strange times at western high
A Natalie Fuentes Mystery
By Emily Pohl-Weary (for young readers, ages 10 and up)
published by annick press
fall 2006
Trouble sticks to 16-year-old Natalie Fuentes like glue to paper. As the new kid at Western High, there’s nothing she’d like better than to avoid making waves and instead focus on My Very Secret Life, her self-published zine. But when the school’s reclusive caretaker is brutally attacked, Natalie is the only person who seems willing to investigate.
Armed with the clues found in her zine’s clippings, pictures, and notes, and with the help of the caretaker’s socially awkward son, Natalie searches for answers.
Soon she's stirring up secrets others want kept, including the school’s most infamous cool girl clique. When the trail leads to the police-shy leader of a local graffiti gang, Natalie must use all her streetwise wiles to crack the case.
Illustrated with snippets from Natalie’s zine, and with a fast-paced plot that will keep readers guessing, Strange Times at Western High is as spirited as the savvy sleuth herself.
Praise for Strange Times at Western High
Selected one of the Best Books of the Year by Resource Links
(2006 Fiction, Grades 7-12)
"In Natalie Fuentes, Pohl-Weary has a heroine for these times — bright, independent, technologically gifted and a girl who moves at mach speed."
--Globe and Mail
"This was probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. I recommend this for anyone who adores funny mysteries."
--Laurel Sawyer, 13, in the Toronto Star
"Pohl-Weary, inspired by her love of 'Nancy Drew' mysteries, creates a riveting tale in Strange Times at Western High."
--Resource Links
"This dragster-riding, zine-making sleuth is the ultimate answer to the gaggle of gossip girl titles that dominate YA shelves."
--Canadian Bookseller
"The tale is cleverly crafted and Natalie is an intelligent, feisty heroine."
--Quill and Quire
"Emily Pohl-Weary is in the process of creating a cultural phenomenon for today's teen girl readers. Her heroine, Natalie Fuentes, is smart, feisty, and unafraid to be an original in a school dominated by skinny blonds in miniskirts."
--CM Magazine
"It is in the details of her characters where Emily shines brightest. She references specifics from culture, hacker culture, urban exploration culture (I was most excited to see), graffiti and comic book references, and to Spanish folk music."
--Words Worth Books Blog (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario store)
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Poke around her room to find out more about the savvy sleuth and cultural references made in the books...
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Contact the Publisher
Annick Press
E-mail. Tel: 416-221-4802
www.annickpress.com