Lorna Schultz Nicholson's Blog

Rhapsody Smith, Ice Angel Rhapsody Smith, Ice Angel Rhapsody “Rap” Queen Smith, lives with her grandparents and plays for the Ice Angels hockey team, a tight group of girls who spend time together outside of hockey and school.

Her focus is on improving her power plays and crossovers until she meets Marion, an older woman who spends her days sitting on a bench outside the arena. Nobody seems to know who she is, but there are two mysterious things about her: she has an in-depth knowledge of hockey strategy and she wears a 1990 Women’s World Cup ring.

When Marion’s ring goes missing, Rap and her friends are determined to find it. Who is Marion, and why does she know so much about hockey? The Ice Angels work together to find out.

Advance Praise for Rhapsody Smith, Ice Angel“Hockey combined with Lorna Schultz Nicholson’s amazing ability to deliver a compelling story is a win-win. How can it get better than this?” — Sigmund Brouwer, author of Trapped  “Lorna is making stories that revolve around women’s hockey the norm to write, and she captures glimpses of its history with great stories like this mystery. This story featuring Rap also reminds me about my relationship with my Gram as she always supported me playing hockey.” — Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Team Canada hockey captain, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and broadcaster  “Inspiring and uplifting – a story about hockey but also about life! Lorna’s intricate understanding of the game will make it feel like you’re in the stands or on the ice.  You’ll be cheering for Rapsody, her teammates, friends and family to win – both on the ice and in life!” — Governor General winning author Eric Walters ← Stopping the Shots Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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Stopping the Shots STOPPING THE SHOTS

Is there room in a family for two hockey stars?In this companion book to Taking the Ice, goalie Mike Krieger (aka Tree) takes centre stage. Although Mike is known to be calm and collected, his home life is more difficult than it seems.His younger brother, Eric, is a hockey hotshot, already playing on the top U13 team. And their parents are so focused on Eric’s game that Mike’s success in net is barely noticed — except by his older brother, Liam, who was born with Down syndrome and is Mike’s biggest fan. Mike’s parents dismiss a suggestion that he could be good enough to attend a top goalie camp, and while Mike is used to living in Eric’s shadow, the tension between the two brothers increases when Mike is asked to play goal for Eric’s team.When an accident threatens Eric’s hockey career, and money troubles threaten his parents’ farm, Mike worries he might also have to give up the sport he loves. He decides to risk his reputation — and more — for the new goalie pads he desperately needs. But when the truth comes out, can Mike find a way to make things right?

← Amazing Hockey Stories: Sidney Crosby Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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Amazing Hockey Stories: Sidney Crosby AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: SIDNEY CROSBY Captain of a back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning NHL team and member of the Triple Gold club, Sidney Crosby is a player of extreme talent and determination, both on and off the ice.
Sidney Crosby has been the linchpin of the Pittsburgh Penguins for 19 seasons (and counting!), leading them to three Stanley Cup victories. He has won the Art Ross, the Hart Memorial, the Maurice “Rocket” Richard and the Conn Smythe trophies twice, the Ted Lindsay Award three times, and has received many honours, including being named to the the Order of Canada. Internationally, Sidney has helped Canada win Olympic gold twice, World Junior gold and World Championship gold, and he is the only player ever to have captained the winning teams at each level.
Fans will love learning about Sidney’s achievements and the hurdles he overcame to get there. ← The Girl Who Loved Poutine Stopping the Shots → Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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The Girl Who Loved Poutine Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Indigo Purchase at Barnes & Noble The Girl Who Loved Poutine

Release Date: March 2024 

Zoey loves poutine with its French fries, gravy, and squeaky squeaky cheese curds. It’s her favourite dish to make with her father. And it’s their annual tradition to make it for their shared July 1 birthday. Zoey is excited. Tomorrow is her fifth birthday! It’s also a holiday in Canada. This year, family members–grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins–from across Canada are coming to celebrate Zoey’s birthday. But as a surprise to Zoey, everyone is bringing their own special poutine dish. There are recipes from all over Canada, including Alberta, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island. All so unique and all so delicious! It will be a poutine contest and Zoey will be the judge. How will Zoey ever decide whose dish is the winner? Back matter includes information about the history of this classic dish, as well as a recipe. ← Amazing Hockey Stories: Leon Draisaitl Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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Amazing Hockey Stories: Leon Draisaitl Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Indigo AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: LEON DRAISAITL

Release date: March 2024 Publisher: Scholastic Canada

An inside look at one of the top current NHL players, Leon Draisaitl. Born in Cologne, Germany, Leon Draisaitl excelled in many sports as a youth. Ultimately, he followed in the footsteps of his father, a professional hockey player who played in three Olympic games. Since joining the Oilers in 2014, Leon has only gotten better in each season he’s played. A natural center who can easily switch to the wing, he has the size, speed and vision that make him effective as a scorer or set-up man with a knack for finding the open man. Engaging text and action comic sequences illustrate how he made his way to the top of the points charts, earning both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, given to the League’s most outstanding player! ← What to Bring The Girl Who Loved Poutine → Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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What to Bring Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Barnes and Nobel WHAT TO BRING

Release date: March 14 Publisher: Owlkids Books

Malia and her family are spending a day outside when they notice something strange. Huge white-and-gray clouds fill the sky, planes zoom overhead, and the air smells funny. A forest fire is sweeping the area, and they need to evacuate their home.

