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

Toronto synchro swimmer Carrie Munroe is Podium Sports Academy's team flyer and the school's best prospect for making it at the upcoming Vegas tryouts -- fulfilling her dreams of being in a glitz-and-glamour professional show. Carrie feels there's only one thing holding her back -- the weekly poolside weigh-ins. Her coach agrees, and Carrie is put on a special diet to control her weight. But the pressure to succeed while also dealing with troublesome family members back home lead Carrie to make some very risky decision about her health and eating habits.

To come out on top, Carrie will have to accept that although she may not have the typical swimmer's body, she has the strength to be the best -- but only if she takes care of herself.

[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 plot is simple, but hard-hitting, and it accurately depicts anorexia and how it affects teens... tackles difficult teen problems in an easy-to-read style."

School Library Journal

"The characters in [Podium Sports Academy are not only involved in a variety of sports, but they also represent the various nationalities that we see in Canada. The books provide teens with the opportunity to talk about what might be happening in their own lives and to see how the characters in each story deal with the issues."

Canadian Children's Book News

"This exploration of teenage anorexia is well-written with a tie-in to the synchronized sports culture"
Rated G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!

Resource Links

"Vegas Tryout successfully conveys the high stakes in competitive sports and the diligence and determination of those teens"

CM Magazine

"Carrie [is a believable, sympathetic character dealing with realistic situations that many teens can relate to... Nicholson writes with a deft touch that will appeal to many readers"

Sister's Library