• Age: 10 to 13
• Grade: 4 to 8
• Reading age: 7 to 10

Eighth-grader Emma is the tallest person in her class. While she used to be into sports in a big way, now that she's hanging out with her new best friend, other things have become more important -- like clothes and makeup and fitting in. When Emma gets roped into volunteering for the girls' volleyball team, she feels the urge to play again. First, though, she'll have to overcome her fear of what her new friends will say if she does.
[Fry reading level - 3.1

Steven Barwin is a middle school teacher. He is the author of Hurricane Heat in the Orca Sport series and several Lorimer Sports Stories novels, including Fadeaway, Rock Dogs, SK8ER and Icebreaker, which was chosen as a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens selection.

Steven Barwin's profile page

• Commended, One of the Year's Best for 2013 - Resource Links

"Barwin's dialogue and characters are spot-on in this sports story for reluctant readers. There are different levels and styles of bullying examined in this book, as well as how they are handled by those being bullied and the school administration. Barwin's insightful portrayal of adolescent friendship, good and bad, is entirely believable." Rated E: excellent, enduring, everyone should read it!

Resource Links