Daddy tells Malia that she needs to choose what to bring. But there’s so much that Malia wants to take with her! Her pillows and blankets. Her family of teddy bears. LOTS of books. As the pile in her room grows, and chaos swirls around her, Malia comes to realize that what is most important to her won’t fit in a backpack: her little brother, her cat, and her dog.

This heartfelt and powerful story explores a rare perspective: experiencing a natural disaster through the eyes of a child. Malia’s authentic voice will resonate with readers, and the book’s challenging subject matter is balanced with gentle lessons in communication, problem-solving, and family.

← Amazing Hockey Stories: Carey Price Reviews Kirkus Reviews“Reassuring to children facing a similar situation, this selection also offers a subtle, heartfelt message to all about the importance of family that young listeners can discuss … A straightforward and comforting exploration of an emergency evacuation.”

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Awards and Nominations! When You Least Expect It • Won the Writer’s Guild of Alberta R. Ross Annett Literary Award• Nominated for High Plains Book Award Taking the Ice • Nominated for a MYRCA Award

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Amazing Hockey Stories: Carey Price Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Indigo AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: CAREY PRICE

Release date: September 6 Publisher: Scholastic Canada

Born in Anahim Lake, British Columbia, and a member of the Ulkatch First Nation, Carey Price grew up spending much of his time outdoors ― hunting, fishing and riding horses. He didn’t start playing organized hockey until he was nine years old, but made up for a late start, becoming one of the best goalies in the NHL. Playing many spectacular seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Carey has won everything from the Calder Cup to the Venzina Trophy, and from the Indspire Award to Olympic Gold!

← Alex Ovechkin Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: CAREY PRICE Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Indigo AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: CAREY PRICE

Release date: September 6 Publisher: Scholastic Canada

Born in Anahim Lake, British Columbia, and a member of the Ulkatch First Nation, Carey Price grew up spending much of his time outdoors ― hunting, fishing and riding horses. He didn’t start playing organized hockey until he was nine years old, but made up for a late start, becoming one of the best goalies in the NHL. Playing many spectacular seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Carey has won everything from the Calder Cup to the Venzina Trophy, and from the Indspire Award to Olympic Gold!

← Amazing Hockey Stories Mitch Marner Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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Behind the Label Purchase at Amazon.com Purchase at Indigo BEHIND THE LABEL

Release Date: September 14 Publisher: Red Deer Press

Gloria, an impulsive, naïve and likeable teen with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), tries to keep her family together while their mother’s addictions threaten a move to foster care. Willa, an older teen with a learning disability (LD), wants to play in a rock band where her gifts truly shine, but her mother’s controlling and perfectionistic personality — and Willa’s increasingly abusive boyfriend — cause her unhappiness. When Gloria and Willa are partnered in a school club, they soon come to appreciate and depend on each other in a world that at times seems counter to their dreams.

This is the 5th book in my One-2-One series about a diverse group of fictional teens connected through a Best Buddies high-school program.

← Fragile Bones Reviews CM Magazine - May 2018“One of the strengths of “A Time to Run” is the voice. The perspective changes back and forth from Stuart to Sam, and the individual characters speak in very specific, distinct voices. Stuart’s is especially interesting; short, choppy sentences reflect his impulsive nature and give him a childish quality, despite his age of fourteen. Longer, rambling sentences let readers into his jumbled thoughts. The changeover to Sam’s perspective in alternating chapters is smooth but distinct. His chapters show more reflection and successfully display the inner thoughts of a teenage boy who is in the middle of a huge life upheaval.

Everything in the story is believable; the clear and linear plot allows the focus to remain on the characters, and that’s where the real value is in this novel. Nicholson’s characters are familiar and relatable, but rarely stereotypical. Sam’s love interest is an athletic and level-headed girl, and his interest in her isn’t connected to her beauty—in fact, his first description of her describes her as “sweaty”. It’s refreshing to see one fictional character notice another based on personality traits as opposed to appearance.”

Kirkus Reviews - July 2018“The latest in the author’s One-2-One series (inspired by a real program that matches students with intellectual disabilities with their neurotypical peers), the story of Stuart and Sam’s friendship is sweetly and sensitively told. Both characters are white; Stuart’s adoptive family is black, while Sam’s family immigrated from Bosnia. The book’s best scenes feature the friends together as Stuart strives to make the track-and-field team, and the relationship between the boys is presented authentically.”

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