Best Teen & Young Adult Hockey Fiction

Told in flashback, this is the story of 13-year-old Tom Leonard his AA hockey team and hometown's "can't miss kid." The relationships between father & son, adolescent friends, youth player & adult coach, and amongst hockey teammates are well done. I like the way that the main characters develop - Tom matures and learns the fun of playing a team game.

When the two are forced to teach a skating class to save the rink, Lia’s not sure she’ll survive the pressure of Nationals and Pierce’s ego. Hoping to take his ego down a notch—or seven—she logs into his team website under an anonymous name to give him pointers on his less-than-stellar playing. It also touches on the idea that sometimes in life we need that extra love and support from unexpected places." -Sarah Bittel, Educator at Canisteo-Greenwood CSD 5 stars: " I honestly love this story, I can't stop thinking about it. Each aspect of the book is amazingly done, from Erin Fletcher's incredible style, the great characters, to plot points that are tricky to execute. The story gives a deeper look into the life of a hockey player trying to make it to the next level along with a figure skater trying to work past her fears and take a leap to fulfill her dreams. 5 stars: "The plot of the book is mesmerizing and very well written and the ending is absolutely perfect. 5 stars: " This book ticked all the right boxes for me : sports romance, sweet teen story with more than meets the eye, and opposites attract." When I read the synopsis for All Laced Up of course I flashed back to the greatest figure skating/hockey movie of all time, The Cutting Edge . 4 stars: "I loved the interaction between the characters, the story was funny and at times a little Eemotional. 4 stars: "The girl figure skater and boy hockey player reminded me a lot of that romcom movie The Cutting Edge . This book made me think about what if those two from the movie had met when they were in high school instead of later in life.

With Jake living too much in the moment and with his past catching up to him, can Tom help him before it's too late? A graphic novel slips home the fact that sports stars run the gamut of miseries we everyday Joes and Janes must confront. Taking place two years after The Stereotypical Freaks (Animal Media, 2012), this is a full-color realistic graphic novel about an unlikely friendship between a famous 21-year-old Canadian hockey player named Jeremiah Jacobson and an average guy named Tom Leonard. He loves hockey, and his hockey skills result in a partial scholarship, which helps him afford college. Chapters are accompanied by recommended listening, and the artwork is vibrant, making this title highly recommended for hockey fans and those who enjoyed the previous volume.

Instead, the legendary El Gato ("The Cat") quietly narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in a mythic corner of the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach the gangly boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. Grade 8 Up–When acclaimed South American journalist Paul Faustino begins his interview with World Cup soccer star El Gato, he expects to be recording the thoughts of a goalkeeper at the height of his career. Peet achieves his expressed desire to write an entirely new kind of soccer story, not only including the experience of play, but also mesmerizing readers with a supernatural mystery in a tale about relationships, loneliness, and believing in oneself.

Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring. ?Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. "The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and standup comedy gets unequivocally-and hilariously and triumphantly-bent in this novel. "Nimbly blends sharp with unapologetic emotion....fluid narration deftly mingles raw feelings with funny, sardonic insight. "Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience. "Fierce observations and sharp sense of humor...hilarious language.

She s thrilled when she discovers that the horse is real and, with the encouragement of Blackjack s owner, she learns to ride and show while developing a strong bond with the animal. But when tragedy strikes and Blackjack falls into the hands of a cruel trainer, Heather must find a way to get her beloved horse back before it is too late... Additionally, while the main character in the Morgan Horse series is a girl, and one of her best friends is a boy, their relationship is platonic. The reader will experience the thrill of competition in the ring as Heather and Blackjack participate in shows and the feeling of flight as she and Rusty jump the fences. Her accurate and detailed descriptions of basic horsemanship and stable management make the Morgan Horse Series books not only fun adventure stories, but educational as well.

Ocean breeze in her hair and sand between her toes, Anise can't wait to spend the summer before her senior year surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends. "Debut novelist Silverman realistically captures Anise's love for her surfing life and the terrible sacrifice she makes when leaving it behind for a whole summer, and her relationships with her family are bittersweet and loving, giving her depth of character. "Anise's reluctance to leave, rooted in worries of forgetting home and being forgotten, will resonate with readers who've ever been homesick...A quick summer read to reassure teens who worry about college or blooming where they're planted." The book features a cast of diverse characters and a fresh take on sports (surfing and skateboarding)... worthy of a spot in any teen's beach bag. ".

"I felt love, excitement, respect and a ton of heartbreak..." - Amanda Nicole Books. The veil I’ve worn from birth carries with it a terrible loneliness; a suppression I cannot imagine ever being free of. When the peace delegation arrives from the savage world of Glacium, my life is shoved wildly out of control by the handsome Prince Kedrick who, for unfathomable reasons, shows me kindness. Sometimes it takes the world bringing you to your knees to find that spark you thought forever lost. "I felt love, excitement, respect and a ton of heartbreak..." - Amanda Nicole Books. When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is dreaming up a story in her head; the cause of many headaches for her friends and family, who have struggled to encourage her participation in normal activities - such as everyday life.

Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden’s powerful graphic memoir Spinning captures what it’s like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. “Tillie Walden's Spinning is an engrossing, gorgeously quiet look back at the 12 years she devoted to figure and synchronized skating.” ― New York Times. “This beautiful story about sorrow, growth, and triumph will resonate in every reader’s heart.” ―Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times –bestselling author and two-time National Book Award finalist. “This is a beautifully told story that will resonate with anyone who played an instrument, or did gymnastics, or got signed up for skating: these things weren't always what we wanted to do or cared about, but they gave us some focus when everything else was mystery and chaos.” ―Lucy Knisley, New York Times bestselling author of Relish: My Life in the Kitchen. “ Spinning is spare yet intimate, painfully honest, and oh-so-real.” ―Malinda Lo, three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist author of Ash and Adaptation.

Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard.

An honest and knowledgeable book about overcoming adversity, and the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes , Mickey’s powerful story shows that with support and determination anyone can be triumphant, even when the odds are stacked against him. -- Midwest Book Review. The Legend of Mickey Tussler is a very good story that I'm sure will resonate with those readers who have experience with special needs children and teens... -- BaseballBookReview.com. Praise for THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER: "In my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America I see all kinds of challenges facing kids today, and this book does a very good job of treating gifted kids and teenagers with sensitivity and understanding in coping with and meeting these challenges." THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER reaches the heart the way Alex Rodriguez reaches the bleachers." Milwaukee Brewer's manager Arthur Murphy recruits 17-year-old farm boy Mickey Tussler as a pitcher for his team. And though Mickey's slowness enrages his impossibly cruel father (who abuses his wife and derides Mickey as a "retard"), the boy's dad is happy to collect his son's pro baseball salary.