Summary: Isobel Harkness would love to play hockey with her older brothers. But it’s 1893, and a lot of people—including her father—think hockey is just for boys.
Summary: Since her mother returned to work long-distance trucking, 16-year-old Kat hasn't seen her much. In order to renew their once close relationship, Kat stows away in the semi. The adventure that follows is more than she expected.
School Library Connection - December 21, 2017: “Butcher tells this story simply while keeping the reader wanting to read more and allowing the reader to experience the thrill and fear of being on the 'winter road.' I would definitely add this title to any middle or high school library."
Summary: While staying with her eccentric aunt in a small Okanagan town, 16-year old Christine sets off to catch the crooks behind a series of break-in and pickpocket thefts.
Publishers Weekly ... A breezy pseudo-Scooby-Doo vibe whisks readers forward as Christine does clumsy surveillance and suspects are considered, until a humorously unlikely culprit is unearthed. Butcher has just scratched the surface of her likeable and entertaining cast, whose future adventures would be welcome.
Honours: Canlit for Kids winter 2015 selection
Summary: When Annie's gramma moves in, life gets turned upside down. Annie and Gramma don’t like each other. Let the war begin.
For the Love of Reading Without diminishing the magnitude of the dilemma, Butcher applies gentle humor and keen observation and delivers the goods. (Anne Letain)
Honours: OLA Best Bet Book 2001; CCBC Our Choice selection 2001; CLA Book of the Year Notable 2002; IODE Violet Downey Book for Children finalist 2002; Chocolate Lily Children's Choice Award 2003 (3rd place); Red Cedar Award Nominee 2004
Summary: When 16-year old Bailey takes on a summer job at a fly-in fishing lodge, she gets more than she bargained on.
CM Magazine: ... a fast-paced read that will appeal not only to older, reluctant or struggling teen readers but also to stronger readers looking for a quick, engaging story.
Honours: CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2014
Summary: Eric and his best friend, Chris, find themselves on a high-stakes geocaching treasure hunt.
CM Magazine
...the novel very convincingly captures an adolescent perspective and the nuances of friendship at this age. (For full review, click on CM Magazine.)
Honours: YALSA Quick Pick nominee 2014; CanLit for Kids selection; CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2013
Summary: Shaw Sebring and his dad are very close, so when Dylan Sebring commits suicide, Shaw's belief in their relationship and himself is shaken.
CM Magazine: ...The clear theme of the pain of prejudice for the victims, be it on the basis of race or sexual orientation, will appeal to today's activist teens. Highly Recommended. (Joan Marshall)
Honours: CCBC Our Choice selection, 2003; Resource Links Magazine Best Books of 2003 List; 100 YA Books Too Good To Miss List (CCPL/2008); PSLA YA Top Forty Fiction list 2002
Summary: Investigative reporting leads Laurel to a major cheating scam at her high school, but nobody wants to know about it.
School Library Journal Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences ... the pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked to the very end.
Honours: Library Media Connection Editor's Choice; PSLA Top Forty List; Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year
Summary: In a story about relationships and about how bad things happen to good people, Dani discovers that sometimes the only villain is life itself.
Resource Links:
This has definitely filled a gaping hole in our popular fiction in recent literature, and does so in a beautiful way.
Honours: CanLit for Kids selection; CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens selection 2013; Resource Links Best Books List 2012; Snow Willow Award nominee 2015-16; CCBC's Recommended Summer Reading List 2016.
Summary: Liberty has it all -- looks, money, and popularity. But when she accuses a teacher of making sexual advances, Liberty's friend, Val, starts asking questions.
CM Magazine: This book was an absolute page-turner ... Highly Recommended. (Joanne Peters) (For full review, click on CM Magazine.)
Honours: CCBC Our Choice selection 2004
Summary: Linda is a social wallflower until her high school sets up online chat rooms. But when she inadvertently gives out too much information, everything changes.
infolink The story is relevant and believable. The front cover is eye-catching ... the chapters are short and easy to read, making this book and the Orca Current Series in constant circulation. (Melissa Spatucci)
Honours: (VOYA) Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2006 list; Best Books of 2006 selection (Resource Links Magazine); CCBC Our Choice selection
Summary: Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers offers an innovative look at the jobs that kept Ancient Egypt running for 3,000 years.
CM Magazine ...a "must-have" in all school libraries. Highly recommended. (Marilynne V. Black)
Honours: Red Cedar Award finalist 2012; Silver Birch Nominee 2010; Resource Links Best Books List/2009; OLA Best Bets List/2009; Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award nominee 2010; VOYA Non-fiction Honor List 2009; CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2010 (starred selection)
Summary: Trying to uncover her father's past, 18-year-old Dani sets out on a solo road trip that takes her deep into BC's Interior, to a long-forgotten town teeming with secrets -- and hopefully answers.
School Library Journal: Butcher adeptly creates a feel-good story that has the flavor of Jonathan Friesen’s Jerk, California (Speak, 2008), sans the angst.
Honours: Canlit for Kids fall 2015 selection; Best Books for Kids & Teens selection; recommended reading for Family Literacy Month 2016 (Canadian Children's Book Centre).
Summary: Investigative reporting leads Laurel to a major cheating scam at her high school, but nobody wants to know about it.
School Library Journal Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences ... the pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked to the very end.
Honours: Library Media Connection Editor's Choice; PSLA Top Forty List; Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year
Summary: All Jas wants to do is work on his superhero comic, but Wren keeps dragging him into her war with the school bullies.
The Midwest Book Review Filled with fun, humour, fast dialogue and action ... will appeal to kids who are in the process of inventing themselves, and will give them new choices and definitions for heroes and heroines. (James A. Cox, Editor in Chief)
Honours: Canadian Children's Book Club selection 2010-2011; CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens selection 2010
Summary: When Zee and his friends are banned from a local mall, Zee vents his frustration by vandalizing the mall with grafitti.
