Ben gaan in sy heel eerste rugbywedstryd speel. Sy maag gee sommer so ’n wilde draai as hy net aan die wedstryd dink. In die wedstryd druk Ben ’n uitstekende drie … maar onder die verkeerde pale! Sy hartjie voel baie skaam oor hierdie fout, maar Pappa lees vir hom in die Kinderbybel dat hy nie skaam hoef te wees vir foute nie.

Ben and the Big Game is ’n lieflike storie wat kinders leer dat dit almal soms foute maak en dat dit jou nie moet onderkry nie, maar dat jy eerder uit foute moet leer en altyd weer probeer.

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.

Advance Praise For Heart of the Hide "Heart of the Hide is a story for all ages You can't help but root for the Kelsey Avenue Crew. You hope that Nicky Palmieri can figure things out. That telling the truth in the long run is much easier than lying. Most likely you'll be reading with moist eyes and tissue in hand." "And when you close the book and reflect on your childhood experiences and friends you can't help but root that Heart of the Hide finds a national audience." Award-winning sports columnist, Corky Blake, Easton Express-Times "A timeless story for all of us baseball people, young and old." WFAN Sports Radio 660 AM Talk Show Host, Rick Wolff Growing up in West Haven, "Heart of the Hide" brought back many fond memories. I think of the friendly rivalries, the competition, spending countless days at the ball fields, and most importantly, the lifelong relationships that helped to make me the person that I am today. Great Book.
Neil C. Cavallaro, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, West Haven Public Schools

Every young person who loves baseball should read "Heart of the Hide," every coach no matter at what level should read this book. Everyone who enjoys a book that deals with the courage it takes to succeed in life should read this book. I can't wait until my grandsons are old enough to read this wonderful book.
Ed Waters, former New York Yankees' farmhand and Florida's High School Baseball Hall of Fame coach, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Ft. Lauderdale Florida

Please visit loupetrucci.com to learn more about the character in Heart of the Hide.

Marilyn Rose was a world champion figure skater. She was the best of the best, so when she had a daughter, much was expected of her. Vyria Rose was born to follow in her mother's footsteps?but she just can't seem to make the grade. She loves figure skating, but she has yet to turn in a winning performance. In frustration, her mother decides to take on a new student named Alice. Vyria, feeling rejected and jealous of her mother's new pupil, turns her focus to school and her grades. She misses figure skating, though, and she still dreams of doing something magical on the ice. Adventurous and brave, Vyria suddenly has a wild idea. Why not mix acrobatics with figure skating? She gets a team together, and they plan to be showstoppers. They?ll use a jump board and add gymnastics to their performances on the ice. Now only time will tell whether Vyria will grow into a future that will make her happy with herself and her own abilities.

Running. That's all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons -until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medallist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him? 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.

When George sees his friend Gracie playing soccer in the park, he's eager to join in-so eager that he grabs the ball with his hands and throws it in the net! Lucky for George, there's a soccer camp starting at the rec centre where he can learn the basic rules of the game and all about dribbling, passing, and what it means to be a team player. George has fun-and gets into a little mischief-at camp, but it's not until the final game that he finds the perfect position for himself. When he does, he proves to his teammates, coach, and himself that he's their MVM-Most Valuable Monkey!

Last season, Julian Pryce was the star center on his championship basketball team. But this year, he's the only starter to return to the team. Julian knows everyone will look to him to lead the team, but he doesn't want the responsibility. How can he replicate last year's miracle run?

From the critically acclaimed author of Amina's Voice comes the third book in an exciting middle grade series about a scrawny fourth-grader with big dreams of basketball stardom. Zayd has a plan. He's ready to take the reins as team captain of the Gold Team. But when an injury leaves him on the sidelines, his plans get derailed. Can Zayd learn what it means to be a leader if he's not the one calling the shots?

This humorous and action-packed adventure story is a fun way for kids to learn basic bicycling safety rules. Ride along with Devin Van Dyke and find out what happens as he tries to follow his mother's list of safety rules while meeting up with friends along the way. Chaos reigns when Devin forgets to follow rules such as one person per bike, wear a helmet, obey traffic signs, and use his eyes and ears to stay alert. Featuring lyrical text and brightly colored, full-page illustrations, this is a book parents and kids will not grow tired of reading out loud, night after night.

Cameron Jones plays football not because he loves it, but because his dad believes he will one day earn a big prize: a university funding bursary. When his father's new job takes him from the big city to a small-town team, Cameron thinks it might be his chance to take a step back from the game. His new team is unorganized and his teammates seem uninterested in the discipline it takes to win. But maybe this new team is exactly what Cameron needs to make football fun again.

What is more fun for boys and girls than reading? More fun that playing the world's most popular game? Reading an adventure set in the world of Fortnite! Grey has improved a ton with the help of his friends, and he's closing in on the top tier of players. But then his closest friend announces that he's been asked to join a new squad on the top tier and leaves them in hopes of making the top five with his new squad. Grey is devastated, and their play struggles. He falls back several ranks and begins to wonder if it's even possible to escape the game this season. Some players have been there for many seasons...some aren't even trying to leave because they like it so much. Maybe he should just accept it as his life. A former rival tells him to snap out of it-he's too good to slide back so far. They end up in a squad and do well enough to scale the ranks again. Grey has a chance to screw over his old Ally/Friend by taking his place on the Top Tier team, but will he?

Batter up! Baseball action and exciting whodunits star in this chapter book series! Next up is Atlanta! The A-team takes A-Town! Mike and Kate are in Atlanta, where Hammerin' Hank hit his legendary 715th home run. But Hank's historic bat and ball, which he used to break Babe Ruth's record, have been stolen! Good thing Mike and Kate are sleuthing pros. Can the cousins track down Hank Aaron's missing treasure . . . before it's gone forever? 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.