Best Selling Books by Lesley Choyce

At first, Ryan thinks a new pulp and paper mill in town will be a good thing. But his girlfriend is worried about the mill''s environmental impact.

After spending 6 months in prison wrongly convicted for the murder of his girlfriend, 16-year old Michael Grove is released, only to find that the stigma of imprisonment will not be easy to escape.

Lesley Choyce writes rings around most Canadian authors. This collection of short stories, Dance the Rocks Ashore, is certainly choice Choyce. Dance the Rocks Ashore contains substantial new stories including "Dance the Rocks Ashore," a bittersweet account of an elderly couple''s decline; the hilarious and bizarre "My Father Was a Book Reviewer" "The Third or Fourth Happiest Man in Nova Scotia," with a peculiar hero reminiscent of Noah; and "The Wreck of the Sister Theresa," in which spring fever hits like "a handshake in hell." Favourite stories from previous books include "Losing Ground," the pivotal chapter in Choyce''s acclaimed 1989 novel The Second Season of Jonas MacPherson, as well as "The Cure," "Dancing the Night Away," and the complex and disturbing "Conventional Emotions."

Carrie wants to be part of the cool crowd. Becoming friends with them means getting a new image for herself but it also means ignoring her old friends. That''s when Carrie starts to see that there are friends, and then there are good freinds.

John Alexander MacNeil is back with another astonishing adventure. The ninety-year-old still lives alone on the blessed isle of Cape Breton. He still sometimes makes tea for his wife, who died decades ago. He accepts his lonely life, ignoring the world changing around him. But one night, he feels his heart stop. After willing himself back to life with sheer stubbornness, John Alex finds Death himself sitting at his kitchen table, perplexed and intrigued by his victim’s recovery. What follows is a tale on the edge of reality, full of love, doubt and the inexplicable details of an extraordinary life. Keeping what wits he has about him, John Alex needs to muster all the wisdom and courage he has to protect those around him from the dangers of an ever-changing world and the grim reaper he has come to know. In his 103rd book, acclaimed author of The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil takes the reader through another beautiful adventure about time and love. Lesley Choyce tackles topics like dementia, elder sexuality and assisted dying with humour and grace.

When their farm gets expropriated to make way for the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant, Alexander McNab and his family move to Saint John. Without the magic of the Bay of Fundy, without the bright companionship of his little sister, Alex grows up a lonely, insecure failure. At 30, he''s had enough; to make a clean break, he moves to Halifax. There, he is hired as a counsellor at New Dawn, a rehabilitation workshop, even though he has no professional qualifications. Alex soon becomes part of the New Dawn family, and the distinction between the helper and the helped blurs. The key may be that Alex takes for granted the wholeness in each of these damaged adults. Blind Jeff, 17, knows everything about cars, so Alex takes him out to the parking lot and teaches him to drive. In turn, Alex is adopted by Cornwallis Itwaru, a descendent of Jamaican Maroons plagued by encroaching Alzheimer''s, who firmly adjusts Alex''s fuzzy thinking. Alex sees right away that Gloria Vincent, who suffers from schizophrenia, has adopted a sloppy dress and ugly glasses as camouflage for her intelligence and beauty, and his discovery does not wholly displease her. Unfortunately, New Dawn goes broke, but by the time the landlord padlocks the doors, Alex has learned that living life fully doesn''t depend on external circumstances.

Carrie has made a demo tape and wants to sing in her brother''s band at an outdoor festival. Ernie lets her sing one song. Full of confidence from her first public performance, Carrie goes off to her first day of school. Sadly, her friends are in another class and the girls in her room make fun of her. When it''s her turn to stand up and introduce herself, she is tongue-tied. How can it be that she can sing but she can''t talk in front of a crowd? Her confidence crumbles.

Winner of the 2003 Ann Connor Brimer Award, short-listed for the 2004 White Pine Award Martin Emerson''s family, friends, and even his therapist have trouble figuring him out. He never showed much of a reaction to the death of his mother, and his behaviour of late has been getting more and more bizarre. And yet, his website -- Emerso.com -- has made him something of a cult figure to followers who believe that, if not having all the right answers, "Emerso" at least has all the right questions. Shoulder the Sky is a rarity among young adult novels - it challenges the reader with philosophical thought and complex observations.

