New York Times bestselling author and former NFL defensive end Tim Green encourages readers to fight for their dreams in this heartfelt story about a young football star grappling with the stress of living up to his father's name. Perfect for fans of Mike Lupica!

Danny Owens is dedicating his seventh-grade season to his Super Bowl champion father, who recently passed away. Danny promises everyone that, just like his dad, he'll dominate the big game at the end of the season and earn a spot on the high school varsity team.

Then his English teacher catches him cheating on a test. Even though Danny can retake it, he knows there's no point. He can't read. And if Danny can't pass this class, he won't be eligible to play in the championship game that could unlock his future.

While his resentment rises against the only person willing to help him win off the field, the pressure to succeed begins to weigh heavily on Danny's shoulders. Danny is being tested on every level now, and to pass, he may very well have to choose a different path from his father's.

This exciting coming of age story follows a boy from a tower block as he joins a premier league football academy. This seem to be going well for Jackson - he has signed for United and finally has the chance to go out with Lauren, the girl of his dreams. But when her ex-boyfriend finds out, Jackson is forced to choose between Lauren and his United team-mates. Can he still find a way to make it as a professional footballer? Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font and illustrations, The Football Trials is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). Produced in association with reading experts at Catch Up, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.

Inspired by Derek Jeter's own life, Fair Ball is the fourth middle grade novel in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing Program and focuses on the theme "the world isn't always fair."

Life isn't always fair. You can't control that, but you can control how you think and act when things don't go your way. You have to hang in there and keep after it, not get down and give up.

Derek has a lot to look forward to. School is almost out, his baseball team is competing in the Westwood Little League Playoffs, and then he'll head to his grandparents' house for the summer. Sure, there are finals to study for first, but Derek doesn't mind. Maybe this year he'll get better grades than Gary. But when his best friend Dave starts to act strangely, ignoring Derek and canceling their plans, his summer isn't looking quite so fun. What's going on? Doesn't he want to be Derek's friend anymore?

Derek is so distracted by his problems with Dave that he makes a mistake in the outfield during a key play--and his team loses the game. It's so unfair! With the championship at stake and finals looming, Derek needs to stay focused or risk everything.

Nicci is 'n willewragtig op 'n bergfiets. Die heel lekkerste is om die seuns se reaksie te sien wanneer hulle besef 'n meisie het vir hulle weggery. Tot die dag wat Nicci wreed aangeval en van haar fiets beroof word. Haar wêreld tuimel ineen. Wie sal so iets doen? Stuk-stuk pas Nicci en haar vriende Felicity en Donovan die legkaart inmekaar, en wat hulle uitvind toets hulle geloof in hulle medemens, en hulle eie waardes. Die boek daag ook geslags- en verhoudingstereotipes speels en slim uit. Nicci is ewe goed in ballet en bergfietsry, maar omdat sy 'n meisie is, verwag haar ouers en onderwysers dat sy vanselfsprekend ballet sal kies. Haar oë gaan ook oop oor die ou op wie sy verlief is, wat eintlik maar net 'n modelmooi meisie soek vir wie voorkoms en wat ander mense van haar dink, mees belangrik is. Sy vind in Donovan 'n ware vriend wat haar toelaat om haarself te wees.

Everyone on the estate thinks Mrs Cattermole is a bit batty, talking about her non existent "children" and her precious "treasure." She's easy prey for two con men who persuade her they're from the Water Board and break into her house to steal her treasure. But no one knows that Mrs Cattermole's children do exist--the ghosts of children she looked after in the War--and they will do anything to protect her. The two con men are found dead of fright outside her flat, while Mrs Cattermole has also gone to her rest, holding her "treasure"a box full of the important details of her life. The children have been watching over her all the time.

On Target is original fiction by leading authors written to appeal to the reluctant reader.

Talia is ’n bokser. Sy is deel van die veergewig-kategorie in die skoolspan. Maar haar afrigter het nie baie genade vir haar nie. Dit maak nie saak hoe hard sy boks nie, sy kan net nie sy goedkeuring wen nie.

Sy is ook nie vreeslik gewild ná haar broer, Hamer, vrygelaat word op parool nie. Hy was vir ’n jaar lank in die tronk oor diefstal. Almal behandel hom steeds soos ’n krimineel. Maar ... was hy werklik skuldig?

’n Boeiende roman oor die kompleksiteit van gesinne en die gevegte wat ons almal soms met onsself en ons naastes moet veg.

Wat het geword van elke man vir homself?

Charlie Flets is 17, taai en ʼn 800m atleet op pad na SA’s. Behalwe vir sy skaaphond buddy, Bravo, en vriend, Jordan Jafta, probeer Charlie sy bes om solo te vlieg. Probeer ...

Dis makliker gesê as gedaan, veral as jou buddies moeilikheid kry.

