The Player
by Paul Coccia
Included in the Social Emotional Learning collection
A gay hockey player in a secret relationship with a teammate worries how coming out will affect their chances in the sport.
Set in the traditionally homophobic world of amateur hockey, this book follows gay goalie Cooper in his struggle with his feelings for a teammate and coming out to his team. Cooper has been hooking up with teammate Pesh in secret, and has to play along when Pesh dates a girl and even tolerate locker-room homophobic talk. When Pesh outs Cooper online, trying to better his own chances at playing pro, Cooper chooses self-esteem and honesty over sex. With a strong and relatable main character, this book is a realistic, positive look at teen relationships — gay or straight.
About the Author
PAUL COCCIA has a specialist in English from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He is the author of the YA novel Cub. Paul lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Reviews
"The realistic and engaging content, relatable characters and fast-moving plot will be of interest to reluctant readers, beginning readers, and strong readers looking for a quick, interesting read. Highly Recommended."
"Will draw in and retain the interest of reluctant readers."
"Fans of hockey are likely to pick up this book and will learn about healthy romantic relationships and the experience of LGBTQ+ players of the sport."
"Recommended for high school libraries."
Awards
Subjects (BISAC)
Subjects
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