Fiction - Animals - General & Miscellaneous, Fiction - Entertainment & The Arts, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Teen Fiction - Sports, Teen Fiction - Mysteries & Thrillers
Available on Bookshop
Write a review
Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
Nothing—and no one—will stand in Kathy’s way of winning the tennis championship. After all winning is everything . . . or is it?Kathy Bardy doesn’t have the good looks and ease of her best friend, Julia. She doesn’t have the grades of her little sister, Jody. What she has is tennis. Kathy’s coach even says she’s the most promising New England junior to come along in years. With tennis come trophies, free equipment, and tournament prize money—and all these things put Kathy on equal more footing with pretty and well-heeled Julia. Then, out of nowhere, comes Ruth Gumm, an indifferent player Kathy should beat every time. But Kathy can’t beat her. She loses her cool and her nerves every time Ruth is on the other side of the net. And Ruth is supposed to play Kathy in the first round of an important tournament, one that could lead to enormous future success for young Kathy Bardy.
Suddenly, Ruth is found drowned in a swimming pool. Is Kathy connected to Ruth’s death? Was it just an accident, or had someone else stepped into the picture? This chilling mystery was named a runner-up for the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and a School Library Journal choice for Best Book for Young Adults. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s estate.
A tragic chain of events threatens a 14-year-old girl's promising tennis career.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, this well-written young adult novel can be enjoyed as both a compelling mystery and a realistic sports novel, but it is actually even more—a thought provoking portrait of relationships and ethics. As talented, fiercely competitive, fourteen-year-old Kathy struggles to win the New England Teen Tennis Championship, she must also struggle with her relationships with her jealous younger sister and her well-meaning but pushy parents. Ethical concerns arise when she is encouraged to cheat on her algebra final, but even more serious moral questions surface when an opponent she can't seem to beat is found dead, right before their match. Fortunately, she can always depend on her loyal old friend, Julia, and her supportive coach, Marty—or can she? Besides being entertaining, this novel could generate lively discussions about the ethics of competitive sports and issues relating to friendship and loyalty. 2000, Puffin Books, . Ages 11 up. Reviewer: Gisela JerniganBook Details
Published
November 20, 2012
Publisher
Open Road Publishing
Pages
218
ISBN
9781453265956