Getting in the Game by Dawn Fitzgerald

Thirteen-year-old Joanna Giordano is determined to make her middle school boys hockey team- and no one, not the coach, the principal, her best friend's father, or any of the boys on the team are going to convince her otherwise. As if the pressure of being the only girl on the hockey team isn't enough, Jo has to deal with her parents separation and her father's anger management issues, her grandfather's rapid progression of Alzheimer's, bullying by her teammates and public ridicule by other students at school, and her best friend abandoning her when things start to get tough. Jo's narrative is realistic, fast-paced and funny. Though wise beyond her thirteen-years, Jo's character is strong and true- full of determination and angst. This short quick read is full of great hockey action and is sure to be a hit with female athletes, especially those who find themselves fighting to succeed in male dominated sports.