Spike It!

June 1, 1999
Gr 5-8-Eighth-grader Jamie Bonner is one of the stars of the East Side Middle School volleyball team. Only five days before remarrying, her widowed father announces the big news to his daughters. For Jamie, adjusting to her new 13-year-old stepsister is more of a shock than the marriage. Michaela seems to be perfecttall, pretty, smart, talentedand soon seems to take over Jamies life, including her bedroom, friends, and the boy she likes. At least Jamie still has her volleyball to herself. But after one of her teammates sprains her wrist, guess who joins the teamand, of course, is perfect at volleyball, too. Eventually, Jamie realizes that Michaela is also adjusting to a new life and family, and all ends happily. The story captures typical kid-speak dialogue, and the resolution of the blended familys adjustments and difficulties are believable. Theres enough action and mild teen angst to satisfy many readers, especially those yearning for sports fiction not dominated by boys.Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 1999
In "Mountain Bike Mania", Will fights afterschool loneliness and TV addiction by joining his middle school mountain biking club. "Spike It!" concerns Jamie's resentment when her new stepsister joins her volleyball team. Kids will appreciate reading about two sports not generally explored in fiction. The prose has contemporary references and language; the tried-and-true Christopher style stressing sportsmanship and family values remains heavy-handed.

(Copyright 1999 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)