Stay Strong

by Brianna North

Ryan Wheldon is just ten years old, but it doesn’t mean he is no stranger to tragedy. He lost his first friend at four years old and experienced the heart-wrenching loss of his father three years ago. Things seem to be clearing up now, however, and his life is centered around nothing but skateboarding, playing with his neighbours, and trying to keep his three younger siblings from annoying him. As fourth grade comes to a close, he is determined to have the best summer yet, filled with vacations and never-ending beach days.

That is, until his eight-year-old brother, Cody, is diagnosed with leukemia.

The Wheldon family is then forced to move three hours away to Meadowview, where Cody will receive his treatment at the children’s hospital. Their lives are now a mess of doctors and too-big medical terms, none of which Ryan can quite understand. But it’s not all—an accident Ryan believes he caused puts his youngest sibling’s life in danger, rocking his world. The perfect summer is suddenly far from his reach, but to get through it, he and his family can only learn to stay strong.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2021

About the author

Brianna North grew up in a small town in the Sudbury district where she began her writing journey as a child, drawing inspiration from the nature of Northern Ontario. Her short stories have been featured in anthologies by Polar Expressions Publishing and the Poetry Institute of Canada & Young Writers. She graduated from the public relations program at Cambrian College and works as a marketing manager. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading a book or playing with her cat, Cooper.