New Releases by Lori Weber

After the Water Wars split America into hostile territories, Cam, an orphan of "unknown origins" goes on the run, guided by memories of a blue door. Cam has lived in a series of foster placements that have become more dangerous the older she gets. She escapes, somehow drawn by a vision of a blue door that brings her to the home of Jim. A former rocker and activist, Jim has nothing much left except for his cats, his memories of his dead wife, and — it turns out — three priceless vintage guitars. When his greedy children come looking for the guitars, Jim and Cam become runaways together, making their way south and west with two donkeys and the cats. Cam doesn’t know where Jim is taking them, and their progress is always driven by the need for water, which brings them in contact with the desperate, dangerous and eccentric people who are all competing for the most valuable resource of all. As haunting and propulsive as Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves, The Blue Door gives readers a bright new hero to root for in Cam, a young person who refuses to be defined as a commodity, choosing instead to fight her way to safety and self-knowledge. Key Text Features author’s note chapters dialogue epigraph

A MAID death is like no other -- it is deliberate, legal, and comes at an appointed time. Through the eyes of his widow, this memoir tells the story of Ron's MAID journey and of its effects on his family. Ron suffered for years with chronic pain, slowly losing his quality of life. When finding relief from the health system failed, he made a bold decision -- to access medical assistance in dying. He was able to so because of Bill C-7, which received royal assent in Canada in March of 2021. Replacing the original MAID law (Bill C-14), the new law allowed people whose deaths were not reasonably foreseeable to end their lives. Accessing MAID was not easy. First, Ron had to find support for his application since none of his doctors backed his decision. Next, he had to prove that his physical suffering was unbearable and that he had tried every remedy possible. For his family, learning of this decision was devastating. However, watching his decline and suffering had been equally difficult. Even his three beloved grandchildren were aware that he was not the grandpa they once knew. The memoir is also the story of a relationship, from Ron and Lori's first meeting at university to their last day. Both Anglo-Quebecers with a long family history in the province, the two built a life together. Early days, bonding with Ron's two young daughters, moves to other parts of Canada, and trips abroad provide memories that Lori rakes over as she awaits the day chosen for MAID -- all to the backdrop of that ticking clock. She and the three daughters formed a team, providing love and support, and working together to make Ron's last months as fun-filled and easy as possible. The book examines the courage it takes to stand by someone facing MAID. Finally, the memoir is about the aftermath of a death, and the huge void that is created when one loses a partner of thirty-five years. Building a new life in Nova Scotia, with grief as a constant companion, created its own challenges.

Would you risk your life to help a friend? In Nazi Germany, friendship between an Aryan German girl and a Jewish German girl is strictly verboten, and an act of kindness might mean death. Sabine and Edie have been best friends since Kindergarten. Then Kristallnacht hits in 1938, shattering Jewish shop windows, synagogues, and their friendship. The girls, who once dreamed of stardom together, now take different paths ? Edie escapes to Canada, and Sabine remains to experience life in her Nazi--controlled southern German town, eventually rescuing and supporting Edie's beloved Papa who poses as Sabine's grandfather. Even though the girls are separated, the yellow ribbon that once decorated their identical dresses binds the girls' families in ways that contradict Nazi ideology. Throughout the seven long years of WWII, Sabine confronts how far courage can take her, while Edie finds her own strength to deal with leaving her father behind, integrating into a new country, and coming to terms with her sexual orientation. Each girl comes of age, experiencing first loves, loss, and joy. Without knowing how the other is doing across the ocean, they keep hope alive that their bond of friendship remains.

Granny has always dreamed of playing hockey. As a child, she could only watch the boys play on the lake until her mom called her home to do more chores. Now, her granddaughter wheels her to the park, where Granny watches the kids play at the rink. One day, the doctor says Granny should take it easy, but she disagrees. So does her granddaughter. She knows that what Granny needs to perk her up is a chance to take a shot on net. With the help of the boys and girls on the ice, Granny finally fulfills her dream.

"Short stories about young women who, maturing towards adulthood, start viewing the world, and their parents, in a new light."--

Positive thoughts can help us change our thinking, understand our feelings and ultimately influence our behavior. These simple and straightforward thoughts can help us maintain a positive attitude, no matter what befalls us. When we tell ourselves how we want to act and what we really want, our subconscious starts working to align our behavior to meet our stated goals. You can become who you are meant to be ... one thought at a time. An easy to read book with practical advice for people of all ages.

Lou joins an all-girls' hockey league, which means leaving home, facing stiff competition and keeping secrets.

Before her plane even touches down in Newfoundland, Cheryl is already plotting her escape. She knows life on this rock will be no better than it was in the other places she’s been forced to live ever since her parents launched their cross-Canada tour. The unwilling spectator of her father’s morbid fascination with “dying cultures,” Cheryl has seen more than her fair share of towns so depressing they could haunt your dreams. His decision to study the defunct fishing industry in St. John’s is Cheryl’s breaking point—this city girl is more determined than ever to get back to the concrete, the buzz, and the bright lights of Montreal. Will Cheryl’s cold, goth exterior and her refusal to embrace a new life cut her off from those who love her?

When a well-meaning English teacher has overweight student Krista read aloud a poem about body image titled "Barbie Doll" in class, she ignites a simmering bullying event based on Krista's appearance. Krista's best friend, and witness to the event, Tessa, is suspended for fighting to defend her friend. The girl who bullies Krista seems unaffected by the incident at school and more concerned with what an older guy thinks of her. But as the three characters' paths intersect, their inner lives are revealed. Each emerges as a much more complicated individual than their simple bully, target, and witness labels.

A powerful free-verse novel that intertwines the coming-of-age stories of five teens and their relationships with each other, their parents, and themselves. Mark, Mr. Popularity, tools around town in the yellow mini left to him by his recently deceased father; his new girlfriend Stacey can't believe her luck, but doesn't understand Mark's odd need to disappear into the woods from time to time; her former friends Mary and Annabelle try to find their place in the world - shy Mary transforms into a concert pianist and Annabelle into an world-changing activist with the idealistic and adoring Christopher by her side. In the background, the teens' parents struggle with their desire to protect their children, yet give them room to grow into the adults they must become. Each voice tells his or her story in powerful free verse.

There are some things a teen can take for granted, or so Penny thinks. Beautiful girls get all the breaks. An eccentric old woman is going to be the target of every kid in the 'hood. But what if things are not all they seem? Lori Weber's talents are on full display in this in this remarkable, insightful story of beauty's fleeting power and the effects of time.

To an outsider, it might seem like an uneventful summer, but to Jackie it's a whole new world. Her father has a new girlfriend -- a young tattoo-artist named Nicole. Her mother seems more interested in Theresa, the sick girl living across the street, than she is in her own daughter. The only thing keeping Jackie from disappearing altogether is the small butterfly tattoo she lets Nicole give her. But when Jackie's Mom forces her to spend time with Theresa, Jackie learns to value the vibrancy in her own life, by adding a bit of colour to someone else's. [Fry Reading Level - 4.8]

After her mother suddenly leaves her family for good, Sandra is left behind with her alcoholic father -- and a lot of anger. At first, Sandra is more concerned with getting a job and getting on with her life, but then the people around her start pushing Sandra to at least try to find her missing mother. What will Sandra say to her mother if they are reunited? And how do you find a person who may not want to be found?

Kat dreads her sister's returning home. Kat starts to shoplift and as her sister's return approaches, the shoplifting escalates into a full-blown addiction.