In "The Snake," a girl faces her fears with help from a strange ally; in "Father by Mail," a teenager writes down all the things he could never say to the parent who has left him behind; and in "Bruno," a boy discovers a way to deal with a bully.

These perceptive and contemporary stories, by one of Canada's best-loved and award-winning authors for young readers, show struggling boys and girls making a connection with someone who can bring them to a kind of balance.