Books with author William Wyatt Bell

Award-winning YA author William Bell’s Alma is the captivating story of a quiet girl who builds a friendship with a reclusive stranger.Times have been tough since Alma’s father died and she and her mother had to give up their farm and move into town. Luckily, Alma can always retreat into the books of her favourite author, R.R. Hawkins.When Alma’s teacher notices her lovely handwriting, she recommends Alma for a job transcribing letters for “Miss Lily,” a reclusive old woman who has just arrived from Boston. Eventually, their mutual love of reading creates a strong friendship. Miss Lily lends Alma some of her favourite books, introduces her to calligraphy, and encourages her passion to write stories.But who is this difficult and solitary old woman who reminds Alma of Dickens’ Miss Havisham? And why is she so secretive about the part of her life she refuses to share? Could she be, as Alma begins to suspect, R.R. Hawkins herself? Alma is determined to find out.This touching story explores the relationship between a blossoming writer and her mentor, and delves into the complicated dynamics of friendship and trust.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Lee wants to be a Tarantula – a member of the biggest, most powerful gang in his neighbourhood. But when his initiation goes wrong and the police catch him robbing an auto supply store, Lee’s father sends him to live with his aunt in New Toronto. Lee feels more lost than ever. His mother’s death from cancer, and his father’s constant absence working two jobs mean he has practically had to raise himself. But though he initially resists his Aunt Reena and the customers of Reena’s Unique Café – a ragtag collection of the unusual, the unkempt and the deeply eccentric – Lee gradually learns to open himself up to his new surroundings. When Lee strikes up an unlikely friendship he is suddenly confronted by the ravages of violence, and is forced to face the consequences of his own aggression.The Blue Helmet is a powerful portrait of one young man’s struggle to come into his own, and the peace that comes from the achievement.

Seventeen-year-old Alex Jackson comes home from school to find that his father, a CBC news cameraman, wants to take him to China's capital, Beijing. Once there, Alex finds himself on his own in Tian An Men Square as desperate students fight the Chinese army for their freedom. Separated from his father and carrying illegal videotapes, Alex must trust the students to help him escape. Closely based on eyewitness accounts of the massacre in Beijing, "Forbidden City" is a powerful and frightening story. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Lee wants to be a Tarantula – a member of the biggest, most powerful gang in his neighbourhood. But when his initiation goes wrong and the police catch him robbing an auto supply store, Lee’s father sends him to live with his aunt in New Toronto. Lee feels more lost than ever. His mother’s death from cancer, and his father’s constant absence working two jobs mean he has practically had to raise himself. But though he initially resists his Aunt Reena and the customers of Reena’s Unique Café – a ragtag collection of the unusual, the unkempt and the deeply eccentric – Lee gradually learns to open himself up to his new surroundings. When Lee strikes up an unlikely friendship he is suddenly confronted by the ravages of violence, and is forced to face the consequences of his own aggression.The Blue Helmet is a powerful portrait of one young man’s struggle to come into his own, and the peace that comes from the achievement.From the Hardcover edition.

Fifteen-year-old Aidan has had more foster parents than he cares to remember. Careful to always keep his distance from those around him, and aided by a deep well of self-reliance and tenacity, he longs for the day that he's old enough to strike out on his own. That day comes sooner than he could ever have imagined. On a miserable March afternoon, Aidan's life is changed so radically as to become unrecognizable. Through a near-tragic event in which he saves the life of a young boy, Aidan earns the gratitude and unqualified support of the child's grandfather, Mr. Bai, a man of wealth, great resources and shadowy influence. When asked how this man can help repay him, Aidan replies, "Can you make me disappear?" With a new identity, an apartment, a job and finally a sense that he's crafting his own destiny, Aidan--now Julian Paladin--finds himself at the centre of forces he can't begin to understand. Who exactly is Mr. Bai and who are the mysterious women that come and go without a trace in the apartment below? How did Julian find himself taking on a job surveilling a university student and her possibly abusive boyfriend? And, the most potent mystery of all: how can he ever be without the bewitching and beautiful Anne, who reveals a dimension of life Julian had never thought possible? Julian is part detective story, part romance and part quest for a life of independence and meaning.

