• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Cade's dad thinks triathlons are for wimps.

He doesn't think it's a real sport and wishes Cade would play football instead, like his older brother, Trent. So Cade trains in secret and qualifies to compete in the provincial championship in Sylvan Lake. The night before the event, Cade's coach suddenly can't go, and Cade is forced to ask his dad for a ride there. He only agrees because Trent has a football game nearby. The road trip takes a nasty turn when his dad swerves to avoid a deer and their car hurtles into an ice-cold river. It's up to Cade to use his skills to save his entire family.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Eric Howling is an advertising creative director and the author of the Lorimer sports novels Head Hunter, Red Zone Rivals, Hoop Magic, Kayak Combat and Drive. As a boy growing up in Montreal, Quebec, he always had a ball or stick or club in his hands. Now Eric's writing stories about playing some of those exciting sports. His books have been shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, named Resource Links Year's Best and picked as CCBC Best Books selections. Eric lives in Calgary, Alberta. Follow him on Twitter @erichowling.

Eric Howling's profile page

"Very entertaining story…I hope that Eric Howling's Plunge encourages many to find an organization or an athlete willing to introduce the triathlon to them. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Sports fans will be drawn to the book by it's subject matter. The fully developed characters and story line packs a punch."

School Library Journal (SLJ)