Evan Balkan Spitfire

Annotation

Baltimore, 1952 With her father fighting in the Korean War, bigotry in her school, and the desire to play a "boy's sport," one girl struggles to find her place in the world.Caroline Panski harbors one dream: to play ice hockey. But, as the neighborhood boys-and her mother-tell her: Boys play hockey; girls figure skate. Caroline, however, refuses to give up, and she navigates her world with determination. Knowing that her beloved father is fighting for freedom far away in Korea saddens her but also gives her strength. And when her school is integrated and she develops a crush on an African- American student, she will need strength and courage to stand up to her classmates just to be his friend. In the end, Caroline's is a difficult and imperfect world, but one that allows for moments of triumph and friendship.