Nadia is playing for her local soccer team, and they have made it all the way to the national tournament—against some very determined opposition. Unfortunately, Nadia's challenges don't just come from her opponents but from her teammates as well. After their coach is injured in a suspicious accident and the threats against the team mount, it is up to Nadia and her younger brother Devin to pull the team together and take a run at the championship. Another wild ride!

Iris is an aspiring actress, so when Mick, a well-known visiting Aussie director, takes an interest in her, she's flattered. He's fourteen years older, attractive, smart, charming and sexy—in other words, nothing like her hapless ex-boyfriend, Tommy. But when Iris and Mick start a secret relationship, she soon witnesses Mick's darker side, and his temper frightens her. Before long, she becomes the target of his rage, but she makes endless excuses for him. Isolated and often in pain, Iris struggles to continue going to school, where she is preparing for her role as Ophelia. When her family and friends begin to realize that something is terribly wrong, Iris defends her man, but she also takes the first tentative steps toward self-preservation.

Eighth-grader Simon Sanford and his friends Jacob and Mohammed are all excited for soccer tryouts, because this year they will probably be starters, but a newcomer, Trevor, is stealing the show; jealous, and worried about their positions on the team, the three start to sabotage their rival--until Simon gets a life lesson from his least favorite teacher.

"Devin and the rest of the team must figure out who is trying to sabotage them before the playoffs start"--Provided by publisher.

The Orca Sports Resource Guide provides teachers with ideas for connecting each title in the series to the curriculum, the text and, most importantly, the students.

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." --Author Emilie Buchwald Filled with beautifully illustrated reviews and a wealth of recommendations, A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics lovingly and thoughtfully reveals a world of graphic novels sure to capture the imagination and curiosity of your child. Children's literature experts and library professionals Scott Robins and Snow Wildsmith select and review 100 age-appropriate books, and recommend another 750 titles for children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade in this full-color, first-of-its-kind guide. You'll also find an educator's bibliography, website recommendations, and a bounty of resources to make this magical journey informative as well as delightful. Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer, producers of the highly acclaimed and award-winning Bone series, provide a Foreword for the book.

Academic study of children's literature has explored various aspects of diversity; however, little research has examined Canadian books that portray characters with disabilities. This relevant and timely text addresses the significant dearth of research by exploring the treatment of disability in Canadian literature for young people. Engaging and highly accessible, this text will assist teachers, teacher educators, and teacher candidates in finding and using books about characters where disability is a part of their characterization, supporting the development of curricula that reflect critical literacy and social justice issues. Stories for Every Classroom explores the historical patterns and trends, theoretical frameworks, and critical literacy methods used to understand and teach children's literature and its portrayal of characters with disabilities. It provides educators with curriculum ideas and enriches the body of resources shared with children in K-12 settings for the purposes of developing imagination, empathy, and understanding of self and others. Featuring author portraits, comprehensive annotated bibliographies of contemporary Canadian children's books that depict characters with disabilities, and read-on bibliographies that provide connections with other books in the field, this unique text will be an invaluable resource for educators.