This week, the name of the *game* is book lists. Each day we will have a list, built around a theme. These are books our judges are reading, as they were nominated or submitted for the 2023 CYBILS Awards.
From the sweet science to the beautiful game and Olympic sports to chess and robotics, these books will inspire and engage fans, athletes, and gamers of all ages.
Summaries from Goodreads.
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FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance
by Kat Zhang, Charlene Chua (Illustrator)
Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the perfect dance party when she doesn’t have the perfect ribbon for her dance?
Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the perfect dance party when she doesn’t have the perfect ribbon for her dance?
Baller Ina
by Liz Casal
Ina loves to dance tendu, passé, and grand jeté. But there’s more she can do in her pink tutu! Cheer from the sidelines as Ina--with her signature ballet moves--helps lead her basketball team to victory in this picture book that celebrates the marvelously multifaceted nature of kids.
Ina loves to dance tendu, passé, and grand jeté. But there’s more she can do in her pink tutu! Cheer from the sidelines as Ina--with her signature ballet moves--helps lead her basketball team to victory in this picture book that celebrates the marvelously multifaceted nature of kids.
Let’s Play Soccer!
by Ben Lerwill, Marina Ruiz (Illustrator)
This non-fiction picture book celebrates the simple joys of soccer, whatever your background or ability.
This non-fiction picture book celebrates the simple joys of soccer, whatever your background or ability.
Obioma Plays Football
Chika Unigwe, Chinyere Okoroafor (Illustrator)
9 year-old Obioma is a football star. She uses a special stick to score goals and never loses a race in her wheelchair! At her new school, everyone calls her “the girl with the wheelchair.” Obioma misses playing football the most. One day, one day a girl named Ayana asks her to race. Once they start playing football, everyone joins in and Obioma finds a new team to play with!
9 year-old Obioma is a football star. She uses a special stick to score goals and never loses a race in her wheelchair! At her new school, everyone calls her “the girl with the wheelchair.” Obioma misses playing football the most. One day, one day a girl named Ayana asks her to race. Once they start playing football, everyone joins in and Obioma finds a new team to play with!
Together We Swim
by Valerie Bolling, Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
Jumping into the water can be more than a little scary! But with Mom's steady arms there's no fear of sinking. With a kick, a splash, and his family's cheers of encouragement, one determined boy finds his groove, making waves in this fun-filled day at the pool. Embrace the feeling of accomplishment in this joyous, reassuring story about perseverance and new experiences.
Jumping into the water can be more than a little scary! But with Mom's steady arms there's no fear of sinking. With a kick, a splash, and his family's cheers of encouragement, one determined boy finds his groove, making waves in this fun-filled day at the pool. Embrace the feeling of accomplishment in this joyous, reassuring story about perseverance and new experiences.
When You Can Swim
by Jack Wong
Expansive vignettes introduce sandpipers, tannin-soaked lakes, and the feeling of a small waterfall on sun-soaked shoulders. But what about those who are afraid of the water’s mysterious ways and resist learning to swim?
An empowering, poetic journey that invites children to discover their confidence within to receive the warmth and wonder of the natural world.
Expansive vignettes introduce sandpipers, tannin-soaked lakes, and the feeling of a small waterfall on sun-soaked shoulders. But what about those who are afraid of the water’s mysterious ways and resist learning to swim?
An empowering, poetic journey that invites children to discover their confidence within to receive the warmth and wonder of the natural world.
EASY READERS & EARLY CHAPTER BOOKS
Aven Green Soccer Machine
by Dusti Bowling, Gina Perry (Illustrator)
Third-grader Aven Green is an expert soccer player. She even has her own top secret moves! But when her friend Sujata joins the team, Aven has a hard time learning to help the new player shine. When the time comes to choose a new team captain, will Aven learn to share the spotlight and understand what it means to be a team player?
Third-grader Aven Green is an expert soccer player. She even has her own top secret moves! But when her friend Sujata joins the team, Aven has a hard time learning to help the new player shine. When the time comes to choose a new team captain, will Aven learn to share the spotlight and understand what it means to be a team player?
