Today’s post is sponsored by Wunderkind PR and Keeping Pace!
Title Keeping Pace
Author Laurie Morrison
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date April 9th 2024 by Harry N. Abrams
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Laurie Morrison’s Keeping Pace is a poignant middle-grade novel about friends-turned-rivals training for a half-marathon — and rethinking what it means to win and what they mean to each other.
Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win — or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what – and who — really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?
Engaging and heartfelt, Keeping Pace is about wanting to win at all costs — and having to learn how to fail.
As an avid runner who began to take the sport more seriously during the pandemic and who has since run several half-marathons (Thanks, Peloton!), I couldn’t have been more excited to learn about Laurie Morrison’s new middle grade novel, Keeping Pace, which follows one girl’s journey in training for a half-marathon with her friend-turned-rival. I was even more thrilled when we decided to use Keeping Pace as the inspiration for a post featuring girls in all different sports!
I’ve played a number of sports throughout my life, including tennis, field hockey and karate, but what I’ve learned is that if you want to make sports or physical activity a consistent habit and have it be something that brings you joy (which is the most important part!), you have to find the type of movement that works best for you! Whether it’s walking to clear your head or dancing to shake it off, there is no wrong way to move your body and sports can offer many different ways to do that, both in a team and as a solo activity. From baseball to basketball, soccer to swimming, and everything in between, I’ve done my best to include a wide variety of sports and stories for middle grade readers in today’s post! If there are any I’ve forgotten to include, please feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments for other readers to learn from!
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The publication dates listed below might be subject to change.
Publication Date January 30th 2024 by Quirk Books
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Triumphant, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured the world’s attention at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, like Simone Biles, Jesse Owens, Naomi Osaka, Tatyana McFadden, and 12 other incredible olympians.
Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics—and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! In Kid Olympians: Summer, discover the childhood stories of legends such as:
● Usain Bolt, who used to skip practices to go to the arcade and play video games.
● Serena Williams, who sometimes hit her tennis ball over the fence on purpose!
● Tatyana McFadden, who had to fight to be allowed on her school’s track teamFeaturing kid-friendly text and full-color illustrations, you’ll be inspired to dream bigger, faster, and higher than ever before!
The diverse and inspiring group also includes Michael Phelps, Yusra Mardini, Dick Fosbury, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Nadia Comaneci, Ellie Simmonds, Tommie Smith, Wilma Rudolph, and Megan Rapinoe.
Publication Date September 21st 2021 by Rebel Girls
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Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes celebrates the stories of 25 phenomenal women in sports all written in fairy tale form. It is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls series.
This paperback collection showcases some of the most beloved stories from the first three volumes of the New York Times best-selling series Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls. It also features brand-new tales of game-changing athletes and their drive, resilience, and sportsmanship.
In Rebel Girls Champions, young readers can win the World Cup with Megan Rapinoe, flip and tumble with Simone Biles, and land breathtaking snowboard tricks with Chloe Kim. Published directly after the Tokyo Olympics, Rebel Girls Champions includes the most thrilling anecdotes from the 2021 Games. The exciting, easy-to-read text is paired with colorful full-page portraits created by female artists from all around the world.
Publication Date May 4th 2021 by Running Press Kids
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Inspire kids to be their best selves and get involved in social change with this stunning anthology about thirty-five amazing women in sports around the world and throughout history.
Do you play sports? Maybe you dream about scoring a goal on the soccer field or hitting a home run in baseball. Perhaps you’re thinking about trying a new sport, but you’re still not sure.
In We Got Game! you’ll meet thirty-five female athletes who played hard, broke records, and inspired girls around the world. Some of these athletes have retired. Others are still competing. But they have one thing in common: they all got game! You’ll read about the first woman horse jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby, the number one tennis player in the world, a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack, and a snow boarder who landed a death-defying jump, along with many others. These female athletes prove that girls can do anything!
Publication Date July 7th 2020 by Candlewick Press
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Packed with awe-inspiring facts, this hilariously informative guide will make readers laugh their sports socks off! From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to compete in every sport in the summer games. You’ll discover what makes each sport great — and not so great — as well as what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practicing like a pro!
Publication Date April 21st 2020 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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This powerful and inspiring collection features 21 female trailblazers in their sport, perfect for fans of Women In Sports and Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls!
Before girls wore pants or women were permitted to swim in bathing suits at public beaches, who paved the way for women in sports? And who’s breaking new ground today?
This anthology introduces 21 trailblazing women who have broken through the boundaries set for female athletes. From basketball slam-dunker Lisa Leslie to tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, whose father had onlookers jeer at and taunt the girls as they practiced, to Paralympian Tatyana McFadden, who was a speed demon even at her Russian orphanage before she was adopted, to Olympic gold medalist Ethelda Bleibtrey, who was led off to jail when she shed her shoes and stockings to swim in public, Not Playing By The Rules inspires, informs, and illustrates the strength, determination, and accomplishments of women athletes both yesterday and today.
With powerful photographs and hand-lettered, inspirational quotes from the athletes themselves, this is a collection every young girl should own.
Publication Date July 18th 2017 by Ten Speed Press
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A richly illustrated and inspiring book highlighting the achievements and stories of fifty notable women athletes from the 1800s to today, by the New York Times bestselling author of Women In Science.
Women for the win! The fifty illustrated profiles in Women In Sports feature trailblazers, Olympians, and record-breaking female athletes in more than forty sports, including well-known figures like tennis player Billie Jean King and gymnast Simone Biles, as well as lesser-known champions like Toni Stone, the first woman to play baseball in a professional men’s league, and skateboarding pioneer Patti McGee.
Women In Sports also contains infographics on topics that sporty women want to know about, such as muscle anatomy, a timeline of women’s participation in sports, pay and media statistics for female athletes, and influential women’s teams. This beautiful and inspiring book celebrates the success of the tough, bold, and fearless women who paved the way for today’s athletes.
Publication Date November 17th 2015 by Quirk Books
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Hilarious childhood biographies and full-color illustrations show how Tiger Woods, Gabby Douglas, Bruce Lee, Billie Jean King, and other budding sports champions faced kid-sized challenges growing up.
Forget the gold medals, the championships, and the undefeated seasons. When all-star athletes were growing up, they had regular-kid problems just like you:
● Baseball legend Babe Ruth was such a troublemaker, his family sent him to reform school.
● Race car champion Danica Patrick fended off bullies who told her “girls can’t drive.”
● And football superstar Peyton Manning was forced to dance the tango in his school play.Kid Athletes tells all of their stories and more with full-color cartoon illustrations on every page. Other subjects include Billie Jean King, Jackie Robinson, Yao Ming, Gabby Douglas, Tiger Woods, Julie Krone, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Bobby Orr, Lionel Messi, and more!
Publication Date September 24th 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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The riveting second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Door of No Return trilogy stars Kofi’s granddaughter, Charley, who’s set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball but who soon has to contend with the tensions about to boil over in her segregated town.
You can’t protect her from knowing. The truth is all we have.
12-year old Charley Cuffey is many things: a granddaughter, a best friend, and probably the best pitcher in all of Lee’s Mill. Set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball, Charley doesn’t need reminders from her best friend Cool Willie Green to know that she has lofty dreams for a Black girl in the American South.
Even so, Nana Kofi’s thrilling stories about courageous ancestors and epic journeys make it impossible not to dream big. She knows he has so many more to tell, but according to her parents, she isn’t old enough to know about certain things like what happened to Booker Preston that one night in Great Bridge and why she can never play on the brand-new real deal baseball field on the other side of town.
When Charley challenges a neighborhood bully to a game at the church picnic, she knows she can win, even with her ragtag team. But when the picnic spills over onto their ball field, she makes a fateful decision.
A child cannot protect herself if she does not know her history, and Charley’s choice brings consequences she never could have imagined.
In this thrilling second book of the Door of No Return trilogy, set during the turbulent segregation era, and the beginning of The Great Migration, Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family.
Publication Date May 7th 2024 by Disney Hyperion
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Roller Girl meets Cardboard Kingdom in this original, contemporary graphic novel from award-winning author Pablo Cartaya and New York Times best-selling illustrator Miguel Díaz Rivas.
Baseball is Elena Rueda’s entire life: She may be the only girl on her team, but she’s the best player and everyone knows it. Except…Elena has stopped having fun, and it’s time to leave the sport behind.
The problem is, Elena has no idea who she is without a bat in her hand. Can a summer spent with her brother’s quirky friends in an empty sandlot that offers a world of possibility show Elena who she is — and teach her to love to play again?
Publication Date May 7th 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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It’s warm up time in this newest installment in the Brinkley Yearbook series. Will Alexandra make the cut and help the historically boys baseball team defend their 9-year championship title?
Alexandra, also known as Al, has been playing baseball with her older brothers for as long as she can remember. But when she ages out of Little League, it seems like it’s the end of the road for Al and the sport she loves. Until, that is, her friend Sammy suggests that Al try out for the middle school team — a team that has always been boys-only.
Al is prepared to fight for her right to try out, but to her surprise, the coach is delighted by her interest. When Al makes the team, it seems like everything is going to work out. But with a tenth consecutive championship on the line for Brinkley Middle School and a team that can’t seem to get along, will their season ground out faster than Al can say “home run”?
Publication Date April 16th 2024 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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In this final middle grade novel by Newbery Award–winning author Patricia MacLachlan, a young girl tries to untangle her love of baseball from her complicated relationship with her professional pitcher father.
Lucy’s father is a minor league baseball player, a professional pitcher hoping to get called up to the majors, and Lucy inherited his passion for the game. But she’s never played pitcher. She worries her skills would be compared to her dad’s and she’d never measure up. And his pitching may mean big things for his career and their family, but it’s also what keeps him away from home so much of the year. Sometimes, Lucy isn’t sure what would be worse: being bad at pitching or being great.
Still, this summer, Lucy wants to learn to throw the perfect knuckleball. She wakes up at the crack of dawn to practice in secret, without her friends Tex and Robin — or even the goats who watch them play. Even as she trains relentlessly, Lucy wonders if she’ll ever feel brave enough to share her progress with her mom or dad. Can she prove to them, and herself, that she has what it takes?
Publication Date April 9th 2024 by Simon Spotlight
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The bestselling Cupcake Diaries series is now available in graphic novel format! In this adaptation of the fifth book, Katie tries out for the softball team.
Katie’s Cupcake Club friends all have other activities besides making cupcakes. So Katie sets out to find her extracurricular niche. When Katie makes the softball team, it’s batter up…but is this the kind of batter Katie really wants to be dealing with? What if she makes a mistake and her team loses? By stepping up to the plate, Katie realizes that doing what you love always makes the batter sweeter.
