sports fiction

When Louisa asks her principal to start a girls basketball team, she's soon viciously targeted by male coaches at her school, lied to by the school board, and dismissed as "out of line" as she fights for a fair chance to be an athlete.

"Do you have what it takes to compete against the world's most elite athletes? Be ready to put in the time, sweat, and tears that it takes. Choose which path to take on your journey to athletic excellence. Some choices lead to the big leagues, while others introduce other opportunities, or even a fall from grace"--Provided by publisher.

"Albert, a 7th grader, is abducted by aliens who recruit him to play Star Striker for their interplanetary soccer team, but it isn't until after he agrees that he discovers that someone or something is trying to kill him"--Provided by publisher.

When DeSean Mitchell makes an embarrassing mistake while showboating in the end zone, he ends up costing his football team the game. In the final play, he's tackled and lies on the field in defeat. A teammate assumes he is hurt, and rather than face the shame of his mistake, DeSean fakes an injury. How long will DeSean let the deception go on?.

Lew loves playing on his community center's basketball team. He is shocked when he learns that the community center might be shutting down, jeopardizing the future of the team. With no school teams available to them, Lew and his friends worry they won't get to compete in basketball at all. Can Lew and his teammates find a way to keep the center open and give their team the opportunity to win big on their home court?.

14-year-old Patrick and his mother leave their small town for the city. Out of boredom and frustration, he steals a pair of headphones. When he's caught, the police officer, Constable Jack, is willing to get the charges dropped if Patrick trains with him in parkour for twelve weeks. While Patrick trains extra hard he develops a crush on Parker and a rivalry with Jayden. When the tension with Jayden reaches new heights, Constable Jack decides they'll settle the score in a competition. But they aren't just fighting for best individual--there's also the prize for best club at stake. That means Patrick and Jayden will have to learn to work together.

12-year-old Cody loves basketball. When a new well-off kid Nick arrives at school and starts giving Cody pointers, Cody lands a spot on the team. Despite Nick's help, Cody still feels anxious all the time. Cody's performance gets worse until his one big shot at a basket goes into his own team's net! Cody soon realizes that Nick's help isn't what he needs to succeed. To play better, he knows he has to become more self-reliant and work on his basketball skills on his own terms. Set against the realistic backdrop of a struggling small town, Bad Shot touches on the emotional realities of performance anxiety, socioeconomic status, and bullying.

After briefly playing on the volleyball team, twelve-year-old Elle rejoins the basketball team, helps them reach the playoffs, and creates a booster club to support girls' sports teams at school.