Resource Links ... speaks to the pitfalls of miscommunication and assumptions but also to the power of second chances. (Heather Empey)
Honours: Chocolate Lily Award winner 2006; ALA Quick Pick nominee; PSLA YA Top Forty Fiction list 2004-05
Summary: Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers offers an innovative look at the jobs that kept Ancient Egypt running for 3,000 years.
CM Magazine: ...a “must-have" in all school libraries. Highly recommended. (Marilynne V. Black) (For full review, click on CM Magazine.)
Honours: Red Cedar Award finalist 2012; Silver Birch Nominee 2010; Resource Links Best Books List/2009; OLA Best Bets List/2009; Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award nominee 2010; VOYA Non-fiction Honor List 2009; CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2010 (starred selection)
Summary: This is the story of the unlikely friendship between a gruff homeless man and a young boy struggling with family problems.
Toronto Public Library A powerful story of hope, friendship and understanding.
Honours: CCBC Our Choice selection (1998); Silver Birch Award regional winner 1998
Out of Print.
Summary: A wilderness adventure for the twins! Can they rescue a little girl lost in the forest, who’s being stalked by a bear?
CM Magazine: Young readers looking for an action-packed adventure story will certainly enjoy Zach & Zoe and the River Rescue. Highly Recommended. (Janice Foster) (For full review, click on CM Magazine.)
Honours: Resource Links Best Books of 2011 List; CanLit for Kids selection; Reading Link Challenge selection 2015/16
Summary: Could the twins' eccentric but friendly neighbour, Mr. Dotty, really be a bank thief?
CM Magazine: The dialogue and action-filled plot move the story along at a fast pace ... a good choice for a grade one to four read aloud or for a unit study on environmental issues such as disappearing marshlands or intergenerational friendships. (Tanya Boudreau) (For full review, click on CM Magazine.)
Honours: CCBC Best Books List 2009; Diamond Willow Award nominee 2011; Red Cedar Award nominee 2011
Summary: The twins are dog-sitting, and even without any complications, it's a pretty big job, but when their bully cousin comes to stay -- and he doesn't like the dog -- the trouble really begins.
Resource Links Magazine ... Butcher skillfully tells the tale of what happens when our perceptions of someone are wrong. (Susan Miller)
Honours: Chocolate Lily Award Winner 2011; Hackmatack Award nominee 2012; Battle of the Books Selection (Campbell River, BC) 2011
Summary: Kelly and Midge have to make some difficult decisions when their favorite umpire is banned from officiating.
Island Parent ... even someone who has never watched a baseball game will thoroughly enjoy this story about discovering what's important in life and then being brave enough to fight for it. (Nikki Tate)
Honours: Chocolate Lily Children's Choice Award nominee 2004; OLA Best Bet Book 2002; CLA Book of the Year nominee 2003; Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award nominee 2004, CCBC Our Choice selection 2003
Out of print.
Summary: Eighteen-year-old Jessica Lawler has a disturbing dream that just won't go away and she must return to Bone Tree Hill to see if it's true.
Children's Book News The clever plot structure weaves together dream fragments, memory and current day reality. Return to Bone Tree Hill is a suspenseful novel which compels the reader to keep turning the page. (Nicola Dufficy)
Honours: OLA Best Bets Book for Teens 2009; Sheila Egoff Award Finalist 2010;MYRCA Finalist 2011; 2010 Teen Survivor Book List (Barrie Library)
Summary: Ashleigh has started having dreams about the future, and they keep coming true. But when she dreams her sister gets hit by a car, she has to find a way to stop it from happening.
Resource Links ... moves along quickly in well-developed plot and characterization. The suspenseful final twist will keep even the most jaded reader hurtling toward the end of the book
Honours: CLA Book of the Year nominee 1999
Summary: Liberty has it all -- looks, money, and popularity. But when she accuses a teacher of making sexual advances, Liberty's friend, Val, starts asking questions.
CM Magazine This book was an absolute page-turner ... Highly Recommended. (Joanne Peters)
Honours: CCBC Our Choice selection 2004
Summary: Investigative reporting leads Laurel to a major cheating scam at her high school, but nobody wants to know about it.
School Library Journal Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences ... the pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked to the very end.
Honours: Library Media Connection Editor's Choice; PSLA Top Forty List; Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year
Summary: When Zee and his friends are banned from a local mall, Zee vents his frustration by vandalizing the mall with grafitti.
Resource Links ... speaks to the pitfalls of miscommunication and assumptions but also to the power of second chances. (Heather Empey)
Honours: Chocolate Lily Award winner 2006; ALA Quick Pick nominee; PSLA YA Top Forty Fiction list 2004-05
Summary: When Zee and his friends are banned from a local mall, Zee vents his frustration by vandalizing the mall with grafitti.
Resource Links ... speaks to the pitfalls of miscommunication and assumptions but also to the power of second chances. (Heather Empey)
Honours: Chocolate Lily Award winner 2006; ALA Quick Pick nominee; PSLA YA Top Forty Fiction list 2004-05
Summary: Originally written for CAGIS as an online serial story, this novel features three friends who use science to see them through a series of mysteries and adventures.
Quill and Quire The characters of the Science Squad girls are well-developed and they interact believably as they investigate what is going on around them. The science in this book is excellent ... (John Wilson)
Out of print.
Summary: Eric and his best friend, Chris, find themselves on a high-stakes geocaching treasure hunt.
CM Magazine
...the novel very convincingly captures an adolescent perspective and the nuances of friendship at this age.
Honours: YALSA Quick Pick nominee 2014; CanLit for Kids selection; CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2013