Waiting on Wednesday (66)

Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner

For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and in the annual Maple Show right before the big pancake breakfast on her family's farm. But all that changes when Russian skating coach Andrei Grosheva offers Claire a scholarship to train with the elite in Lake Placid. Tossed into a world of mean girls on ice, where competition is everything, Claire realizes that her sweet dream come true has sharper edges than she could have imagined. Can she find the strength to stand up to the people who want to see her fail and the courage to decide which dream she wants to follow?

I absolutely adored The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z and so was waiting eagerly for this book, which I think had a different title when I first learned about it. And look: there's a girl who does sports! How cool! And I love the cover; I loved Gianna Z's cover, and this one looks as if it was done by the same artist. Just so much love all around, and I don't think this can disappoint me. Hooray for middle-grade novels written by sweet authors!

Sugar and Ice will be published in hardcover by Walker Books for Young Readers on December 7, 2010 (though I'm hoping I might be able to ask for one at BEA. Wish me luck!).