• Age: 12 to 15
• Grade: 7 to 10
• Reading age: 12 to 15

Winner of the 2003 Ann Connor Brimer Award, short-listed for the 2004 White Pine Award
Martin Emerson’s family, friends, and even his therapist have trouble figuring him out. He never showed much of a reaction to the death of his mother, and his behaviour of late has been getting more and more bizarre.
And yet, his website – Emerso.com – has made him something of a cult figure to followers who believe that, if not having all the right answers, "Emerso" at least has all the right questions.
Shoulder the Sky is a rarity among young adult novels – it challenges the reader with philosophical thought and complex observations.

No one has a clearer view of Atlantic Canada's literary endeavours over the past twenty years than Lesley Choyce. He is the founder of the literary journal Pottersfield Portfolio, and the publisher of Pottersfield Press. He has edited several fiction anthologies and has been the in-house editor of many books from Pottersfield Press including Making Waves, a collection of stories by emerging authors from Atlantic Canada. He is the author of more than fifty books in genres ranging from poetry and essays to autobiography, history and fiction for adults, young adults, and children. Among his recent books are the novels The Republic of Nothing, World Enough, and Cold Clear Morning, and the story collection Dance the Rocks Ashore. Choyce is the writer, host, and co-producer of the popular literary show television program, Off the Page with Lesley Choyce, which is broadcast across the country on Vision TV. He also teaches in the English department of Dalhousie University in Halifax and is leader of the rock band The Surf Poets.

Lesley Choyce's profile page

• Short-listed, White Pine Award
• Winner, Ann Connor Brimer Award

"Choyce, with over 50 works of fiction to his credit, expertly infuses his characters with an engaging combination of muscles and poetry."

Teresa Toten

"This story is told with grace, integrity and the brash, engaging honesty Choyce fans will recognize and have grown to appreciate from his earlier works."

The Telegram

Choyce writes well enough to impress even a sophisticated, well read teen.

Vancouver Sun

This book is written in an engaging and enthralling style with fully developed, dynamic characters and a plot that will keep the reader turning the pages far into the night.

Eastword (Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia Newsletter)

Fast-paced and intelligent, this story entertains as well as educates.

VOYA

Lesley Choyce's latest young adult novel has a complex texture and a strong and distinctive voice in its main character.

Chronicle Herald

the characters are interesting and true to life.

The Guardian (Charlottetown, PEI)

"Choyce expertly infuses his characters with an engaging combination of muscle and poetry."

Quill and Quire