Power Plays

Then, because she used to play ringette, Jessie is invited to try out for the girls hockey team. She doesn't expect to like it, but as her skills grow, she makes new friends—girls who respect each other and rely on each other's strength and hard work. Some even help her resist the bullies, until she can stand up for herself—stand up to Kim, who's a pretty good hockey player herself, although not as good as she thinks she is. A fast-paced story about hockey, peer pressure and finding yourself.

Although Power Plays is her first book publication, Maureen Ulrich is also an avid playwright, having written 26 plays for young people, and 4 for adults.

Fourteen-year-old Jessie moves to a new city and learns teamwork, self-reliance and a new kind of friendship when she joins the girls' hockey team. Jessie has left the close friendships she's had since her childhood and isn't having an easy time fitting into her new Grade Nine class. An older girl, Kim, takes a disliking to her, pushing her around and setting her up to be attacked by a group of really rough kids who land her in jail. It looks like life is going to be downhill from now on. Then, because she used to play ringette, Jessie is invited to try out for the girls hockey team. She doesn't expect to like it, but as her skills grow, she makes new friends - girls who respect each other and rely on each other's strength and hard work. Some even help her resist the bullies, until she can stand up for herself - stand up to Kim, who's a pretty good hockey player herself, although not as good as she thinks she is. A fast-paced story about hockey, peer pressure and finding yourself.

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9

Jessie has started Grade Nine in a new school in Estevan, Canada. One of her classmates, Kim, dislikes her and sets her up as the target of another bully, Marsha. On Halloween, Marsha and two boys appear at Jessie's door when her parents aren't home, leaving a path of destruction and taking her along for a night of mischief that lands her in a cell. On the recommendation of the town constable, who is also the coach, Jessie begins playing girls' ice hockey. The sport gives her an outlet and a fresh start, but her progress is put into question when Kim joins the team. The plot moves quickly because of all the action on the ice. Each teammate has a unique personality, and even the meanest characters turn out to be likable. Readers will relate to Jessie: she chats with her friends on the computer, dates, and has struggles with her parents. Her friends and teachers come to her rescue when the bullying becomes too much. Unfortunately, her parents are the last to know about the situation. Some lessons are imparted along the way, mainly about teamwork, forgiveness, and bullying. There are some drinking scenes. An author's note includes resources about bullying.-Lori A. Guenthner, Baltimore County Public Library, Randallstown, MD

Maureen Ulrich was born in Saskatoon in 1958, but grew up in Edmonton and Calgary. She has arts and teaching degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, and has taught middle-years students for 23 years, as well as working as an oil field production accountant. She has lived in Milestone and Lampman, in southeastern Saskatchewan, for the last 27 years.