The Goalie

Sixth-grader Julie MacNeil likes things at her house just the way they are. She takes care of her widowed father and her little sister. She shops, cleans, and cooks fine meals like baked potatoes, cold cereal, and chocolate ice cream for them. Julie's only wish is to be goalie of her school's soccer team. Her competition for goalie is Benji True-and he's good. But when Julie learns that her father has fallen in love with Benji's mother, suddenly Benji is her competition off the soccer field, too. How can she keep life at home from changing? Susan Shreve has written many award-winning books for young readers. She has won a Booklist Editor's Choice award and is a lead writer for the Knopf and Scholastic publishing houses. In The Goalie, Julie's fierce devotion to her father and to her role of caretaker is portrayed sensitively and poignantly. Narrator Alyssa Bresnahan's soft, expressive voice perfectly captures the spirit of this determined young girl.