The Undergrounders

Undergrounders by David Skuy

Move over Sigmund Brouwer and Eric Walters - I think we've found your replacement... David Skuy. This is David Skuy's fourth hockey book and I think he's firmly got his foot in the door and a fan base to back him up.

The summary:
Can playing hockey help a street kid get his life back? After his Mom dies, and the landlord kicks him out, twelve-year-old Jonathan faces the loneliness and danger of life on the streets -- until he meets Lewis. Lewis takes him under his wing and leads him to his new home among a group of kids living in an abandoned underground shopping mall who call themselves the "undergrounders." Now renamed "Mouse" Jonathan runs errands, delivers packages and panhandles for food money. An escape from this life comes to him in the form of hockey gear. Stolen hockey gear, but hockey gear nonetheless. He suits up and heads to the community rink, where he befriends regular kids who welcome him into their game and onto their team. He agrees, knowing he can never tell them about being homeless. Playing hockey makes him feel like a kid again, but keeping his double life a secret proves to be more difficult and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Also Known As Harper

Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

from page 91. -
Lately I've been wondering what it would be like

To keep all my words inside.

I wonder if they'd come out another way.

Through my pen maybe

Or through a piece of chalk on the sidewalk.

It could actually be safer that way.

The words couldn't hurt anyone.

You could take back all the wrong ones.

You'd just crumple up the paper or

Wait for the rain.

That was a random page opening, I hope the rest will be as terrific. Here's the book summary:

Harper is an aspiring poet, which isn't surprising, seeing as how she's named after her mama's favourite writer, Harper Lee. And life is giving her a lot to write about just now. Daddy up and walked out, leaving them with too many bills and too little money. Then Harper's family gets evicted and has to move into the Knotty Pine Deluxe Motor Hotel, which is not nearly as nice as it sounds.

With Mama scrambling to make ends meet, Harper has to stay home from school to take care of her little brother, Hemingway. Their whole world has been turned upside down, which Harper could just about handle - if it wasn't for the poetry contest at school. More than anything, she wants to get up on that stage and read her poems out loud...

If you liked How to Steal a Dog you might also like Also Known As Harper.