Fun, bright, full-color graphic panels tell the story with the same humor and heart as the original novel.
Publication Date March 12th 2024 by Harry N. Abrams
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Perfect Pitch is the second novel in the funny, heavily illustrated Good Sports League chapter book series about sports and sportsmanship by Tommy Greenwald, the acclaimed author of Game Changer, and artist Lesley Vamos.
Annabella Donatello likes to do everything. She likes to draw, fly kites, play soccer, cook, and eat what she cooks. She even likes to do math! But there are two things she loves most of all: softball and performing. So she’s thrilled when she gets cast in the school play, on top of being the star pitcher of her softball team.
Unfortunately, her softball coach is less thrilled about Annabella’s busy schedule. And with the championships coming up, the pressure is on to make softball her number one priority, even when an important practice conflicts with opening night of the show. To be in two places at once, Annabella hatches a plan that will put all of her softball and acting skills to the test.
Publication Date April 11th 2023 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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A heartwarming graphic novel about a baseball-obsessed 7th grader, trying to find her place in the sports world and her family.
In their tiny corner of Fox Point, Rhode Island, Gemma Hopper’s older brother, Teddy, is a baseball god, destined to become a Major League star. Gemma loves playing baseball, but with her mom gone and her dad working endless overtime, it’s up to her to keep the house running. She’s too busy folding laundry, making lunches, getting her younger twin brothers to do their homework, and navigating the perils of middle-school friendships to take baseball seriously.
But every afternoon, Gemma picks up her baseball glove to pitch to Teddy during his batting practice – throwing sliders down and away, fastballs right over the middle (not too fast or he’ll get mad), and hanging curveballs high and tight.
Could baseball be Gemma’s ticket to the big leagues or will it mean the end of her family as she knows it?
Publication Date August 30th 2022 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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Sandlot meets Esperanza Rising in this lyrical middle grade novel set in the 1930s about a strong-willed girl who finds her voice in a tale of moxie, peaches, and determination to thrive despite the odds.
When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man’s come to take the family farm, and Pa’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
1. No stealing product.
2. No drunkenness or gambling.
3. And absolutely no organizing.Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn’t about to organize any peaches, no ma’am. She’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she’s desperate to play for, if only they’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won’t let her play, she’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can’t organize peaches, then by golly she’ll organize a whole ball game.
Publication Date June 21st 2022 by Harry N. Abrams
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A heartfelt novel about a softball-loving girl coming to terms with her parents’ humanity after a scandal sends shock waves through her town.
Bea’s parents think she can accomplish absolutely anything — and she’s determined to prove them right. But at the end of seventh grade, on the same day she makes a gutsy play to send her softball team to the league championships and Xander, the boy she likes, makes it clear that he likes her too, a scandal shakes up her world. Bea’s dad made a big mistake, taking money that belonged to a client. He’s now suspended from practicing law, and another lawyer spread the news online. To make matters worse, that other lawyer is Xander’s dad.
Bea doesn’t want to be angry with her dad, especially since he feels terrible and is trying to make things right. But she can’t face the looks of pity from all her friends, and then she starts missing throws in softball because she’s stuck in her own head. The thing she was best at seems to be slipping out of her fingers along with her formerly happy family. She’s not sure what’s going to be harder — learning to throw again, or forgiving her dad. How can she be the best version of herself when everything she loves is falling apart?
Publication Date August 31st 2021 by Crown Books for Young Readers
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.
Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.
Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.
Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending — and family-name-ruining — crime may have been a setup.
Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified.
It’s up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past — and fast — before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.
Publication Date June 15th 2021 by Yellow Jacket
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In this companion novel to Midsummer’s Mayhem, math and baseball combine with savory snacks to cause confusion and calamity in the town of Comity by Newbery-Honor winner Rajani LaRocca.
Twelve-year-old Trish can solve tough math problems and throw a mean fastball. But because of her mom’s new job, she’s now facing a summer trying to make friends all over again in a new town. That isn’t an easy thing to do, and her mom is too busy to notice how miserable she is.
But at her first baseball practice, Trish realizes one of her teammates is Ben, the sixth-grade math prodigy she beat in the spring Math Puzzler Championships. Everyone around them seems to think that with their math talent and love of baseball, it’s only logical that Trish and Ben become friends, but Ben makes it clear he still hasn’t gotten over that loss and can’t stand her. To make matters worse, their team can’t win a single game. But then they meet Rob, an older kid who smacks home runs without breaking a sweat. Rob tells them about his family’s store, which sells unusual snacks that will make them better ballplayers. Trish is dubious, but she’s willing to try almost anything to help the team.
When a mysterious booklet of math puzzles claiming to reveal the “ultimate answer” arrives in her mailbox, Trish and Ben start to get closer and solve the puzzles together. Ben starts getting hits, and their team becomes unstoppable. Trish is happy to keep riding the wave of good luck…until they get to a puzzle they can’t solve, with tragic consequences. Can they find the answer to this ultimate puzzle, or will they strike out when it counts the most?
Publication Date January 5th 2021 by Roaring Brook Press
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For fans of Hidden Figures and Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated, Andrea Williams’s Baseball’s Leading Lady is the powerful true story of Effa Manley, the first and only woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Black athletes played in the Negro Leagues – on teams coached by Black managers, cheered on by Black fans, and often run by Black owners.
Here is the riveting true story of the woman at the center of the Black baseball world: Effa Manley, co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles. Elegant yet gutsy, she cultivated a powerhouse team. Yet just as her Eagles reached their pinnacle, so did calls to integrate baseball, a move that would all but extinguish the Negro Leagues.
On and off the field, Effa hated to lose. She had devoted her life to Black empowerment – but in the battle for Black baseball, was the game rigged against her?
Publication Date September 8th 2020 by Levine Querido
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Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues.
She’s also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy, like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much, like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons.
Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who’s Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she’s not gonna let that slide.
Publication Date February 25th 2020 by Dial Books
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In this perfectly pitched novel-in-letters, autistic eleven-year-old Vivy Cohen won’t let anything stop her from playing baseball – not when she has a major-league star as her pen pal.
Vivy Cohen is determined. She’s had enough of playing catch in the park. She’s ready to pitch for a real baseball team.
But Vivy’s mom is worried about Vivy being the only girl on the team, and the only autistic kid. She wants Vivy to forget about pitching, but Vivy won’t give up. When her social skills teacher makes her write a letter to someone, Vivy knows exactly who to choose: her hero, Major League pitcher VJ Capello. Then two amazing things happen: A coach sees Vivy’s amazing knuckleball and invites her to join his team. And VJ starts writing back!
Now Vivy is a full-fledged pitcher, with a catcher as a new best friend and a steady stream of advice from VJ. But when a big accident puts her back on the bench, Vivy has to fight to stay on the team.
Publication Date June 25th 2019 by Graphix
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Twins Stacy and Gina are on rival little league teams, and when Gina accidentally unleashes a curse that wakes the dead, Stacy’s misfit team gets coached by a baseball-playing zombie!
Stacy and Gina Cavallaro are twin sisters and baseball rivals, each pitching for a different Little League team. Gina is a sports whiz and the star of her winning team, while Stacy’s band of misfits hasn’t won a game all season. The battling sisters also happen to be the youngest in a long line of local witches. So when Gina’s magic spins out of control and her spell accidentally raises a zombie, the girls have to set aside their differences and figure out how to make things right. And Stacy’s team of misfits – Billy, Sanchez, Levi, Beans, Paddy, Killroy, Gomez, and Boots – must band together to save the day!
Publication Date May 1st 2018 by Viking Books for Young Readers
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A story about the fight for equal rights in America’s favorite arena: the baseball field!
Every boy in the neighborhood knows Katy Gordon is their best pitcher, even though she’s a girl. But when she tries out for Little League, it’s a whole different story. Girls are not eligible, period. It is a boy’s game and always has been. It’s not fair, and Katy’s going to fight back.
Inspired by what she’s learning about civil rights in school, she sets out to prove that she’s not the only girl who plays baseball. With the help of friendly librarians and some tenacious research skills, Katy discovers the forgotten history of female ball players. Why does no one know about them? Where are they now? And how can one ten-year-old change people’s minds about what girls can do?
Set in 1957 — the world of Sputnik and Leave It To Beaver, saddle shoes and “Heartbreak Hotel” — Out Of Left Field is both a detailed picture of a fascinating historic period and a timelessly inspiring story about standing up for equality at any age.
Publication Date May 9th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books
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Dear fans of Dork Diaries and Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life — meet your new favorite kid-next-door hero! Gabby Garcia an overly confident baseball-obsessed sport nut who’s going to win your heart.
If life were a baseball game, all-star pitcher Gabby Garcia would be having her Best. Season. EVER! Until she’s suddenly sent to another school and her winning streak is about to disappear — both on and off the field.
But Gabby never gives up! She has a PLAN to keep her champion status intact, and every step of is written out — PLAY by PLAY. How could it not work?
This new series written by Iva-Marie Palmer is filled with funny illustrations, sports facts, and blooper-reel moments that will have readers laughing and rooting for more.
Publication Date February 14th 2017 by Aladdin
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Miss Congeniality meets She’s The Man in this hilarious M!X novel about a girl torn between competing in a beauty pageant and playing on the boy’s baseball team.
Gabby’s summer vacation isn’t shaping up to be that great. Her dad was just deployed overseas, and Gabby is staying at her grandmother’s house with her mom and baby sister until he returns.
The one bright spot is that Gaby plans to sign up for the local softball league — her greatest love and a passion she shares with her Dad who was a pitcher in college. But when Gabby goes to sign up for the summer league, she discovers that there wasn’t enough interest to justify a girl’s team this year. And to top it off, a horrible miscommunication ends with Gabby signed up to participate in the Miss Popcorn Festival — the annual pageant that Gabby’s mom dominated when she was younger.
Besides not having any interest in the pageant life, Gabby made a promise to her dad that she would play softball for the summer. Since her pitching skills rival any boy her age, Gabby creates a master plan: disguise herself as a boy and sign up for the boy’s baseball team instead — and try to win the pageant to make Mom happy. Can Gabby juggle perfecting her pageant walk and perfecting her fastball? Or will this plan strike out?
Publication Date June 28th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley.
This summer, everything is different. Haley’s death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn’t want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world.
The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without her sister, Quinnen’s not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher’s mound?
