County Teens

Linda lives in Ember – a city light by great lights int he sky. She’s a messenger – responsible for delivering messages across the city. Her friend Doon is a labourer, working underground at the tunnels. Ember’s always had all the food and supplies it needs – great storage rooms full. But lately, the supplies are coming less and less often – and Lina hears a rumour that the storage rooms are almost empty. That’s worrisome enough, but when the great lights start to flicker and submerge the city into darkness, both Lina and Doon becoming increasingly more frightened.  What if the lights turn off and don’t come back on??

BJ’s been saving money for a horse of her own about as long as she can remember. And when she gets to the auction with $700.00 tucked tightly in her hand, she knows she’ll find something. But she doesn’t expect to find herself buying a too-old, almost wild blue mare. Blue Moon, as she calls the horse, is scared and tense – but is also a quick learner, strong and smart. There’s something weird about her though – she seems to learn almost too quickly – like she’s done this before. Is there something they didn’t tell BJ at the auction??

Kip’s trying to catch the buzz  — to feel the rush that he gets when he’s risking it all. He starts small, betting his friends that their teacher will burp or that the next person to walk through the door will be  a girl. Then he meets Joey – a beautiful girl unlike anyone he’s ever met. Her father, King Hewitt, Master Illusionist, knows gambling and introduces Kip to risks he’d never anticipated.

Will is in grade nine, and he’s planning to go to his father’s office for “Take Our Kids to Work Day” on September 11, 2001.

His father works in the World Trade Center.

Walters tackles a difficult story here – but it’s worth reading!

Imagine you have just moved to Newfoundland from Toronto with your mother, and you take your sailboat out and find a boat containing a family from Southeast Asia trying to illegally immigrate to Canada. They’re scared, and they don’t speak English -  but if they want to avoid being arrested, they’ll need your help. What would you do? Would you break the law to help them? Would you turn them in?