Holiday Spirit

Holiday Spirit (Cheer #3)

Zoe Evans, illustrated by Brigette Barrager

Simon Spotlight, 2011

$6.99, Paperback

978-1442433625

April 15^th, 2012

Genre: Realistic, School Story, Sports, Romance

Age: 8+

Description: Volume three follows Maddy as she is about to begin training over Winter Break with the Grizzlies for the Get Up and Cheer competition. Last minute plans change everything as her dad invited her on a trip with him and Beth to New York. Luckily, her team supports her desire to go. Unfortunately the drama doesn’t seem to stay at home. Katarina is failing social studies which might mean the Grizzlies can’t compete in the competition. Katie, who is supposedly spending her break in Wisconsin visiting her grandmother is actually in New York auditioning for a dance school and later admits that if she gets in she wants to train Maddy as her replacement on the Titans! Maddy’s feeling some distance between her and Beven and is wondering if she’s actually got feelings for Evan! Finally, her dad drops a bombshell—he and Beth are moving to New York and want Maddy to come with them!

Opinion: Another solid entry into the life of a B-team cheerleader, Maddy. Hilarious illustrations and humor add to the story. There are some minor plot inadequacies in this book (one minutes she’s talking about a high school where you might not know all your classmates unless you had a class with them [implying the school is huge] and the next she’s saying her small hotel room could fit her whole town’s population in it [implying her town is small]!). I can’t wait for book four which is promising to have a show down with Beven and Evan for Maddy’s heart! I’ve suggested this series to a number of my teens and it isn’t staying on the shelf!