Reading Levels: Ages 3-8
About the Books:
Battle for Home Plate: Justin and Carlos have played on the same baseball team since their T-ball days. But this season, the friends are forced to play on rival teams. Carlos makes new friends on the field, and Justin is left in the dust. When their teams face each other in the final game of the season, Justin and Carlos aren't even speaking. The game comes down to one run, and Carlos rounds third. What will happen when the former best friends collide at home plate?
Kickoff Blitz: Tou Yang is the smallest kid on his football team, but he plays like a giant. Tou's job is to dash down the field and smash the ball carrier on kickoffs and punts, and he does it well. When the Bandits come to town, an old enemy on the other side of the line goes out of his way to bring Tou down. Darren cuts corners and plays dirty. Will Tou be able to overcome his gridiron bully, or will Darren send him to the sidelines?
Point-Blank Paintball: Peter and Noah Eccleston are identical twins, so it's no surprise they make the perfect paintball teammates. But when Coach Patterson offers them a chance to compete for a single spot on his elite paintball team, the brothers turn on each other. With markers blazing, the twins cut down the competition with ease. But when they finally face off against each other for a point-blank shootout, who will be the first to pull the trigger?
Reality Check: When he's playing hockey, Ricky Holder hits hard and never holds back. During a scrimmage, Ricky plays rough and injures his own team's top scorer. Ricky's father is proud of him, but his teammates ditch him because of his dangerous checks. Ricky tries to ease up a little, but his teammates won't forgive him, and his father is mad that he's not giving 110 percent. Can he fix things before the state's toughest team comes to town?
Skateboard Sonar: Matty Lyons is a top-notch skateboarder who can do all the coolest tricks. His moves are even more impressive since he's blind. But not everyone is a fan of the talented grinder. During the state's biggest skating competition, former champion Bing Hawtin mocks Matty, saying that a blind kid has no chance to win. But Matty knows something Bing doesn't . . . seeing isn't everything.
Our Take: Ok, let me start out by announcing that I am NOT a sports fan. I'm not into sports...not a sports person whatsoever. You may have guessed this by the fact that I run a network of nerdy websites. I mean, I review books....what'd you seriously expect, right? Here is the thing with these releases from Capstone Kids....they rock, plain and simple. Why? Read on....
I gave this stack of books from Capstone and Sports Illustrated Kids to my own children and they went nuts! They too aren't into sports, but these aren't books for jocks. These are extreme sports and the focus is really on the characters and story. The sports hobbies are really just a backdrop. They're fun and interesting and not at all geared just towards jocky kids.
We wanted to feature this series and bring them to your attention, whether you're a librarian, teacher or a parent, these titles should be in your possession! They can be purchased in hardback library binding or softcover.
Where to Buy: The Capstone Publishing Website
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