The Reading Warehouse

12-year-old Cody loves basketball. When a new well-off kid Nick arrives at school and starts giving Cody pointers, Cody lands a spot on the team. Despite Nick's help, Cody still feels anxious all the time. Cody's performance gets worse until his one big shot at a basket goes into his own team's net Cody soon realizes that Nick's help isn't what he needs to succeed. To play better, he knows he has to become more self-reliant and work on his basketball skills on his own terms.

Set against the backdrop of a struggling small town, Bad Shot touches on the emotional realities of performance anxiety, socioeconomic status, and bullying.

Sylvia Taekema works as a supply teacher and as a volunteer in programs for children at school, church and in the community. Her first novel, Seconds, was nominated for a Silver Birch Express Award. Sylvia lives in Ontario, Canada.