Holding Back

Fifteen-year-old Nick is a shy homeschooler whose best friend is his younger sister. Growing up on a farm, they both like the Australian horse-riding sport campdrafting, but Nick is too nervous around other people to compete. Tired of watching his sister making friends wherever she goes, Nick joins a local swim squad to challenge himself. There he begins to come out of his shell, especially when he is befriended by four of his teammates who show him how to be friendly and self-confident. He soon discovers that he is great at swimming the breaststroke and finds the assurance to compete in meets. As his friendships and self-esteem grows, his shyness diminishes, but will that be enough to help him compete in the next campdraft event? Written by a homeschooling mother of six, Holding Back provides an authentic look at what homeschooling is like and how hard it can be for homeschooled kids to challenge themselves in social situations. Rhiza Shorts are teen novellas for reluctant readers.