Boys, Bears and A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Boys, Bears and A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots:
SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD JENNA may hail from the 'burbs of New Jersey, but environmental activism is her life. So when the opportunity arises to spend the summer in the wilds of Canada with her hippie godmother, Susie, this Green Teen jumps at the chance to explore this nature she's heard so much about--and the cute, plaid-wearing boys she's certain roam wild and free. But after a few unpleasant run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger than life moose to Susie's sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna realizes that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don't play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. With the help of a dusty survival guide, Jenna begins to navigate the wilderness, and those who call it home--but can she learn to navigate the surprising turns of her heart?

Abby McDonald wrote a heartwarming story about Jenna, who strongly believes in the annihilation of global warming and the conservation of wildlife and its habitats. But when she decides to spend the summer in western Canada, with her godmother, Susie, who is in the centre of renovating her new Bed and Breakfast , Jenna learns that all of her ideals about conservation and green energy mean nothing if there is no room for compromise. Jenna's best friend and fellow activist Green Teen, Olivia, has spent the summer fighting for their cause, alongside some questionable and unique characters at demonstrations with her boyfriend, that have led her into some controversial situations. When she shows up unexpectedly at Susie's, after weeks of ignoring Jenna, Olivia seems to be a completely different person and has become extreme in her environmentalism. Forcing Jenna to look back at the person she used to be when she was involved with Olivia and the Green Teens . And Jenna doesn't like what she sees. Over the summer Jenna has learned to believe in herself and yet still hang onto her beliefs, without becoming angry and spiteful like Olivia. The relationships she builds with the other teenagers in the small town started off on shaky ground but quickly turned into true friendship, and Jenna finds that she doesn't need the false security that Olivia and the other Green Teens gave to her when she was venerable and alone, all she truly needs is the firm belief in herself and to trust who she truly is.