About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Chick is a popular fourteen-year-old who is essentially on this earth to live up to his father’s impossible expectations—or, at least, that’s how he feels.
This pressure is a grinding source of anxiety for him, which he copes with by making lists. He itemizes every aspect of his life, from his daily routine to the things that make him nervous. But as the pressure of school and his budding romance with his debating teammate Audrey builds, his compulsion starts to feel impossible to control—or conceal.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Contributor Notes
Alex Van Tol is the author of many books for kids and teens, including Great Bear Rainforest: A Giant-Screen Adventure in the Land of the Spirit Bear with Ian McAllister and several titles in the Orca Currents, Soundings and Sports lines. Alex lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her family.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Editorial Reviews
"Chick is a likeable narrator, and Van Tol writes convincingly, particularly when describing the feeling of compulsion that overwhelms Chick periodically...An engaging story with themes of independence and light romantic interest that will be of interest to pre-teens and young teenagers...The mental health angle encourages empathy and compassion within readers."
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Van Tol realistically depicts a down-to-earth protagonist and a family on the verge of change as Chick diagnoses himself with OCD. Chick’s lighthearted, supportive relationship with his girlfriend, along with his father’s emotional shifts, bring positive elements to this satisfying story."
— Publishers Weekly
"Teen readers who suffer from anxiety or OCD behaviors will find hope that understanding and help are out there...Well written and engaging...[with] a strong sense of the characters."
— VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Magazine
"Van Tol is to be commended for bringing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Complex to the Currents table and serving it with just enough seasoning to make it interesting, believable, and palatable...It serves to demonstrate that even successful people can have hidden difficulties and that much can be overcome with a little help form one’s friends."
— Resource Links
"Short chapters and quickly paced plotting make this another swift read in the Orca Currents line of high/low books for struggling readers. This should find readers beyond that audience, though, as it deals with quintessential topics such as romance, OCD, and parent-child relationships."
— Booklist
