Femme

Gr 9 Up—Lorimer's "SideStreets" series continues with Femme, the story of Sofie, a struggling student who values free time and her boyfriend Paul more than academic success. When she is paired up with smart, driven, out lesbian Clea, Sofie is nervous about her reputation. However, as the two grow closer, Sofie begins to question herself and her relationships. A short hi-lo title that explores the complex topic of sexuality at an accessible, third grade reading level. Teenage Stelle uses music to escape the challenges of an unhappy home life in Beyond Crazy, only to find that her bandmates have challenges of their own. Her only chance at resolution seems to lie in the convoluted conversations she has with her grandmother at her nursing home. An unflinching look at mental health issues and family dysfunction, written at a fifth-grade reading level. In Fight Back, angry teenager Tyler Josten has always used his fists as his outlet, battling whoever gets in his way. When trouble with the law sends him to foster care, Tyler is welcomed with compassion, and his violent impulses are transformed with the art of boxing. A novel aimed at high schoolers, written at a fifth- grade reading level.