Checked

“Hockey is in my soul,” says Conor, whose father actually played in the NHL for three weeks. Conor’s Japanese American mother died when he was two, but his recently divorced dad completely supports Conor’s devotion to the sport, though it means driving him to private lessons that aren’t easy to afford on a policeman’s salary. A stable, reliable kid, 11-year-old Conor is shaken when he learns that his dog, a Doberman named Sinbad, has cancer and requires expensive treatment. To save money, Conor gives up lessons and starts doing odd jobs for neighbors, but hearing his father cry at night makes him wonder if he’s still asking too much. Immediately engaging, this perceptive novel focuses on the intricacies of Conor’s day-to-day life, while exploring his unusually close relationships with Dad and Sinbad, his attempts to cope during a period of ongoing crisis, and the alternate universe that is the ice during lessons, practices, and games. Even when the story begins to veer toward drama, it soon returns to everyday routine. Yet, the first-person narrative becomes increasingly absorbing throughout the novel, as the characters reveal themselves more fully. Kadohata offers a vivid, memorable portrayal of a boy within his family, his sport, and his gradually broadening world. — Carolyn Phelan

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book 
Kira-Kira, the National Book Award winner 
The Thing About Luck, the Jane Addams Peace Award and PEN America Award winner 
Weedflower, 
Cracker!,
 Outside Beauty, 
A Million Shades of Gray, 
Half a World Away,
Checked,
A 
Place to Belong, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including 
The Floating World. She lives with her dog and hockey-playing son in California. Visit her online at CynthiaKadohata.com.