Publication Date August 6th 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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SWISH! Cheer courtside for a Muslim teen as she joins an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team and learns that she’s much more than a score. This energetic graphic novel is inspired by a true story!
Aliya is new to Wisconsin, and everything feels different than Florida. The Islamic school is bigger, the city is colder, and her new basketball team is…well, they stink.
Aliya’s still excited to have teammates (although the team’s captain, Noura, isn’t really Aliya’s biggest fan), and their new coach really understands basketball (even if she doesn’t know much about being Muslim). This season should be a blast…if they could just start to win. As they strengthen their skills on the court, Aliya and the Peace Academy team discover that it takes more than talent to be great – it’s teamwork and self-confidence that defines true success.
For fans of The Crossover and Roller Girl, this graphic novel goes big with humor and heart as it explores culture and perceptions, fitting in and standing out, and finding yourself, both on and off the court.
Publication Date May 7th 2024 by Algonquin Young Readers
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In the third book set at The House On Sunrise Lagoon, oldest sibling Harbor must navigate spending half a summer away from her beloved home, the pull between her two families, and a growing crush on a girl on her basketball team.
If you want to get to know Harbor Moore, you need to know three things:
1. Sometimes she signs her name Harbor Ali-O’Connor to match her siblings.
2. She misses her dad a lot, but she doesn’t want to be away from her moms and siblings, either.
3. She just might have her first crush.Harbor is excited to spend the summer working on her jump shot in an elite basketball league. But the games take place near her dad’s house—hours away from her beloved Sunrise Lagoon. Suddenly, she’s spending every weekend at her dad’s and getting to know Quinn, a girl whose smile makes her feel warm inside. Still, Harbor can’t help wondering what’s going on at home. Why is Sam hanging out with Harbor’s best friend? Has Marina’s friend Boom taken her place in the house? What have the twins “borrowed” this time for one of their disastrous scientific experiments?
When it comes time to decide whether Harbor will stay and play basketball with her team — and Quinn — all year round, or continue to live on Sunrise Lagoon, Harbor thinks she knows what to do…but is it the right decision?
Publication Date October 24th 2023 by Chronicle Books
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Competitive basketball takes center court in this fast-paced novel about two girls finding the truth about themselves — and their families — against the backdrop of middle school and college hoops.
Cincinnati, Ohio, lives and dies by college basketball, with two elite Division I rivals separated by a mere three miles. Rory’s dad just secured a new coaching gig at the University of Cincinnati, so it means yet another school and move for her, only this time to her dad’s hometown. Rory’s life revolves around basketball; she’s never had a close friend outside of it. Could this be a chance for a fresh start?
Abby has always lived in Cincinnati, where her dad grew up playing ball and now coaches at Xavier University. But Abby has recently retreated from basketball after a frustrating season that left her confidence in shambles. This year, she finds herself on the outside looking in when it comes to her former teammates, and she could seriously use a new friend.
The coaches’ daughters connect over their shared love of the game when Abby chaperones Rory on her first day of school. But when Abby’s dad practically forbids their friendship because of something that happened between him and Rory’s dad when they were younger, Abby and Rory have no choice but to move their budding friendship underground.
Can the two of them get to the bottom of what went down between their dads in the 1990s before history repeats itself?
Publication Date October 10th 2023 by Nancy Paulsen Books
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National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson brings readers a powerful story that delves deeply into life’s burning questions about time and memory and what we take with us into the future.
It seems like Sage’s whole world is on fire the summer before she starts seventh grade. As house after house burns down, her Bushwick neighborhood gets referred to as “The Matchbox” in the local newspaper. And while Sage prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, she’s also still trying to figure out her place inside the circle of girls she’s known since childhood. A group that each day, feels further and further away from her. But it’s also the summer of Freddy, a new kid who truly gets Sage. Together, they reckon with the pain of missing the things that get left behind as time moves on, savor what’s good in the present, and buoy each other up in the face of destruction. And when the future comes, it is Sage’s memories of the past that show her the way forward. Remember Us speaks to the power of both letting go…and holding on.
Publication Date March 14, 2023 by Candlewick
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A work of fiction inspired by a true story, Matt Tavares’s debut graphic novel dramatizes the historic struggle for gender equality in high school sports.
It is 1975 in Indiana, and the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team is in their rookie season. Despite being undefeated, they practice at night in the elementary school and play to empty bleachers. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service. They make their own uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical tape. And with help from a committed female coach, they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory.
Illustrated in full color, this story about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports rings with honesty, bravery, and heart.
Publication Date August 31st 2021 by HarperCollins
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Kids have big dreams. And when those dreams are on the line, how far are they willing to go to achieve them?
When Jayden and his teammates find out there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year — and maybe ever again — they have to learn to lean on each other if they want to save their basketball season, in this inspiring new middle grade novel from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams. A New York Times bestseller!
Jayden Carr has been training all summer to be ready for Hoop Group — the free afterschool basketball program where his hero, NBA superstar Kendrick King, got his start. But when his beloved coach tells him there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year, Jayden is heartbroken.
And he’s not the only one. Coach Beck’s daughter, Tamika, was planning to be the first girl ever to start for the squad. Chris King, Kendrick’s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle was coming home just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, Hoop Group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, all 4’6” of him, Hoop Group was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.
For each kid, Hoop Group was more than just a chance to ball; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem all but impossible—but then the world hasn’t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony, and Dex before. Determined to have their shot, the five new friends scrap, hustle, fight, and play hard to save their season to prove that sometimes a chance is all it takes.
It’s an inspiring, original middle grade story from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams that channels the many relatable challenges so many young kids face.
The first step to winning is getting out on the court.
Publication Date May 25th 2021 by First Second
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Get ready to hit the court in this heartfelt, sporty, graphic novel, the first in Mike Dawson’s middle grade duology about a girl who deals with her insecurities through her love of basketball.
Lori Block is dedicated to her fourth-grade basketball team, despite being relegated to an extra period before the real game starts, known as the fifth quarter, where the not-so-good kids play and the points don’t count. That doesn’t matter to Lori though, because working on her skills gives her hints of self-confidence, which is a nice break from feeling awkward and out-of-place in her daily life.
With athletic promise and a dogged determination to keep improving, Lori pursues her passion while navigating awkward social dynamics, her own expectations, and her first overnight away from home. Will her drive allow her to find true courage both on the court, in school, and at home?
Publication Date May 18th 2021 by Scholastic Press
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From beloved author Alyson Gerber comes another realistic contemporary novel perfect for fans of Judy Blume.
Sarah loves basketball more than anything. Crushing it on the court makes her feel like she matters. And it’s the only thing that helps her ignore how much it hurts when her mom forgets to feed her.
But lately Sarah can’t even play basketball right. She’s slower now and missing shots she should be able to make. Her body doesn’t feel like it’s her own anymore. She’s worried that changing herself back to how she used to be is the only way she can take control over what’s happening.
When Sarah’s crush asks her to be partners in a cooking competition, she feels pulled in a million directions. She’ll have to dig deep to stand up for what she needs at home, be honest with her best friends, and accept that she doesn’t need to change to feel good about herself.
Booklist described Gerber’s novels in starred reviews as both “highly empathetic” and “truly inspiring.” Taking Up Space promises to be a realistic and compelling story about struggling with body image and learning that true self-esteem comes from within.
Publication Date August 25th 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Trouble is about to tip off for Jeff and Andi’s sixth-grade basketball teams in Game Changers, a standalone second book in the middle grade Benchwarmers series by #1 New York Times bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein.
After a controversial season playing on the boys’ soccer team, Andi Carillo is ready to kick butt and take names on the girls’ basketball team. Jeff Michaels, her best friend, is raring to drop his benchwarmer status from soccer and play a leading role on the boys’ basketball squad. But between a coach’s coded racism and a teammate’s endless sabotage, neither Andi nor Jeff is in for a layup of a season. To make matters worse, the local media smells more than one juicy story. Will Andi and Jeff be able to power through and find a way to help both their teams rebound?
From sportswriting legend John Feinstein comes this fast-paced novel about two friends who are willing to risk it all to change the game ― on and off the court.
Publication Date February 4th 2020 by Fabled Films Press
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Readers will cheer on Pippa Park in this wonderful middle school book about friendships, bullying, crushes, and family. In this relatable story, Pippa reinvents herself and discovers who she really is on and off the basketball court. Perfect for fans of The Baby-Sitters Club and Kelly Yang’s Front Desk Series.
Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look.
When Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself. At school, Pippa juggles old and new friends, a crush, and the pressure to get As and score points while keeping her past and family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates.
But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened. As things spiral out of control, Pippa wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.
Publication Date March 13th 2018 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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From 2015 WNBA MVP, 2016 Olympic gold medalist, and global ambassador to the Special Olympics Elena Delle Donne comes the first novel in a brand-new middle grade series with as much heart as there is game.
Elle Deluca is a seventh grader who is tall — not just sort of tall. She’s six feet tall. And for a twelve-year-old girl, this means that her basketball team has high hopes for her changing positions and becoming their starting center. But a new position is not the only footwork she has to learn. Her class’s dance unit in gym is coming up, and that means she has to learn ballroom dance steps with a boy much shorter than her—and perform publically for a grade.
In the first book in WNBA MVP and Olympic gold medalist Elena Delle Donne’s Hoops series, Elle must figure out a way to remain herself when others want her to be someone else.
Publication Date March 5th 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Nikki wants to be a basketball star…but between school stress, friend drama, and babysitting woes, will she be able to make it on her new team? Judy Blume meets Mike Lupica in this pitch-perfect, action-packed, and funny novel.
Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle’s dreams of becoming a basketball great feel within reach when she’s selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, Nikki suddenly isn’t the best point guard. In fact, she’s no longer a point guard at all, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.
The stress piles on as Nikki’s best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals her most embarrassing secret. As if that’s not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school to save money on childcare.
As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki’s confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out?
Publication Date January 8th 2019 by Aladdin
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A basketball-loving girl makes a wish to never miss a basket in this charming middle grade novel that pushes girl power to the max!
Lizzy Trudeaux loves basketball. She doesn’t have much by way of money, but she has access to the community court and a worn ball named Ginger, and she practices constantly. After fighting to join the boys’ team at her school, Lizzy is finally given the opportunity to show off her hard-earned skills.
When she answers what she believes is another bill-collecting phone call, Lizzy receives a magical wish: the ability to sink every shot. Pure Swish. Now eviscerating the competition in the boys’ league is small potatoes — she has the skills to dominate in the NBA. With the help of her BFF Toby and some viral video action, Lizzy goes all the way to the Philadelphia Bells’s starting lineup, making history and taking names.