Football Mysteries #1: The Two-Minute Warning
by David A. Kelly, Robert Thibeauld (Illustrator)
Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins are visiting the Dallas Cowboys stadium, but someone has just handed Carlos, the Cowboys' star quarterback, a threatening note. Soon after, a mysterious figure takes aim at them with a football. Can Kate and Mike discover who's out to get the Cowboys' quarterback before the big game? Each Football Mysteries book also includes amazing facts about the team and its stadium.
Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins are visiting the Dallas Cowboys stadium, but someone has just handed Carlos, the Cowboys' star quarterback, a threatening note. Soon after, a mysterious figure takes aim at them with a football. Can Kate and Mike discover who's out to get the Cowboys' quarterback before the big game? Each Football Mysteries book also includes amazing facts about the team and its stadium.
Sejal Sinha Swims with Sea Dragons
Maya Prasad, Abira Das (Illustrator)
Sejal and her brother, Abu, are excited to visit their aunt, who is a marine biologist. During a fun trip to the beach, Abu discovers a small, blue creature washed up on shore. It’s a blue dragon! Despite its name, it doesn’t breathe fire—but it is fearless, preying on much bigger animals.
Sejal is ready to see the blue dragon in action. With a submarine powered by Imagination Fuel, she plunges into an underseas adventure. She hopes she can learn more about how the small but mighty blue dragon might help her as she deals with her own battle with a class bully.
Sejal and her brother, Abu, are excited to visit their aunt, who is a marine biologist. During a fun trip to the beach, Abu discovers a small, blue creature washed up on shore. It’s a blue dragon! Despite its name, it doesn’t breathe fire—but it is fearless, preying on much bigger animals.
Sejal is ready to see the blue dragon in action. With a submarine powered by Imagination Fuel, she plunges into an underseas adventure. She hopes she can learn more about how the small but mighty blue dragon might help her as she deals with her own battle with a class bully.
Swim, Mo, Swim!
by David A. Adler, Sam Ricks (Illustrator)
It's Field Day at summer camp and Mo's group, the Guppies, is competing for extra ice cream! He and his friends are doing their best at everything from the three-legged race to the potato sack race, and as the day nears its end, each group has won one medal each. It's all on Mo to break the tie in the final event: swimming!
It's Field Day at summer camp and Mo's group, the Guppies, is competing for extra ice cream! He and his friends are doing their best at everything from the three-legged race to the potato sack race, and as the day nears its end, each group has won one medal each. It's all on Mo to break the tie in the final event: swimming!
Track Star (Miles Lewis #4)
by Kelly Starling Lyons, Wayne Spencer (Illustrator)
The annual Fun Run is coming up at Brookside Elementary! Miles Lewis wants to be one of the top five runners. Even though he zooms through sprints, he runs out of gas for long distance, so he creates a healthy plan to boost his endurance.
During the race, Miles sees one kid struggling to keep going. Should Miles keep pressing for his personal best, or should he lend support to help a friend? In the end, Miles must decide what winning really means to him.
The annual Fun Run is coming up at Brookside Elementary! Miles Lewis wants to be one of the top five runners. Even though he zooms through sprints, he runs out of gas for long distance, so he creates a healthy plan to boost his endurance.
During the race, Miles sees one kid struggling to keep going. Should Miles keep pressing for his personal best, or should he lend support to help a friend? In the end, Miles must decide what winning really means to him.
GRAPHIC NOVEL – ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE
Freestyle: A Graphic Novel
by Gale Galligan
Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count!
The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks.
Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count!
The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks.
Hoops: A Graphic Novel
by Matt Tavares.
A work of fiction inspired by the true story of the 1975 Wilkins Regional High School girl's basketball team. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service.
They make their own uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical tape. And with help from a committed female coach, they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory. Illustrated in full color, this story about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports rings with honesty, bravery, and heart.
