Showing results by author "Jake Maddox" in All Categories

Molly has always dreamed of taking horseback riding lessons, but the lessons were too expensive. Until now! A new stable has opened up in town, and Molly convinces her parents to let her sign up for classes. Everything is great, except that two girls at school keep making fun of Molly. She'll need to figure out a way to keep her confidence both in and out of the saddle.

Jae Cho isn’t very good at games. Whether it’s board games, card games, or anything else, she usually doesn’t have much luck. But when she watches her brother, Dal, playing Castle Crusaders 5, she’s fascinated by the strategy of destroying the opponent’s forces and taking out the enemy’s castle. When Dal rushes off and leaves the game running on his computer, Jae can’t resist the temptation to try playing for herself. Before long she’s hooked on the game and secretly playing against others on her brother’s computer whenever she can.

When Gabby's figure skating coach retires, she has to learn to skate with a new coach. But when her new coach pushes her to do a double Axel, Gabby is afraid her old injury will flare up. Gabby has to decide if winning is worth risking injury.

When Kendall receives a surprise email, he can hardly believe his luck. He’s been invited to compete in an esports tournament for his favorite game, Ooze Escape! He loves battling his way to the top level in the game and trying to escape the deadly ooze that burns up everything—and everyone—in its path. There’s just one problem—Kendall spends too much time battling enemies and looking for awesome loot. He always gets knocked out by the ooze before he can make his escape.

Rosie loves nothing more than spending her summers surfing while staying with her Aunt Hazel in Australia. But this summer, her cousin Flora is coming to visit, too, and Aunt Hazel wants Rosie to teach Flora how to surf. Trouble is, Flora has a history of being mean to Rosie—and it doesn’t take long to figure out that Flora hasn’t changed one bit.

Austin may be new to town, but he's not new to go-kart racing. Unfortunately, he had to leave his kart behind when he moved. When he races against Ryan Stone, Austin quickly learns that Ryan's the guy to beat. But how can Austin's rental kart compete with Ryan's shiny red kart? Austin will have to learn that the driver, not the kart, wins the race.

A girl on the JV basketball team was injured, and Mel has been asked to take her place. Mel is thrilled. But the girls on the freshman team aren't happy for her. In fact, they're being downright mean. How can Mel play to win when she doesn't have teammates on her side?

Anthony Duran has been Ricky Lau’s best friend and basketball buddy since they were little. But now that Ricky has moved schools, the boys find themselves on different middle school basketball teams. With few new friends, Ricky still wants to shoot hoops with his best bud. Anthony, on the other hand, doesn’t want to practice with an opponent. Ricky is willing to do whatever it takes to get his friend back.

Alex and her family just moved, which means she has to start a new school and adjust to a new soccer team. She soon learns that she must play a new position on the team, which makes her frustrated. Alex must learn how to adjust to her new life and have fun again.

Isaac Roth's big brother was a forward for the Wildcats, and Isaac wants to be one too. His dream is to be the highest-scoring forward ever. The problem is that Isaac is short. Coach Turnbull thinks he'd be a better point guard than a forward, since he's fast and small. Will Isaac be able to change his dream and play for the team, or will he give up on the sport he loves?

Nothing can stop star running back Harris Weathers—until he takes a jarring hit, narrowly escaping injury. Harris is fine, physically, but his nerves are rattled. He can’t shake the idea that he could get hurt playing football. After faking illness to get out of a game, Harris realizes he has a decision to make. Does he love football enough to risk a big hit again?

Trey Smith, the captain of the Wildcats, knows he's one of the best players on the team. He doesn't worry about anything when he's on the court. But then he finds out that he knows someone on a rival team. It's his cousin, Pete. And to make matters worse, they're assigned to guard each other. How can Trey play when he'll have to beat his cousin to win?

Nick hates running, but when his gym teacher gives him an ultimatum—join the relay-race team or fail the class—he knows he has no choice. He'll have to suck it up and run. Will he learn to run or let down his team?

Tim is disappointed when his best friend wants to spend their last day of summer geocaching. But a competition might make things interesting. Before the day is over, Tim will have discovered more than just a hidden treasure.

Benji Krueger loves playing hockey with his friends at his home on Prairie Lake. But Benji's heart is broken when his parents announce that they're having a baby and the family will have to move. To make matters worse, his older sister, Raina, is a skilled hockey player and loves to embarrass Benji on the ice. When Benji learns about a pond hockey tournament by his house, he rallies his friends to take on his sister's team. Will Benji finally defeat his sister on their own home ice and learn to have confidence in his own abilities?

Valentina loves playing video games, and she’s really good at them. When a local esports team asks her to join them for an upcoming tournament, she’s thrilled. There’s just one problem—Valentina has great skills in first-person action games, but winning Kings and Castles relies on teamwork and strategy.

Samira has loved gymnastics for as long as she can remember, even though she has to work harder than her teammates to stay competitive. But when an arm injury sidelines her, she discovers a new winter sport—SNOWBOARDING!

Robyn Ray is a young hockey player with lots of speed and one big problem—she can’t seem to make a goal. Can her formerly famous hockey star grandpa help her build the skills she needs to score? And will her team come together when it matters most?

Austin, eager to prove himself and win a sports trophy like his older brothers, joins a local cycling club and enters a Tour de France-style bike race. Not only does he have to find a bike, train, and learn the course, but he also has to deal with a bully who wants him out of the club. For Austin, it feels like a race just to get to the starting line!

Layla loves playing basketball, especially with her best friend, Danika. Now, after spending most of the summer getting ready for tryouts, Layla is eager to move from substitute player to becoming one of the starting five. When tryouts finally arrive, Layla not only makes the main roster but she’s also chosen to be the team captain. All of her friends and teammates are excited for her. All, that is, except Danika who is jealous of her friend’s success. Layla soon discovers that being both team captain and best friends with Danika is no easy task.