Sports Stories

Steve is King of the Bench. No brag. It’s just a fact. But this year, Steve and his friends are excited to try out for the Spiro T. Agnew Middle School baseball team. The only problem is, after watching another player get beaned by a fastball, Steve has developed a serious case of bean-o-phobia—the fear of getting hit by a pitch. If Steve ever wants to get off the bench and get in the game, he’s going to have to muster up some courage, and fast....

"Fifth grade was the worst year of Marc's life. He stunk at gym class, math was too hard for him, the school lunch was horrible, and his class field trip was ruined because he couldn't swim. But what was the most awful thing about fifth grade? Kenny Williamson, the class bully, who calls himself the "King of the Jungle". When Marc's mother tells him that his Uncle Jake is coming to stay for the whole summer, Marc can't wait. Uncle Jake is a for real,...

Kizzy Ann Stamps is starting at a new school, the just-integrated public school, and she's worried. She's worried that the white students won't like her, and she's worried they'll stare at the scar that runs from the tip of her right eye to the corner of her smile, the scar a neighbor boy gave her, in a farming accident. Now this same boy won't stop following Kizzy and Shag, her beloved border collie, everywhere they go, even when they're practicing...

An overview of the most popular sport in the wizarding world details required equipment and rules of play, examining the evolution of quidditch as well as the finer points of modern play. "If you have ever asked yourself where the Golden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, or why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes, you need [this book, which] is consulted by young Quidditch fans on an almost daily...

Eighth-grade star quarterback Nate Brodie's family is feeling the stress of the troubled economy, and Nate is frantic because his best friend Abby is going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars if he can complete a pass during the halftime of a New England Patriot's game, he is nearly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed.

"Anyone would love having the super-scoring robot Java on his soccer team. Well anyone except Java's human cousin, Logan. That's because, up until now, Logan has been the Wombat's top scorer--and he has no desire to share the field with the team's new star player. Especially because Java won't let the other kids get near the ball--never mind score any goals. If it were up to Logan, he would just kick Java right off the field. Because as far as Logan...

Since his mother's death, Jayson, twelve, has focused on basketball and surviving but he is found out and placed with an affluent foster family of a different race, and must learn to accept many changes, including facing his former teammates in a championship game.

Alex's active sense of humor helps him get along with the school braggart, make the most of his athletic talents, and simply get by in a hectic world.