DOUBLE REVERSE
Calling all football fans! An action-packed Sports Story Series book from Washington Post KidsPost columnist and author Fred Bowen – perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.
“This tale of confident persistence will ring true for all the kids who have been told they’re too small or too female…. An apt choice to surprise a young football fan with the power of words.” ?Kirkus Reviews
Do you have to be the “perfect” type to be a great football player?
Jesse is experienced as a wide receiver?but can he play against type and help his new football team as a quarterback?
The Franklin High Panthers need a new quarterback. Freshman Jesse Wagner knows the plays, but he feels he is too small to be QB material. Jesse’s brother Jay has a problem of his own: his college coach wants him to switch from quarterback to safety. The brothers agree on a deal: Jesse will try out for quarterback, and Jay will try playing safety. Meanwhile, Jesse and his teammates recruit an unlikely kicker for their team?a girl named Savannah who is a goalie from the girls’ soccer team.
In the afterword, Bowen provides real stories of successful professional athletes, like Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who did not “look the part.”
Discussion Guide available.
DUGOUT RIVALS
Jake Daley loves baseball. He loves playing for the Red Sox in the Woodside baseball league. He loves playing short stop. Most of all, he loves to win.
Jake is excited when newcomer Adam Hull is selected to play for the Red Sox. Adam can do it all—pitch, hit, and field. But as the Red Sox rack up win after win, and Adam’s talents dominate every game, Jake can’t help but wonder: Do he or the other players even matter? When Jake’s father tells him the story of Babe Ruth and the 1927 Yankees, though, Jake sees how even the best players must rely on their teammates.
Author Fred Bowen continues his Sports Story series with play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! An afterword provides the real story of the 1927 Yankees, the group that many have called “The Greatest Team of All Time.”
EDGE SPORTING HEROES: CRISTIANO RONALDO
This inspirational biography for children, written by award-winning author Roy Apps, follows the amazing story of Cristiano Ronaldo from his first street kickabout in Funchal, Maderia, to playing for Manchester Utd and Real Madrid. Illustrated with colour artwork by Alessandro Valdrighi, including graphic novel-style panels, this book is perfect for sport-mad girls and boys with a reading age of 7, but will work perfectly well for older readers too.
Printed on off-white paper using a reading font approved by the British Dyslexia Association, the Sporting Heroes series brings to life the skill, grit and determination needed to be a world-class sportsperson today.
This title is published by Franklin Watts EDGE, which produces a range of books
to get children reading with confidence. EDGE – for books kids can’t put down.
EDGE SPORTING HEROES: NEYMAR
This inspirational biography for children, written by award-winning author Roy Apps, follows the jaw-dropping story of Neymar, from his early days playing for Santos FC in Brazil to winning the double with FC Barcelona in Spain. Illustrated with colour artwork by Alessandro Valdrighi, including graphic novel-style panels, this book is perfect for sport-mad girls and boys with a reading age of 7, but will work perfectly well for older readers too.
Printed on off-white paper using a reading font approved by the British Dyslexia Association, the Sporting Heroes series brings to life the skill, grit and determination needed to be a world-class sportsperson today.
This title is published by Franklin Watts EDGE, which produces a range of books
to get children reading with confidence. EDGE – for books kids can’t put down.
EPIC ATHLETES: ALEX MORGAN
Kicking off his new series of sports biographies for young readers, journalist Dan Wetzel tells the inspiring true life story of a US Women’s Soccer star in Epic Athletes: Alex Morgan.
Featuring graphic-style illustrations by Cory Thomas!
Fierce competitor. World Cup winner. Role model.
U.S. Women’s Soccer star Alex Morgan has earned each of these impressive titles throughout her incredible career. As a young girl growing up in Southern California, she dreamed of being a professional soccer player, fighting to compete on the international stage against the world’s greatest athletes. Flash forward to the present and Alex Morgan has emerged as the face of U.S. Women’s soccer, famous for her clutch, late-game goals, and an inspiration to kids across the country.
Bestselling author Dan Wetzel details the rise of an American champion in this uplifting biography for young readers, complete with dynamic comic-style illustrations.
Praise for Epic Athletes
* “An unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, starred review for Epic Athletes: Stephen Curry
EPIC ATHLETES: SERENA WILLIAMS
Epic Athletes: Serena Williams is an inspiring middle-grade biography of the most celebrated women’s tennis player ever from acclaimed sports journalist Dan Wetzel!
Featuring comic-style illustrations by Sloane Leong!
Serena Williams is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. From growing up in a tough neighborhood to combatting racism to weathering severe health issues, there is no challenge she can’t defeat, no hurdle that will get in the way of her unwavering desire to be the best tennis player in the world.
