From New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica comes a story about a young basketball player confronting the truth about his hero and grappling with right and wrong on and off the court.
Gramps is Lucas's hero, which is second only to the fact that he is also Lucas's basketball coach. Gramps coached the team to victory in the championships last year, and when he decides to come out of retirement to coach another season, Lucas is thrilled. This season will absolutely be the greatest yet.
So when his English teacher challenges the class to write a biography of the person they most admire, Lucas can't think of anyone he'd rather write about.
Except...Gramps is being cagey. He avoids every question Lucas asks, and gets angry every time Lucas brings up his past as a hotshot basketball player. Lucas can't help but wonder—is there something Gramps is trying to hide? And if there is, will Lucas be prepared to face the truth about the man he thought he knew?
With basketball championships fast approaching, time is running out for Lucas to decide.
From acclaimed author of the Home Team Mike Lupica comes a brand-new novel about the heart and soul of baseball.
On or off the field, Matt and Ben couldn't be more different. Ben Roberson is an all-or-nothing player: he's big, he's bold, and he's brash. Ben's swing can hit a ball right out of the park—but that's if he can get a hit at all.
Matt Baker is small, and shy, and his stutter has him avoiding the spotlight—even if he's the best all-rounder on the team. But while Matt knows he's got the chops, a part of him has always envied "Big Ben" and his attention-grabbing charm.
So it's a total shock when Ben asks Matt to help him work on his swing. Because Ben can't put the ball into play, and his showboating comes at the expense of the team. And even though Matt's trying to help, Ben doesn't seem to take him seriously, especially when it means toning things down.
The end of the season is fast approaching—is there enough time for Ben to realize bigger isn't always better? For Matt to understand that sometimes, being the bigger person means standing up for yourself?
Or will they have to accept defeat?
The third installment of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries--a sports-themed chapter book mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica. Perfect for fans of Cam Jansen!
There's nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well, it doesn't get any better than that.
In this third mystery, Zach and Zoe discover their football has been completely deflated, leaving them without a ball to play with at recess. But who's behind it?
In the opening installments of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing readers to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica begins an exciting new chapter book series, perfect for fans of Cam Jansen, filled with his trademark sports action and heart, featuring a lovable twin brother-sister duo who solve sports-related mysteries. The first two books will release simultaneously!
There's nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well it doesn't get any better than that.
In the opening installments of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing readers to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
Perfect for fans of Cam Jansen, #1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica begins an exciting new chapter-book series, featuring his trademark sports action and heart, and a lovable twin brother-sister duo who solve sports-related mysteries.
There's nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well, it doesn't get any better than that. So when a baseball signed by Zach's favorite major league player suddenly goes missing--the search is on! Luckily, amateur sleuths Zach and Zoe are on the case. Can they solve the mystery and find the ball before it's lost for good?
In this first book of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing readers to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica begins an exciting new series, perfect for fans of Cam Jansen, featuring his trademark sports action and heart, and a lovable twin brother-sister duo who solve sports-related mysteries.
There's nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well it doesn't get any better than that. When the twins start a summer basketball league at their local park, they notice the once rundown court is getting freshened up with each passing day. First new nets, then the benches have been completely restored. But who's behind it? Zach and Zoe are on the case!
In the opening installments of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing listeners to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
Cassie must learn that you can't "fix" someone else after a girl with Asperger's joins her softball team in the fourth and final book of the Home Team series from New York Times bestselling author and sports-writing legend Mike Lupica.
Cassie Bennett is great at being in charge. She always knows what to do to lead her teams to victory, keep her many groups of friends together, or fix any problem that comes her way. So when Sarah Milligan, an autistic girl with unreal softball skills, joins Cassie's team, Cassie's sure she can help her fit in with the team.
But before long it's obvious that being around so many people is really hard for Sarah, and the more Cassie tries to reach out and involve her, the more Sarah pushes her away, sometimes literally. It doesn't help that Cassie's teammates aren't as interested in helping Sarah as they are in making sure they make it to the new softball All-Star Tournament that'll be televised just like the Little League World Series.
Soon no one seems to even want Sarah on the team anymore besides Cassie, and the harder Cassie tries to bring everyone together, the worse things seem to get. Cassie Bennett never backs down from a challenge, but can she realize that maybe the challenge isn't fixing a problem in someone else, but in herself? Or will her stubbornness lead her to lose more than just softball games?
The sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Travel Team!
When you're the smallest kid playing a big man's game, the challenges never stop-especially when your name is Danny Walker. Leading your travel team to the national championship may seem like a dream come true, but for Danny, being at the top just means the competition tries that much harder to knock him off. Now Danny's heading to Right Way basketball camp for the summer, and he knows that with the country's best players in attendance, he's going to need to take his game up a notch if he wants to match up. But it won't be easy. Old rivals and new battles leave Danny wondering if he really does have what it takes to stand tall.
Chris Conlan is the coolest kid in sixth grade, the golden-armed quarterback of the football team and the boy all the others look up to. Scott Parry is the new kid, the boy with the huge brain, but with feet that trip over themselves. These two boys may seem like an odd couple, but each has a secret that draws them together, and proves that the will to succeed is even more important than raw talent
An uplifting story about role models, football, and tackling fear set in the heart of Friday Night Lights country-from the bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team, and Fantasy League.
Clay is a quarterback's dream. When he zips across the field, arms outstretched, waiting for the ball to sail into his hands, there's no denying him the catch. Like most Texans, Clay is never more at home than when playing football. And his coach, a former star player for the Dallas Cowboys, is just like a second father.
But as the football season kicks off, Clay begins to notice some odd behavior from his coach--lapses in his memory and strange mood swings. The conclusion is painful, but obvious: Coach Cooper is showing side effects of the many concussions he sustained during his playing days. As Clay's season wears on, it becomes clear that the real victory will be to help his coach walk onto that famous star logo in the middle of Cowboys Field one last time--during a Thanksgiving day ceremony honoring him and his former Super Bowl-winning teammates.
In Lone Stars, #1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica demonstrates once again that there is no children's sports novelist today who can match his ability to weave a story of vivid sports action and heartfelt emotion. A touching story that proves life is bigger than a game.
Gus and Cassie have always been on the same team off the field, but in this third novel in New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica's Home Team series can they stay friends when they're on the same court?
Everyone assumes that Gus, whose family is from the Dominican Republic, is a baseball guy. But this year Gus is even more excited about basketball than any other sport he's ever played. He's been practicing some new moves and lately he's more surprised when he misses his shot than when he scores. Plus now that he's convinced his friend Teddy to try out for the team and Jack's shoulder is healed, it looks like Walton's home team will be unstoppable.
But this isn't going to be the season Gus expected, because their team is getting a new player—and she just happens to be one of his best friends. Gus knows Cassie is more than good enough to compete on the boys' team, and besides they really do need a point guard, so why isn't he able to shake the feeling that she belongs on their bleachers rather than their bench? And to make matters worse, with their center Steve Kerrigan constantly making comments about his Dominican heritage, and Steve's dad voicing his views on immigration as he runs for office, Gus is starting to wonder if he really belongs in Walton after all.
Can Gus find a way to bring the home team together both on and off the court, or will all these prejudices block their shot at a winning season?
From the #1 bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team and Fantasy League comes a story of heroes, family, the thrills of skateboarding, and football.
When the Brighton Bears suit up on game day, 12-year-old Tommy Gallagher is the toughest kid on the football field. And the bravest. After all, his father Patrick is a Boston firefighter--one of Boston's bravest. Tommy's dad taught him everything he knows about football--and life.
Yet even Tommy isn't strong enough for what happens when the sirens ring and, for the first time, they're racing away from the fire. 'First man in; last man out' had always been his dad's motto . . . yet he never said anything about leaving in an ambulance. What kind of risk had his dad taken? Now Tommy's biggest battle has nothing to do with football. And the kid who always had such respect for risk on the gridiron finds himself drawn to it off the field.
Set in New England, home of the Patriots' football dynasty, Mike Lupica shows off his trademark knack for spinning a tale that's equal parts sports action and heart. Last Man Out is a thoughtful tribute to the bravery of firefighters and the need we all have to live up to the level of our heroes.
Praise for Last Man Out
'[S]hort, action-packed chapters . . . will keep even the most reluctant readers motivated to keep reading. As is characteristic of Lupica's books, the sports segments, most particularly the football portions, are exceptionally well written.'--VOYA
'Lupica stirs equal quantities of grief and gridiron action into his latest outing. Lupica effectively puts readers into the center of the action . . . [I]n the best traditionsof sports writing, this will leave readers both breathless and thoughtful.'--Booklist
From the Hardcover edition.
