Product Description

After a hiatus from the ice to get his grades back up to eligibility level, Jeff Connors returns to get the cold shoulder treatment from his teammates. During Jeff's absence, a threatening note was discovered in his best friend's locker--written in Jeff's hand. His protests of innocence fall on deaf ears, so Jeff is on his own to discover who's behind the sabotage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #288566 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 7.38" h x .38" w x 5.00" l, .25 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6. In addition to being worried about losing his place on the hockey team because of a low English grade, Jeff becomes a victim of sabotage. He is shocked when Kevin, his best friend, receives a cruel note in Jeff's handwriting. To make matters worse, Jeff gets another low grade on his English paper even after correcting his mistakes with his tutor. He soon discovers that a teammate has been forging his handwriting. Christopher uses straightforward sentence structure and a simple vocabulary. Characters show positive yet realistic values?Jeff in dreading the tutor but knowing he needs help and the culprit in admitting his guilt. The mystery progresses quickly, provides clues that lead to more than one suspect, and reaches a satisfying conclusion. Some readers may not guess the ending, but they will feel successful in organizing the clues in their minds. Libraries needing more hockey stories will want to include this one in their collection.?Blair Christolon, Prince William Library, Manassas, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Christopher's legion of fans will enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed sports story. After getting kicked off the hockey team because of bad grades, talented player Jeff Conner is determined to get back on and keep his starting position during the new season. He does keep it, thanks in part to help from a high-school writing tutor. But then life takes a downward turn when a threatening note forged in Jeff's handwriting is sent to Kevin, his best friend on and off the ice. Although the mystery is the most contrived part of the story, kids will probably like it, especially since Christopher throws in a red herring. Christopher gets the play-by-play scenes and the dynamics between the teammates just right. With a tidy ending that is reassuring, this has a sitcom ease that is sure to guarantee its popularity. Julie Corsaro

From Kirkus Reviews
After a season away from hockey because of slipping grades, Jeff Connors is in trouble again and anxious to keep his place on the team. A tutor helps Jeff shore up his worst grade, in English; under her guidance he begins to see what he's been doing wrong, and comes up with a decent composition that he hopes will redeem him in the eyes of the team and his coach. He and his best friend, Kevin, resolve to work hard to help the team win the title, and everything looks rosy. Then Kevin finds a nasty note in his locker that looks as if it were written by Jeff, and Jeff gets his English paper back with a failing grade--but it's not the paper he handed in. It's a puzzle, all right, one that befuddles Jeff even though readers who aren't as slow on the uptake as he is will have most of the details figured out. These one-dimensional jocks employ some fairly leaden dialogue on the way to the inevitable happy ending, but not even all those exclamation points can give the book a semblance of excitement. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.