An unusual mystery, a heartrending love story, this is an exciting plot-driven new book from leading Canadian YA author William Bell. Fifteen-year-old Aidan has had more foster parents than he cares to remember. Careful to always keep his distance from those around him, and aided by a deep well of self-reliance and tenacity, he longs for the day that he's old enough to strike out on his own. That day comes sooner than he could ever have imagined. On a miserable March afternoon, Aidan's life is changed so radically as to become unrecognizable. Through a near-tragic event in which he saves the life of a young boy, Aidan earns the gratitude and unqualified support of the child's grandfather, Mr. Bai, a man of wealth, great resources and shadowy influence. When asked how this man can help repay him, Aidan replies, "Can you make me disappear?" With a new identity, an apartment, a job and finally a sense that he's crafting his own destiny, Aidan--now Julian Paladin--finds himself at the centre of forces he can't begin to understand. Who exactly is Mr Bai and who are the mysterious women that come and go without a trace in the apartment below? How did Julian find himself taking on a job surveilling a university student and her possibly abusive boyfriend? And, the most potent mystery of all: how can he ever be without the bewitching and beautiful Ninon, who reveals a dimension of life Julian had never thought possible. Julian is part detective story, part romance, and part quest for a life of independence and meaning.

A sequel to the very popular Stones, Fanatics is a thrilling story in which the past and present collide in terrifying, riveting ways.Garnet Havelock has just finished his apprenticeship in furniture-making, and has found a workshop for his new business in an old coach house on the isolated estate of recently deceased Professor Eduardo Corbizzi. Garnet signs a contract with the late professor's long-time companion, the eccentric and inscrutable Mrs. Valentina Stoppini, who presides over the mansion and is its only occupant. The terms of the deal are excellent, but there's a catch: Garnet has to repair the library's fire damage and keep all details about the estate confidential. Only after he agrees does Mrs. Stoppini inform him that the professor died of a seizure in the library under mysterious circumstances involving "an accident" and "a small fire." It isn't long before a distressing collision of past and present drags Garnet towards a horrifying truth he could never have imagined.

When Jake Blanchard gets a job as a student set designer at the York School of Arts, it's an exciting first step towards realizing his dream of making movies. But soon enough he finds himself starring in a drama of his own creation. Nothing in Jake's life is the same after Vanni, a whip-smart, wisecracking Indian-Irish-Canadian joins his class, and after Jake meets the unforgettable Alba, who is as stunning as she is unattainable. Jake is tongue-tied around Alba and enlists Vanni's help. All of a sudden — like the Shakespeare play Jake's school is putting on — Jake finds himself entwined in a love triangle of sorts, complete with secrets and suppressed passions, contrived plots, miscues and misunderstandings. By the end, as in any good comedy, tensions are resolved and Jake's world has been re-made, though in a way he could not have anticipated.

Award-winning YA author William Bell’s Alma is the captivating story of a quiet girl who builds a friendship with a reclusive stranger.Times have been tough since Alma’s father died and she and her mother had to give up their farm and move into town. Luckily, Alma can always retreat into the books of her favourite author, R.R. Hawkins.When Alma’s teacher notices her lovely handwriting, she recommends Alma for a job transcribing letters for “Miss Lily,” a reclusive old woman who has just arrived from Boston. Eventually, their mutual love of reading creates a strong friendship. Miss Lily lends Alma some of her favourite books, introduces her to calligraphy, and encourages her passion to write stories.But who is this difficult and solitary old woman who reminds Alma of Dickens’ Miss Havisham? And why is she so secretive about the part of her life she refuses to share? Could she be, as Alma begins to suspect, R.R. Hawkins herself? Alma is determined to find out.This touching story explores the relationship between a blossoming writer and her mentor, and delves into the complicated dynamics of friendship and trust.From the Trade Paperback edition.