Delaying the Game

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

Kaleigh’s first time playing hockey on a girls’ team is not going
very well. After years of being a star on the boys’ team, she is
faster and more skilled than many of the girl players. But her coach and
teammates keep getting angry with her for taking too many penalties, and
even her family and friends think there is room for improvement. Kaleigh
is also frustrated by the girls’ silly antics, “girlie” ways,
flirting with her best friend Josh, and what she sees as a lack of
commitment. To add to her problems, she is worried about her grandma,
who has started forgetting things.

Then Kaleigh meets Shane, a cute older boy. Now distracted from both
hockey and her grandma, she spends her time thinking about keeping her
family from embarrassing her and trying on makeup and clothes. When her
grandma gets lost, Kaleigh soon learns that it is her old friends and
her teammates on whom she can count to help her.

Kaleigh is a realistic, likeable character who will engage readers’
sympathy in spite of, and maybe because of, a slight attitude problem.
The author perfectly captures the range of excitement, uneasiness,
intimidation, and uncertainty that girls face, but especially when going
on a “first date.”

This well-written story about hockey and growing up is recommended.