This story of a high school hockey player becoming paralyzed from the waist down is an excellent tale of hope and determination.

After Janine stopped feeling sorry for herself, she did two things that were life-changing. One is learning how to play sledge hockey, the other was to make otgers aware of the difficulties disabled people face every day, no matter their situation, job or handicap..

It's a quick to read, entertaining tale that is recommended for readers of middke and high school age. Many valuable life lessons can be learned in this short book

I got an ARC of this book.

I love this publisher and I am very thankful that they keep letting me read and review their books. This is another wonderful book about sports written for middle grade readers or for reluctant readers. The author tells a pretty complex story very simply. There is little to no extra details. A lot of the reading is action or very basic plot. It is meant to keep your attention and tell a story quickly. This is the type of book I want to read when I am sleepy or when I really just want to get right to it. There is something to say about a book that doesn't feel like there is a single wasted word. 

The plot follows Janine healing from her injuries from a car accident. The driver was texting while he was driving and had a head on collision with Janine and her parents. The reasoning was a good nod to the dangers of texting and driving which is relevant for the age group that this targets especially. The book doesn't focus on the physical healing of Janine as much as it does the emotional and mental. Janine is a raging jerk through the first half of the book. She is mean to everyone around her, constant pity party. She was that character that felt so good to hate because she really had no redeeming qualities. 

This book raised so many important issues. Some of them social: is it ok to  be mean to someone with a disability? When is being "helpful" too much? Some of them societal: what really is accessible? Is it ok to wait to fix accessibility equipment because it isn't used often? It was a wonderful look at some accessibility activism and how ableism works. Janine actually has to face her own ableism head on when it comes to how she interacts with the one other kid that shares the van that drives them to school. It was a wonderful sub-plot that I was not expecting. This went above and beyond. 

This book does not overly focus on sports in a way that alienates someone who knows nothing about them. Instead it gives sports as a way of healing and coping for the characters. The action is fast paced, but simple. There is no confusing what is happening even if you are pretty clueless about hockey or in particular sledge hockey. The way that teams are portrayed as families made me wish that I had been part of a team like that. Every team I was on was never as tight or as strong as the teams in this book.

I have watched the sport of hockey more than any other sport in my lifetime so I was drawn to this story. I think many of us who know the sport of hockey is aware what injuries some star players have received from car accidents.

In this read, Janine is the star and on victory night she gets in an accident and her injuries cause paralysis from the waist down. She spends time in the hospital marking the days off with an X.

I enjoyed this read. Her 'Patient Diary' was a tribute to learning to survive her tragedy. Her opinion of the visits she described was very telling as was her adjustment to returning home and to school. There were parts of the section of 'Coming Home' and 'The Presentation' that were humorous and the description of Sledge Hockey was well written.

Janine, a star hockey player, is injured in a car accident. As a result, she is paralyzed from the waist down and overcome with frustration and self-pity. Her best friend encourages her to try out sledge hockey. Reluctant at first, Janine she eventually agrees. The sledge hockey, along with a school assignment, help Janine rediscover her love of hockey and a passion for helping others understand the daily challenges people face with accessibility.

Stick Pick

by Steven Sandor

James Lorimer & Company

Lorimer Children & Teens

Middle Grade , Sports

Pub Date 01 Aug 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Stick Pick through James Lorimer & Company and Netgalley:

Janine was a star hockey player who leads her hockey team to victory at the provincial championships but on the way from the game a car accident changes her life forever, and soon she finds herself having to come to terms with the fact that she is paralyzed from the waist down.

As she tries to navigate this new life, she becomes angry and bitter because of the challenges she faces and the lack of access in many places. But she finds a place once more on the ice, taking part in Sledge Hockey, on the ice she is able to get her anger and hurt out.

This book is based on real life experiences and deals with both the emotional and physical challenges that come with having a disability!

I give Stick Pick five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

I really liked the basic idea for this book - more representation is always needed, and I think it is especially important in YA/Middle Grade lit. The writing and plot were a bit simple for me to really enjoy this book as an adult, but I think younger kids that are sports fans would enjoy it.