Books with author Robert Rayner

In an economically-challenged small town, several children are discovered murdered with the arrival of winter during a desolate January. The savage crimes have lasting effects on the lives of eight unique individuals: A scuba instructor who retrieves the bodies from the water, a disfigured cellist who believes he understands who is responsible, an undercover federal agent who investigates the crimes with local authorities, a model whose daughter was the first victim discovered, a ballerina pregnant with her first child, a documentary filmmaker whose marriage is altered by the crime, an art teacher lost in the colors of uncertainty and a painter who is the father of a murdered child. Connected through tragedy and circumstance, these individuals’ complicated lives become interlaced, leading to the unraveling of infidelity, lies and the delicate fracture of hope.

The Brunswick Valley School soccer team are not just bad—they're terrible. They haven't won a game all season and they bicker endlessly amongst themselves. They're such a disaster that their coach resigns in disgust. When, by an administrative anomaly, they qualify for the season playoffs, the only person they can find to act as coach is their former kindergarten teacher, Miss Little, who applies the "rules of kindergarten" to the game. To everyone's surprise, they start to win. In this hilarious follow-up to Walker's Runners, a struggling team learns the true meaning of success.

Fifteen-year-old Birmingham has a hot girlfriend who wants to "do it" anytime, anywhere. But to his (and his best friend's) surprise, it just leaves him feeling hollow, and he finds himself longing for something more. Then his school hires a substitute music teacher, and Birm feels an instant connection with her. They both share a deep love for music―and she seems to have feelings for him too. They begin meeting outside of school hours until, one day, Birmingham's girlfriend catches him in a lie. Jealous and angry, she tells anyone who will listen that he is having an affair with the teacher. Birmingham is forced to defend himself in a formal inquiry, while he wonders whether he's the one who has done something wrong.

Goalkeepers don't wear glasses...Lately, the star goalkeeper on Linh-Mai's soccer team has been acting a little strange -- missing easy saves, passing to the wrong teammates, not noticing Linh-Mai's new glasses... Linh-Mai thinks the goalkeeper needs glasses of his own, but the problem may turn out to be more serious.[Fry Reading Level - 4.6Shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award!

Fast-paced sports action novels that get kids reading.Shay and his pal Toby are among the players on the school soccer team who fall foul of the "fair play contract" introduced by the new school administration. After being banned from playing on behalf of the school for the rest of the season, the dismissed players form their own unofficial team -- and become one of the top teams in the league. But will they be allowed to play in the championship game? Based on a true incident, Suspended is a story about determination and true sportsmanship. [Fry Reading Level - 4.5

Linh-Mai has always admired the acrobatic moves of her soccer team's goalie—Flyin' Brian. But her admiration becomes concern when an eye disease causes Brian to start losing his vision. She's determined to help Brian keep playing for as long as possible. But as his eyesight continues to deteriorate, it becomes clear that, to be a true friend, Linh-Mai must help Brian accept that some things are going to change.

When Toby Morton's sister asks him to play hopscotch, he asks if there's a video game version. He hates physical activity, and he especially hates gym class at his New Brunswick school. If the kids on his team in gym tease him for being overweight, he goes out of his way to make sure they lose. So when his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Walker, asks Toby to join the running team, Toby thinks he's crazy. But when his friend Amy suffers a dangerous attack of asthma, Toby is forced to look at exercise in a different light. Walker's Runners is a lively story for young people that introduces the joys of physical fitness, while highlighting the high costs of inactivity.

Fifteen-year-old Birmingham has a hot girlfriend who wants to "do it" anytime, anywhere. But to his (and his best friend's) surprise, it just leaves him feeling hollow, and he finds himself longing for something more. Then his school hires a substitute music teacher, and Birm feels an instant connection with her. They both share a deep love for music—and she seems to have feelings for him too. They begin meeting outside of school hours until, one day, Birmingham's girlfriend catches him in a lie. Jealous and angry, she tells anyone who will listen that he is having an affair with the teacher. Birmingham is forced to defend himself in a formal inquiry, while he wonders whether he's the one who has done something wrong.

Life was never easy for Julian, aka Scab. After years of being tormented by his peers and ignored by his parents, he's about to show everyone that he has what it takes to make it. But he finds himself in a situation where he has to choose between his own ambitions and the only person who's ever cared about him. This dark and gritty new story examines the moral choices of one teen with a childhood filled with emotional neglect and social bullying, and how haunting real-life choices made when you're young can be when you're older.