Finding BalanceSports fiction for 8th gradersat Edgewood Middle School

Carolyn Lorence

Bonnie Blair in WorldbookPaul J. Sutton, Duomo/Corbis

Lindsay Vonn Scenes from the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Getty

Scenes from the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Kishimoto

Navka and Roman Kostomarov of Russia2006 Winter Olympic Games Turin, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Soccer

•

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Leah could be on her way to the Olympics with her performance on the National soccer team as just a part of the game plan. College coaches are already recruiting this senior “obsessed with soccer.” When Leah’s dad (and biggest fan) gets unexpected bad news about his health, life takes a sudden turn. Based on the author’s own experience.

Football

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

You’ll remember this book as a stunning mystery that begins when high school junior football star, Cody, wrecks his knee during the college recruiting season. Depressed and on the sidelines, Cody’s luck worsens when his girlfriend is sent away to boarding school and then disappears. Cody drops out of school and travels cross country to find her.

BasketballTrash talking kids at the rec

center make way for Sticky because

"That white boy can ball-.He don't play like no regular white boy.”

Can this awesome player escape his unraveling life in foster homes and ghetto trash to make it playing ball? The rhythms of language in this book meld with the poetry of Sticky’s moves to make an unforgettable story.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

BoxingWyatt at age 12 is an

unforgettable character, burning down his family’s house and beginning a five year road trip with his uncle, Slade. Bare knuckle fighting becomes a way to make money and to channel some of the anger roiling against his family situation. Your heart will go out to this character who seems emotionally still a little kid.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

SwimmingKeisha Wright thinks she’s on the way to becoming a doctor when her guidance counselor pulls the rug from under her college dreams. Can swimming be one way to capture a college scholarship?

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

DanceSerious lovers of dance will

appreciate Giselle’s intense dedication to ballet which almost suffocates her social life until she meets Will. The daughter of two famous dancers, Giselle must finally come to terms with the truth about her parents. This story blends rich detail with humor and serious issues.

SkiingSandro’s history is romantic:

his parents met at a resort where his father, a hand-some Italian Olympic skier, swept his mother off her feet. But in 17 years, Sandro and his mom have lived alone at the ski resort waiting for his return. Now Sandro has his own shot at fame--on the slopes and with a girl--if he can harness his anger.

TennisTraining seriously for

competition is expensive, so Kathy finds a way to offset the cost by working at the country club where she plays. Keeping the competitive edge puts her under pressure from parents, coaches and friends. When her most serious rival is found drowned in the pool, suspicion falls on Kathy. Is this a game to kill for?