Busted

Jonah knows the culture in the hockey dressing room needs to change.

Play fights after practice are one thing, but when Jonah sees a player get seriously hurt and accidentally films the fight, he's put in a tough position. While he's thinking about how to handle it, his sister finds the video on his phone and sends it to Drake, the team's most volatile player, and the one who enjoys the locker room fights the most. Now Jonah is panicking. What happens if the coach or the players' parents see the video and recognize anyone? Will it jeopardize the team's participation in a big inter-city tournament coming up next month? Plus, Drake is furious and is threatening to punish the person who filmed the fight. As the team continues to practice and play, everyone feels the tension, on and off the ice.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!
Key Selling Points

• Sixteen-year-old Jonah is in hot water with his hockey teammate after accidentally filming a play fight in the locker room that results in one of the players getting hurt.

• Realistic portrayals of a teenage hockey team-their games, team life and the emotional issues that stem from the pressure to perform-are relatable to teen athletes and will appeal to sports fans.

• Jonah's internal conflict between his commitment to the team and his knowledge of what's right presents a compelling struggle.

• Low word count and simplified text make this an excellent choice for struggling or reluctant readers.

• Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.
In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, Jonah inadvertently records a video of two of his hockey teammates play fighting. When one of them is seriously hurt, Jonah is conflicted about what to do.
Jean Mills has been writing since childhood, and professionally for over thirty years. Her essays, reviews, features and children's stories have appeared in publications across Canada. She is the author of a number of books for young people, including Skating Over Thin Ice, Larkin on the Shore and The Legend. Her love of hockey inspired her Orca Soundings title, Wingman. A former college communications professor, Jean loves using her own experiences as an athlete, musician and teacher in her writing. Jean lives in Guelph, Ontario. Orca Anchor books are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for teens reading below a grade 2.0 level. It was just a little harmless fun, right?
"Weaves in complex themes, including Jonah's need to juggle team loyalties with the possible consequences (to others as well as himself) if he remains silent about the issue of ice hockey's culture of violence. Thought-provoking, engaging, and highly accessible."