The Hardest Hit (Sam the Hockey Player, Book 1)

Eleven-year-old Sam Parker is a hockey player entering the first year in which body checking is allowed. His natural fear of getting hit is temporarily overshadowed by finding out his parents are getting divorced. Determined to keep them together by being a hockey superstar, Sam instead suffers a bone-crunching check from the school bully in his first game of the season. The resulting pain and fear brings out the worst in Sam as one difficulty after another piles on. Even his best friend, Jill, doesn't always seem to understand what he's going through. Sam has to learn how to get up after life knocks you down – both on and off the ice. Fall Down. Get up. Fall Down. Get up. Life is hockey. Hockey is Life.