of cover.
The Haunted
Published in 2019
To evade her manipulative ex-boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Hendricks' family moves to small-town New York, where she joins the popular crowd, but only her outcast neighbor, Eddie, can help chase vindictive ghosts from her new house.
Between Heaven and Earth
Published in 2012
DJ climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to scatter his beloved grandfather's ashes.
Lost Cause
Published in 2012
Steve travels to Spain and uncovers his late grandfather's invlovement in the Spanish Civil War.