Ten-year-old hockey goalie Jace Osternack knows how to stop a puck. Protecting everything outside the net is a whole different game.
When Jace earns a spot on an elite AAA hockey team, it should be the greatest season of his life.
Instead, his father leaves for an oil job in Canada the same month his older half-brother moves across the country to live with the mother who abandoned him. Suddenly, Jace is "man of the house"-protecting his mom, his wild little brothers, the backyard chickens, and the net. He has only Yoda, his wise, poker-playing grandpa as his guide, and Yoda's huge heart is failing.
As the season races toward Hockey Nationals, Jace and his new teammate Charlie chase the biggest dream of their young lives. But there's a hungry fox stalking the coop, hard things happening at home, and the relentless pressure of elite youth hockey building every weekend.
Jace discovers that the strongest people aren't the ones who never fall apart. They're the ones who learn they don't have to carry the world alone.
Heartfelt, funny, and unforgettable, The Tender is a coming-of-age novel about hockey, friendship, family, first loss, and a boy discovering that the people who shaped him had been beside him all along. Perfect for readers who loved the emotional depth of Wonder, the heart of Ghost, and sports stories that stay with you long after the final horn.