Then, just as she’s about to go face-to-face with her hero, the best player on the planet, things begin to fall apart. But Lizzy isn’t a quitter and she’ll play her hardest for the love of the game.
Publication Date November 1st 2022 by Graphix
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When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and her best friend, Megan, literally jump at the chance to join the squad. As two of the only kids of color in the school, they have always yearned to fit in ― and the middle school cheerleaders are popular and accepted by everyone. But will the girls survive the terrifying tryouts, with their whole grade watching? And will their friendship withstand the pressures of competition?
Hilarious and highly relatable, The Tryout by two-time Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat and shining new talent Joanna Cacao will make you laugh, cry, and cheer!
Publication Date April 6th 2021 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Camp is in session in this cheer-tastic middle-grade novel about making new friends, finding your place, and learning to embrace your inner Magic.
Magic Olive Poindexter has big shoes to fill. Her mother was a professional cheerleader, her father is a retired NBA legend, her big sister is the new face of the oh-so-glamorous Laker Girls, and her grandmother was the first black cheerleader ever on Valentine Middle School’s HoneyBee cheer squad. Magic wants nothing more than to follow in their footsteps. But first, she has to survive Planet Pom Poms, the summer cheer camp where she’ll audition for a spot on the HoneyBee squad. But with zero athletic ability and a group of mean girls who have her number, Tragic Magic is a long way from becoming the toe-touching cheerleader heroine she dreams of being.
Things start to look up when her best friend Cappie joins her at camp — until Cappie gets bitten by the popularity bug, that is. To make matters worse, Magic’s crushing hard on football star Dallas Chase. Luckily, Magic’s not alone: with the help of a new crew of fabulous fellow misfits and her Grammy Mae’s vintage pom poms by her side, Tragic Magic might just survive — and even thrive — at cheer camp.
Publication Date September 27th 2022 by Balzer + Bray
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Debut author Misty Wilson chronicles her seventh-grade experience as the only girl on her town’s football team in this empowering graphic memoir about teamwork, friendship, crushes, and touchdowns.
Mistynever shies away from a challenge, on or off the field. So when the boys tell her she can’t play football, there’s only one thing to do: join their team and show them what she’s got.
But the training is rougher than she thought — and so are the other guys, who aren’t thrilled about having a girl on their team.
Middle school isn’t so easy, either. Misty wants to fit in with the popular kids, but they think a girl playing football is “weird.” Even her best friend doesn’t get it.
Can Misty find a way to score points with her teammates, make new friends, and show everyone — including herself — what it means to play like a girl?
Publication Date August 25th 2020 by Viking Books for Young Readers
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From New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica, comes a timely story about a young girl who joins the boys football team.
With Mike’s signature fast-paced, heartfelt writing, he expertly explores gender inequality in football with nonstop sports action.
When twelve-year-old Alex makes up her mind to join her middle school’s football team, she doesn’t expect it to be easy. But she also never anticipated she’d be met with scorn and derision from her exclusively male teammates. Football has always been a source of happiness for Alex. She and her single father never miss a Steelers game on TV, and Alex knows she has a talent for throwing the perfect spiral. But the guys suck the joy right out of the game for Alex – going out of their way to trip her up during tryouts, and teaming up against her just to watch her fail. Suddenly, Alex is the lowest she’s ever felt. But if getting QB is worth it to her, she’s going to have to fight for it.
Publication Date October 17th 2023 by Philomel Books
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Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds – including Simone Biles!
Simone Biles was raised by her grandparents and had to overcome many hardships as a child. After trying gymnastics for the first time on a field trip from elementary school, Simone continued with the sport, working hard and reaching professional levels. She persisted in the field and went on to become the most decorated US gymnast of all time. Through it all, she inspired kids everywhere to follow their dreams.
In this chapter book biography by NAACP Image Award-winning author and Coretta Scott King Honor recipient Kekla Magoon, readers learn about the amazing life of Simone Biles – and how she persisted.
Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Simone Biles’s footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
Publication Date August 2nd 2022 by Peachtree
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A high-energy novel in verse starring a fifth grader who is almost as devoted to competitive gymnastics as she is to hiding her poor reading skills. What happens when Claire’s secret starts unraveling?
Claire is by far the best gymnast on her team, and she’s well on her way to qualifying for the state championships. The gym is where Claire shines. But at school, she’s known as a troublemaker. She seems to spend more time in the office than in class — which is fine with her since it enables her to hide the fact that she can’t read. She has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page. No one except her BFF knows.
But when a sympathetic principal wonders if Claire is acting out because she’s dyslexic, her mother balks. She’s afraid Claire will be labeled “stupid” and refuses testing. Claire has always assumed she’s dumb; she never imagined her reading problem could have a solution. Is she strong enough to take on both her reading challenges and her mother’s denial? Is it worth jeopardizing her spot in qualifiers?
Told in clear and poignant verse and featuring black and white illustrations, Claire’s struggle with something that seems to come easily to everyone else will resonate with readers and have them cheering her on.
Publication Date May 5th 2020 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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Bring history home with you and meet some of the world’s greatest game changers! Get inspired by the true story of the most award-winning American gymnast. This biography series is for kids who loved Who Was? and are ready for the next level.
In August 2016, American gymnast Simone Biles won four Olympic gold medals! Her irresistible smile, fierce determination, and unbeatable strength have made her a favorite around the world. Find out how the girl who taught herself to flip on her backyard trampoline blazed a trail in gymnastics.
Publication Date June 1st 2012 by Arthur A. Levine Books
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Joey Jordan loves gymnastics: the thrill of performing a backflip on the beam, the cheers of the audience when she sticks a landing. But even with all her talent and style, she’s never quite made it to that gold medal stand.
Now big changes shake up Joey’s life in and out of the gym. Joey wants to break out some daring new beam and floor routines – but she’ll have to defy her strict coach to do it. Her best friend, Alex, is thinking about quitting gymnastics for good. And an old friend named Tanner just moved back to town, and he’s suddenly gotten very, very cute. Can Joey handle all the challenges coming her way, and make her gold medal summer happen at last?
Drawing on her real-life experience as a competitive gymnast, acclaimed novelist Donna Freitas delivers both a terrific gymnastics story and a classic novel about stretching some limits, bending the rules, and finding your balance.
Publication Date September 5th 2023 by Harry N. Abrams
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Following in the hoofprints of The Flying Horse, Pulitzer Prize nominee Sarah Maslin Nir and Raymond White Jr.’s The Jockey & Her Horse is the second title in the Once Upon A Horse series. Illustrated with black-and-white art by Laylie Frazier, it is inspired by the true story of the first Black female jockey, Cheryl White, who raced to the finish line on her horse, Jetolara.
Cheryl loves horses. She’s been studying thoroughbreds at her family’s horse-racing stables since she was old enough to ride on the shoulders of her father, a famous horse trainer. Cheryl wants to be a jockey. One problem — she is a girl, and there has never been a Black female jockey in history!
Jetolara is a young thoroughbred finding his place in the herd. When Cheryl literally falls onto his back and Jeto sprints off across the pasture, Cheryl discovers that she doesn’t just want to be a jockey, she is a jockey — and she and Jeto were born to race. Together, girl and horse make history and show everyone that once you learn to love yourself, the world is yours.
Publication Date May 30th 2023 by Aladdin
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From the author of the Canterwood Crest series comes the first book in a middle grade series about an equestrian boarding school following a girl who struggles to keep her eyes on the prize while receiving anonymous threats.
Abby St. Clair can’t wait to start another season with her elite riding team at her boarding school. She has something to prove after literally falling on her face during the biggest competition of the year the previous season. And she could really use a win after her mom left her family, her dad remarried, and Abby’s new stepsister, Emery, proved to be a strong rider and stiff competition.
Abby wants to return to some semblance of normal but is hiding a secret: she accidentally cost her biggest rival, Selly, a chance at team captain. Then Abby begins to receive anonymous messages, threatening to expose her unwitting sabotage and a video that makes it look like she’s trash-talking Emery. With an important competition on the horizon and the knowledge that someone in her circle knows way too much about her, the pressure is on.
Abby tries to put on blinders and have the perfect meet with her horse, Beau, but she’s about to find out the hard way that secrets don’t make friends at Saddlehill Academy.
Publication Date August 16th 2022 by First Second
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In Ride On, this middle grade graphic novel from Faith Erin Hicks, twelve-year-old Victoria is burned out from the high-pressure world or riding competitions. Can she get back to basics and rekindle her love of horses? Perfect for fans of Best Friends and Stargazing!
Victoria has always loved horses. But riding in competitions is high stakes, high stress, and shockingly expensive. And even though Victoria’s best friend Taylor loves competing, Victoria has lost her taste for it.
After a heartbreaking fight with Taylor, Victoria needs a new start ― at a new stables. A place where she doesn’t have to worry about anything other than riding. No competition, no drama, no friends.
Just horses.
Edgewood Stables seems ideal. There are plenty of horses to ride, and Victoria is perfectly happy giving the other riders the cold shoulder.
But can she truly be happy with no friends?
Publication Date October 26th 2021 by First Second
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An American Library Association 2021 Best Graphic Novel For Children
Twelve-year-old Kate is laser-focused on her one true passion: horseback riding. But try as she might, she can’t hide from life’s problems in the stable.
There’s nothing Kate loves more than being around horses. But her best friend is allergic to them, so Kate has to take riding lessons without her. Kate’s forced to navigate some of life’s hardships ― like the mean girls at the stable who tease her and her body insecurities ― all on her own. To make matters worse, Kate is continually falling off her horse. To Kate, her tween years feel like one unfair punishment after another. Can she get over it all…and get back on her horse?
Horse Trouble, the debut graphic novel from children’s book artist Kristin Varner, is an oh-so-relatable graphic novel with humor and heart.
Publication Date March 30th 2021 by Penguin Workshop
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Mean Girls meets Black Beauty in Horse Girl by celebrated author Carrie Seim – a funny and tender middle-grade novel about finding your forever herd.
Wills is a seventh grader who’s head-over-hoof for horses, and beyond excited when she gets the chance to start training at the prestigious Oakwood Riding Academy. But Amara – the Queen of the #HorseGirls – and her posse aren’t going to let the certifiably dork-tagious Wills trot her way into their club so easily. Between learning the reins of horse riding, dealing with her Air Force pilot mom being stationed thousands of miles from home, and keeping it together in front of (gasp!) Horse Boys, Wills learns that becoming a part of the #HorseGirl world isn’t easy. But with her rescue horse, Clyde, at her side, it sure will be fun.
