But after he wrecks his chances at the trials, the pressure's on to prove himself.

    First you've got to pass the test."Kevin thinks gangs are stupid - he's never going to join one but events spiral out of control when he's caught up in a gang fight and the tribe comes to his rescue. It isn't easy to join the tribe - but, as Kevin discovers when it's almost too late, it's far harder to leave.

    Elwood Reid first appeared on the literary stage with a powerful and bruising story called "What Salmon Know," which appeared in the March 1997 issue of GQ.  Here was a writer not afraid to examine the soulful underside of the American male, or the violence that accompanies disappointed dreams.  Now, in his first, extraordinary novel, Reid tells the story of Elwood Riley, a six-foot-six, 275-pound blue-collar kid whose ticket out of Cleveland is a "full ride" football scholarship to the University of Michigan.But Riley is cursed with intelligence and an awareness of the vicious inhumanity of the college football system.  If Riley doesn't want to "six"--lose his scholarship or get maimed--he has to become a "fella," a pain-loving freak too nihilistic to care what he does to himself or others.  And after Riley encounters the alluring, mysteriously damaged Kate, his dilemma becomes ever more painful.Elwood Reid's portrait of this world is at once blackly humorous, starkly tragic, and perfectly detailed.  With deft strokes, he portrays emotionally stunted coaches who have mastered the art of humiliating and manipulating young men, groupies attracted to the fame but undone by the shocking cruelty of the players, and the athletes themselves, who grow addicted to violence, alcohol, and steroids, too caught up in the glory of playing for Big Blue to notice they are mere meat to the coaches and the university.In tough, spare, beautiful prose that should invite comparisons to the works of Thom Jones and Denis Johnson, Reid describes a place where young men damage their souls and their bodies in pursuit of a worthless glamor.  This is a profound, unsettling book about a familiar yet hidden world--a Greek tragedy in cleats.

    He's a jack-of-all-trades guy that can handle almost any position. When the game is on the line, Ben's number is the one being called for the final play. But Ben wants to be the starting quarterback and the one thing standing in his way is the coach's son.Shawn O'Brien looks the part. He has been groomed by his father, a former professional quarterback. But despite his size and arm strength, Shawn is struggling. Ben is torn between being a good teammate and going after his own dream. As Ben finds out, Shawn isn't the easiest person to help. And when Ben gets an unexpected opportunity, the entire game will change for the both of them.Best-selling author Mike Lupica kicks off a winning new series about sports and friendship that will captivate readers.

    Ignored by her family and shipped off to her eighth boarding school, Alice would like a friend. And when she rescues Millie Maximus from drowning in a lake one day, she finds one.But Millie is a Bigfoot, part of a clan who dwells deep in the woods. Most Bigfoots believe that people—No-Furs, as they call them—are dangerous, yet Millie is fascinated with the No-Fur world. She is convinced that humans will appreciate all the things about her that her Bigfoot tribe does not: her fearless nature, her lovely singing voice, and her desire to be a star.Alice swears to protect Millie’s secret. But a league of Bigfoot hunters is on their trail, led by a lonely kid named Jeremy. And in order to survive, Alice and Millie have to put their trust in each other—and have faith in themselves—above all else.

    Jenkins is the author of many books including the New York Times bestseller Out of the Blue with Orel Hershiser.

    Yep, that's right. All 12 individual tales and the two novels combined into one book. The book is big enough that your friends will notice it and ask you what's in it. You can proudly tell them that you have the complete Mad Scientists' Club works in your hands and can find anything they might want to know about the gang. Even better, you can carry this around wherever you go and have every story right at your fingertips. And, like all paperbacks, after a while it will become dog-eared from constant use as you read and re-read the exploits of the seven junior geniuses of Mammoth Falls. Written between 1961 and 1986, here is the Complete Collection of Bertrand R. Brinley's Mad Scientists' Club stories containing The Mad Scientists' Club, The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club, The Big Kerplop! and The Big Chunk of Ice. All complete with illustrations by Charles Geer.

    It’s the perfect bedtime story for the entire family to enjoy. Teen author, Rachel Yu, is residing happily ever after, in her own Castle of Brilliance. Another quality children picture book from the father and daughter team of Michael and Rachel Yu.

    Since its foundation in 1919, Leeds United Football Club has seen more ups and downs than most, rising to global fame through an inimitable and uncompromising style in the 70s, clinching the last Division One title of the pre-Sky Sports era in 1992, before becoming the epitome of financial mismanagement at the start of the 21st century. Despite this demise, United remains one of the best supported – and most divisive – clubs in football, with supporters’ clubs dotted across the globe. In 100 Years of Leeds United, Chapman delves deep into the archives to discover the lesser-known episodes, providing fresh context to the folkloric tales that have shaped the club we know today, painting the definitive picture of the West Yorkshire giants.

     Devil’s Backbone dirt road weaves through tall East Texas trees. The eerie Claymore mansion sits silently along the path. Thirteen-year-old Kevin Bishop and friends plan to spend their summer swimming, playing baseball, and erecting a massive fort in the nearby woods. Their daily journey requires a bike ride down that road and by that mansion—the site of a gruesome unsolved murder near the turn-of-the-century. They stumble upon evidence to solve the mystery as unforeseen adversaries make this a summer they’ll never forget. This coming-of-age tale will take readers down memory lane with plenty of suspense to keep the pages turning. This was the time when kids drank from hoses, arena rock ruled, and cutoff jeans were normal attire. The sleepy little town of Mead Creek never expected a summer like the one of 1979.

    Meet Brandon:I was the king of the world. I had popularity, two state football championships, admittance to play ball at a top Division 1 school, and was ready for the best summer of my life. What I wasn’t ready for was Claire. From the moment I met her, she forced me to uncover parts of myself I didn’t know existed. The face I wore every day as the king of Parkdale was a façade. This girl was the sun that brightened my world, and I would always protect her. The problem was, how could I protect her from my own self destruction?Meet Claire:I liked my routine life. My best friends, Jackson and Ali, were by my side, I had a job lined up for the summer, and I was headed into my senior year. Things were steady. Things were good. Until Brandon. He came into my life like a whirlwind—strong, forceful, and just about knocked me over. I wasn’t the quintessential quarterback girlfriend type. I hated standing out in the crowd, being surrounded by people. And that was his entire life. Being with Brandon pulled me out of my shell. I handed him my heart, trusting him to protect it like he always protected me. The question was, would it be safe?

    

    The Witch of Blackbird Pond with related readings.

    After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama. Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. So when her older sister comes home after abandoning her ten years earlier, with her hot new stepson in tow, Ashtyn wants nothing to do with either of them. Then she comes up with a plan that would finally give her the chance to leave, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and get the future she wants?