There’s “plenty of soccer action” in this story of a middle schooler who has to figure out how to balance good sportsmanship with the goal of winning (Booklist). Eighth-grader Nate Osborne is a forward on his U-14 soccer team, the Strikers. He and the rest of his teammates are very competitive—especially when it comes to their rivals, the Monarchs. They want the Monarchs to lose so badly that they’ll even root against them when they play other teams. Then, during a game between the Strikers and the Monarchs, a boy on the opposing team gets injured, and Nate must decide between going for a goal or kicking the ball out of bounds as an act of sportsmanship. His aunt, who’s also a soccer player, has taught him the importance of fair play, but when Nate stops the clock and sacrifices his chance to win the game, his teammates just don’t understand. From the author of the Sports Stories and All-Star Sport Stories series, as well as the kids’ sports column “The Score” for the Washington Post’s KidsPost section, Out of Bounds is an entertaining and thoughtful tale about young athletes striving to become not only great players, but also great people.
DIVDIVSam loves football. There’s nothing better than the rush he gets when his team, the Cowboys, are working together—moving closer and closer to the end zone./divDIV In a key game, the Cowboys beat their arch rivals to remain undefeated, thanks to a major play by Sam. But the celebration ends when he and his teammates make an unwelcome discovery./divDIV Is the Cowboys’ perfect season in jeopardy?/div/div
Chris wants to be a star scorer like his brother—so why does his coach keep him waiting on the bench? Chris comes from a sports-loving family. His brother is the star scorer on the high school team, and is being recruited by Division 3 colleges. Chris longs to earn the same adulation, and he’s a good scorer for his junior high team. But why won’t his coach start him? He’s better on defense than his rival, Carlos, and nearly as good a shooter. Soon Chris becomes obsessed with earning a place in his team’s starting lineup. He does everything he can think of—including being an invaluable player every time he comes in. But nothing seems to get Coach’s attention. Even after he learns the history of the valuable “6th man,” Chris can’t seem to let it go. How will he ever be a big scoring star? For every kid who hates to read but loves basketball, comes a suspenseful novel with plenty of play-by-play sports action.
Brett Carter is a hotshot on his basketball team, the Wildcats—or at least he was. After missing an easy layup shot at the buzzer in an important game, he feels like a total loser. But things get worse. At his best friend’s birthday party at a rock climbing center, Brett freezes on the wall. Then he blows an easy question in the American history bee at school. He is losing his confidence fast, both on and off the court—and the championship game is coming up. Can Brett overcome his fears and play like a “winner” again?
The Franklin High Panthers need a new quarterback. Freshman Jesse Wagner knows the plays, but he feels he is too small to be QB material. Jesse’s brother Jay has a problem of his own: his college coach wants him to switch from quarterback to safety. The brothers agree on a deal: Jesse will try out for quarterback, and Jay will try playing safety. Meanwhile, Jesse and his teammates recruit an unlikely kicker for their team—a girl named Savannah.
An eighth-grade basketball player has amazing shooting talent but could use a little team spirit in this novel “bound to engage and entertain young readers” (School Library Journal). Richie Mallon is known as “the shooter”—the one on the team who scores most of the baskets. Every day he practices at his driveway hoop, perfecting his technique. Richie never plays any other roles on the court, leaving it to his teammates to do the assisting and rebounding. Under a new coach, Richie makes the team, but isn’t given a starting position. Then, when his shooting skills fall into a slump, he must find a way to become a more well-rounded player. With over 440,000 copies sold, Fred Bowen’s Sports Story Series continues to deliver play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
DIVIt seems like Ryan, Zeke, Miles, and Eli have been friends forever. They spend practically every afternoon together playing basketball or just hanging out. But this year is different. All four friends are trying out for the basketball team./divDIV With so many good players in the running, Ryan is concerned that he won’t make the team. But he’s even more worried about what will happen to his group of friends if all of them don’t make the final cut./divDIV/div