Complete with comedic, original hoof notes to acquaint the less equestrian among us, Horse Girl delivers everything a young readers wants: mean girls, boy problems, and embarrassingly goofy dad jokes. And it does so on the back of a pony.
Publication Date April 16th 2019 by HarperCollins
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A lyrical, poignant middle grade novel about embracing change, accepting help from others, and finding a place to call home. Perfect for fans of Raymie Nightingale.
Lizzie St. Claire wants to be invisible. Forced to move out of her home, she and her mom now live in a transitional housing shelter, Good Hope, until they can get back on their feet.
Lizzie just wants to keep her head down at Good Hope and her new school, so she doesn’t have to admit the real reason she and her mom lost everything.
But when Lizzie finds herself at the nearby Birchwood Stables, some new friends — along with the arrival of a frightened pony named Fire — help Lizzie to open up and accept help from those around her, even if it means she’ll have more to lose if things change again.
Publication Date March 6th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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The first book in a new horse trilogy from Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley starring a feisty young rider.
Eleven-year-old Ellen is a spunky — and occasionally misbehaving — young riding student. Her teacher Abby Lovitt (who readers might recognize from The Georges and The Jewels) is a high school student who introduces her to jumping, dressage techniques, and most importantly, Ned.
Ned is a colt who used to be a racehorse, until he hurt his leg and moved to Abby’s ranch. Ellen and Ned seem to understand each other, and their companionship is immediate. But Ellen is only allowed to go to riding lessons when she behaves at school. And with all that’s going on, from learning that she’s adopted to finding out her parents are adopting a new baby, it’s harder than ever for Ellen to pay attention and behave in class and at home.
Will Ellen be able to spend more time on the ranch with Ned? And will her parents ever let her have a horse of her own?
Publication Date April 9th 2024 by Harry N. Abrams
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Laurie Morrison’s Keeping Pace is a poignant middle grade novel about friends-turned-rivals training for a half-marathon — and rethinking what it means to win and what they mean to each other.
Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win — or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what — and who — really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?
Engaging and heartfelt, Keeping Pace is about wanting to win at all costs — and having to learn how to fail.
Publication Date August 22nd 2023 by Delacorte Press
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Alexi Pappas is not only an Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker, she is a writer whose heartwarming and life-affirming memoir will inspire young readers, as she shares the touchstone moments in her life that helped her learn about confidence and self-reliance, compassion and forgiveness, and loss and hope, in this accessible and motivating memoir.
What is a bravey? For Alexi Pappas, it means to chase the goals that seem scary. She has not shied away from the challenge.
In this honest and hopeful memoir written especially for young readers, Alexi Pappas details key moments that had profound effects on her life, including the loss of her mother when she was just four years old, to her formative years at school where she felt different from her peers, and into her young adult life, including the incredible year she experienced in 2016 when she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote, directed, and starred in her first feature film. Through it all, Alexi worked hard — physically, mentally, and emotionally, but not without setbacks and difficulties, all of which helped her learn about confidence and self-reliance, compassion and forgiveness, loss and hope. Even with good things happening, Alexi found herself facing anxiety and mental health issues. Isn’t winning supposed to make a person happy? How does one make life better when it already seems good? Alexi doesn’t provide all the answers, but she offers ideas to consider when life gets complicated.
Young readers will be inspired by Alexi’s journey to create an abundant life filled with loving friends and family and strong female role models and mentors – who helped to shape the bravey she is today.
Publication Date June 6th 2023 by Peachtree
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Two seventh graders discover it takes more than grit and a good pair of shoes to run 13.1 miles. You’ve got to have a partner who refuses to let you quit.
Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay’s half-marathon could solve her family’s housing problems.
And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but these two twelve year olds have one crucial thing in common (besides sharing a birthday): Hope. For the future. For their families. And for each other.
Publication Date July 10th 2018 by Candlewick
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In a racially polarized classroom in 1970 Alabama, Lu’s talent for running track makes her a new best friend — and tests her mettle as she navigates the school’s social cliques.
Miss Garrett’s classroom is like every other at our school. White kids sit on one side and black kids on the other. I’m one of the few middle-rowers who split the difference.
Sixth-grader Lu Olivera just wants to keep her head down and get along with everyone in her class. Trouble is, Lu’s old friends have been changing lately — acting boy crazy and making snide remarks about Lu’s newfound talent for running track. Lu’s secret hope for a new friend is fellow runner Belinda Gresham, but in 1970 Red Grove, Alabama, blacks and whites don’t mix. As segregationist ex-governor George Wallace ramps up his campaign against the current governor, Albert Brewer, growing tensions in the state — and in the classroom — mean that Lu can’t stay neutral about the racial divide at school. Will she find the gumption to stand up for what’s right and to choose friends who do the same?
Publication Date October 16th 2017 by Pajama Press
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From Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Michelle Kadarusman. A moving novel for middle-grade readers that is not about overcoming disability, but rather becoming one’s truest self.
“Hummingbirds and angels don’t need two good feet. They have wings.” That’s what Alba’s mother always says. Of course, Alba doesn’t have wings or two good feet: she has Cleo. Cleo is the name Alba has given to her left foot, which was born twisted in the wrong direction. When she points this out, though, her mother just smiles like the world has some surprise in store she doesn’t know about yet.
Well, Alba has her own surprise planned. After many surgeries and one final cast, Cleo is almost ready to meet the world straight on ― just in time to run in the school cross-country race. Unfortunately, Alba’s best friend Levi thinks there’s no way she can pull it off. And she thinks there’s no way he’s right about the school librarian hiding a wormhole in her office. Tempers flare. Sharp words fly faster than hummingbirds. And soon it looks like both friends will be stuck proving their theories on their own.
Publication Date August 29th 2017 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
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A newbie to the track team, Patina must learn to rely on her teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons in this New York Times bestselling follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Ghost by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds.
Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team — a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.
Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons — to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she’s been sent to ever since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason WHY she’s not able to live with her “real” mom anymore: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom’s legs will one day take her away forever. And so Patty’s also running for her mom, who can’t. But can you ever really run away from any of this?
As the stress builds, it’s building up a pretty bad attitude as well. Coach won’t tolerate bad attitude. No day, no way. And now he wants Patty to run relay…where you have to depend on other people? How’s she going to do THAT?
Publication Date April 28th 2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Izzy Barr is the star athlete of the third grade: she hits homeruns on her softball team and is one of the fastest runners in her class. But at home, her half-brother, Dustin, seems to be her father’s favorite athlete ― why else would her dad go to all of his games and miss so many of hers? Izzy pretends that she doesn’t care, but as she, her friends Annika Riz and Kelsey Green, and the rest of their class are gearing up for class field day, she can’t help but hope her dad will be there to cheer her on in the big race against her rival, Skipper Tipton. Dad doesn’t make it to field day, but when he realizes how important it is to Izzy, he and all of her friends and family are there to watch her participate in the citywide 10K run.
Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills, illustrated by Rob Shepperson, is part of the Franklin School Friends series of chapter books.
Publication Date September 17th 2024 by Algonquin Young Readers
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A powerful story about family, fútbol, and playing like a girl, perfect for fans of Front Desk, The Academy, and, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret from the award-winning author of Furia.
At thirteen years old, Valeria “Magic” Salomón is already the best soccer player her town has ever seen. She has talent in spades and an abuelo whose tough-love coaching and lessons about “strength and honor” have made her the star of the Overlords, the top boys’ team in the state.
But everything changes at the State Cup semi-final when Valeria gets her first period while Wearing. White. Shorts. After her team is unexpectedly eliminated, she goes from their secret weapon to their scapegoat. Soon, she doesn’t have a team at all anymore. She’s not sure she has a relationship with her grandfather either.
Valeria’s a fighter, however. And with the help of her grandmother and support of her cheerleader BFF, she finds herself on a girls’ team for the first time. But the Amazons aren’t exactly excited to have her there. After all, Valeria’s spent years ignoring their existence. With the next tournament looming on the horizon, Valeria has a month to figure out her place on her new team and learn how to play like a girl.
The award-winning author of Furia returns to the world of “the beautiful game” in this uplifting, heartfelt novel about family, self-confidence, and the power of second chances.
Publication Date September 10th 2024 by Feiwel & Friends
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Kristy Barrett is a soccer star. She’s been a star since elementary school, and now is so good that she’s been told she may someday make the women’s Olympic team.
Everything changes in an instant, when a blow to her head during a game results in a severe concussion. It’s not her first head injury, but it’s the worst one she’s ever had. The doctors say it will take time to recover; they don’t know how long. All Kristy knows is that her team is moving on without her, and her purpose ― soccer ― is gone, and she doesn’t know what to do, or even who she is. Her days are marked by pain and panic attacks.
Through two unexpected new friendships and insightful therapists, Kristy starts to rebuild her life. The question is, will her new life include soccer?
Sports injuries are a reality of competitive play, for both male and female athletes. Here is a story that athletes and other readers will relate to as they navigate middle-school and their own identities.
Publication Date August 27th 2024 by First Second
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Based on the true story of soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mia and Friends follows a group of young women who made history at the 1999 Women’s World Cup!
Despite being named after a famous ballerina, little Mia Hamm never cared for pirouettes. Instead, she chased the ball: baseball, basketball, and especially soccer. Since she was often the only girl on her sports teams, she had a hard time making friends. But when fifteen-year-old Mia made the U.S. women’s national soccer team, everything changed. All around her, young women tackled and dribbled, passed and kicked, scored, and screamed. They were just like her ― but even more skilled. For Mia to improve, she had to play up to the levels of Michelle Akers, Briana Scurry, Brandi Chastain, and so many others. She was determined not to let her team down.
Publication Date August 6th 2024 by Penguin Workshop
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From debut author Erin Becker comes an action-packed but tender novel about first romance, queer identity, and learning how to be brave when it matters the most.
On the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She’s ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can’t get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst. The only place she feels like herself is in her text conversations where she shares her secret poetry with BTtoYouPlease.
Tory McNally, on the other hand, is keeping everything together, thank you very much. So what if her mom is more preoccupied with her craft projects and new husband than her, or that she’s down to one IRL friend because of annoying, overly peppy “Magic” Mel? She’s perfectly fine, and even when she maybe isn’t, she’s got NotEmilyD to text with.
As the championships loom closer, everything around Mel and Tory starts to get more and more complicated: the dynamics on the field, the rift between their friend group, and, as they connect anonymously online, maybe even their feelings for each other…
Publication Date May 9th 2023 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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One girl and her soccer team take a stand against the bullies who push them too far in this brave, inspiring novel that celebrates girl power and the true spirit of sports. Perfect for readers who love The Crossover and Fighting Words.
