Stopping the Shots

About this book

In this companion book to Taking the Ice, goalie Mike Krieger (aka Tree) takes centre stage. Although Mike is known to be calm and collected, his home life is more difficult than it seems.

His younger brother, Eric, is a hockey hotshot, already playing on the top U13 team. And their parents are so focused on Eric’s game that Mike’s success in net is barely noticed — except by his older brother, Liam, who was born with Down syndrome and is Mike’s biggest fan. Mike’s parents dismiss a suggestion that he could be good enough to attend a top goalie camp, and while Mike is used to living in Eric’s shadow, the tension between the two brothers increases when Mike is asked to play goal for Eric’s team.

When an accident threatens Eric’s hockey career, and money troubles threaten his parents’ farm, Mike worries he might also have to give up the sport he loves. He decides to risk his reputation — and more — for the new goalie pads he desperately needs. But when the truth comes out, can Mike find a way to make things right?

Reviews

“Taking the Ice shows the genuine relationships, growth, and struggles faced by kids as they approach their teen years. They struggle with fitting in (whether they are new to a place or not), with balancing their own personal desires with an understanding of how their choices can impact their wider community, and they struggle with navigating complicated relationships with peers who are sometimes going through struggles of their own. Nicholson navigates some tougher topics in a way that is appropriate to her target audience. Bullying, grief, lying, and tension caused by socio-economic differences are all explored, examined, and resolved in ways that feel authentic to the characters. The characters don’t always deal with everything perfectly the first time, but they do show growth as they navigate these obstacles and eventually land on healthy resolutions. Nicholson achieves this with an authentic youth voice in her writing and without ever coming across as preachy or didactic.” (Taking the Ice) — CM: Canadian Review of Materials