HIP Senior Novels

Now there are 24 titles in the HIP Senior series, reading levels gr. 3 - 4, interest levels gr. 6 - 12. There is a separate teacher's guide for each book full of pre-teaching ideas, discussion points, and after-reading activities.

Against all Odds by Paul Kropp. Three teenagers are trapped by a flash flood in the sewers beneath Edmonton. One of them can't swim. And their survival depends on a special education student and a stroke of good luck.

Reading level: 3.4  Lexile 610 HL
Interest level: grades 6-10

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Avalanche by Paul Kropp. A school group goes off for a winter camping trip in British Columbia. When an avalanche hits, two of the students die instantly and one is buried under the snow - alive. Based on a true story. For a four-star review of this novel, click here.

Reading level: 3.4  Lexile 570 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10

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The Bully by Liz Brown. A teenage girl struggles against lies and rumours spread by a female bully at her school. She tries to confront the bully, but ultimately needs help from a teacher to stop the torment. For an online review of this novel, click here.

Reading level: 3.2  Lexile 520 HL
Interest level: grades 4-9

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Caught in a Blizzard by Paul Kropp. Three teen-agers in the Arctic deal with rivalry and crime. Then a winter storm - a pikiq - traps all three of them overnight in a snow shelter. There is self-revelation and, finally, justice.

Reading level: 4.0  Lexile 590 HL
Interest level: grades 5-12

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Dark Ryder by Liz Brown. A teenage girl rescues a wild horse, but she must train and ride Dark Ryder to have any hope of keeping him for her own.

Reading level: 4.0  Lexile 710 HL
Interest level: grades 4-9

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Foul Shot by Paul Kropp. The Cougars haven't won a game in years, but Luther sees a way to break the losing streak. There's a big kid named Frank. He can run plays and sinks baskets. Soon Frank turns the Cougars into a dream team, but not quite for the whole season.
   For an online review, click here.
Reading level: 2.6  Lexile 430 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10
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Ghost House by Paul Kropp. Three boys spend a night in a haunted house, and the ghosts turn out to be very real. Every cliche you can imagine ... and they all make for a very scary book. HIP's single bestselling novel. For a rave review of this book, click here.

Reading level: 3.2 Lexile 590 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10

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Hacker by Alex Kropp. A computer whiz and a football player fight computer crime at their school. Part mystery, part computer wizardry, the story has a great deal of action and excitement. For an online review, click here.

Reading level: 3.6  Lexile 590 HL
Interest level: grades 6-10

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Hitting the Road by Paul Kropp. A young teen and his best friend run away from home, only to find that the road is none too friendly. Many adventures, including jumping off a moving train.

Reading level: 3.2  Lexile 680 HL
Interest level: grades 6-12

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Juvie by Paul Kropp. A gripping story of the harsh life inside a juvenile detention centre. There is a hostage-taking and a jailbreak. The reading level is very low, but this book is not recommended for younger readers.

Reading level: 2.8  Lexile 500 HL
Interest level: grades 6-12+

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The Kid is Lost by Paul Kropp. A teenage boy is just babysitting when the child goes missing. After calling the police, he ends up leading to a search with ATVs through a deadly swamp.

Reading level: 3.6  Lexile 650 HL
Interest level: Grades 6- 10

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My Broken Family by Paul Kropp. A girl carries a great deal of resentment after her parents divorce. But as time passes, she learns that the divorce is not quite as terrible as she had thought ... and that it`s time for her to get on with her own life.

Reading level: 3.8  Lexile 630 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10

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One Crazy Night by Paul Kropp. A teenage boy working at a gas-station/deli in a small town has an amazing night. He has to deal with a raging storm, a pregnant woman giving birth, a robber who bursts into tears and  ... worst of all, the meanest grade 5 teacher ever! 

Reading level: 3.8  Lexile 590 HL
Interest level: grades 6-10

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Our Plane is Down! by Doug Paton. A small plane goes down in the bush, hours from anywhere. A teenage brother and sister must fight to rescue the pilot and survive themselves.  A great alternative book to Gary Paulsen's Hatchet for struggling readers.

Reading level: 4.0  Lexile 660 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10

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Playing Chicken by Paul Kropp. Drinking, driving and drugs lead to tragedy when a group of teenage boys try to outrun a train.

Reading level: 3.6  Lexile 600 HL
Interest level: 6-12
For an on-line review of this book, click here.

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Running for Dave by Lori Jamison. When a track star gets cancer, his best friend finds the tragedy brings new meaning for his own life.

Reading level: 3.2  Lexile 560 HL
Interest level: grades 6-10

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Scarface by Paul Kropp. A recent immigrant is forced to join the school`s breakfast club, and then has to go skiing with the entire group. Lost on a mountainside, Tranh learns that the rich boy who picks on him has his own set of problems.

Reading level: 3.5  Lexile 550 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10

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Shola's Game by Shawn Durkin. A recent immigrant from Nigeria must deal with bullies at his school. He finds that the best approach is to learn a new sport - hockey - and eventually that helps him fit in.

Reading level: 3.4  Lexile 710 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10

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Show Off by Paul Kropp. A teenage girl rejects the crazy vandalism of her friends after volunteering in a hospital. Her relationship to the gang leaves her hanging - literally - from a water tower in the center town.

Reading level: 3.8  Lexile 710 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10

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Stealing Homeby Shawn Durkin. Josh is trying to fit in with the guys, trying to make his way in a new school. Baseball is the one thing he does really well. But his best friend on the school team is leading him into dangerous territory. Ultimately Josh must make a difficult moral choice - acceptance or honesty.   For a 4-star online review, click here. Reading level: 3.8  Lexile 520 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10
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Street Scene by Paul Kropp. A group of black teens defend themselves against harassment from a white gang. Everything seemed to be cool, but then one of the teenagers gets hold of a gun.  A HIP bestseller.

Reading level: 4.0   Lexile 630 HL
Interest level: grades 6-12
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Student Narc by Paul Kropp. A student goes undercover to bust a drug gang and avenge his best friend's death. When he's discovered, his life is endangered by the drug dealers.

Reading level: 3.8  Lexile 680 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10

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Tag Team by Paul Kropp. A short high school student goes out for his school's wrestling team and finds that size doesn't matter.

Reading level: 3.5  Lexile 640 HL
Interest level: grades 4-10

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Terror 9/11 by Doug Paton. A teenage boy and his sister are trapped by the collapse of the World Trade Center. They have to struggle down a hundred flights of stairs and out onto the streets of Manhattan just to survive.

Reading level: 3.5  Lexile 610 HL
Interest level: grades 5-10
For an on-line review of this book, click here.

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All HIP novels are carefully controlled for readability and undergo considerable student testing to develop themes, characters and stories in the process leading up to publication. No publisher understands the needs of reluctant readers better than High Interest Publishing.