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

Fresh off the plane from Vancouver, sixteen-year-old hockey player Aaron Wong is excited to be starting his first year at Podium, the Calgary school for top teen athletes. Aaron has to make friends and fit in at a new high school, while also adjusting to a new home and a family with a different culture than his own. Luckily, he finds a tight-knit group of friends who are elite athletes in their own sports to help show him the ropes.

Things seem to be going well for the rookie -- but the hockey team captain has it in for him. Aaron's world is turned upside down when the captain makes him the target of a brutal hazing at the team's first party. To turn his year around, Aaron has to overcome his embarrassment about the incident and confide in friends and coaching staff.

[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, Best Books for Kids & Teens -- Canadian Children's Book Centre

"The series promises to be a hit with both boys and girls, sports-minded or not, and will fill a need for sports fiction at the middle and senior years" Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"this short novel has plenty to say and says it in an involving way. The writing is accessible to high-school students reading below grade level."

Booklist

"Carrie and Aaron are believable, sympathetic characters dealing with realistic situations that many teens can relate to. Their interactions with friends and family ring true, and the balance between school and sports is well done. Nicholson writes with a deft touch that will appeal to many readers"

Sister's Library

"hi/lo books [that tackle difficult teen problems in an easy-to-read style"

School Library Journal

"a perfect choice for the young reader in your life, especially if he or she is a reluctant reader"

HockeyBookReviews.com

"Rookie is an excellent book that I think all young adults should read when it comes to the topic of hazing...because she handles this topic so well, Lorna Schultz Nicholson deserves major accolades for this book."

Hockey Blog in Canada