New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
Podium Sports Academy's star goalkeeper wants nothing more than to play on Canada's National Team. Parmita works hard at school and on the pitch, so if it seems like she's avoiding boys, she hopes everyone will think it's because she wants to be the best, and not because she's secretly attracted to girls.
The team's new assistant coach may actually have the pull to get Parmita a National Team tryout, but Parmita is uncomfortable with her coach's constant flirting and accidentally-on-purpose touching. After the coach guesses her secret about her sexuality and corners her in the locker room, Parmita has to decide how far she'll go to get a tryout.
[Fry Reading Level - 3.0
Contributor Notes
LORNA SCHULTZ NICHOLSON has written picture books, middle grade and YA fiction, and non-fiction. She has also written, produced, and hosted programs for television and radio, and is well known in Western Canada for her print journalism, including sports writing. Lorna regularly visits schools to share her passion for literacy with students. She lives in Edmonton with her husband and their two dogs.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 13 to 18
- Grade:
- 8 to 12
- Reading age:
- 13 to 18
Awards
- Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens *Starred Selection* (Canadian Children's Book Centre)
- Commended, One of the Year's Best for 2013 -- Resource Links
Editorial Reviews
"The writing style makes this a quick and easy read for older teens, and the believable plot leaves readers rooting for Parmita's future."
— School Library Journal
"appealing to sports fans and high-school students reading below grade level."
— Booklist (U.S.)
"Lorna Schultz Nicholson is to be commended for her no-fear approach to writing about serious issues that have resonance with real life. Nicholson's extensive knowledge of the sports world makes for a glimpse into the real behind-the-scenes of practices, locker rooms, and tournament life. Nicholson gives her protagonists and secondary characters great depth, which ensures that the friendships and team dynamics between the characters are relatable and, above all else, believable." Recommended
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Podium Sports Academy is a great concept. Take the pressures of a regular high school experience and dial them up tenfold -- and you have Podium Sports Academy." Rated E, excellent
— Resource Links
"Exciting soccer action, hot-button issues (conservative Christian views, differing attitudes toward homosexuality, sexual abuse), and teen angst find balanced footing within Parmita's experiences in a story that will leave readers with plenty of food for thought."
— Publishers Weekly
"Parm being a young girl who hasn't yet 'come out' of the closet yet is faced with some really tough choices. This is an important story. Many young people face stuff like this and sadly, out of shame or fear, won't speak up. This enables people in positions of power to continue abusing others, something Parm realizes.... I appreciated the lessons in this book and the fact it brings awareness to a serious problem, not only sexual abuse, but a teenager's fear of 'coming out'."
— BookBabe.blogspot.com, NewAgeMama.blogspot.com
