Bates, Sonya Spreen. Topspin. (Orca Sports)

Bates, Sonya Spreen.  Topspin. (Orca Sports)    Orca  2013  147p  $9.95 ISBN 978-1-4598-0385-5 ms/hs  Conflict, Sports  VG-BN

Kat, Miri and Hamish all have the same coach. On their flight to Melbourne for the tournament, Miri is jealous of her boyfriend’s (Hamish’s) flirting with the flight attendants. Upon arrival at Melbourne, Kat is overwhelmed by her first experience at the famed tennis courts. She has a chance of being competitive in the women’s singles for age 16 and under. And partnering with Miri, she has a chance at a doubles title as well. But from the first night on, Kat is suspicious of Miri and a boy named Dray, worrying that they are out to sabotage Hamish in his quest to be ranked number one internationally in the “16 and Under” division. In between tense tennis action, scouting the competition to get a handle on their weaknesses, and psyching out opponents, there are the sub plots of sleuthing, drug accusations, and the challenges presented by out-of-control parents. The junior level of international tennis competition is well depicted, with the fierce rivalries, training requirements, and the intense love of the game. The importance of grit and determination combined with skill comes across brilliantly. This will be a sure-fire hit with hi-lo readers who are tennis lovers and a good whodunnit suspense novel for mystery lovers.       

Summary: A hi/lo sports title. At a Melbourne Park tennis tournament, Kat has singles potential, and with Miri she may have a chance to win doubles. Hamish is trying to capture the men’s tennis championship. Subterfuge, skill and grit all interplay with great tennis action. Gr 6-12.

Tennis-Fiction, Sports competition-Fiction                        --Lois McNicol

Ross, Jeff. Dawn Patrol.

Ross, Jeff. Dawn Patrol.     Orca  146p  $9.95 978-1-4598-0062-5       ms/hs Series: On the Court With, Orca Sports    Good           

Esme and Luca go to Panama to find their friend who went AWOL when his parents were killed in a plane crash there.  There is conflict for Esme and Luca at every turn, especially when they finally meet up with their lost friend.  Jeff Ross’s descriptions of surfing create a memorable moment for young readers.  They can feel the surfer navigate the waves, thanks to Ross’s own experience with other board sports and his descriptive writing ability.  However, the plot is good, but not stellar.  There are some gaps in the plot line that will leave readers asking such questions as, "Why would a young man believe a beach bum/former surfer who makes such an outrageous claim that Kevin’s parents are alive, when the plane crash was undoubtedly so severe that it left wreckage that was burned beyond belief?"  That being said, the book has enough action and surfing excitement to attract students who otherwise might not pick up a book with a surfer on the cover. 

When Esme’s boyfriend disappears following the death of his parents, Esme teams up with longtime friend Luca to travel to Bocas del Mar, an island off the coast of Panama.  Waves that reach heights of 50 feet attract surfers from all over the world, and it is during Luca’s dangerous struggle with a wave and a coral reef that Kevin’s whereabouts are revealed to him.  Kevin was one of his rescuers, but he quickly disappears into the background.  Then Esme and Luca team up with the lovely Alana, and together, they face nasty islanders who do not like surfers, the beach bum who is tricking Kevin out of his parents’ life insurance, and coral reefs and dangerous rocks that could take out even the most experienced surfer.  There is definitely enough action to keep a reader’s attention, and Orca’s claim to fame is that its books are almost always fast-paced and interesting.

Note the spelling error on page 114.   "Delgado’s" was misspelled at the top of the page.

Mystery, Adventure, Surfing-Fiction             --Martha Squaresky

Thomas, Erin. Haze.

Thomas, Erin.     Haze. Orca  175p  $9.95 978-1-4598-0070-0       ms/hs Series: Orca Sports     Good  Realistic Fiction

When Jeremy is injured the day after telling Bram about a death caused by hazing, Bram turns sleuth in an attempt to solve the mystery.      With its fast-moving plot and its easy-to-read format, Haze is a good choice for a student who wants to escape for a while.  It is set in a private school in Connecticut, where the rich can hide crimes with the snap of a finger, this story offers an interesting mystery to solve. 

Who killed Marcus Tam, or was it a tragic death caused by careless underage drinking?  At the gym one evening after swim practice, "wannabe" swimmer Bram hears an unbelievable story involving hazing at an initiation party for the members of the school’s swim team, as well as a possible cover-up.  Was the swim coach somehow involved in the hazing incident?  The day after Jeremy reveals his thoughts to Bram, he is hit by a car in a brutal hit and run!  Bram does not want to believe the coach is involved, but Jeremy’s sister Abby, who happens to be Bram’s former girlfriend, is convinced that he was somehow responsible for her brother’s accident.  Swimmers Steven and Nate try to intimidate Bram into backing off from investigating, and when this doesn’t work, they step up their game. 

This is an interesting premise, but unfortunately, there are gaps that are difficult to reconcile and characters’ roles that are underdeveloped.  For example, the reader might wonder how a 9th-grade student could figure out that the weights in a weight room could hide evidence that would help Bram figure out who was responsible for Tam’s death, but that is exactly what happens.  From that point on, there are a lot of unbelievable developments that might lead young readers to say, "Yeah, sure".  Nevertheless, the ending is dramatic, and the reader will be entertained.

There is a small grammatical error on page 71.  "He raised a hand to Droid and I..." should be "He raised a hand to Droid and me..."  "Me" is the object of the preposition "to".    

Mystery, Murder-Fiction, Swimming-Fiction       --Martha Squaresky