Breaking the Ice

by Natalie Blitt

Overview

One girl. One boy. A small-town ice rink. This sweet story of hockey, friendships, and crushes is perfect for tween readers in search of a hockey rom-com that's just right for them.

Harper was born to play hockey. She was captain of her school's hockey team...but after she causes an accident during a game, Harper is terrified to ever get back on the ice again.

Instead, she gets a job at the local ice rink's snack shack and resigns herself to days spent making hot chocolates.

Until Jason, a cute figure skating champion and Harper's new classmate, comes to town. Suddenly, Harper wonders if she's truly happy with never putting her skates back on.

With the help of her new crush and best friend, Bea, can Harper break the ice around her heart and forgive herself enough to lace up her skates again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798225003999
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Natalie Blitt is the author of Carols and Crushes and the young adult novel The Distance from A to Z. Originally from Canada, she now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and three sons, where she works at an education think tank. You can visit her online at natalieblitt.com.

Editorial Reviews

2025-07-19
In this work originally published in 2019 asCocoa Crush, 12-year-old Harper Evans once dominated the hockey rink, but an accident has left her scared to set foot on the ice.

Now working at a hot cocoa stand at her local skating rink in New Hampshire, Harper focuses on perfecting her hot chocolate recipes and hiding from her former teammates. But a meet-cute with well-known young figure skater Jason D’Andre (who’s also 12) and the opportunity to mentor aspiring hockey player Bronte might just be what Harper needs to get back in the rink. With the support of former best friend and team captain Bea, as well as Jason and Bronte, Harper begins to overcome her fears and to discover her inner strength. Blitt explores powerful themes of resilience and self-forgiveness while touching on the struggles of being a girl in sports, and the well-developed side characters have their own challenges and motivations. Many young athletes will relate to the setbacks Jason and Harper face in their respective sports and will be inspired by their determination. The blossoming romance between the two adds to their compelling dynamic and is sure to delight young romance fans. Harper, Bea, and Bronte read white, and Jason has light brown skin.

A sports story with a sweet romance and a positive message about grit.(Fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews