Off the Grid

Orca Soundings

by Lesley Choyce

tagged: new experience, diseases, illnesses & injuries, friendship

Description

Sixteen-year-old Cody was born and raised “off the grid” deep in the wilderness by idealistic parents.

When Cody's father becomes seriously ill, the family is forced to move into the city so he can get treatment. Attending high school for the first time, Cody is an oddity and has a hard time adjusting. He finds unlikely allies in DeMarco, an inner-city kid, and Ernest, a philosophical homeless man, and he begins a tentative friendship with Alexis. When he comes to DeMarco’s defense in an altercation at school, Cody finds himself in trouble with the police. A second confrontation puts Cody in more trouble with the cops, and he is convinced he must escape to the family homestead or be arrested. But Cody is torn between fleeing the city or staying with his ailing father and facing whatever consequences come his way.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

About the Author

Lesley Choyce, who has been teaching English and creative writing for over thirty years, is the author of more than 100 books of literary fiction, short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction and young adult novels. He has won the Dartmouth Book Award, the Atlantic Poetry Prize and the Ann Connor Brimer Award. He has also been short-listed for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humor, the White Pine Award, the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award, the Aurora Award from the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association and, most recently, the Governor General’s Literary Award. He lives at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia.

Age:: 12 to 18
Grade:: 8 to 12
Reading age:: 12 to 18

Awards

Commended, School Library Journal Best Books for Teens Living in the ‘Margins’

Editorial Reviews

"This book has many curricular applications. It helps examine the way we live, and the reasons and motivations behind our actions. It looks at differences between others and accepting those differences, and not judging others by their looks, economic status, race, or sexual orientation."

— Resource Links

"Cody is a likeable character as are his friends. The author’s attempt to have Cody understand the reason behind Austin’s bullying was a valuable addition to the narrative...Environmentalism, sexual orientation, serious illness, homelessness, bullying and alcoholism are explored...The older student will appreciate the maturity of the content, yet not become frustrated by complex word choice and dialogue. Highly Recommended."

— CM Magazine

"Focusing on tough themes and subjects that will resonate with adolescents...this title will immerse readers; the writing is to the point and immediate, the print size large, and the cover darkly enticing."

— School Library Journal

"This slim, straightforward novel will appeal to struggling readers who want stories that reflect their experiences."

— Booklist Online

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