Breaking the Ice
(Reprint)

Homeschooled 12-year-old Kaitlin lives for figure skating and dreams of reaching the Olympics one day, but when she melts down at a competition--shouting at the judges and accidentally ruining a display of medals--she is kicked out of her skate club. The only club in town that will take Kaitlin is the down-on-its-heels Fallton Club, whose welcoming attitude she quickly comes to appreciate. Kaitlin, who is usually meek (she has no idea where that meltdown came from), must learn to allow passion into her routines, as well as to speak up for herself, if she wants to achieve her goals of becoming a great skater, attending school, and making friends outside of the skating world. Debut author Nall effectively traces Kaitlin's quest to find herself and navigate relationships with the skaters she meets at the Fallton Club, including cute bad boy Braedon, loyal new friend Miyu, and mean girl Addison. Secondary characters are fairly two-dimensional, but Kaitlin's growth feels genuine, and Nall's descriptions of skating and competition will hold readers' attention. Ages 8-12. Agent: Julia Alexandra Weber, J.A. Weber Literaturagentur. (Jan.)

Gr 3-6--There is nothing in the world that Kaitlin wants more than to be a championship figure skater. She trains hard and even begins homeschooling in order to realize this dream. But when Kaitlin throws a tantrum after her performance at a competition, she's dropped by her coach and her prestigious club. When no one else will accept her, Kaitlin joins the Fallton Club as a last resort. Unfortunately, Fallton is known as the Fall Down Club, and Kaitlin doesn't think that life can get any worse. She soon realizes that the skaters at Fallton are nice and she decides that things might not be that bad. Now her problem is learning a new routine in a very short time frame. Nall's novel will appeal to a wide audience, whether readers are interested in figure skating or simply looking for a fun read. Kaitlin is a spunky protagonist and the secondary characters are mostly well developed, though one is a stereotypical mean girl whose cruel streak is neatly explained. Figure skating can be a catty environment, so depicting the members of the Fallton Club as encouraging and caring is a sound choice, showing readers that they can be competitive without being nasty. VERDICT A good addition to any middle grade collection, but especially those lacking in female-centric sports stories.--Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public Library, CO