Overview

Jennie loves training at Richmond Skate, her Calgary figure skating club, but her Olympic dreams always seem impossibly far away. When her coach suggests she's got real talent, however, Jennie's ready to do what it takes to make her dreams real--or so she thinks. Soon she's trying again and again and again to land her double Axel, and sacrificing her social life for the rink. As the cost of skating success becomes higher and higher, Jennie starts to wonder if being a star is worth what she's losing along the way. The Winning Edge is an exciting, fast-moving story about a young skater whose ambitions force her to examine what she values most in life.

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9781550286366

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Reviews

This story clearly, almost painfully tells the story of a girl who is ostrasized by the 'popular group' in her junior high. Jennie's problem is the same as many students we see in our schools; she's just not cool enough. This part of the plot, even more than the sports story, rang true in the novel. The book is written by someone who knows a great deal about figure skating. Technical terms are used extensively. It made the story more believable.

Bossley does a good job of communicating the gritty reality behind the moments of glamour on the ice. She also shows the pressures that those with exceptional talent must face from even well-intentioned parents and coaches. Jennie is a sympathetic character, so unspoiled by her gifts that she is able to see the flaws in her parents' view of her future. Winning is never as important to Jennie as perfecting her skills, and she faces the loneliness of her talent without self-pity. This is a fine book. --Janet McNaughton Quill & Quire

.. .the scenes that detail the moment-to-moment execution of skating routines are nicely balanced with those that describe the social interactions. <i>The Winning Edge</i> is an extremely attractive and well-written addition to the notable Sports Stories series. Highly recommended. --Deborah Dowson Canadian Book Review Annual

Bossley does a good job of communicating the gritty reality behind the moments of glamour on the ice. She also shows the pressures that those with exceptional talent must face from even well-intentioned parents and coaches. Jennie is a sympathetic character, so unspoiled by her gifts that she is able to see the flaws in her parents' view of her future. Winning is never as important to Jennie as perfecting her skills, and she faces the loneliness of her talent without self-pity. This is a fine book. --Janet McNaughton &quot;Quill & Quire &quot;

. ..the scenes that detail the moment-to-moment execution of skating routines are nicely balanced with those that describe the social interactions. The Winning Edge is an extremely attractive and well-written addition to the notable Sports Stories series. Highly recommended. -- Deborah Dowson Canadian Book Review Annual

Author Information

MICHELE MARTIN BOSSLEY was born in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., but grew up in Calgary from the time she was five. She is the author of ten other children\s books including Taking a Dive runner-up for the R. Ross Annett Award in Children's Literature and The Perfect Gymnast nominated for the 1999 Manitoba Reader's Choice Award. One of her more recent books Pool Princess has been nominated for a Golden Eagle Children's Choice Award. Michele has been involved in both synchronized swimming and competitive swimming since her teens. She has also coached young swimmers and draws on much of that experience for her books.

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