Books with author Hanne Armstrong

Seventeen-year-old Abby Lunde and her family are living on the streets. They had a normal life back in Omaha but, thanks to her mother's awful mistake, they had to leave behind what little they had for a new start in Rochester. Abby tries to be an average teenager-fitting in at school, dreaming of a boyfriend, college and a career in music. But Minnesota winters are unforgiving, and so are many teenagers. Her stepdad promises to put a roof over their heads, but times are tough for everyone and Abby is doing everything she can to keep her shameful secret from her new friends. The divide between rich and poor in high school is painfully obvious, and the stress of never knowing where they're sleeping or where they'll find their next meal is taking its toll on the whole family. As secrets are exposed and the hope for a home fades, Abby knows she must trust those around her to help. But will her new friends let her down like the ones back home, or will they rise to the challenge to help them find a normal life?

Seventeen-year-old Abby Lunde and her family are living on the streets. They had a normal life back in Omaha but, thanks to her mother's awful mistake, they had to leave behind what little they had for a new start in Rochester. Abby tries to be an average teenager-fitting in at school, dreaming of a boyfriend, college and a career in music. But Minnesota winters are unforgiving, and so are many teenagers. Her stepdad promises to put a roof over their heads, but times are tough for everyone and Abby is doing everything she can to keep her shameful secret from her new friends. The divide between rich and poor in high school is painfully obvious, and the stress of never knowing where they're sleeping or where they'll find their next meal is taking its toll on the whole family. As secrets are exposed and the hope for a home fades, Abby knows she must trust those around her to help. But will her new friends let her down like the ones back home, or will they rise to the challenge to help them find a normal life?

Nearly two hundred years after a killer disease swept the planet, an island nation continues its isolated survival due to the ruthless dedication of its military. The laws and culture of the country are based on the survival of the fittest, distrust of disease, and control of the general population.Marked at birth as “Unworthy” to be raised, a young woman questions the necessity for the cruel practice, so many years after the Isolation was declared. She embarks on a journey which will uncover truths about her past and about her society which she could never have imagined.

“You have brought trouble into the world. You and your people must go before you bring more trouble.”In 3500 BC, a killing drought forces Morven and her tribe to roam the steppes of Kazakhstan, struggling to survive.Fiercely independent and never quite feeling she belongs, Morven senses a greater kinship to animals than to her own people. Despite ridicule, she befriends a herd of wild horses. She learns to ride and shows her clan the horses are not just a food source, but they also can help them survive. But it is not just Morven’s people who are changed byknowledge. A brash young man from another tribe also learns from Morven. His goal, however, is not just to survive, but to conquer.Morven must learn to accept responsibility for the terrible changes she has set in motion and become a leader amongst her people, or they will die.“In Armstrong’s richly descriptive story, Morven grows from a young, spirited girl to a respected shaman, enduring loss, hostility, isolation and near starvation in her quest to understand her place within her clan.” – Quill & Quire"The writing is strong and accessible ... it will definitely appeal to independent teenage girls with a streak of rebellion" – Resource Links, Recommended“Despite the ancient time in which this story is set, I think modern teens could easily relate to Morven … a wonderful glimpse into the customs and lifestyles of the nomadic tribes living on the steppes during this early point in their history” – Friday Review, Susan RileySHORTLIST - Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards (MYCRA), 2014SELECTION - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Spring 2014

In I’ll Be Home Soon, Luanne Armstrong takes the reader on a tension-filled ride as Regan, a young girl living in the inner city, searches for her mother who has mysteriously disappeared. Homeless but by no means hapless, Regan is on her own much of the time but also receives help from a wide diversity of people: a young homeless boy like herself, her kung fu teacher, a university researcher, her grandmother, and a group of people who survive as bottle pickers. On the street, she must learn who it is she can truly trust, and it is not always those whom she (and the reader) might expect. Through her search for her mother, and in her connections with the people who truly help and care for her, Regan discovers her own inner strength and independence. In this fast-paced and sensitive story, Armstrong draws us into the shadowy and difficult side of inner-city life to show us both the dark and the compassionate sides of the people who survive in its midst.

Unworthy is a dystopian novel for young adults. Nearly two hundred years after a killer disease swept the planet, an island nation continues its isolated survival due to the ruthless dedication of the military. The laws and culture of the country are based on the survival of the fittest, distrust of disease, and control of the general population. Marked at birth as “Unworthy” to be raised, a young woman questions the necessity for the cruel practice, so many years after the Isolation was declared. She embarks on a journey which will uncover truths about her past and about her society which she could never have imagined.

In 3500 BC, a killing drought forces Morven and her tribe to roam the steppes of Kazakhstan, struggling to survive. Fiercely independent and never quite feeling she belongs, Morven feels a greater kinship to animals than her own people. Despite ridicule, she befriends a herd of wild horses. She learns to ride and shows her clan the horses are not just a food source, but they can also help them survive. But it is not just Morven's people who are changed by knowledge. A brash young man from another tribe also learns from Morven. His goals, however, are not just to survive, but to conquer. Morven must learn to accept responsibility for the terrible changes she set in motion, and become a leader amongst her people, or they will die.