Winning [Hardcover]

C. S. Adler (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Things may be hard for Vicky at home-her mother and her brother argue constantly, and usually ignore Vicky-but she is always happy on the tennis court. She loves the game. If only she were on the girls' eighth-grade tennis team, Vicky thinks, she might finally shine at something. But making the team doesn't solve Vicky's problems. Her fierce concentration on tennis threatens to destroy her relationship with her best friend. And when she's paired with team powerhouse Brenda, Vicky realizes that Brenda expects her to cheat. Vicky faces high-stakes personal challenges and on-the-court confrontations in this action-packed sports story.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Eighth-grader Vicky feels less valued than her older brother by their single mother, and is less academically capable and financially well-off than her best friend. Her one passion in life is tennis, which she feels no one else understands or takes seriously. She's delighted to make her school's team until she realizes that her doubles partner, Brenda, wants to win badly enough to cheat. Vicky's self-esteem is so low and she is so anxious for recognition that she hesitates initially to contradict Brenda's line calls. Ironically, it is through Brenda's encouragement that Vicky learns to think like a winner and challenge her partner. Although the girls lose their final match, Vicky feels that she has won something more important. Vicky is an engaging heroine with a developing sense of self-worth who is forced to stand up for herself. However, the writing style is somewhat stilted and the ending sentimental and predictable. Also, the secondary characters are not fully developed and several plot lines need more explanation and resolution. Vicky's mother seems amazingly insensitive and unsupportive of her children. Older brother Derek's unexplained nasty behavior all-too-quickly turns around at the book's end. Still, the themes of independence and good sportsmanship, the tennis play-by-plays, and the appealing cover will attract readers.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Adler has a knack for selecting real-life teenage issues and anxieties to address in her stories. Her characters, like most teens, are troubled by school, friends, and family, and although their problems may not be disastrous or life-threatening, they're not trivial either. In Winning, 13-year-old Vicky finds herself in a situation that will be achingly familiar to readers: she desperately wants to make the eighth-grade tennis team. She works diligently to perfect her game but finds that her best friend, Reggie, resents her success and is jealous of Vicky's budding friendships with teammates. Vicky's distress at the potential loss of Reggie's friendship is magnified by her dismay and uncertainty over how to handle a fiercely competitive tennis partner who clearly expects Vicky to cheat. Adler resolves both problems in an uncontrived, believable manner that allows Vicky to gain the respect of her teammates and family and to strengthen her friendship with Reggie. The sports focus and the tension of the tennis matches only add to the appeal of the story. Chris Sherman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395650178
• ISBN-13: 978-0395650172
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,641,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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