Twelve-year-old Alex loves playing soccer, and she’s good at it, too. Very good. When her skills land her a free ride to play for Select, an elite soccer club, it feels like a huge opportunity. Joining Select could be the key to a college scholarship and a bright future — one that Alex’s family can’t promise her.
But as the team gets better and better, her new coach pushes the players harder and harder, until soccer starts to feel more like punishment than fun. And then there comes a point where enough is enough, and Alex and her teammates must take a stand to find a better way to make their soccer dreams come true.
Powerful and inspiring, Select explores the important difference between positive and negative coaching and celebrates the true spirit of sports.
Publication Date January 24th 2023 by Versify
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In this lyrical novel that will appeal to fans of Meg Medina, Maya turns to her trusty “wheel of fortunes” for guidance on the toughest questions — like why her best friend suddenly feels far away, or when her daddy will move back home. But can Maya find the courage to write her own fortune?
Maya J. Jenkins is bursting with questions:
● Will she get the MVP award at this year’s soccer banquet?
● Who will win the big grill off between Daddy and Uncle J?
● When will she pass the swim test and get a green bracelet?For answers and a dose of good luck, twelve-year-old Maya turns to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with the small slips of wisdom she’s collected from fortune cookies.
But can the fortunes answer her deep-down questions? The ones she’s too scared to ask out loud? Like, where did Mama’s smile go, the real one that lit up everything around her? When will Daddy move back home? And most of all, does she have enough courage to truly listen to the voice in her heart?
Publication Date January 17th 2023 by Katherine Tegen Books
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Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says, has written another funny, warm story featuring middle school and family life—all about the complex calculations it takes for everyone to balance the equations of their lives and what it takes to be part of a team while handling a learning disability. This middle grade novel is perfect for fans of From The Desk of Zoe Washington and A Good Kind of Trouble.
Seventh grader Henrietta Weldon gets to switch schools — finally! She’ll be “mainstreaming” into public school, leaving her special education school behind. She can’t wait for her new schedule, new friends, and new classes.
Henri’s dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes math challenging to process and understand, is what she expects to give her problems. What she doesn’t expect is a family feud with her sister over her new friends, joining the girls’ soccer team, and discovering poetry. Henri’s tutor and new friend, Vinnie, reminds her to take it slow. One problem at a time.
If Henri Weldon has twenty-four hours in a day, and she has two siblings who dislike her four new friends, two hours of soccer practice, seven hours of classes, and three hours of homework…she has:
A. No free time
B. No idea how to make everyone happy
C. No time to figure it out, Henri Weldon!
Publication Date September 6th 2022 by Scholastic Press
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Mia Tang is going for the goal in the fourth Front Desk novel by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang!
Mia Tang is play to win!The Women’s World Cup is coming to Southern California, and everyone has soccer fever―especially Mia Tang! The U.S. team is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. But when her P.E. teacher gives her a C, Mia tries to pull up her grade by scoring interviews with the championship teams. It’s not so easy when…
1. The two teams are hunkered down in secret hotels in Pasadena and not taking any media requests.
2. Mr. Yao is back at the motel―as a co-owner! Jason is sure his dad deserves a second chance. Mia is not so sure.
3. Mia’s parents are trying to buy a house of their very own, which turns out to be a LOT harder than they thought!As Mia aims for her goals, she’ll have to face strikers from all corners, as well as her own fears. But if anyone can find a way to win big, it’s Mia Tang!
Publication Date September 7th 2021 by Razorbill
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Adapted for young readers! Join two-time Women’s World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and trailblazing activist Megan Rapinoe in the fight for equality and justice in this middle grade adaptation of her New York Times bestselling memoir, One Life.
You know Megan Rapinoe as an international soccer superstar! She’s also a fierce activist, boldly speaking out about issues of equality and justice — from LGBTQ rights to the equal pay movement to Black Lives Matter.
In this adaptation for middle school readers of her memoir One Life, get to know Megan: from her childhood in a small California town where she learned to play soccer and how to fight for social justice; through high school, college and beyond; to 2016 when she became the first high-profile white athlete to take a knee in support of Colin Kaepernik, and also suing the United States Soccer Federation along with her teammates over gender discrimination.
Using stories from her own life and career, Rapinoe discusses the responsibility we have to speak up. In this edition specifically for young readers, she reveals the impact everyone, even kids, can have on their communities and how kids can get involved in making the world a better place.
Publication Date September 7th 2021 by Viking Books for Young Readers
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In this follow up to Triple Threat, New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica takes us to the soccer field in another empowering story.
Fresh off her football victory as QB, twelve-year-old Alex Carlisle is on cloud nine. But with football season over, Alex is ready to get back on the field on the spring for soccer. But after tryouts, with Alex back on her old team, she and her teammates find out that athletic funding has been cut in Orrville, and girls soccer is one of the first teams to go. Now, Alex knows playing soccer is about more than just healthy competition — it’s about fighting for their right to play. Why should the girls team be first to get cut?
So the soccer girls hatch a plan. The girls team versus the boys team; if the girls can raise enough money, they will fund their own season. But Alex soon realizes that her plan to save the girls team has consequences. Will Alex be able to figure out a way so that everyone gets the chance to play? Or will the girls be the ones left out?
Publication Date August 31st 2021 by Simon Spotlight
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Molly struggles with self-confidence in this seventh delicious book in the Donut Dreams series from the author of the Cupcake Diaries and Sprinkle Sundays series!
Molly is thrilled to hear that a college scout will be coming to her big soccer game to evaluate the players. But when a player on the opposing team starts making rude comments about Molly’s soccer skills and appearance, Molly begins to lose her confidence. Now she can’t help but wonder — is the girl just trying to bring her down, or is Molly really not as good a player as she thinks?
Publication Date May 27th 2021 by Puffin
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Things begin to go wrong for Jaz when her mum moves out, leaving her family behind. Determined to fix everything, she creates her own girl’s football team to be the star her mum always wanted. First, she recruits a brilliant new group of friends to join her team. But after a shaky start, seven very different personalities to manage, and no one at school taking the girls’ team seriously, football stardom feels a long way off. Can Jaz keep everyone – and herself – out of trouble long enough to convince her mum to come home? A relatable, inclusive story about families, unlikely friendships and girl power.
Publication Date August 27th 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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The path to victory starts on the sidelines, in this fast-paced new middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling sportwriting powerhouse John Feinstein.
Twelve-year-old Jeff Michaels, son of a Philadelphia TV sports reporter, is just learning to play soccer on the new sixth-grade team at his middle school. Andrea Carillo has fought her way onto the squad, but the coach doesn’t think girls should play with boys, so she’s riding the bench with Jeff ― even though she’s one of the best players.
With Jeff’s help, the Philly media gets ahold of the story, and suddenly Andi is all over the news as she shows her worth on the soccer field. But amid bullies, threats, and a media firestorm, will Andi’s skills and Jeff’s perseverance be enough to save the season?
From sportswriter John Feinstein comes this action-packed novel about two kids who may be “benchwarmers,” but prove themselves naturals when it comes to teamwork, friendship, and finding a path to victory.
Publication Date March 5th 2019 by First Second
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The Breakaways from Cathy G. Johnson is a raw, and beautifully honest graphic novel that looks into the lives of a diverse and defiantly independent group of kids learning to make room for themselves in the world.
Quiet, sensitive Faith starts middle school already worrying about how she will fit in. To her surprise, Amanda, a popular eighth grader, convinces her to join the school soccer team, the Bloodhounds. Having never played soccer in her life, Faith ends up on the C team, a ragtag group that’s way better at drama than at teamwork. Although they are awful at soccer, Faith and her teammates soon form a bond both on and off the soccer field that challenges their notions of loyalty, identity, friendship, and unity.
Publication Date June 20th 2017 by Clarion Books
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Goal-oriented Maya has two main concerns: getting support and permission for girls’ soccer and keeping her unpredictable biracial family together. At the same time she’s trying to fit in at school, figure out who her true friends are, and dodge the criticisms of her traditional East Indian grandmother and the other relatives who say girls should be quiet and obedient. Maya’s witty, observant first-person narrative will make readers want her on their team, and they’ll cheer her on as she discovers that winning is great—but losing doesn’t mean defeat.
Publication Date March 28th 2017 by Arthur A. Levine Books
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The first contemporary novel about a disease that bends the lives of ten percent of all teenagers: scoliosis.
Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. She’s finally earned a place as a forward on her soccer team. Her best friends make everything fun. And she really likes Tate, and she’s pretty sure he likes her back. After one last appointment with her scoliosis doctor, this will be her best year yet.
Then the doctor delivers some terrible news: The sideways curve in Rachel’s spine has gotten worse, and she needs to wear a back brace 23 hours a day. The brace wraps her in hard plastic from shoulder blades to hips. It changes how her clothes fit, how she kicks a ball, and how everyone sees her – even her friends and Tate. But as Rachel confronts all the challenges the brace presents, the biggest change of all may lie in how she sees herself.
Written by a debut author who wore a brace of her own, Braced is the inspiring, heartfelt story of a girl learning to manage the many curves life throws her way.
Publication Date September 13th 2016 by HarperCollins
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Abby Wambach, World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and longtime U.S. Women’s soccer team captain, delivers an inspiring middle grade memoir for young readers, Forward: My Story. Soccer star Wambach details her life and her recent jump into the limelight, in her own words, speaking from the heart.
From growing up as the youngest of seven in upstate New York to scoring more international goals than any other player in soccer history (184 goals, 77 of which were headers!), she has remained a passionate player and a champion, not only in soccer, but for women’s rights and equal opportunity. It’s a story of passion, of finding her identity, of failure and success. And of course, it’s a story about soccer, and it boils down to one question: with everything that life throws at you, how do you keep moving the ball forward?
Publication Date July 5th 2016 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Lola Levine likes writing in her diario, sipping her mom’s cafe con leche, eating her dad’s matzo ball soup, and playing soccer with her team, the Orange Smoothies. So what if she doesn’t always fit in?
Lola is fierce on the field, but when a soccer game during recess gets too competitive, she accidentally hurts her classmate Juan Gomez. Now everyone is calling her Mean Lola Levine! Lola feels terrible, but with the help of her family, her super best friend, Josh Blot, and a little “pencil power,” she just might be able to turn it all around.