As a little girl, Serena spent years training at her local court with her father and older sister, Venus, dreaming of one day winning Grand Slam titles and earning the number one ranking in the world. After more than twenty years of dominating the world of tennis, there’s no doubt that Serena has made her dreams come true. In this inspiring biography, bestselling author Dan Wetzel brings to life the story of an athlete and trailblazer who broke records and racial barriers.
Featuring action-packed comic-style interior art, this uplifting biography of the most celebrated women’s tennis player of all time is sure to be a hit with young sports fans across the country.
Praise for Epic Athletes
* “An unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, starred review for Epic Athletes: Stephen Curry
EPIC ATHLETES: SIMONE BILES
In Epic Athletes: Simone Biles, celebrated sports journalist Dan Wetzel scores a perfect ten with this uplifting young reader’s biography of gold medal gymnast Simone Biles!
Featuring comic-style illustrations from Marcelo Baez!
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Simone Biles dazzled gymnastics fans across the globe with each jaw-dropping flip, twist, and dismount. Her record-breaking performance catapulted her to the top of the sport, and she quickly became a hero to young people.
But well before Simone faced Olympic trials on the balance beam and rings, she confronted real-life challenges as a kid, as she moved in and out of foster care. With the support and love of her grandparents, plus her unwavering drive to make history on the ultimate stage in sports, she grew into an incredible role model and activist—and one of the greatest athletes of our time.
Filled with sports action and bold comic-style illustrations, this inspiring biography recounts the incredible life of a world class gymnast.
Praise for Epic Athletes:
* “Wetzel knows how to organize the facts and tell a good story. . . an unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, STARRED review of Epic Athletes: Stephen Curry
EPIC ATHLETES: LEBRON JAMES
Epic Athletes: LeBron James is an inspiring young readers biography of the best basketball player of the modern era from celebrated sports journalist Dan Wetzel!
Featuring comic-style illustrations by Setor Fiadzigbey!
Whether you call him King James or simply LeBron, one thing is certain: LeBron James is THE face of the NBA. At just eighteen, and facing sky-high expectations, LeBron headed straight from high school to the pros. Cool under pressure, he went on to shatter the record books and become the most popular athlete in America.
Yet nothing was ever handed to LeBron. As a kid, he had to move homes constantly, even separating from his mother for a time. But through all the adversity, he took his natural talent and combined it with hard work to set himself on a path to greatness. Filled with sports action and bold illustrations, this exciting biography tells the story of a living NBA legend.
Praise for Epic Athletes:
“An unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, starred review for Epic Athletes: Stephen Curry
EPIC ATHLETES: LIONEL MESSI
Renowned sports journalist Dan Wetzel shoots and scores with Epic Athletes: Lionel Messi, an inspiring young readers biography of a soccer great who rose from an underdog to a champion!
Featuring comic-style illustrations by Jay Reed!
Lionel Messi has taken the soccer world by storm. He scored the most goals in a season. He’s racked up championships. There was even a statue built in his honor. Despite the accolades, he’s still hungry for more goals, more championships, more opportunities to shine on the soccer pitch. Messi’s drive to succeed has motivated him ever since he first stepped on his local, worn down field as a kid.
Yet his success didn’t come without bumps in the road. Diagnosed with a career-threatening medical condition at ten, Messi refused to give up on his dream, and went on to amass one of the greatest careers in sports history. Filled with sports action and bold illustrations, this thrilling biography details the rise of a living soccer legend.
Praise for Epic Athletes:
“An unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, starred review for Epic Athletes: Stephen Curry
EPIC ATHLETES: PATRICK MAHOMES
In this uplifting illustrated middle-grade biography, acclaimed sports journalist Dan Wetzel tackles the real-life story of the NFL’s brightest rising star, quarterback Patrick Mahomes!
In 2018, Patrick Mahomes stepped onto the gridiron as the new, inexperienced quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Just twenty-two-years old at the time, football fans wondered if this young man could live up to lofty expectations. Little did they know, a star was about to be born.
By season’s end, Patrick threw a whopping fifty touchdowns, the youngest to ever do so, and took his team nearly all the way to the Super Bowl. And the next season, he became the youngest quarterback ever to win Super Bowl MVP! With limitless potential, Patrick not only emerged as the NFL’s most dynamic and exciting player, but he’s also become a role model to kids across the country. Filled with sports action and comic-style illustrations, this inspiring biography tells the story of the new king of pro football.
Praise for Epic Athletes
* “Wetzel knows how to organize the facts and tell a good story. [A]n unusually informative and enjoyable sports biography for young readers.” —Booklist, starred review
“Dan Wetzel has a winning formula in his Epic Athletes series, sure to appeal to young sports fans.” —The Buffalo News