Description
A humorous and heartfelt MG debut about chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in elite sports.
For fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Perez!
Tick, toc . . . Tick, toc . . . The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship, kicking them into high gear in preparation for nationals. What's more exciting for May is that her win came with a special award for being the top female player in the tournament. An award that earns her a spot on a splashy Lingard Middle School campaign celebrating student achievements.
May should be thrilled. But some of her teammates, including her supposed-to-be-friend Ralph, aren't too keen on the special attention she's getting-and they're even questioning her skills. Backed into a corner, but not one to back down, May makes a move- She bets Ralph she can win Lingard's internal chess tournament and become team captain for nationals.
Under the pressure of her teammates and school's expectations, May starts to crumble under pressure. Anxious feelings begin to take the fun out of chess and even affect her game. Now finding the joy in chess may be just what May needs to do in order to win the bet.
The board is set. The game is on! The crown is May's for the taking.
Review
May has loved chess since she was six. Now twelve, she has just helped her school team move through to the Nationals and received the prestigious Best Female Player award.
But with the spotlight now firmly on May and Ralph, her supposed best friend, now saying that she is only getting the attention because she is a girl, May starts to feel the pressure. How can she throw her anxiety away, and rekindle her love of a game that has always been both fun and exciting?
This book explores the anxiety that many young people, even who might seem to have everything going for them, can suffer from. Am I really good enough? What if I don’t do well in this exam, competition, or game? It has terrific characters and shows the benefit of having people who are looking out for you, whether that is your parents, teachers or friends.
While chess is the game explored in this book, it is equally applicable to any competitive setting. Looking after yourself, enjoying what you are doing and having fun is an an important message that this book conveys beautifully. It also explores how sexism permeates our society, both subtly and overtly, and why comments like “you play like a girl” should never be tolerated.
I think that this is a wonderful book with many themes and issues covered, that is ideal for readers in upper primary and lower secondary.