"Carrie is going on her first-ever camping trip. A scary encounter in the wilderness offers Carrie the chance to learn a lot about herself, her family and her best friend" Cf. Our choice, 2002.

Greg is an avid sailor. On a solo trip off the rugged Newfoundland coast, he stumbles upon a family of desperate refugees stranded in a lifeboat. Fearing for their lives if they are deported to their homeland, the family convinces Greg to help them, and keep their existence secret. He promises not to call the authorities and takes the family home. When his plan begins to unravel, and the family flees into the teeth of an oncoming storm, Greg goes after them. A thrilling story that demonstrates the importance of community and the power of conviction, Refuge Cove is also an exciting adventure.

John Alexander MacNeil is eighty years old. Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, he lives alone in rural Cape Breton, but he still cooks breakfast for his wife, who’s been dead for thirty years. He silently starts to question his own mind after stopping to pick up a hitchhiker — a hitchhiker who turns out to be his neighbour’s mailbox. Everything shifts, though, when Emily, a pregnant teenager, shows up at his house with no place else to go. Determined to help Emily as best as he can, John must also keep the wolves from his door and maintain some semblance of sanity. The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil is a compelling, witty and heartwarming novel by renowned Nova Scotia author Lesley Choyce.

In this whimsical free-verse novel, young Hunter quite literally propels himself out of this world and into the next after pushing his bike just a little too far. In fact, he flies right off a cliff only to awaken in a place called Heaven. Here he meets a compelling young friend named Trinity. From this point on, his mission is to love and protect her and all the while, find a way back to life on earth. Too bad for Hunter, because that''s when things get really complicated... In the end, through unexpected twists and turns that are both humorous and moving, we discover a little bit about the meaning of love, and something of Heaven and Earth.

"Interview with Lesley Choyce"--Pages 167-174.

First Nations teenager Jeremy seeks refuge from the bullies at his new school in his relationships with people from the spirit world--particularly with his grandfather, Old Man--and in his friendship with the intense Caitlan.

When Taylor returns to his Nova Scotia village to live with his boat-builder father, he grapples with family dysfunction and faces a past he can’t seem to escape.

When Corey gets caught opening the boys'' washroom window to let smoke out, he''s resigned to being called a troublemaker. In his school tension is high between black and white students, and Corey''s caught in the middle. He''s blamed by the principal for stirring up trouble, and he''s not sure himdelf whether he''s really white or black.

The story of two seasoned and intrepid Canadian travellers, Lesley and Linda Choyce, who embark on a new adventure with their West Highland terrier, Kelty. Lesley Choyce is a 70-year-old year-round North Atlantic surfer, the godfather of transcendental wood-splitting, and the award-winning author of over 100 books. His wife, Linda, a former high school principal who has fearlessly commandeered knives from teenage malcontents, usually guides her husband away from quixotic quests, but she is fully on board for this one. As for Kelty, the couple''s West Highland terrier, he''s always ready to give up on chewing shoes and chasing pheasants for something more exciting. For years, Lesley has been fascinated and perplexed by the tumultuous history of England, the inexplicable customs of the English, and the many paradoxes of the people, but also their indomitable spirit. If he were to continue to grow intellectually and spiritually, he was certain that the answers to the meaning of life were to be found in England. As their itinerary expands, Lesley and Linda will cross borders into Wales and Scotland as well. Join the Choyces as they hurtle around the U.K. in search of history (all kinds), good food (mostly Indian), quirky destinations (the smaller and weirder the better), and places for the dog to pee. All while waiting for the imminent arrival of new grandchildren back home in Canada. Ever wondered what a Nova Scotian surfer/wood-splitter/Renaissance man/Westie owner thinks of the U.K.? Now you can find out.

Randy can surf the waves better than anyone else at Lawrencetown. When his beach is invaded by townies, he''s willing to show them how to catch waves, and he''s quickly accepted as one of the gang. With the money he''s earning at his summer job, he can even aford the latest gear - and a flashy car. Every day Cathy comes to the beach with her boyfriend Brian. She seems to like Randy, and he doesn''t mind the attention. That leads to complication ... and some wild adventures out on the waves. In the water Randy is a hero, but on dry land - it''s a whole lot trickier!