A work of fiction inspired by the true story of the 1975 Wilkins Regional High School girl's basketball team. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service.
They make their own uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical tape. And with help from a committed female coach, they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory. Illustrated in full color, this story about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports rings with honesty, bravery, and heart.
Lo and Behold (Lo and Behold #1)
by Wendy Mass
Addie has grown up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. Until her family got turned upside down. The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend.
When her dad's job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project. With the help of a virtual reality headset, she's suddenly scaling castle walls, dodging angry kittens, and seeing the world in whole new ways. Plus, she has an idea that could be bigger than anything she's imagined before, but can she right some wrongs first . . . or is it too late?
Addie has grown up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. Until her family got turned upside down. The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend.
When her dad's job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project. With the help of a virtual reality headset, she's suddenly scaling castle walls, dodging angry kittens, and seeing the world in whole new ways. Plus, she has an idea that could be bigger than anything she's imagined before, but can she right some wrongs first . . . or is it too late?
Roll Call (Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club, #1)
by Molly Knox Ostertag, Xanthe Bouma (Illustrator)
Middle school is a dungeon… At least, that’s how Jess sees it. Luckily, she and her best friend Olivia know how to escape into the sprawling worlds of their own imaginations. The two friends have always loved making up stories, first with little kid games of make-believe, and more recently with the fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons.x
When they play, Olivia runs the game as Dungeon Master and Jess is the solo party member, playing a take-no-prisoners, lone-wolf fighter of her own design named Sir Corius. But when Olivia wants to add new players to their group, Jess finds herself struggling to share their game—and her best friend. Will their epic campaign withstand all this change, or has their adventure—and their friendship—finally come to an end?
Middle school is a dungeon… At least, that’s how Jess sees it. Luckily, she and her best friend Olivia know how to escape into the sprawling worlds of their own imaginations. The two friends have always loved making up stories, first with little kid games of make-believe, and more recently with the fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons.x
When they play, Olivia runs the game as Dungeon Master and Jess is the solo party member, playing a take-no-prisoners, lone-wolf fighter of her own design named Sir Corius. But when Olivia wants to add new players to their group, Jess finds herself struggling to share their game—and her best friend. Will their epic campaign withstand all this change, or has their adventure—and their friendship—finally come to an end?
GRAPHIC NOVEL – YOUNG ADULT
Akim Aliu: Dreamer (Original Graphic Memoir)
Akim Aliu, Karen De La Vega (Illustrator), Marcus Williams (Illustrator), Greg Anderson Elysée
Akim Aliu ― also known as “Dreamer” ― is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. A gut-wrenching and riveting memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.
Akim Aliu ― also known as “Dreamer” ― is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. A gut-wrenching and riveting memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game (Graphic Novel Memoir)
by Colin Kaepernick, Eve L. Ewing, Orlando Caicedo (Illustrator)
High school star athlete Colin Kaepernick is at a crossroads in life. Heavily scouted by colleges and MLB as a baseball pitcher, he has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone from his parents to his teachers and coaches are in agreement on his future. Colin feels differently.
This touching graphic novel explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself and never compromise. How the right decision is very rarely the easy one, but taking the road less traveled can make all the difference in the world.
High school star athlete Colin Kaepernick is at a crossroads in life. Heavily scouted by colleges and MLB as a baseball pitcher, he has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone from his parents to his teachers and coaches are in agreement on his future. Colin feels differently.
This touching graphic novel explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself and never compromise. How the right decision is very rarely the easy one, but taking the road less traveled can make all the difference in the world.
NONFICTION – ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE-GRADE
Checkmate!: The young player’s complete guide to chess
by John Foley
Chess is the ultimate fun strategy game – and this is the perfect introduction to chess, whether you're a budding master or you've never played before. In simple, fun stages, readers will learn what every piece can do, and how to use them on the board. Clear, original board diagrams make the action easy to understand. Readers will also discover the best tactics to use against their opponent, from how to counter the Queen's Gambit to how to avoid the Fool's Mate.
