Gail Nall

Gail Nall writes fiction for younger readers, often using competition, friendship, and setbacks to test how young characters understand success. Breaking the Ice, published by Aladdin in 2015, follows figure skater Kaitlin after an angry reaction at a major event damages her standing with judges and her club. Moving to a new rink forces her to work with a coach whose methods challenge her technique and assumptions about winning. Nall keeps the skating details connected to Kaitlin’s emotional growth, including embarrassment, family expectations, new friendships, and the slow rebuilding of trust. Recovery matters more than a single performance in this sports novel. Nall’s wider bibliography includes the teenage novel Exit Stage Left and collaborative middle-grade books such as You’re Invited, written with Jen Malone. Breaking the Ice shows her interest in capable young people who make visible mistakes and then have to change their habits, relationships, and definitions of achievement rather than simply trying harder in the same way.