Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Alex has loved soccer since she was five, improving her game with her rec league teammates and their coach Jayda, who has always supported and inspired her.  When Alex gets recruited by the elite Select team, she’s excited about the possibility of winning a national title and getting on a path to playing college soccer.  But things are different on the Select team. Not only does Alex have to figure out a way to get to games in far-away towns, not easy with a somewhat irresponsible mother who works two jobs, but the coach turns out to be a bully.  He favors the girls whose parents contribute financially to the team and unfairly punishes Alex, who’s on a scholarship.  Alex isn’t afraid to stand up for herself, though, and as she slowly befriends some of her teammates, they begin to help each other in the face of Coach’s abuses.  As the team piles up wins, their coach becomes more and more demanding, and a showdown between him and the team feels inevitable.  Includes an author’s note about abusive coaches in youth sports a list of resources. 224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This fast-paced sports story brings the issue of abusive coaches to light, with a courageous protagonist who must deal with difficult issues both at home and on the field.  Her coach Jayda provides an example of good coaching while also serving as something of a stand-in parent.  

Cons:  There wasn’t a lot of subtlety in portraying who was good and who was bad.  It would have made a more interesting story to give the coach a charming side rather than making him an abusive bully right off the bat.