Showing titles in Sports Fiction

Luis “Lucky” Martinez is the new kid on River Valley Junior High’s JV soccer team. But his goalie skills aren’t the only thing being tested. When a school talent show opens for auditions, Luis will find out if he’s inherited his abuela’s musical skills. Can Luis juggle both, or will he have to choose which of his passions to save: soccer or music?

Grace loves being on her school’s swim team. She enjoys hanging out with her teammates and making new friends. But when Chloe joins the relay team, she and Grace clash. Grace tries several ways to be friends with Chloe but fails every time. Then at a big swim meet, Chloe blames Grace for getting their team disqualified. Grace can’t believe it. She doesn’t understand why Chloe is so hostile toward her. Will the two girls learn to look past their differences and work together for the good of the whole team?

Twelve-year-old Carly has recently recovered from an illness and to celebrate, Carly, her older brother, Ajay, and her dad go on a climbing trip in the Rocky Mountains. Even though Carly tries to convince her family she is a hundred-percent better, her troubling bouts of tiredness give her away. When an unexpected injury forces Carly and Ajay back down the mountain, Carly’s health is put to the ultimate test.

Nate, Selena, Tyson, and Alicia are ready for summer. But when Nate convinces everyone to join a whitewater rafting race, the group’s teamwork is put to the test. Will these four friends make it past the finish line? Or will their competitive nature sink their chances?

In the wake of great loss, Aisha has found comfort in sailing. And it seems the rest of her family has found comfort in pretending nothing’s changed. Frustrated with their silence, Aisha escapes one night on her family’s sail boat. Her brother, Sai, catches up to her, but before he can convince her to come back, a storm rolls in.

Mia and Deshawn can’t wait to get to Action World. So when their parents make a pit stop at Maximum Caverns to go cave spelunking, the two siblings are less than excited. Things go from bad to worse when an accident takes Mia, Deshawn, and their guide, Raven, off their trail and onto an advanced route.

Eager to follow in his father's footsteps, Ramon Hill wants nothing more than to be a starting attacker on his lacrosse team. But his dreams don't go as planned, and he's moved to a different position. Playing as a midfielder lets Ramon put his skills and talent to best use, but he can't help but feel disappointed. Will his new position lead to bigger and better things for him and his team?

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.

Tanisha Carter can't believe her luck when she finds out her favorite extreme obstacle course challenge is coming to her town. She needs a partner to compete, so her video game pal, Derek, agrees to team up with her. Derek is big for his age, but strong, and Tanisha is sure their combination of speed and strength will make for a winning team. But when training reveals Tanisha's fear of heights, the pair realizes they have more than one obstacle to overcome in this extreme challenge.

Jimmy Benge is excited to celebrate his thirteenth birthday with an ice fishing adventure in northern Minnesota. He's even allowed to invite his best friend, Ryan, to spend winter break at the family’s lakeside home. The two boys learn a lot about ice fishing and catch a few panfish but decide to fish for something bigger: Northern pike, the alpha predators of the lake.

Jeremiah is the world’s biggest baseball fan. He really loves baseball and he knows just about everything there is to know about his favorite sport. So when he’s told he can’t play baseball following an operation on his heart, Jeremiah decides he’ll do the next best thing and become a coach. Hillcrest, where Jeremiah and his father Walt have just moved, is a town known for its championship baseball team. But Jeremiah finds the town caught up in a scandal and about ready to give up on baseball.

It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down. So after her father falls ill, 12-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat. When the clients, a reckless boy Julie's age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie's instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she's in over her head. And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished.

Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide - and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals - and her choices - suddenly aren’t hers anymore.

Hutch has always played shortstop. His idol Derek Jeter, plays the position, and more importantly, so did his father. But when a better shortstop joins the team, Hutch must move to second base. With his father's shadow looming and the championship on the line, Hutch will need to make the adjustment quickly.

Based on the most popular video game of all time, this all-new chapter book series takes a group of intrepid Minecraft players deeper into the game than ever before. Someone - or something - has turned the Evoker King to stone. And now a new player, Theo, has joined the team on their quest to return their former enemy to normal. Theo has coding skills that could come in handy, but does he have what it takes to be part of the team, or will his meddling put a crack in the game code that none of them will survive?

Cincinnati, Ohio, lives and dies by college basketball, with two elite Division I rivals separated by a mere three miles. Rory’s dad just secured a new coaching gig at the University of Cincinnati, so it means yet another school and move for her, only this time to her dad’s hometown. Rory’s life revolves around basketball; she’s never had a close friend outside of it. Could this be a chance for a fresh start?

Meet Kevin Pugh, 12-year-old couch potato. Now meet Cromwell, his part beagle, part potato chip dog. Kevin’s looking forward to spending his summer doing as little as possible. Unfortunately, Kevin’s father, former Chicago Bears star player/super-sports fanatic, Howie Pugh, feels differently. So does Cromwell, who has suddenly and mysteriously developed a fascination with agility competitions: Running up seesaws, leaping over hurdles, soaring through hoops (sometimes).

When Kenny's anger problem gets out of control, his father signs him up for karate lessons. But even in karate class, Kenny can't get a grip on his temper. He's getting a reputation for being angry. With help from his karate teacher, will Kenny be able to calm down long enough to focus and win?

Tony loves basketball. But the game changed recently when his best friend, Dante, a hoops phenom, was killed by a police officer. Tony hopes he can carry on Dante’s legacy by making the Sabres, the AAU basketball team Dante took to two national championships. Tony doesn’t make the team, but Coach James likes what he sees from Tony at tryouts and offers him another chance: join the team as the statistician.

In starred reviews, Booklist has described Gerber's novels as "highly empathetic" and "truly inspiring" - Taking Up Space promises to be a realistic and compelling story about overcoming struggles with body image and learning that true self-esteem comes from within.