Chess is the ultimate fun strategy game – and this is the perfect introduction to chess, whether you're a budding master or you've never played before. In simple, fun stages, readers will learn what every piece can do, and how to use them on the board. Clear, original board diagrams make the action easy to understand. Readers will also discover the best tactics to use against their opponent, from how to counter the Queen's Gambit to how to avoid the Fool's Mate.
Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series
by Traci Sorell, Arigon Starr (lllustrator)
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.
Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever
by Don Tate, Cherise Harris (Illustrator)
Before Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, there was a tinkerer named Jerry Lawson. As a boy, Jerry loved playing with springs, sprockets, and gadget-y things. When he grew up, Jerry became an engineer—a professional tinkerer—and in the 1970s, he turned his technical know-how to video games.
Back then, if players wanted a new video game, they had to buy an entire new console, making gaming very expensive. Jerry was determined to fix this problem. He kept working until he built a brand-new kind of video game console: one that allowed players to switch out cartridges! He also founded Video Soft, Inc., the first African American–owned video game company in the country.
Before Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, there was a tinkerer named Jerry Lawson. As a boy, Jerry loved playing with springs, sprockets, and gadget-y things. When he grew up, Jerry became an engineer—a professional tinkerer—and in the 1970s, he turned his technical know-how to video games.
Back then, if players wanted a new video game, they had to buy an entire new console, making gaming very expensive. Jerry was determined to fix this problem. He kept working until he built a brand-new kind of video game console: one that allowed players to switch out cartridges! He also founded Video Soft, Inc., the first African American–owned video game company in the country.
Marvelous Mabel: Figure Skating Superstar
by Crystal Hubbard, Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)
After watching ice skaters glide and spin at a rink in Central Park, Mabel Fairbanks was determined to learn to skate. But in the 1930s, many places didn't allow Black skaters on the ice, so Mabel practiced on a homemade rink in her bedroom! There she learned how to perform sharp turns and whizzing spins of her own creation.
It wasn't long before Mabel needed more room to practice skating, and she returned to one of the rinks that denied her entrance. This time she refused to take no for an answer. She knew that if they just let her on the ice, she would be the most marvelous skater anyone had ever seen. And she was right, as her trailblazing talent continues to influence the sport today.
After watching ice skaters glide and spin at a rink in Central Park, Mabel Fairbanks was determined to learn to skate. But in the 1930s, many places didn't allow Black skaters on the ice, so Mabel practiced on a homemade rink in her bedroom! There she learned how to perform sharp turns and whizzing spins of her own creation.
It wasn't long before Mabel needed more room to practice skating, and she returned to one of the rinks that denied her entrance. This time she refused to take no for an answer. She knew that if they just let her on the ice, she would be the most marvelous skater anyone had ever seen. And she was right, as her trailblazing talent continues to influence the sport today.
The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game
by Laurie Wallmark, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)
The queen of chess, Judit Polgár, dazzled the world as a prodigy, winning tournaments, gold medals, and defeating eleven world champions, including Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. At her peak, Judit was rated the eighth best chess player in the world.
But before these tremendous successes, Judit burst onto the chess scene as a ferocious, child competitor. Beating adults by five-years-old, and winning international tournaments by age nine, Judit was destined for greatness. Follow her incredible journey as she strives for chess immortality, hunting to become the youngest chess grandmaster in history.
The queen of chess, Judit Polgár, dazzled the world as a prodigy, winning tournaments, gold medals, and defeating eleven world champions, including Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. At her peak, Judit was rated the eighth best chess player in the world.
But before these tremendous successes, Judit burst onto the chess scene as a ferocious, child competitor. Beating adults by five-years-old, and winning international tournaments by age nine, Judit was destined for greatness. Follow her incredible journey as she strives for chess immortality, hunting to become the youngest chess grandmaster in history.