Terwyl hy bloed sweet op die atletiekbaan, maak hy seker dat hy nie per ongeluk ʼn barmhartige Samaritaan soos die res van sy gesin word nie. Hy fokus eerder op sy eie oorlewing, want hy haat dit dat sy pa ’n helikoptervlieënier in die lewensgevaarlike Soedan is en hy haat dit dat sy ma alles en almal in nood help. Soos die uiters vreemde tannie San wat haar intrek in sý buitekamer kom neem het.

En dan tel Charlie teensinnig ʼn verlore joernaal op en teen sy beterwete probeer hy die eienaar opspoor. Skielik word sy eie planne van alleen leef ontspoor, want die joernaal maak ʼn ander wêreld vir hom oop.

13-year-old Ben Smith attends St David's, where rugby is a compulsory sport. After the annual derby against Voortrekker in which a St David's player is severely injured and rushed to hospital, Ben inadvertently catches a glimpse of a bottle labelled Methyltestosterone in the player's tog bag. But when he is told "It's just vitamins, OK?" by another team member, he remembers some references from the team's facebook pages and realises that it is steroids. What follows turns Ben's life upside down.

Think that heading out into the Colorado forest in 60 degree weather in May is totally safe? Think again. As Nico and his baby sitter Hannah quickly learn, Mother Nature can turn on a dime, and when she does, she dumps so much snow on them that they can't find their way out of what should have been a simple overnight backpacking trip.

Trek along with these two as an unexpected snowstorm teaches them just how much wilderness savvy they have. It's not enough. They need more. See how their rescuer uses 21st century technology along with timeless backcountry smarts to try to find his friends. And, experience how Nico, our 12 year old hero, comes to understand that sometimes misbehaving isn't as bad as some adults make it out to be.

"Stranded in a Snowstorm" features backcountry powder skiing and snowboarding, backpacking, fire-lighting, survival, rock and roll, and emergency whistles. Our heroes have to hike high, hunker low, ski and ride fast, and huddle together just to survive. Will they make it out alive? Will their twists and turns be enough to keep them from the dangers that beautiful Mother Nature brings? Will you feel like strapping a board to your feet and poking some freshies while you read this epic adventure?

When Sunny stops running in the middle of a race, Coach asks him what he wants to do instead. His answer is dance, but you can't be on a track team and dance... can you? With his dad's expectations weighing down on him, Sunny finally finds a track event that feels like dancing. But as he practices for this new event, can he let go of everything that's been eating him up inside? READ THE RUN SERIES: 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 running 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 and a lot to prove. Not only to each other, but to themselves.

Aandag, alle onderwysers wat CAPS-boeke vir volgende jaar moet kies! Wil jy graag boeke deur ons drie heel gewildste kinder- en jeugboekskrywers in die klas behandel? Wat van ’n supergewilde Thomas@-boek om jou graadneges aan die lees te kry? Of slaan jou graadagts se asem weg met Jaco Jacobs se Perfek (waarvan tienduisende kopieë reeds verkoop is) of die lekkerleesboek Vis en tjips, wat beloof om net so gewild soos die topverkoper Suurlemoen! te word. En Fanie Viljoen se splinternuwe jeugboek Spring sal hulle laat naels kou tot die einde! Hier is LAPA se CAPS-goedgekeurde boeke vir graad 7, 8 en 9. Die CAPS-uitgawes van hierdie gewilde boeke bevat volledig uitgewerkte vrae en hope prettige aktiwiteite!Graad 7 EAT: Zackie Mostert druk ’n drie (Jaco Jacobs)Graad 8 EAT: Perfek (Jaco Jacobs)Graad 9 EAT: Spring (Fanie Viljoen)Graad 7 Huistaal: Gevaarlike lopies (Jaco Jacobs) Graad 8 Huistaal: Vis en tjips Graad 9 Huistaal: [email protected]

Joe Stoshack lives for baseball. He knows everything there is to know about the game -- except how to play well. His specialty is striking out. Stosh feels like a real loser, and when he takes a low-paying job cleaning a bunch of junk out of his neighbor's attic, he feels even worse -- until he comes across a little piece of cardboard that takes his breath away. His heart is racing. His brain is racing. He can hardly believe his eyes. Stosh has stumbled upon a T-206 Honus Wagner -- the most valuable baseball card in the world! And he's about to find out that it's worth a lot more than money....

#1 New York Times Bestseller A USA TODAY Bestseller A People Magazine pick Reggie has never felt destined for greatness. He dreams about basketball brilliance all day and night, but the hard truth is that he's a benchwarmer for the West Bottom Badgers, the worst team in the league. Even their mysterious new coach, Rolabi Wizenard, can't seem to help them end their losing streak. Reggie is willing to train tirelessly to improve his game, but the gym itself seems to be working against him in magical ways. Before Reggie can become the player he dreams of being, he must survive the extraordinary trials of practice. Basketball legend Kobe Bryant presents this illuminating follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller The Wizenard Series: Training Camp-a story of strain and sacrifice, supernatural breakthroughs, and supreme dedication to the game.