Forward Pass

by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Parmita Kapoor: the soccer player who won't keep a secret that crosses the line

Podium Sports Academy's star goalkeeper wants nothing more than to play on Canada's National Team. Parmita works hard at school and on the pitch, so if it seems like she's avoiding boys, she hopes everyone will think it's because she wants to be the best, and not because she's secretly attracted to girls.

The team's new assistant coach may actually have the pull to get Parmita a National Team tryout, but Parmita is uncomfortable with her coach's constant flirting and accidentally-on-purpose touching. After the coach guesses her secret about her sexuality and corners her in the locker room, Parmita has to decide how far she'll go to get a tryout.

[Fry Reading Level - 3.0

About the Author

Lorna Schultz Nicholson
LORNA SCHULTZ NICHOLSON has written picture books, middle grade and YA fiction, and non-fiction. She has also written, produced, and hosted programs for television and radio, and is well known in Western Canada for her print journalism, including sports writing. Lorna regularly visits schools to share her passion for literacy with students. She lives in Edmonton with her husband and their two dogs.

Reviews

"Lorna Schultz Nicholson is to be commended for her no-fear approach to writing about serious issues that have resonance with real life. Nicholson's extensive knowledge of the sports world makes for a glimpse into the real behind-the-scenes of practices, locker rooms, and tournament life. Nicholson gives her protagonists and secondary characters great depth, which ensures that the friendships and team dynamics between the characters are relatable and, above all else, believable." Recommended
Jillian Sexton, CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Podium Sports Academy is a great concept. Take the pressures of a regular high school experience and dial them up tenfold -- and you have Podium Sports Academy." Rated E, excellent
Patricia Jermey, Resource Links
"Exciting soccer action, hot-button issues (conservative Christian views, differing attitudes toward homosexuality, sexual abuse), and teen angst find balanced footing within Parmita's experiences in a story that will leave readers with plenty of food for thought."
Publishers Weekly

Awards

Best Books for Kids & Teens *Starred Selection* (Canadian Children's Book Centre)
2013
One of the Year's Best for 2013 -- Resource Links
2013

Subjects (BISAC)

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