Science, Matter and the Baseball Park
Catherine Ciocchi, Chantelle Thorne (Illustrator), Burgen Thorne (Illustrator)
In this fast-paced rhyming story, baseball and science fans alike will be delighted to see all the solids, liquids and gases that make game day extra special. As the camera zooms in on instant replay, things slow down long enough to see all those atoms in motion. The scoreboard, a slushie, and even the air - wherever you look, it’s matter in there.
In this fast-paced rhyming story, baseball and science fans alike will be delighted to see all the solids, liquids and gases that make game day extra special. As the camera zooms in on instant replay, things slow down long enough to see all those atoms in motion. The scoreboard, a slushie, and even the air - wherever you look, it’s matter in there.
Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes
Patty Cisneros Prevo, Dion MBD (Illustrator)
Meet 15 remarkable athletes who use adaptive equipment for their sport. These competitors have won gold medals, set world records, climbed mountain peaks, claimed national championships, and many more extraordinary achievements. Tenacious tells their stories and more, revealing the daily joys and challenges of life as an athlete with disabilities.
Meet 15 remarkable athletes who use adaptive equipment for their sport. These competitors have won gold medals, set world records, climbed mountain peaks, claimed national championships, and many more extraordinary achievements. Tenacious tells their stories and more, revealing the daily joys and challenges of life as an athlete with disabilities.
MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION
Jiu-Jitsu Girl
by Jennifer Dutton
Angie Larson (12) hates Jiu-Jitsu. She fails to find the glamour in a martial art that embraces zero personal space and choking as an end goal. She idolizes the seemingly perfect kids at her school who do “normal” activities like dance or soccer.
But just when it seems like Angie is about to be accepted by them, her mom enrolls her in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament and to make things more complicated, Angie develops a close friendship with a boy who is definitely not part of the “cool” crowd. Angie must decide who she is while making some painful decisions both on and off the mat. Is she a dance girl, a soccer girl, a nothing girl . . . or a Jiu-Jitsu girl?
Angie Larson (12) hates Jiu-Jitsu. She fails to find the glamour in a martial art that embraces zero personal space and choking as an end goal. She idolizes the seemingly perfect kids at her school who do “normal” activities like dance or soccer.
But just when it seems like Angie is about to be accepted by them, her mom enrolls her in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament and to make things more complicated, Angie develops a close friendship with a boy who is definitely not part of the “cool” crowd. Angie must decide who she is while making some painful decisions both on and off the mat. Is she a dance girl, a soccer girl, a nothing girl . . . or a Jiu-Jitsu girl?
Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream
by Polly Farquhar
Lolo is stuck in summer school with a teacher who is out to get her while her family is still reeling from her grandfather’s death. Even his dog Hank is mourning, howling outside all night, every night. Finally, Hank is sent to a farm across the lake that takes foster dogs. And it’s all Lolo’s fault.
Lolo knows she has to get Hank back. In the process of trying to steal her dog back, Lolo runs into Noah, a student in her summer school class and Hank's new owner. And he loves Hank as much as she does. As Lolo’s plan unravels and her uneasy alliance with Noah grows into a friendship, the question of what’s best for Hank becomes muddier. Can Lolo manage to do the right thing—for once?
Lolo is stuck in summer school with a teacher who is out to get her while her family is still reeling from her grandfather’s death. Even his dog Hank is mourning, howling outside all night, every night. Finally, Hank is sent to a farm across the lake that takes foster dogs. And it’s all Lolo’s fault.
Lolo knows she has to get Hank back. In the process of trying to steal her dog back, Lolo runs into Noah, a student in her summer school class and Hank's new owner. And he loves Hank as much as she does. As Lolo’s plan unravels and her uneasy alliance with Noah grows into a friendship, the question of what’s best for Hank becomes muddier. Can Lolo manage to do the right thing—for once?
Not an Easy Win
by Chrystal G. Giles
Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from to a new town to live with his granny. Lawrence is in one too many fights at his new school, and he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.
Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in a chess tournament in his old hometown. Could this be Lawrence's chance to go home?
Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from to a new town to live with his granny. Lawrence is in one too many fights at his new school, and he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.
Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in a chess tournament in his old hometown. Could this be Lawrence's chance to go home?
Skating on Mars
by Caroline Huntoon
Life isn’t easy. As if seventh grade isn’t hard enough, Mars (12) is also grappling with the recent death of their father and a realization they never got to share with him: they’re nonbinary. With their skates laced up and the ice under their feet, all of those struggles melt away.
When Mars’ triple toe loop draws the attention of a high school hot shot, he dares them to skate as a boy so the two can compete head-to-head. Unable to back down from a challenge, Mars accepts. But as competition draws near, life off the rink starts to complicate their performance in the rink, and Mars begins to second guess if there’s a place for them on the ice at all.
Life isn’t easy. As if seventh grade isn’t hard enough, Mars (12) is also grappling with the recent death of their father and a realization they never got to share with him: they’re nonbinary. With their skates laced up and the ice under their feet, all of those struggles melt away.
When Mars’ triple toe loop draws the attention of a high school hot shot, he dares them to skate as a boy so the two can compete head-to-head. Unable to back down from a challenge, Mars accepts. But as competition draws near, life off the rink starts to complicate their performance in the rink, and Mars begins to second guess if there’s a place for them on the ice at all.
Talia’s Codebook for Mathletes
by Marissa Moss
Talia loves math puzzles and code-breaking, but the new social rules of middle school have her stumped. Her best friend, Dash, is now embarrassed to be best friends with a girl, so he only wants to hang out with Talia outside of school. And although Talia is excited to make the mathlete team, the strict team captain doubts her abilities . . . just because she’s a girl. But Talia has a great idea: she’ll start her own all-girls mathlete team! As the first competition approaches, Talia is determined to bring her fledgling team to victory, get her best friend back, and break the social code of preteen life.
Talia loves math puzzles and code-breaking, but the new social rules of middle school have her stumped. Her best friend, Dash, is now embarrassed to be best friends with a girl, so he only wants to hang out with Talia outside of school. And although Talia is excited to make the mathlete team, the strict team captain doubts her abilities . . . just because she’s a girl. But Talia has a great idea: she’ll start her own all-girls mathlete team! As the first competition approaches, Talia is determined to bring her fledgling team to victory, get her best friend back, and break the social code of preteen life.
POETRY – COLLECTION & NOVELS IN VERSE
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
by Jasminne Mendez
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her.
Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be.
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her.
Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be.
Game Face
by Shari Green
Jonah (13) is determined to prove that anxiety won’t stop him from succeeding as his hockey team’s goalie.
Jonah is determined to succeed in the high-stress role of goalie. He and his best friend Ty have big plans for their hockey futures. But when Ty suffers a medical crisis during a pivotal game, Jonah’s anxiety ramps up to new levels.
Jonah (13) is determined to prove that anxiety won’t stop him from succeeding as his hockey team’s goalie.
Jonah is determined to succeed in the high-stress role of goalie. He and his best friend Ty have big plans for their hockey futures. But when Ty suffers a medical crisis during a pivotal game, Jonah’s anxiety ramps up to new levels.
Soccer Queens
by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Soccer, fútbol, call it what you will—the sport commands worldwide attention, and Charles R. Smith Jr. pays tribute to the sport’s greatest US athletes in poems that hum with energy and life. Featuring current and past stars as well as emerging players—in cleats that “churn and burn and fly”—the twelve poems in this rapid-fire collection will inspire young poets and sports fans alike to find their game and be their best.
Soccer, fútbol, call it what you will—the sport commands worldwide attention, and Charles R. Smith Jr. pays tribute to the sport’s greatest US athletes in poems that hum with energy and life. Featuring current and past stars as well as emerging players—in cleats that “churn and burn and fly”—the twelve poems in this rapid-fire collection will inspire young poets and sports fans alike to find their game and be their best.