In this first book in a series, young readers will be inspired by Lola’s big heart and creative spirit as she learns to navigate the second grade in true Lola style!
Publication Date May 7th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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From star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan comes the New York Times bestselling first book in an empowering, fun-filled middle grade series about believing in yourself and working as a team.
Twelve-year-old Devin loves to play soccer. If she hadn’t just left Connecticut to move across the country, she would have been named seventh-grade captain on her school soccer team.
But now that Devin is starting seventh grade in Kentville, California, all bets are off. After all, some of the best players on the US national team come from California. She’s sure to have stiff competition. Or so she thinks.
When Devin shows up for tryouts, she discovers that the Kentville Kangaroos—otherwise known as the Kicks—are an absolute mess. Their coach couldn’t care less whether the girls win or lose. And Devin is easily one of the most talented players.
The good news is, Devin quickly makes friends with funny, outgoing Jessi; shy but sweet Zoe; and klutzy Emma. Can Devin and her newfound friends pull together and save the team from itself?
Publication Date April 9th 2024 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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An impactful, gripping middle grade novel in verse from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner that spans one girl’s marathon swim over twelve miles and six hours, calling her mom back home with every stroke.
Six hours.
One marathon swim.That’s all Tully Birch needs to get her life straightened out. With the help of her best friend, Arch, Tully braves the waters of Lake Tahoe to break the record for the youngest person ever to complete the famous “Godfather swim.” She wants to achieve something no one in the world has done, because if she does, maybe, just maybe, her mom will come back.
The swim starts off well — heart steady, body loose, Arch in charge of snacks as needed. But for Tully, all that time alone with her thoughts allows memories to surface. And in the silence of deep waters, sadness can sink you. When the swim turns dangerous, Tully fights for her survival. Does she keep going and risk her own safety and Arch’s? Or does she quit to save them both, even if it means giving up hope that her mother will return?
Publication Date March 12th 2024 by Annick Press
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Salma dreams of becoming a champion swimmer like her hero, Olympian Yusra Mardini. So when she signs up for her school’s swim club, it feels like her dreams could come true…until mean comments from older girls at the pool and women at her mosque spark body image and self-esteem issues. But with the help of her close friends and family ― the team that always has her back ― Salma is ready to claim her place in the pool.
Publication Date February 13th 2024 by Tundra Books
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Temporarily sidelined from her swim team by an earache, Julia won’t be kept down in this buoyant illustrated novel for ages 7 to 10 by acclaimed writer Angela Ahn.
As a member of the Vipers Swim Team, Julia Nam’s always in the pool. Mountainview Community Center is like her second home, not only because swimming at the aquatic center is her favorite thing in the world, but also because her parents run the center’s sushi café. Julia would much rather be in the pool than sitting behind the counter of Sushi on the Go! watching other people swim.
She’s the youngest swimmer on the team, but definitely not the slowest. Julia can’t wait for Personal Best Day — the most important day for all of the swimmers. If their times are good enough, they can enter a big regional swim meet.
But then the worst thing happens. A sharp pain in Julia’s ear reveals an infection and she’s forbidden to swim for ten days. How can she get timed during Personal Best Day when she’s not allowed in the water?
Julia is desperate to get back in the pool, even if it means having to go behind her parents’ backs in order to do so. But Julia’s solution lands her in a sticky situation, and it’s going to require the entire community center to come together to help her out of it!
Publication Date August 29th 2023 by Kokila
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A dazzling story full of heart about how one twelve-year-old channels her rage into synchronized swimming dreams from The Education of Margot Sanchez author Lilliam Rivera.
Natalia De La Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Inglewood pool when her life changed. The LA Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart.
The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it’s a sport with too much emphasis on looks – on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, often using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Still, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she might be both.
Barely Floating explores what it means to sparkle in your skin, build community with those who lift you up, and keep floating when waters get rough.
Publication Date March 14th 2023 by Dial Books
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A powerful and expertly told novel-in-verse by about a 12-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis by an award-winning poet.
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be.
Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most — and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.
Publication Date September 12th 2022 by North Star Editions
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Thirteen-year-old Maddie just wants her classmate Lucas to leave her alone. He keeps asking her out — as if she hasn’t already said no a thousand times! Focusing on her competitive swim team, the Electric Eels, Maddie tries to ignore him, hoping he’ll stop harassing her.
But then, when someone starts sabotaging Maddie’s family-owned pool — glass on the deck, ketchup in the pool, followed by a “code brown” — Maddie worries it’s her “admirer” trying to get even. After Maddie’s parents rule the problems at the pool just harmless pranks, Maddie and her best friend, Ez, decide to investigate on their own. Could it be Lucas? And how can Maddie get him to leave her alone once and for all? The future of the Electric Eels and Maddie’s family legacy are on the line.
Publication Date May 17th 2022 by HarperAlley
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A splashy, contemporary middle grade graphic novel from bestselling comics creator Johnnie Christmas!
Bree can’t wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees — until she’s stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she’s forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.
With Etta’s training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school’s failing team around. But that’s easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake.
Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap — for good?
Publication Date May 11th 2021 by HarperCollins
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For fans of Other Words For Home and Front Desk, this powerful, charming immigration story follows a girl who moves from Karachi, Pakistan, to Peachtree City, Georgia, and must find her footing in a new world. Reem Faruqi is the ALA Notable author of award-winning Lailah’s Lunchbox.
When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah’s accent, floral-print kurtas, and tea-colored skin make her feel excluded, until she meets Stahr at swimming tryouts.
And in the water Nurah doesn’t want to blend in. She wants to win medals like her star athlete brother, Owais — who is going through struggles of his own in the U.S. Yet when sibling rivalry gets in the way, she makes a split-second decision of betrayal that changes their fates.
Ultimately Nurah slowly gains confidence in the form of strong swimming arms, and also gains the courage to stand up to bullies, fight for what she believes in, and find her place.
Publication Date March 9th 2021 by Nancy Paulsen Books
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A Printz Honor Winner
Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this highly acclaimed debut novel in verse.
Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules — like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space — her swimming pool — where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life — by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
Publication Date October 20th 2020 by Scholastic Press
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N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock expertly craft the intersection of the lives of two girls – one, a Muslim fleeing civil war, the other, an American from the South – as they are forced to examine their beliefs and the true meaning of friendship in the midst of the president’s 2017 Muslim ban.
Twelve-year-old Noura Alwan’s family is granted asylum in the United States, after spending two years in a Turkish refugee camp, having fled war-torn Aleppo. They land in Tampa, Florida, on January 30, 2017, just days after the president restricted entry into the US from nations with a Muslim majority population. Twelve-year-old Jordyn Johnson is a record-breaking swimmer, but hasn’t swum well since her mom had a miscarriage during one of her meets. Her family has volunteered to help the Alwan family through their church. She knows very few people of Arab descent or who practice Islam.
The girls’ lives intersect at Bayshore Middle School where Jordyn serves as the Alwan children’s school ambassador. Noura knows that her family is safe from the civil unrest in her home country, but is not prepared for the adversity she now faces on American soil. Jordyn is sympathetic to Noura’s situation, but there are other members of their Florida community who see the refugees’ presence to be a threat to their way of life. While the president’s Muslim ban tests the resolve and faith of many, it is friendship that stands strong against fear and hatred.
Award winners N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock have combined their talents to craft a heartrending Own Voices story told in dual perspectives.
Publication Date May 7th 2019 by Harry N. Abrams
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Dive into Laurie Morrison’s Up For Air, a middle-grade novel about competitive swimming, changing friendships, and finding your place.
Thirteen-year-old Annabelle struggles in school, no matter how hard she tries. But as soon as she dives into the pool, she’s unstoppable. She’s the fastest girl on the middle school swim team, and when she’s asked to join the high school team over the summer, everything changes.
Suddenly, she’s got new friends, and a high school boy starts treating her like she’s somebody special — and Annabelle thinks she’ll finally stand out in a good way. She’ll do anything to fit in and help the team make it to the Labor Day Invitational, even if it means blowing off her old friends. But after a prank goes wrong, Annabelle is abandoned by the older boy and can’t swim. Who is she without the one thing she’s good at?
Heartwarming and relatable, Up For Air is a story about where we find our self-worth.
Publication Date October 23rd 2018 by Wendy Lamb Books
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From the author of Eight Keys comes a loving story of sisters who are trying to find their way back to each other.
Cassie, competitive swimmer and rising seventh grader, plans to spend her summer at the pool with her friends. That way she won’t be stuck at home with her sister and her sister’s baby.
Julia used to be the perfect big sister: she played great games and took good care of Cassie. Now life at home revolves around Julia and her daughter, Addie. No one pays much attention to Cassie – not to her swimming, and not to what’s gone wrong with her friends.
When Julia confides in Cassie that she’ll be leaving with Addie – without telling their parents – Cassie jumps in the car, too. As the days of lumberjack breakfasts and hotel pools start to add up, Cassie has to wonder: Could the sister who seems to be the source of all her problems also be the friend she’s missed the most?
Publication Date July 11th 2023 by Quill Tree Books
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Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novelis a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish. A Schneider Family Book Award winner!
Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life — one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad’s anger, but she’s scared.
When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough?
As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends — and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth — and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad — before summer is over?
Publication Date June 29th 2021 by Kokila
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A middle grade novel in verse about Samira, an eleven-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who finds strength and sisterhood in a local surf club for girls.
Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in her village in Burma, when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There’s before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, there’s before Samira saw the Bengali surfer girls of Cox’s Bazar, and after, when she decides she’ll become one.
Samira Surfs, written by Rukhsanna Guidroz with illustrations by Fahmida Azim, is a tender novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl’s journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.
Publication Date June 9th 2020 by HarperCollins
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From the critically acclaimed author of Train I Ride and Echo’s Sister comes a moving story of friendship between two girls looking for some happiness in a world that can be a little cruel. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Ali Standish, and Erin Entrada Kelly.
Twelve-year-old Juillet is preparing for the worst summer ever. She and her mom are staying in the seaside neighborhood of Ocean Park, California, for a month, where her mom will be working at the local hospital and Juillet will be on her own, like always.
Her dad is off in Europe with his new girlfriend, and her best friend, Fern…well, Juiller isn’t allowed to talk to Fern anymore. Fern took the blame for Juillet’s goth-girl clothes and “not-real” fears, like sharks and rip currents and the number three.
Then Juillet meets Summer, a local surfer girl who knows the coolest people and places around town. With free-spirited and adventurous Summer, Juillet begins to come out of her shell and face the things weighing her down. But when Summer reveals her own painful secret, it’s Juillet’s turn to be the strong and supportive friend.
