Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Books

Can a boy-hungry Jersey girl survive the wilds of Canada – with her eco-identity intact? This is a witty new “YA” novel from the author of “Life Swap”. Seventeen-year-old Jenna may hail from the ‘burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mum suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada, Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard so much about – and the cute, plaid-wearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few unpleasant run-ins with local wildlife (from a moose called Madge to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness, and those who call it home – but can she learn to navigate the surprising turns of her heart?