After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I m always in the background . . . But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up anyway . . . nbsp; Readers first fell in love with straight-talking D. J. Schwenk inDairy Queen;they followed hernbsp;ups and downs bothnbsp;on and off the court inThe Off Season.Now D. J.steps out from behind the free-throw line in this final installment of the Dairy Queen trilogy. nbsp; Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 8-11-This final installment in the "Dairy Queen" trilogy kicks off with Wisconsin junior D.J. Schwenk back at school, having spent several weeks away helping big brother, Win, with his rehabilitation. She's catching up with classes and best friend Amber (also newly returned). D.J.'s excited and nervous for basketball season, which might score her a much-desired college scholarship and a less-desired position literally calling the shots on court. Her ex, Brian, is neither out of sight nor off her mind. But reluctantly famous D.J., who generally craves anonymity, wants a boyfriend who acknowledges her in public. Enter energetic friend Beaner, an attention magnet interested in actual dating. When recruitment letters pour in, talented athlete D.J. feels the weight of obligations and expectations (yet again) from well-meaning family, friends, recruiters, coaches, and from herself. Will she be ruled by fear or will she step up and make the choices, whether between colleges or guys, that'll make her happiest? The self-conscious teen is socially anxious, hyper aware, and cleverly observant. Her fans won't be disappointed, but new readers may occasionally feel out of the loop, compelled to read the prequels for a more invested experience. Fortunately, Murdock successfully integrates fresh trials and pressures, well-developed primary and likable peripheral characters, and amusing introspection into the backstory. Occasional doormat D.J. is ultimately a responsible, realistically flawed, funny, endearing, and strong heroine worth rooting for whether on the court or on the page -Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

D.J. Schwenk, the unpretentious heroine of Dairy Queen (2006) and The Off Season (2008), just wishes everything would go back to normal after the demise of her problematic high-school football career and painful breakup with rival QB Brian Nelson. But new pressures arise that demand D.J.'s attention. Her coach is asking her to assume more of a leadership role on the basketball team. Her family wants to know when she will choose one of the many colleges that are recruiting her. And her best football bud, Beaner, suddenly wants to be more than just a friend. At first D.J. hides from her problems, but soon she learns that greater rewards come from fighting her shyness and owning her talent. The trilogy comes to a satisfying close as D.J. chooses a college, makes peace with her family's expectations, and admits that she still has feelings for Brian. Her self-deprecating and humorous voice is still as fresh the third time around, though teen readers will need to have read the first two books to fully enjoy this one.--Hubert, Jennifer Copyright 2009 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

1 Back to School	p. 1
2 D.J. Schwenk Is #1!!	p. 15
3 College in a Shopping Bag	p. 29
4 Whoopsville	p. 42
5 Snake-Filled Envelopes	p. 57
6 A Short Little Genius B-Ball Player	p. 72
7 Traveling	p. 95
8 There's No Need to Panic, Because Everything's Going to Work Out Fine	p. 110
9 Ho Ho Oops	p. 125
10 Same Old New Year	p. 137
11 D.J. Schwenk Is Not Magic Johnson	p. 157
12 Opportunity Stinks	p. 168
13 Barf Shoes	p. 189
14 Beaner	p. 203
15 One Possible Benefit of a Subscription to Psychology Today	p. 215
16 Darey Queen	p. 235
Acknowledgments	p. 255

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.