No Problem

She opened it and sprinkled something onto a hand mirror. A pure-white powder. She divided it in half, stuck a short straw up one nostril and snorted the powder. "Cocaine?" I asked. "Yeah, " she said, "it's way better than beer. Try some." She pushed it toward me. "Go on, it won't hurt you." I should have said no. But I just stared at that innocent looking white powder and said nothing. Curt seems to have it all - a girlfriend, friends, a good summer job and a guaranteed position on the baseball team with the promise of a professional career. Then, one misstep causes his world to unravel and his life to plummet into the depths of depression and addiction. A bleak yet ultimately hopeful story about one teen's struggle with the pressures of growing up, fitting in and getting by.

She opened it and sprinkled something onto a hand mirror. A pure white powder. She divided it in half, stuck a short straw up one nostril and snorted the powder. "Cocaine?" I asked. "Yeah," she said, "it's way better than beer. Try some." She pushed it towards me. "Go on, it won't hurt you." I should have said no. But I just stared at that innocent-looking white powder and said nothing. Curt seems to have it all - a girlfriend, friends, a good summer job and a guaranteed position on the baseball team with the promise of a professional career. Then, one misstep causes his world to unravel and his life to plummet into the depths of depression and addiction. A bleak yet ultimately hopeful story about one teen's struggle with the pressures of growing up, fitting in and getting by. Dayle Campbell Gaetz is the bestselling author of more than half a dozen books for young readers. Her book Mystery from History was short-listed for a Silver Birch Award. Dayle is a full-time author and creative writing instructor.

Renée Englot - Children's Literature

Part of the "Orca Soundings" series, this is a high interest low vocabulary novel. This fact is not advertised on the cover so readers need feel no embarrassment and may never be aware of the lower reading level. The books in the series feature teens dealing with the problems of contemporary society. This book falls victim to some of the traps of the problem novel. Attempts are made to fully develop Curt's character, but in 84 pages it's hard to do justice to a dependence on pain killers which escalates to an addiction to cocaine and eventual experimentation with crack which results in a crash while also portraying a friendship on the rocks, a new girlfriend, the struggle to live up to parental expectations and the pressure of being the star pitcher for a baseball team. Nevertheless, the drama and rapid pacing will entertain some readers. Although Gaetz deals with the thrill of a drug high, her book does not glamorize drug use. Curt is in a sorry state when his friends and family catch on and intervene. The book ends with this intervention and does not deal with rehabilitation. 2003, Orca,

Thanks to a strong interest in British Columbian history, she wrote two historical novels that take place in B.C.'s early days. On the heels of those books came Mystery from History and Barkerville Gold, both with historical connections. She had meant to end there, but the three young characters refused quit at Barkerville. They have since travelled on to Alberta, (Alberta Alibi) and recently into Saskatchewan (Something Suspicious in Saskatchewan). Manitoba is calling to them next and it seems wherever they go the children trip over mystery and tumble into danger.

Dayle's other books from Orca include Sea Dog (Currents), the story of two lonely people, a seven year old boy and an old man who are brought together by their love of one dog. At the other end of childhood is No Problem (Soundings), where a 17 year old boy stands on the brink of drug abuse. In between is an Orca Currents, Spoiled Rotten, about an outdoors-loving 14 year old girl who needs to deal with a new stepsister who really is spoiled rotten.

For more information about Dayle, visit http://web.mac.com/gdgaetz.