Rookie Season

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

Taking charge comes naturally to Leigh Aberdeen. When she discovers that
she has been assigned to play on the weakest of the boys hockey teams,
she decides to create an all-girls team herself. Leigh is focused and
determined to succeed, but also rigid in her expectations, especially
when it comes to hockey. This gives her a competitive edge, but also
causes her problems when things don’t go her way (like the difficult
time she has accepting a boy player onto the team). As she faces many
challenges in creating a new competitive team, Leigh gains a broader
perspective on what is important and becomes more flexible and
inclusive. As a result, she learns important things about the people
close to her and is able to support them in achieving their goals.

Rookie Season is one of the best in Lorimer’s excellent Sports
Stories series. The rhythm of the book is natural and the prose is easy
to read. Leigh is a bright, high-energy character who is serious and
focused; the author describes her volatile emotions especially well. The
plot is well developed and there is a nice touch of humor throughout. In
addition to the exciting hockey action, the personal subplots add depth
and an element of suspense to the main story. Rookie Season will be
especially enjoyed by preteen girls. Highly recommended.