A high school athlete must choose between track and football in this novel—perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green—by the author of Perfect Game. Ninth-grader Tim Beeman is eager to find his place at his elite new school. When he breaks the record for the fifty-yard dash during the first week of classes, he reveals his special talent: speed. Before long, the track and football teams are both urging him to join their ranks. But where will he feel most comfortable, and be able to put his running skills to best use? Tim is torn. He would definitely be an asset to the track team, but he’s drawn to the more prestigious football program. He’s eager to join such a popular group and feels he has a lot to offer them, but he can’t shake a lingering fear of being injured. How can Tim make the most of his talents and at the same time satisfy his own needs? In Speed Demon, Fred Bowen, author and Washington Post KidsPost sports columnist, tackles relatable dual-athlete issues like making choices and maintaining friendships, meanwhile offering a serious exploration of the topic of player safety. Discussion Guide available
A baseball star’s luck is tested in this action-packed story—perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green—from the author of The Kid Coach. Like many athletes, Trey is superstitious. How could he not be when he just made the Ravens travel baseball team thanks to his lucky charm, a piece of rare sea glass he found on his grandmother’s beach? This stroke of good fortune reinforces Trey’s superstitions, and his rituals only become more important to him. Despite some teasing from his teammates, he persists in never stepping on the foul line, obsessively tapping the corners of home plate when he’s at bat, and always choosing the same lucky bat. And his tactics are working; he’s doing quite well on the field and in the batter’s box. Then one day Trey can’t find his lucky sea glass. His performance begins to slip, and he’s convinced his future with the Ravens is doomed. Things don’t start to improve until Trey’s uncle reminds him of his grandmother’s favorite saying: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Can Trey take these words to heart and find his swing again . . . even without his lucky charm? This ebook features an afterword about famous real-life players with their own lucky charms and superstitions. Discussion Guide available “A former kids’ baseball coach and the writer of the Washington Post sports column for young readers, Bowen adds an entertaining note on baseball superstitions. . . . The straightforward story will appeal to young players as well as older ones intimidated by longer novels.” —Booklist
DIVDIVMichael and his basketball teammates are eager to compete, but don’t believe their team can win without a tall player./divDIV Then they discover the full-court press, mastered in the 1960s by the UCLA Bruins on their way to the NCAA championship. Can this strategy be what they’re looking for when they go head-to-head with taller teams?/divDIV/div/div
The Reds and the Cubs are battling for the first place in the Rising Stars League. The Reds need a victory in today’s game to push ahead in the standings. Kyle, the Reds center fielder, wants to win so much that he secretly cheats—just a little—to clinch the game for his team. His teammates go wild with victory. His parents beam with pride. Suddenly Kyle feels uneasy. But what can he do? He’s a winner—and he can’t turn back now . . .
DIVDIVJamie has the perfect glove. No matter the play, he can make the catch. He’s oiled the glove all winter and, as the season approaches, he—and his glove—are in top form./divDIV But when the golden glove mysteriously disappears, so do Jamie’s confidence and his baseball skills./divDIV Will Jamie find his glove in time for the big game? Was the golden glove really the secret of his success?/divDIV/div/div
Chris desperately wants to be more than a benchwarmer on his basketball team. Hoping he can get more playing time, he asks his friend Greta, the high-scoring star of the girls’ team, for help with his shooting skills. But it is Greta’s mom—a former basketball star who never even scored a basket—who teaches Chris how to change his strategy and become a success on the court.
Brendan is a star player on a team going nowhere. It looks as if his playoff dreams will never come true—at least not with his team! He feels almost as bad as Ernie Banks, the Hall-of-Famer who played in more games than any other major leaguer without ever going to the playoffs or World Series. But when his uncle takes him to a game at Wrigley Field, an unexpected event makes Brendan see his team in a new light. Could his playoff dreams come true?
Fred Bowen is back with more soccer action—and a mystery—in his newest Sports Story, perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green. While soccer-playing twins Aiden and Ava lead their teams to a championship season, they try to solve the mystery of their town's missing soccer trophy. Thirteen-year-old twins Aiden and Ava and their good friend Daniel, all avid soccer players, have just learned their county league soccer trophy mysteriously disappeared forty years ago from the town library. It was never recovered. So between games and practices for the town's soccer championships, the three friends try to solve the case. But will these amateur detectives be able to unravel the mystery and find someone who had both motive and opportunity to commit the crime? Will their teams make it all the way to the championships? In this story, Bowen tackles important topics like equal recognition for women in sports. The afterword provides more information about the real-life disappearance of the original World Cup trophy.
