Suspended

John Walker is a professor of Spanish studies at Queen’s University.

The Brunswick Valley School soccer team was introduced in Miss
Little’s Losers (Sports Stories, 64) and appeared again in Just for
Kicks (Sports Stories, 69). When Suspended picks up the story, the team
has not won a game all season.

As a result of a so-called “soccer brawl” instigated by their
rivals at St. Croix Middle School, the Brunswick Valley team is forced
to adhere to a new code of conduct imposed on them by their strict
principal. When team members infringe on that code, they’re given
demerit points, which lead to suspensions, which lead to the team being
prohibited from playing soccer.

Faced with what they see as unreasonable regulations, team captain Shay
Sutton and his banned players practise in secret on another pitch and
eventually form another team—the Cemetery Road Wanderers. Under the
coaching guidance of Ice, a “bad boy” high-school student with a
shadowy past, the “unofficial” team starts playing and winning games
against other teams in the league. Before long it’s one of the best
teams in the league and, as the championship approaches, the questions
arises, will it be allowed to play? In the face of unfair school rules
and excessive administrative discipline, Shay and the team decide to
take matters into their own hands.

Suspended is based on a true story. Shay and the team do attain their
moment of glory, but along the way they also learn some valuable lessons
about life, courage, responsibility, sportsmanship, and the need for
compromise. This fast-paced, entertaining story will appeal to reluctant
readers. Recommended.