""We'll have fun," Mom pleaded. "You've always wanted a brother--" "A younger brother," said Parker. "I wanted a younger brother." "But Eric is great. He'll-" "You don't get it, Mom. I've always been the youngest. Now I'm going to be even younger!""

Before her mom remarried, Lily was the eldest; now she has dropped to second from the bottom. Her 13-year-old stepsister, V, is brilliant, popular, and seriously beautiful, but "lately she's been toxic waste." That, however, is only Lily's viewpoint. Hicks tells her uproarious story in fast, alternating narratives from the four stepsiblings, who suddenly find themselves together in a blended family. Along with all the jealousy and hurt, they still have fun, as when they hold a rock-paper-scissors competition for a neighborhood fund-raiser. There's also a little puzzle. Who has destroyed the tomatoes that V has been growing to raise money to send soccer balls to kids in Iraq? Without heavy message, the switching viewpoints make readers privy to the family secrets and the lies, as the combination of farce and tenderness in daily life brings home both the struggle and the fun.--"Booklist"

"Basketball Bats"Henry and his four friends on Rockford Road are an unbeatable basketball team--on their driveway court. But without team T-shirts or an official name, can they take on the Tigers, a team that plays at the huge YWCA and has a player old enough to shave? Henry feels sure he can lead his friends to victory, but is he really a team player? Or is he a ball hog? "Goof-Off Goalie"
There's nothing Goose wants more than to play goalie for his soccer team. It looks like so much fun--and so easy --on TV. But can he quit daydreaming long enough to stop the ball? With Henry's training, Goose is sure he can go from goof-off to goalie in no time. Just as Goose starts to improve, Henry gets grounded because his grades are slipping. Will Goose help Henry in return? Or is being a goalie more important than friendship?

"Swimming with Sharks"Rita's times aren't fast enough to swim for the Sharks with her friends. To improve she must learn flip turns, but every time she tries, she gets water up her nose Jazz has an idea that might be the key to Rita's success, but what if Rita comes in first on a slower team? Would she rather win or be with her friends? Or is there another way for Rita to swim with the Sharks?
"Track Attack"Jazz loves being on a track team where she sprints fast as a lightning bolt. Her dad loves that she's on the team, too. He's her biggest fan--maybe too big a fan. He argues with the coach, yells at the ref, and screams his head off at every meet. Jazz loves to run, but can she focus on the race while Dad is having a track attack?