Best Selling Books by Lesley Choyce

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this whimsical free-verse novel for young adults, sixteen-year-old Hunter propels himself out of this world -- literally -- and into the next after pushing his ultralight bike beyond risk. He arrives in what he understands to be heaven, to be met by his celestial guide, name of Archie, who tries to interpret for Hunter the rules of this rather confusing realm. It''s not long before Hunter meets a girl he used to know in Grade 6, name of Trinity, and from this point on his mission is to love her and protect her. Protect her from herself -- and also from the nasty character she became involved with before she died of a drug overdose. As part of this mission, Hunter is able to take advantage of a new policy in heaven that allows some recently deceased to return and pick up their lives again. In this way, Hunter tries to prevent the death of Trinity -- but it doesn''t work. Complications multiply until both Hunter and Trinity find a redemptive path which gives them both back their real lives and new opportunities. Lesley Choyce has woven a sometimes comic, sometimes moving narrative, focusing on the kinds of mixed-up teens he seems to know so well. In the end love conquers almost everything, but the twists and turns are engaging and illuminating, as Hunter and Trinity find their way to happiness.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Randy surfs the waves in April off his Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia home, dodging the ice pans and swimming with the seals. In fact he surfs year-round--in August and in February--and gets up before the sun to do it. Come summer, though, Lawrencetown Beach is invaded by townies from nearby Halifax, fair-weather surfers. Randy is willing to help them out a little, show them how to catch the waves. Soon he''s hanging out with a new, fast crowd. In the water everything is fine, but when Cathy, a townie girl, shows interest in him, Randy heads for trouble with her boyfriend Brian. Is Randy getting in over his head? Set against a background of wild surfing action, Wave Watch is the story of one young man coming to terms with his abilities--and with his limitations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sixteen-year-old Nigel has written a class assignment about a world where teenagers become the leaders of society. Unexpectedly, Nigel''s story is published, and he quickly becomes a celebrity.

Gary Sutherland lives for skateboarding. Gary and his friends spend most of their free time on skateboards. The greater the challenge, the more they like it. Then they discover the ultimate challenge - an abandoned pool they call the grave. But then everything falls apart. The grave is going to be destroyed and a shopping mall constructed in its place. Gary and his friend Sheila don''t think their community needs another needs another shopping mall - so they put together a plan to stop it!

Laura wants Carrie to sing in the upcoming talent show, but Carrie has lost her nerve. Includes grey scale illustrations, author and illustrator profiles and book descriptions.

Carrie forgot to pack the food for their camping trip, so Mom leaves the kids to figure out how to pitch a tent, make a fire and entertain themselves. Includes grey scale illustrations and author and illustrator profiles.

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.