Ten-year-old Zip struggles to deal with his best friend's defection to a rival hockey team, a move that will test their friendship and leave them face to face on opposite sides in a close game. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 4-6--The Wolfbay Wings Squirt A team starts off their season minus the "star" players from last season. How the hockey team reacts and grows is seen through the eyes of Cody Cooper (Codes), Dixon Woods (Woodsie), and Zachary James (Zip). Each boy's development as a person and as a team player is highlighted in separate novels. Codes must learn how to help the team become a stronger group, even if it means defying his father, the coach. Woodsie must find a way to bolster his confidence and help the team turn itself into a cohesive unit. Zip must find a way to work through his anger at being left behind by his best friend and not tear the team apart. While this series is aimed at hockey fans, readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of the sport will find themselves involved in the lives of these 11 year olds. Brooks successfully brings the boys into sharp focus, each with his own problem that is solved by the story's end, thus creating a sense of completion to each one. While Matt Christopher's Face-Off (Little, Brown, 1989), Alfred Slote's The Hotshot (Watts, 1977; o.p.), and Chris Lynch's The Iceman (HarperCollins, 1994) focus only on the individual, the "Wolfbay Wings" series brings together all of the elements that make a sports team successful.Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information