Note: In the new year, readers who are blind or visually impaired will be able to access a selection of the nominated books in alternate format at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Library. Contact CNIB Library Reader Services at: 1-800-268-8818 for more information.

The NOMINATED BOOKS are:

Becoming Ruby
Written by Kathy Stinson
Penguin Canada, 2003

Ruby doesn't like her name and she doesn't like her mother interfering in her life and in her relationships.

Chanda's Secrets
Written by Allan Stratton
Annick, 2004

Chanda is a teenage African girl with a perfect dream for her future. Life becomes difficult because of a secret killer that no one wants to acknowledge.

Cheeseburger Subversive
Written by Richard Scarsbrook
Thistledown, 2003

Dak Sifter's stories take us through his life - from grade seven embarrassments to high school relationships to first year university independence.

Flames of the Tiger
Written by John Wilson
Kids Can, 2003

Dieter and his sister Greta are escaping from Berlin when they stumble across Joe, an injured Canadian soldier. To keep him alive through the night, Dieter tells Joe the story of his childhood, growing up in pre-war Germany and becoming part of the Hitler machine.

Kate
Written by Valerie Sherrard
Dundurn, 2003

Kate is dying - she has an inoperable brain tumour. She is now living her remaining days with a very positive attitude. She is busy falling in love and experiencing her first kiss.

Kat's Fall
Written by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Orca, 2004

For ten years Darcy has been largely responsible for raising his sister Kat. Now his mother is being released from prison. She wants the family to be reunited but much has changed in ten years.

Miss Smithers
Written by Susan Juby
HarperCollins, 2004

Alice is out to win the town of Smithers beauty contest; but, she has a lot to learn about presenting herself and getting along with others.

More Than You Can Chew
Written by Marnelle Tokio
Tundra, 2003

Marty Black is in hospital because of her eating disorder. We learn her secrets as she participates in therapy, weigh-ins, and as she adjusts to constant supervision.

Take the Stairs
Written by Karen Krossing
Second Story, 2003

At 64 Wilnut Street - better known as The Building - troubled teens confront the challenges of their lives. The thirteen stories reveal the private thoughts and secret hopes of the teens who live in The Building.

The Thought of High Windows
Written by Lynne Kositsky
Kids Can. 2004

Esther is part of a group of Jewish teenagers who the Red Cross has rescued from Germany and ultimately taken to France at the beginning of WW2. She experiences all the usual teen problems plus those that come from living in exile during war time.