• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 13 to 18

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

LORNA SCHULTZ NICHOLSON a grandi à St. Catharines, en Ontario. Enfant, elle aimait lire, écrire et jouer à plusieurs sports. Elle a joué en tant que défenseure dans une équipe de hockey féminine et elle était membre de l'équipe nationale d'aviron. Elle est une auteure reconnue de livres destinés aux pré-ados et ados, de la série d'albums illustrés Puckster et de plusieurs livres documentaires sur le hockey. Lorna habite à Edmonton, en Alberta.

LORNA SCHULTZ NICHOLSON grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, and as a child loved to read, write and compete in all kinds of sports. She is the respected author of many middle-grade and YA novels, the Puckster picture book series, and several non-fiction books about hockey, including the Amazing Hockey Stories series. Lorna lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her family. Not surprisingly, she is a HUGE Edmonton Oilers fan. Visit her online at www.lornaschultznicholson.com.

Lorna Schultz Nicholson's profile page

• Commended, One of the Year's Best for 2013 -- Resource Links
• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens *Starred Selection* (Canadian Children's Book Centre)

"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

"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

"appealing to sports fans and high-school students reading below grade level."

Booklist (U.S.)

"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

"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