Tara''s got it made - good grades, cool parent''s, a weekend job, and a boyfriend, Ron. Then there''s her friend Janet who lives on the street when she can''t get on with her parents. Along with other street kids, Janet panhandles for money and spends nights at an abandonned building called Hell''s Hotel. Ron wants the world to know that it''s adults who force the kids on to the streets - parents, teachers, police - and he asks Tara to help him publish his opinions in his alternative newspaper, The Rage. As Ron confronts authority, Tara begins to question his motives. Then, quite suddenly, many of the pieces of her perfect life start to crumble, including her stable, happy home. Her grades slip, her friends desert her and her mother leaves town. Where will Tara turn for help.

Falling Through The Cracks is the lates of Lesley Choyce''s young adult novels presenting realistic characters confronting difficult contemporary decisions. It''s a no-holds-barred story about two kids forced to make the best of a bad situation. The odds are stacked against Melanie and Trent, who are trying to stay in high school while holding down part-time jobs to survive. Falling through the cracks of the social support system, they must learn to rely on each other if they''re going to make it.

Dorf a toujours été fidèle à sa devise : « Si ça en vaut la peine, fais-le. Si ça n''en vaut pas la peine, fais-le quand même. » Mais il a déménagé à la ville et le terrain est différent. Il ne peut plus faire rouler sa planche oû bon lui semble et il a de la difficulté à s''intégrer à sa nouvelle école. Ses tricks audacieux lui assurent le respect des voyous du coin, mais il devra faire appel à une autre forme de courage s''il veut vraiment changer sa vie. Cet ouvrage en format ePub est entièrement accessible. Également disponible sous le titre Skate Freak en anglais.

Cody and his friends call it street cleaning--four of them beating up on one guy they don''t like the looks of. Cody partakes in the action, even though he''d rather be taking out his aggression on his drum kit. A drummer without a band is one lost dude, so Cody soon hooks up with Kelsey and guitar playing Alex. Cody manages to keep his destructive tendencies under wraps long enough for the band to start to have a following. But before success comes knocking, Cody''s old friends show up with a score to settle. Cody needs to decide whether the time is right to come clean about his past and face the consequences. Lesley Choyce has revised and updated his 1994 Ann Connor Brimer Award winning novel published under the title Good Idea Gone Bad. His story of teens looking for trouble is as fresh today as it was when it was first published.

Combining the age-old science-fiction gambit of time travel and a new-age belief in reincarnation, this novel follows the adventures of a soul through various incarnations spanning 25 centuries. Drawing inspiration from myth and religion -- Celtic, ancient Hawaiian, Hebrew, Egyptian, Micmac -- as well as scientific concepts of geological evolution, psychic telepathy, drug therapy, astronomy, and computer interactivity, Choyce transports his protagonist to nineteenth-century Maui, Europe during the Children''s Crusades, ancient Mesopotamia, and future eras in search of spiritual fulfillment. The quest for spiritual fulfillment is the distinguishing motif of Choyce''s work, most notably in his essay collection Transcendental Anarchy: Meditations of a Metaphysical Traveler and in his photonovel Magnificent Obsessions. At the renowned Toronto Harbourfront International Authors Festival in 1996 Lesley Choyce was featured along with Timothy Findley, Margaret Atwood, George Bowering, Tobias Wolff, Andre Brink, Nancy Huston, and Maeve Binchy. Like many of these authors, Choyce is prolific and versatile, publishing over forty books in his forty-five years, ranging from lyrical poetry and personal essays through young adult adventure novels to realistic novels and now new-age science fiction.

Quinn Dorfman a de la difficulté à l''école alors que sa famille se désagrège. Et depuis qu''il est déménagé à la ville, il n''a plus autant de plaisir à faire de la planche, sa passion.

Grade level: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, i, s, t.

When he is 16, Michael Grove is convicted of killing his girlfriend. Despite a confession from the actual murderer, Michael is still regarded as a criminal by most of the people he knows. His six months in jail before the real killer confesses have branded him as an ex-con, a danger to society. The next door neighbour, kids at school, even people he has never met look at him with disrespect and even contempt.