• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

This is the second story featuring Rob and Adam Maclean after Coming Clean

Rob Maclean and his mom have moved to a small community in northern Ontario in order to be closer to Rob's imprisoned brother, Adam. One night after a rowdy party, Rob and some friends end up in a van speeding through a First Nations reserve. The driver of the van has a deep hatred for Indigenous people, and he lobs rotten fruit at a group of young men gathered in front of a community center. The young men chase them down, and Rob's friend Alan is injured and ends up in a coma. Now the police are pressuring Rob to identify their prime suspect.

Jeff Ross is an avid rider of boards. If you can stand sideways on something and propel yourself forward, backward and/or sideways, then sign him up. He spent his formative years standing sideways on a board in Thornbury, Ontario, and now stands sideways on boards in Ottawa, Ontario, where he teaches Scriptwriting and English at Algonquin College. More information can be found at www.jeffrossbooks.com.

Jeff Ross' profile page

• Short-listed, Ottawa Book Awards

"Up North is a very good novel that leaves readers thinking about their own views on such things and acknowledging the importance of acceptance and of being good people. Recommended."

CM Magazine