Publication Date September 5th 2023 by HarperAlley
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In this punchy and energetic middle grade graphic novel, six artistic misfits take matters into their own hands when their principal cancels all creative extracurricular clubs at their school.
When the school principal cancels Sasha’s gaming club, she’s crushed — but not alone. Turns out theater, cosplay, and choir clubs are canceled too, and tons of kids are left without a space to let their creativity shine. Just when she thinks all hope is lost, a class project leads Sasha and her new friends somewhere they never expected — a local wrestling match — where costumes, secret identities, and catchphrases abound. It’s there an idea is formed.
Enter Club Kick Out!
But not everyone is on board with this flashy new club, so when Sasha and her friends take their performances too far, trouble starts brewing. With friendships on the ropes and an unexpected injury in the ring, it looks like the end for these up-and-coming performers. Can Sasha and her friends make a comeback in time for Club Kick Out to give the school a match they’ll never forget…or is this young club officially down for the count?
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Publication Date August 16th 2022 by Kokila
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From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk, a dazzling novel about a young girl who learns the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she’s just met.
Twelve-year-old Adela “Addie” Ramírez has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption. Addie loves Alex, the only father figure she’s ever known, but with a new half brother due in a few months and a big school theater performance on her mind, everything suddenly feels like it’s moving too fast. She has a million questions, and the first is about the young man in the photo she found hidden away in her mother’s things.
Addie’s sleuthing takes her to a New Mexico ranch, and her world expands to include the legendary Bravos: Rosie and Pancho, her paternal grandparents and former professional wrestlers; Eva and Maggie, her older identical twin cousins who love to spar in and out of the ring; Uncle Mateo, whose lucha couture and advice are unmatched; and Manny, her biological father, who’s in the midst of a career comeback. As luchadores, the Bravos’s legacy is strong. But being part of a family is so much harder — it’s about showing up, taking off your mask, and working through challenges together.
Publication Date January 26th 2021 by Katherine Tegen Books
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A moving and triumphant middle grade contemporary debut from award-winning author Matt Wallace about a heroic young girl — who dreams of becoming a pro wrestler — learning to find courage and fight for what she loves. Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds’ Track series!
MJ knows what it means to hurt. Bruises from gymnastics heal, but big hurts — like her dad not being around anymore — don’t go away. Now her mom needs to work two jobs, and MJ doesn’t have friends at school to lean on.
There is only one thing MJ loves: the world of professional wrestling. She especially idolizes the luchadores and the stories they tell in the ring. When MJ learns that her neighbor, Mr. Arellano, runs a wrestling school, she has a new mission in life: join the school, train hard, and become a wrestler.
But trouble lies ahead. After wrestling in a showcase event, MJ attracts the attention of Mr. Arellano’s enemy at the State Athletic Commission. There are threats to shut the school down, putting MJ’s new home — and the community that welcomed her — at risk. What can MJ do to save her new family?
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Publication Date June 19th 2018 by Wendy Lamb Books
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Discover what happens when one girl wants to break barriers in a sport dominated by boys in this exciting and thoughtful novel by the author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary.
Mikayla is a wrestler; when you grow up in a house full of brothers who wrestle, it’s inevitable. It’s also a way to stay connected to her brothers and her dad. Some people object to having a girl on the team. But that’s not stopping Mikayla. She’s going to work hard, and win.
Lev is determined to make it to the state championships this year. He’s used to training with his two buddies as the Fearsome Threesome; but at the beginning of sixth grade, he’s paired with a new partner – a girl. This better not get in the way of his goal.
Mikayla and Lev push each other to excel, and become friends. But when they face each other, only one of them can win.
Publication Date September 19th 2023 by First Second
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A debut middle grade graphic novel by Maddie Gallegos about two girls: one who hates racquetball and another who loves it ― and the strong friendship that blossoms through, and often despite, the sport.
Rosie Vo is at odds with her dad. He pushes his racquetball hobby on to her to the point that she dreads ever spending time with him. Thankfully, new kid Blair moves to town and becomes fast friends with Rosie. She’s cool, a great listener, and even better, the best distraction from the tension Rosie feels at home.
Rosie’s convinced Blair is the answer to all her dad-problems. If only Blair could be the racquetball genius Rosie’s dad has always wanted! But Blair disagrees, hoping to show her that with a friend by her side, Rosie can face both her dad and racquetball.
Publication Date August 29th 2023 by Christy Ottaviano Books
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A coming-of-age middle grade novel about three best friends born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina who must confront storms of their own 12 years later, from a National Book Award winning author.
Born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki are seventh graders and the best of friends. After an accident leaves Greer’s little sister paralyzed, Greer is forever changed by the experience and blames herself. Kiki and Joya Mia will do anything to help Greer let go of this emotional burden, and a plan is hatched to compete in a triathlon. Each girl will participate: Kiki will swim, Joya Mia will cycle, and Greer, if they can persuade her, will run — something she once loved to do.
Set on the Westbank of New Orleans, this contemporary coming-of-age novel is a journey of growth, healing, and difficult transitions as the girls navigate their many life challenges: family trauma, body insecurity, and the conflict between ambition and responsibility. It’s a powerful and enlightening exploration of how to surmount personal tragedy through friendship and forgiveness.
Publication Date March 7th 2023 by Scholastic Focus
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World champion high jumper Chaunté Lowe pens the captivating story of her journey from an impoverished childhood full of big dreams and devastating hurdles, to becoming a bronze medal-winning US Olympian.
Everything seemed set against Chaunté Lowe. Growing up with a single mother in Paso Robles, California, where she experienced food insecurity, homelessness, and domestic abuse, Chaunté couldn’t imagine a future that offered a different sort of life. But then, one day, she turned on the TV and there was Flo Jo, competing in the Olympics and shattering records in track and field. Almost immediately, Chaunté knew what she wanted to do. She started running.
With the help of a small community of friends, family, and coaches, Chaunté worked as hard as she could – both in the classroom and out on the sports field – and through her own fierce determination and grit, she overcame every imaginable obstacle, eventually propelling herself to the place she always dreamed about: the Olympic medal podium.
Boundless is a story that will move anyone who’s ever had a big dream, ever dared to hope for a better future, and ever believed that nothing was impossible. In her own words, Chaunté presents her remarkable and inspiring story of loss and survival, perseverance and hope.
Publication Date September 6th 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Twelve-year-old Daphne reconciles with her father, who left her stranded three years ago, and learns forgiveness one fall at a time in this heartwarming debut by Sally Engelfried. For fans of The First Rule of Punk.
Daphne doesn’t want to be stuck in Oakland with her dad. She wants to get on the first plane to Prague, where her mom is shooting a movie. Armed with her grandparents’ phone number and strict instructions from her mom to call them if her dad starts drinking again, Daphne has no problem being cold to him. But there’s one thing Daphne can’t keep herself from doing: joining her dad and her new friend Arlo at a weekly skate session.
When her dad promises to teach her how to ollie and she lands the trick, Daphne starts to believe in him again. He starts to show up for her, and Daphne learns things are not as black and white with her dad as she used to think. The way Daphne’s dad tells it, skating is all about accepting failure and moving on. But can Daphne really let go of her dad’s past mistakes? Either way life is a lot like skating: it’s all about getting back up after you fall.
Publication Date March 15th 2022 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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An action-packed, empowering middle grade novel about a girl who has to speak up when her wheelchair motocross dreams get turned upside down.
Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide ― and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals ― and her choices ― suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground―and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.
Air is a smart, energetic middle grade debut from Monica Roe about thinking big, working hard, and taking flight.
Publication Date March 24th 2020 by Harry N. Abrams
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A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone.
Ever since they can remember, fifth graders Kenzie (aka Kenzilla) and Shelly (aka Bomb Shell) have dreamed of becoming roller derby superstars. When Austin’s city league introduces a brand-new junior league, the dynamic duo celebrates! But they’ll need to try out as a five-person team. Kenzie and Shelly have just one week to convince three other girls that roller derby is the coolest thing on wheels. But Kenzie starts to have second thoughts when Shelly starts acting like everyone’s best friend…Isn’t she supposed to be Kenzie’s best friend? And things get really awkward when Shelly recruits Kenzie’s neighbor (and secret crush!) for the team.
With lots of humor and an authentic middle-grade voice, book one of this illustrated series follows Kenzie, Shelly, and the rest of the Derby Daredevils as they learn how to fall — and get back up again.
Publication Date September 18th 2018 by Aladdin
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The Cutting Edge meets Step Up in this hilarious M!X novel where the worlds of football and ballet collide.
Brooklyn Gartner eats, sleeps, and breathes ballet. But after her mom gets remarried and moves them to Texas, everything changes. Thanks to her star football player stepbrother, her family is football obsessed. And thanks to a new conditioning program, the middle school football team starts to take classes at her dance studio — the only place Brooklyn felt like she belonged.
She has a chance to escape if she can get into her dream high school, The Texas School of the Arts, where she’ll be able to pursue her passion for dance. Brooklyn just has to get through the big All-City showcase first, where a ton of scouts will be there, including one from TSOTA.
But when Brooklyn’s dance partner gets injured, she has to turn to an unexpected ally — Logan, a boy on the middle school football team — to help her get through the showcase. With some fancy footwork, teamwork and a little understanding, can Brooklyn make her mark, and dance her way onto a bigger stage?
Publication Date April 3rd 2018 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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From the creator of the popular Disney Channel original movie, Jump In!, comes a double Dutch novel perfect for fans of stories about sports, summer, and friendship.
Brooklyn middle-schooler MaKayla can only think about one thing – taking her double Dutch team all the way to the National Jump-off at Madison Square Garden. That is, until her mother breaks the news. Kayla has to spend the summer at her aunt’s house in North Carolina while her parents work out their problems…or decide to call it quits.
Kayla does not feel at home in the South, and she certainly doesn’t get along with her snooty cousin Sally. It looks like her Jump-off dreams are over.
Hold the phone! Turns out, double Dutch is huge in the South. She and Sally just need to find two more kids for a team. And a routine. And the confidence to stand up to the double Dutch divas who used to be Sally’s BFFs. Time to show those Southern belles some Brooklyn attitude!
Publication Date March 10th 2015 by Dial Books
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The Newbery Honor Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Roller Girl is a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby — perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile!
For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid’s life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school… in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.
In this graphic novel debut that earned a Newbery Honor and five starred reviews, real-life derby girl Victoria Jamieson has created an inspiring coming-of-age story about friendship, perseverance, and girl power!
