Can a worrier really become a warrior? Nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener’s life motto is Avoid Stuff, despite his family’s attempts to bring out his inner Viking. In this outrageously quirky, "funny and perceptive"* novel . . . why not be both? (*Booklist, starred review) Meet Erik Sheepflattener. Each member of his modern-day Viking-heritage family has a motto to live by. His parents have Family and Pride. His sisters have Conquer and Win. His grandfather has Turnip. But Erik is developing a motto he can truly believe in: Avoid Stuff. Mostly, Erik’s fierce family ignores or discounts him, especially when he tries to say no. But while spending the summer with his rough-and-tumble cousins and older sister Brunhilde in Minnesota, axe-wielding Bru gets the idea to name and Conquer all of Erik’s fears. Will anyone hear him say no before it’s too late? And will Erik end up defined by his fears, or by his fearless family?  Erik vs. Everything is an adventurous, humorous, and heartfelt romp about finding your place, speaking up for yourself, and pursuing what you love . . . even when it scares you.

Join eleven year old Chloe McCorkle on her trip to summer Camp Minnehaha in this action-packed, laugh-out-loud book perfect for middle schoolers and kids ages 9 to 12. Someone once told me that money can't buy a girl happiness. Well, they obviously never had to ride a baby bike to the first day of middle school. There is no way eleven-year old Chloe is going into the sixth grade riding her old pink bicycle! But before she can earn money for a new bike, she's shipped off to career camp. She decides to make the best of it: she'll learn cake decorating and earn money when she gets home, frosting cupcakes at a local shop. But nothing goes according to plan. Between fighting off a rampaging goat named King Arthur, a spider that just won't die, and a prima donna bunkmate named Victoria Radamoskovich, there's no time left for Chloe to learn cake decorating. When the last day of camp comes, will Chloe be ready to cupcake-decorate her way to a new bike? Or does everything really have to go to plan?

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.

Like lightning/you strike/fast and free/legs zoom/down field/eyes fixed/on the checkered ball/on the goal/ten yards to go/can’t nobody stop you/can’t nobody cop you…

Twelve-year-old Nick is a football-mad boy who absolutely hates books. In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel The Crossover, football, family, love, and friendship take centre stage as Nick tries to figure out how to navigate his parents’ break-up, stand up to bullies, and impress the girl of his dreams. These challenges – which seem even harder than scoring a tie-breaking, game-winning goal – change his life, as well as his best friend’s. This energetic novel-in-verse by the poet Kwame Alexander captures all the thrills and setbacks, the action and emotion of a World Cup match.

Sydney Taylor Award-winning novel Berlin Boxing Club is loosely inspired by the true story of boxer Max Schmeling's experiences following Kristallnacht. Publishers Weekly called it "a masterful historical novel" in a starred review.Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew; after all, he's never even been in a synagogue. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin don't care that Karl's family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by their attacks against a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.Then Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself. But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: family protector. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his boxing dreams with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?Includes an author's note and sources page detailing the factual inspirations behind the novel.

Join Fiona the hippo, the adorable internet sensation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, as she and her friends find a soccer ball and decide to play a game. But what happens when the ball gets stuck up a tree and lost in a pond? Young readers will enjoy learning more about Fiona and her friends in this Level One I Can Read book about the little hippo that has captured hearts around the world with her inspiring story and plucky personality. Fiona Plays Soccer is: An endearing animal book that's a perfect gift from parents and grandparents A sweet story about teamwork and playing together A Level One I Can Read story geared for children just learning to read Created by New York Times bestselling artist Richard Cowdrey of Fiona the Hippo; A Very Fiona Christmas; Fiona, It's Bedtime; Legend of the Candy Cane; Bad Dog, Marley; and A Very Marley Christmas fame ?Fiona Plays Soccer is one title in the I Can Read brand that focuses on Fiona the hippo. Other titles include:? Meet Fiona Fiona Saves the Day Fantastic Fiona Fiona and the Rainy Day Fiona's Train Ride Fiona Goes to School Fiona Gets the Sniffles

"Subtle, nuanced, and full of heart" (Kirkus Reviews), this powerful story about football and a boy on the brink of adulthood is perfect for fans of Carl Deuker and Mike Lupica.

Seventeen-year-old Zeb Holloway is happy to work in his uncle's auto repair shop and cruise through school without much effort. He's a quarterback on his high school's undefeated football team, but he never plays. That is, until the star player is injured a week before the state championships.

As Zeb assumes the role of QB and team leader, the entire town is watching him. And when a college recruiter says Zeb could have a future beyond his small New Hampshire town, he realizes there's a bigger life out there for him.

Can one game really change everything? Fate and football collide in this moving sports novel.

Fourteen-year old Aarash is nervous to start his first year at Freemont Central High School. Though his family has lived in the country since he was eight years old, Aarash still feels like an outsider. Then an older friend suggests Aarash join the school's wrestling team. Aarash is nervous but tries out anyway and is excited to make the team. But a bully on the mat makes Aarash rethink everything. Can he see his commitment through? Or will taking it to the mat cost more than he's willing to sacrifice?

Batter up! Baseball action and exciting whodunits star in this chapter book series! Next up is Colorado! Mike and Kate arrive in Colorado to a ballpark covered in snow! Luckily, the stadium has a heater that can melt the fluffy flakes in time for next day's game. But when the ballpark engineers get a mysterious note saying that someone may tamper with the scoreboard, the snow becomes the least of the cousins' problems. It's time for Mike and Kate to switch into sleuth mode and solve a mystery that will take them underground, a mile above sea level, and even face to face with a dinosaur! Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts.

Some Girls Just Have To Be The Best At Everything.
If any two girls know about being the best, it's Heather Fox and Jasmine King. Just ask them; they'll be happy to tell you.
But every girl knows that there can only be one "best."
Can Sasha keep the girls from turning the arena into a war zone and still snag a spot on the coveted Youth Equestrian National Team?

Sam's team are edging closer to the bottom of the league this season and team captain Jordan's bad attitude isn't helping anyone. When Sam spots Hasan playing on the refugee team, he can see that Hasan's got talent and invites him along to practice. Hasan and his friend Faisal prove to be exactly what the team need - but Jordan's not going to accept his new teammates so easily. Can Sam get the boys to pull together and win? Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+

Romelu Lukaku is the boy from Belgium who went from having big dreams to playing for Manchester United. After a GBP90 million transfer, he spearheads their attack, but Romelu had to leave a trail of goals in the Premier League to earn a move to the world's biggest club. This is the amazing story of his journey to become a football hero.

Eoin has been chosen for the Junior development squad so over the summer he gets to go to Dublin for a rugby summer school. Arising out of that, he and his new friends are taken on a trip to Twickenham, London, to play & watch rugby. While there, he meets a ghost: Prince Obolensky, a Russian who played rugby for England, scored a world famous try against New Zealand in Twickenham and later joined the RAF and died in WW2. The fourth book in the Rugby Spirit series.

For Sam, playing football is easy. He's the star goalkeeper and a key member of the team. But writing and schoolwork is another matter. When Sam is chosen to read his match report in front of the whole school, the prospect fills him with dread. How can he keep up his image and avoid feeling humilliated?