Donna King (1)Critiques
Auteur de Kickoff
Pour les autres auteurs qui s'appellent Donna King, voyez la page de désambigüisation.
Donna King (1) a été combiné avec Jenny Oldfield.
Critiques
Kickoff par Donna King, 1949-
The young tennis star forever pushed by her parents to be the best, the conflict between the time it takes to be the best and still have a life, the dirty tricks other young players use in their own striving to be the best--it is all here in a slim book perfect for young readers trying to find balance in their own lives. Carrie, a twelve-year-old girl in England, has tired of her parents’ constant pressure, even though it has helped her become a top tennis player in her age group. She fakes an injury to avoid a tough final match in a major competition and then meets the nasty competitor who won the match at a tennis camp in Florida. Carrie survives a long string of jokes and tricks to come out on top again, but this time she has regained not only the winning title but also a renewed appreciation for her sport, her parents, and the other priorities in her life. The writing is not memorable, but there is a lot of action, plenty of dialogue, and an important message. 2007, Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin, $5.95. Ages 8 to 12.
Carli loves gymnastics but her parents are trying to make ends meet running a guest ranch and need her help. Besides working out at the gym, Carli trains horses, does ranch chores, helps her mother cook for guests, cleans the cabins and barely manages her schoolwork. Because of her talent she gets an opportunity to train under a former Olympic champion but her parents are dubious. Since her grades are slipping and she wastes one and a half hours going to school and back, they pull her out to be home schooled. Carli is devastated. It is her break from the routine at the ranch, her chance to participate in what she loves (gymnastics), and to socialize with friends. It takes a robbery and wrong accusations before her parents can recognize what is important to Carli and in the end they are her staunch supporters. This quick read is included in a series about girls excelling in different sports. 2008, Kingfisher, $5.95. Ages 8 to 12.
Tyra's an Army brat, and her father has been relocated to England. Now she's leaving her best friend behind and must start over again.
On the first day of school, she meets Alicia. Instantaneously, Alicia feels threatened and uses her popularity to make Tyra miserable.
When she hears about the school soccer team, Tyra perks up. She thinks it might be a way to fit in. Unfortunately, Alicia was the star of last year's team. But as the season goes on, it's clear that was last year, and this year, Tyra is shinning. Can two stars be on the same team?
The tension of the book comes on the soccer field between the two fighting stars. They're winning without using teamwork, but as they encounter better teams they need to start working together. With a championship at stake, can the rivalry between Alicia and Tyra take a backseat to sports?
Once again, Donna King takes an every day issue and uses it to highlight a sporting drama.
Carrie's lost her edge. She's tired of her life being only about tennis and missing out on parties, trips to the mall with her friends, and boys. More than anything, Carrie's really tired of the pressure from her parents to be the best, especially when she's not sure she still wants to play tennis.
During a tournament, Carrie makes a drastic decision and fakes a leg injury, withdrawing from competition. Her coach realizes Carrie's lie and pushes her student into a camp in Florida, away from her controlling parents. In a month, Carrie must decide if she wants to continue playing and how hard she's willing to work to achieve her dream.
GAME, SET, AND MATCH is just one of the sports books in Donna King's repertoire that prove she knows all about sports, pressure, and the desire to win. Her books fill a much-needed gap in sports fiction for girls.
DOUBLE TWIST finds Laura and Patrick gearing up to compete in an ice-dancing championship in Montreal. This time, they expect a medal. Their excitement overpowers the strenuous workouts, until an accident ruins their plans. When Patrick goes down, his knee prevents him from dancing again, until after the competition. Laura sinks into depression, until she thinks of a brilliant plan to stay in the competition.
During normal skating hours at the rink, Laura spies one boy showing off his footwork. He looks like he has all the right moves, and with a little work, she has a new skating partner. Keeping him as a partner is an entirely different matter. Boys tease him about ice-dancing, but Laura finds a way to make it more appealing. Together Laura and Scott work on a hip-hop ice-dancing routine. The uniqueness of their dancing could ultimately blow up in their faces, but they're willing to work like crazy and have a little fun to try something completely new.
This novel is great fun and will be popular with girls looking for more sport books. The book, set in the U.K., is half-Americanized, making the reader wonder exactly where it is located. At the championship, Scott and Laura are announced as the team from the U.K., but it's never revealed beforehand. Words like Mum and soccer make it a little bit hard for the reader to figure out the setting. However, this slight issue did not take away from the enjoyment of the book.
Having just moved to England from Tampa Bay, Tyra has left behind her best friend, Lacey, and her beloved soccer team. Lacey is present throughout the story through the text of email messages. Adjustment to the new school and culture does not go smoothly at first for Tyra. However, when Tyra finds out about soccer team tryouts her outlook improves. Not only does Tyra make the team, she becomes the captain despite all the attempts of Alicia, the star player of the team that failed to win a game the year before, to exclude and sabotage her. Nearly every character who supports Tyra gives her the same advice, “You go, girl!” Tyra has a sister with a vague combination of attention deficit disorder and autism who is used to introduce a plot twist or two but, as is the case with many of the supporting characters, is never well-developed.
The book is fairly predictable and formulaic with the girls having trouble jelling as a team, Alicia trying to sabotage Tyra, and finally the girls coming together in order to meet the challenge of the big, championship game. All that being said, it is a satisfying, feel-good, quick read. This book is a solid choice for girl sports fans. With its large font and readability, it would be a good choice for reluctant readers.
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