SPECULATIVE FICTION
The Bellwoods Game
by Celia Krampien
Everyone knows Fall Hollow is haunted. It has been ever since Abigail Snook went into the woods many years ago, never to be seen again. Since then, it’s tradition for the sixth graders at Beckett Elementary to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night.
Now that it’s Bailee’s year to play, she can finally find out what really happens. And legend has it the game’s winner gets a wish. Maybe, just maybe, if Bailee wins, she can go back to the way things used to be before her grandma got sick and everyone at school started hating her. But when the night begins, everything the kids thought they knew about the game—and each other—is challenged.
Everyone knows Fall Hollow is haunted. It has been ever since Abigail Snook went into the woods many years ago, never to be seen again. Since then, it’s tradition for the sixth graders at Beckett Elementary to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night.
Now that it’s Bailee’s year to play, she can finally find out what really happens. And legend has it the game’s winner gets a wish. Maybe, just maybe, if Bailee wins, she can go back to the way things used to be before her grandma got sick and everyone at school started hating her. But when the night begins, everything the kids thought they knew about the game—and each other—is challenged.
Their Vicious Games
by Joelle Wellington
You must work twice as hard to get half as much. Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. One slip can cost you everything.
And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is to compete in the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door. Once there, Adina quickly realizes that this larger-than-life prize aren’t just make or break… they’re life and death.
You must work twice as hard to get half as much. Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. One slip can cost you everything.
And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is to compete in the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door. Once there, Adina quickly realizes that this larger-than-life prize aren’t just make or break… they’re life and death.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
I Kick and I Fly
by Ruchira Gupta
On the outskirts of the Red Light District in Bihar, India, Heera (14) is living on borrowed time until her father sells her into the sex trade to help feed their family and repay his loans. It is, as she's been told, the fate of the women in her community.
At the local hostel for at risk girls that Heera is given a transformative opportunity: learning kung fu with the other girls. Through the practice of martial arts, she starts to understand that her body isn't a an object to be commodified and preyed upon, but a vessel through which she can protect herself and those around her.
On the outskirts of the Red Light District in Bihar, India, Heera (14) is living on borrowed time until her father sells her into the sex trade to help feed their family and repay his loans. It is, as she's been told, the fate of the women in her community.
At the local hostel for at risk girls that Heera is given a transformative opportunity: learning kung fu with the other girls. Through the practice of martial arts, she starts to understand that her body isn't a an object to be commodified and preyed upon, but a vessel through which she can protect herself and those around her.
Rez Ball
by Byron Graves
These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship.
After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet.
These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship.
After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet.
The Next New Syrian Girl
by Ream Shukairy
Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend. Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.
When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.
Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend. Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.
When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.
True True
by Don P. Hooper
This is not how seventeen-year-old Gil imagined beginning his senior year—on the subway dressed in a tie and khakis headed towards Manhattan instead of his old public school in Brooklyn. f it weren't for the partial scholarship, the school's robotic program and the chance for a better future, Gil wouldn't have even considered going.
After a racist run-in with the school's golden boy ends in a fight that leaves only Gil suspended, Gil understands the truth about his new school—Augustin may pay lip service to diversity, but that isn’t the same as truly accepting him and the other Black students as equal. If the school isn't going to carve out a space for him, he will carve it out for himself.
This is not how seventeen-year-old Gil imagined beginning his senior year—on the subway dressed in a tie and khakis headed towards Manhattan instead of his old public school in Brooklyn. f it weren't for the partial scholarship, the school's robotic program and the chance for a better future, Gil wouldn't have even considered going.
After a racist run-in with the school's golden boy ends in a fight that leaves only Gil suspended, Gil understands the truth about his new school—Augustin may pay lip service to diversity, but that isn’t the same as truly accepting him and the other Black students as equal. If the school isn't going to carve out a space for him, he will carve it out for himself.
You Don’t Have a Shot
Racquel Marie
Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.
Desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption. Except. Except that she and Leticia will co-captain a team that could play in front of college scouts.
Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.
Desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption. Except. Except that she and Leticia will co-captain a team that could play in front of college scouts.