National Network for Equitable Library Service

Double Talk tells the story of Violet Budd and Brian (Baby) Power, two characters fleeing from their past. Brian is ambling after an immigrant’s dream, and Violet is desperate to ditch her middle class origins for something more earthy and bohemian. Their contrary social and geographical flight paths intersect in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the early 1980s, where, for a time, they find love, sex, and a safe haven in each other.

A novel of remarkable historical breadth, Found Far and Wide follows Sam Kennedy through the tragedy of the Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914, the horrors of The First World War, and the dangers of rum-running in Prohibition-era New York. And as Sam journeys through the turbulent first half of the twentieth century, carrying the ghosts of those he’s lost, he clings to his love for a woman he’s only ever seen in a photograph.

The Confessions of Nipper Mooney, full of vivid character portraits and written with a playwright's ear for dialogue, is a compelling story that charts an original course through the beauties and horrors of childhood.

Shunned as an outsider and mistreated due to an undiagnosed learning disability, the young and imaginative Mari-Jen Delene retreats into silence. Around her, the fictional community of Ste. Noire, Cape Breton, hosts a vividly drawn cast of characters: the uncompromising and bitter Mother Superior; the dangerous Uncle Jule; the kind-hearted holocaust survivor Daniel Peter; and Mari-Jen’s rebellious and powerfully intelligent brothers, who sleep next to a map of the world they yearn to explore.

Daisy's job is to be as unobtrusive as possible. But when her father suddenly leaves and her mother breaks down, Daisy's old life disappears, and she is set free in the rift created between her parents. Susie Taylor's sharp, quick-witted prose carries Daisy through a family cataclysm, relationships with boys, and her increasingly confusing feelings towards girls, especially Wanda. A refreshingly perceptive and honest debut, Even Weirder Than Before explores the nature of family, friendships, and sexual awakenings—and introduces one of Newfoundland's most exciting new writers.

Jason Dade, quixotic hero of this 1970s coming-of-age novel, is on a quest. He must decipher cryptic signs on his journey to meet an elusive figure known only as The Man. His father, Saul Dade, broods restlessly at hope, helpless to intervene. Their interwoven narratives include idyllic descriptions of rural childhood, the grim spectre of war, the harsh realities of leaving the nest ... and finding the way back home.

A contemporary, coming-of-age story, written by an #OwnVoices author, about a Guyanese girl who must find the balance between her parents' "old world" expectations and traditions while pursuing her dream of being a great trumpeter. Nira Ghani has always dreamed of becoming a musician. Her Guyanese parents, however, have big plans for her to become a scientist or doctor. Nira's grandmother and her best friend, Emily, are the only people who seem to truly understand her desire to establish an identity outside of the one imposed on Nira by her parents.

A funny and touching coming-of-age and coming out story that follows Alana, as she grows up, and navigates a perplexing and sometimes hostile world. Her sister is both her constant companion and tormentor, and Alana is desperate for her approval. This book is for anyone who ever stood alone at the edge of the playground and longed to be included.

Deep Girls tells stories that defy the conventions of young adult literature. The clichés of fictional relationships are tossed aside, and instead we read about girls whose relationships with their families are like the real relationships readers see in the world around them. There are stories showing family members at their worst: a girl must stand up against expectations put on her by her parents and boyfriend; a sibling's assault on a parent drives a young woman to dark thoughts, and admiration for a rule-bending classmate; an ill grandmother is cruel to her daughter.

Separated for years due to a secret squabble among their parents, a group of cousins reunite following the death of an uncle. Their mission is to help close up the family cottage for good, but in doing so, they uncover old family photos that include a woman in a wheelchair.
None know who the woman was, but the older cousins have a vague memory of her presence, and of the loud scream they heard the last time they saw her.
As the teens sort through the family’s past and learn its secrets, each learns truths about themselves.