AustLit

'Endorsed by Netball Australia. Rachel is 15 years old and loves netball she has her sights set on playing for Australia. Just when a Club scout visits looking for promising players to upgrade, she twists her ankle. To make matters worse, the coach has just announced that their team will have to merge with another club. Rachel tries out and makes the new team, but is finding a couple of the more experienced players hard to get along with. Will Rachel be able to overcome her difficulties and become part of the team? Ages 9+' (Publication abstract)

'Rachel's cousin, Cassie, starts to socialise with Rachel and her friends. Cassie is a nice enough girl, but she's very different from Rachel and Sophie. She's into make-up, clothes and staying up late, whereas Rachel and Sophie are more interested in sport, movies and early training sessions. The differences between them gradually become more obvious, causing friction, until Cassie eventually loses interest in the group and moves on. Rachel and Sophie go to the Netball Regional Screening Day and perform well. They both receive invitations to attend the next Zone Talent Camp, but Sophie's mother is diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time. This news places enormous stress on the family and it looks as though Sophie will have to miss out on the camp. Daniel suggests they organise a car wash to raise money for some home help so that Sophie can still go. Rachel still joins in the car wash, even though Daniel has been distancing himself from her and she's not sure why. Rachel and Sophie attend the Zone Talent Camp, where Rachel clashes with the head coach and thinks she has been left out of the squad as a result. It turns out that the coach was driving her to see what she could achieve under pressure. Rachel is offered a scholarship to the Victorian Institute for Sport. Ages 9+' (Publication abstract)

'Rachel revels in her opportunities with the Victorian Institute for Sport. However, keeping up with the increased training demands and the ongoing pressure of schoolwork makes it difficult for Rachel to find time to spend with her best friend Sophie and boyfriend Daniel.Sophie and Rachel resort to e-mail to keep in touch. But staying close to Daniel is much harder. What will be more important to Rachel when the relationship finally comes to a head her sporting ambitions or Daniel? Ages 9+' (Publication abstract)

'Gold medals and love: can Rachel win both? Rachel is now playing for a team called Phoenix and she is doing so well that she is regarded as a core member. Rachel is devastated to miss out on the Australian Netball Squad selection for the Commonwealth Games, but when one of the key Australian players is injured at the final training session, Rachel is called to fill the vacant spot. Her lifelong dream comes true! While away Rachel keeps a diary for the two weeks of the Games, recording her battles with insecurity, victories on the court, travel experiences and the regular phone conversations with boyfriend Daniel. The battle for gold between New Zealand and Australia is both exhausting and exhilarating. After the game Rachel is frustrated when she can't ring Daniel because she is called away to do a media interview. There she discovers that the 'interviewer' is Daniel, who has used all of his savings to be with her for her final match. Ages 10-14' (Publication abstract)