cover image Breakaway

Breakaway

Andrea Montalbano, Philomel, $16.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-399-25215-0

Montalbano, who played soccer as a child and in college, taps into her love and knowledge of the game in her fast-paced debut novel. Initial descriptions of 12-year-old Lily's passion for soccer can be a little much, but the prose soon lightens ("Lily mentally lumped the dads at the game into two categories: Berries and Nuts. The Berries were the one with BlackBerries in holsters.... The Nuts were the dads who took the game way too seriously"). Lily is determined to lead her team to victory in the league championship, which they lost in the finals the year before. Her plan to impress a coach who's scouting for a select team backfires when she hogs the ball, resulting in a two-game suspension. Lily's interactions with family members and with two very different friends are as credible as the on-field action, as she learns the importance of teamwork in all aspects of her life. A crackerjack, play-by-play account of the season finale brings the story to a winning ending. It's an ideal pick for readers more interested in scoring goals than boyfriends. Ages 9–12. (May)