A baseball book full of on the field action perfect for middle grade readers. "Strike one is the best pitch in baseball." Mike loves pitching, and he loves knowing his team counts on him to deliver wins. But Mike's father starts to worry that Mike is getting too carried away with baseball and not spending time working at after school jobs and developing a sense of responsibility. Can Mike and his father reach a compromise in order to let Mike play the game he loves and help his team win the league championship? Read “The Real Story” of Harvey Haddix, who pitched a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves in 1959 and LOST. Baseball fans will love this extra dive into sports history.
T.J. is smaller than his teammates and his pitches just don't have the power to get the batters out. When he learns about 1940s player Rip Sewell, he may have found a solution. Now in a newly revised format! More than anything, T. J. wants to be a pitcher. But he's smaller than his teammates, and his pitches just don't pack the power they need to strike out the batters. When T. J. learns about one of baseball's early heroes, Pittsburgh Pirate Rip Sewell, he decides to try Sewell's secret weapon. But will his teammates give T. J. a chance to prove that he can be a pitcher? And will T. J.'s secret pitch help lead his team to victory?
So You Want To Be a Principal relates many of the experiences Mr. Bowen encountered while working in public and international schools. It suggests that many of the circumstances are difficult and unusual, necessitating the development of a skill set that is not available prior to ones appointment as an administrator and which must therefore be learned. Death, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, parental confrontation, cultural differences, terrorism, and school board politics are some of the areas which he describes in vivid detail.
So You Want To Be a Principal? relates many of the experiences Mr. Bowen encountered while working in public and international schools. It suggests that many of the circumstances are difficult and unusual, necessitating the development of a skill set that is not available prior to ones appointment as an administrator and which must therefore be learned. Death, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, parental confrontation, cultural differences, terrorism, and school board politics are some of the areas which he describes in vivid detail.
This accessible, informative, and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the 100th anniversary of the NFL and is the perfect keepsake for football fans of all ages. The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people every year. But it wasn’t always like this. In the last one hundred years, football has changed from a poorly organized, often overlooked sport to America’s favorite pastime. Here are the stories of that remarkable transformation. The stories of the greatest players, the most successful coaches, the most memorable games—and the amazing plays that made us gasp as we watched them in stadiums and on televisions all over America. Discover the league’s scrappy beginnings in an automobile showroom, and early players like Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Relive the very first championship game, played indoors after a circus had visited, and famous games like the Ice Bowl. See the NFL at war, and meet some of the remarkable athletes who helped desegregate the league. Learn how the draft came into existence, and about the teams that strove for that almost impossible goal—a perfect season. Veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen brings his in-depth knowledge and lively prose to these fascinating stories, and award-winning artist James E. Ransome has created stunning full-page illustrations that bring the sport of football to life like never before.
Ted Williams hit .406 for the season in 1941? a feat not matched since. In this inspirational picture book, authentic sportswriting and rich, classic illustrations bring to life the truly spectacular story of the Red Sox legend, whose hard work and perseverance make him the perfect role model for baseball enthusiasts of all ages.
Celebrate seventy-five years of the NBA in this exciting and beautifully illustrated middle grade account of the legendary athletes, coaches, and teams that changed basketball forever and created a national phenomenon enjoyed by millions today. The National Basketball Association is the biggest league for one of the nation’s most beloved sports. Played in massive stadiums by athletes who are now household names, with millions of fans around the world, basketball has truly become a global phenomenon. But it didn’t always exist the way we know it now. Follow basketball from its humble beginnings as a casual indoor pastime played in gyms and colleges through its evolution for seventy-five years of hardcourt history. The NBA gained legions of fans thanks to the introduction of rules like the three-point line and the twenty-four second clock, and teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters, who paved the way for desegregated teams. Discover the story of the legendary Olympic Dream Team of 1992 and beloved players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, along with the early game-changers who made basketball what it is today. With the expert storytelling of veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen and stunning full-page illustrations from award-winning artist James E. Ransome, experience the biggest and best basketball league in the world, the NBA.
Jamie has the perfect glove. No matter the play, he can make the catch. But when the golden glove mysteriously disappears, so do Jamieżs confidence and baseball skills. Includes illustrations.
It seems like Ryan, Zeke, Miles and Eli have been friends forever. But this year is different because all four friends are trying out for the junior high basketball team. Includes illustrations.
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