Book picks similar to
Win or Lose (Team Jake Maddox Sports Stories) by Jake Maddox
40-book-challenge
appropriate-for-upper-elementary
appropriate-for-middle-school
5th-grade
Bone: Quest for the Spark, Vol. 1
Tom Sniegoski - 2009
So when he discovers everyone in his village is asleep and plagued by nightmares, he assembles a band of unlikely heroes. They must fight to preserve the Spark--a divine light born at the core of a vast, dark nothingness called the Nacht. The Nacht is trying to permeate the Waking World with nightmares of the Dreaming, and it's Tom's mission to defeat the Nacht and its most loyal follower, the Constable. If he fails, his family--and everyone--might never wake up again.
Wolves of the Beyond Collection: Lone Wolf / Shadow Wolf / Watch Wolf
Kathryn Lasky - 2011
Battles and Quests
Anthony Horowitz - 2010
And if they mess with you? Run like hell . . .
Including King Arthur, The Minotaur, Inca legends and more!
There was a time when monsters and dragons roamed the earth and the gods walked among us. A time of blood, swords and furious battles. A time of legends, heroes, darkness and death . . .
Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways to Fly
Conrad Wesselhoeft - 2014
Seventeen year-old dirt-bike daredevil Arlo Santiago catches the eye of the U.S. military with his first-place ranking on a video game featuring drone warfare, and must reconcile the work they want him to do with the emotional scars he has suffered following a violent death in his family. ADIOS, NIRVANA author Conrad Wesselhoeft takes readers from the dusty arroyos of New Mexcio to the skies over war-torn Pakistan in this young adult novel about daring to live in the wake of unbearable loss.
NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society
Michael Buckley - 2009
With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities. They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
Grenade
Alan Gratz - 2018
This is another searing and heart-pounding look at kids making their way through war.A New York Times bestseller!It's 1945, and the world is in the grip of war.Hideki lives on the island of Okinawa, near Japan. When WWII crashes onto his shores, Hideki is drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps to fight for the Japanese army. He is handed a grenade and a set of instructions: Don't come back until you've killed an American soldier.Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa. He doesn't know what to expect -- or if he'll make it out alive. He just knows that the enemy is everywhere.Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding ambushes and dangerous traps. But when the two of them collide in the middle of the battle, the choices they make in that instant will change everything.From the acclaimed author of Refugee comes this high-octane story of how fear can tear us apart, and how hope can tie us back together.
Breakaway: Beyond the Goal
Alex Morgan - 2015
The story of her path to success, from playing in the 2011 Women's World Cup, to winning gold in the 2012 London Olympics, to ranking as one of the National Team's top scorers, will inspire everyone who reads it.From her beginnings with the American Youth Soccer Organization to her key role in the 2015 Women's World Cup, Alex shares the details that made her who she is today: a fantastic role model and athlete who proudly rocks a pink headband.
Stupid Fast
Geoff Herbach - 2011
Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed. Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart.
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
Jordan Sonnenblick - 2012
Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class? In his new novel, teen author Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family, and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny. Reading Level: Age 12 and Up
The Great Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle - 1990
Watson grapple with treachery, murder, and ingenious crimes of all kinds. But no case is too challenging, no mystery insoluble, for the immortal detective's unique powers of dedution.(back cover)Solitary cyclist --Charles Augustus Milverton --Black Peter --Golden pince-nez --Priory school --Beryl coronet --Engineer's thumb --Red-headed league.
Of Cats and Men: Stories
Nina de Gramont - 2001
Prowling through every story, these enigmatic creatures expose the truth that lies beneath the surface of every encounter between women and the men they love.A young woman finds two dark surprises in her home: a magpie dismembered by her mischievous cat, and an unsettling glimpse of her fiancé's secret inclinations...A pregnant housewife quietly suffers a visit from her troubled brother-in-law while her hidden anger comes to life in the suddenly hostile behavior of her docile house cat...A frustrated newlywed clings to the last vestige of her well-appointed upbringing — a pampered Himalayan high point — until a rangy stray cat shows her the true meaning of marriage...As clever, finessed, and keen as the feline disposition it celebrates, Of Cats and Men marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction.
My Life in Dog Years
Gary Paulsen - 1997
In each chapter he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie.
Falling for My Best Friend, Part 1
Sharon Cummin - 2016
They say senior year is the best, but I wasn't so sure. Lance Smith, a retired Pittsburgh Pirate, was the most overprotective man I'd ever met. He was also my dad. I was Sammie, his little tomboy baseball player. That was the only way he'd ever see me. My bedroom walls were still covered with scenes he'd painted before I was even born. A picture of him still hung on my wall. The words date, boyfriend, and college all sent him into a crazy speech about his little girl not growing up. He used to joke that I wouldn't be able to date until I was thirty, but I was starting to think it wasn't a joke. I had one goal for the year. That goal was to go to prom. Every girl went to prom. It was the most important night of high school. My dad would surely have to let me go to that, right? When my parents told me that James Reid was moving into our house, I wasn't sure how I felt. They were so excited, especially my dad. James had finally agreed to sign on with the Pirates. He was a pitcher just like my dad. The thought of having him there to practice with had my dad jumping for joy. While I loved the game and played with him all the time, I'd never be a Pirate. Believe me, If I could, I would. You're probably wondering why James moving in would matter to me at all. He'd never be around. He'd always be with his team. We'd never see each other. James was three years and ten days older than me. We'd spent hours and hours playing ball with our dads growing up. Every time our families visited, we were together the entire time. He was the one person that never judged me. He was the one person that promised he'd always protect me and keep me safe. He was my best friend, he just didn't know it. There was something else he didn't know. I'd had a crush on him since I was thirteen. I would remember that moment forever, the moment that changed it all. James kissed me. It wasn't a big kiss. It was just a tiny moment where his lips touched mine. It was my first kiss. It meant nothing to him, and we never mentioned it again. Something about that tiny moment changed my life. One year, I told myself. I could get through one more year with the most overprotective father in the world. I could get through one year with James Reid living on the other side of my bedroom wall. In one year I'd be off at college and free of all the Pirates. Nothing was going to get in my way. A Love for the Game Series Order: 1. Showing Him Who's Boss Part 1,2,3 2. Playing Hardball Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 3. Falling for My Best Friend Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 4. Hacked by Love Part 1, 2, 3 5. Out of My League Part 1, 2, 3 6. Unbreakable Bond This story contains content which is intended for readers over the age of 18.
Front Desk
Kelly Yang - 2018
Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?
Wake Up Missing
Kate Messner - 2013
Sarah, an Upstate New York girls’ hockey team stand-out... Ben, a horse lover from the Pacific Northwest...And Cat, an artistic bird watcher from California. The four have nothing in common except for the head injuries that land them in an elite brain-science center in the Florida Everglades. It’s known as the best in the world, but as days pass, the kids begin to suspect that they are subjects in an experiment that goes far beyond treating concussions….and threatens their very identities. They’ll have to overcome their injuries – and their differences – to escape, or risk losing themselves forever.