Fred Bowen: 24 books

There’s “plenty of soccer action” in this story of a middle schooler who has to figure out how to balance good sportsmanship with the goal of winning (Booklist). Eighth-grader Nate Osborne is a forward on his U-14 soccer team, the Strikers. He and the rest of his teammates are very competitive—especially...

Brett Carter is a hotshot on his basketball team, the Wildcats—or at least he was. After missing an easy layup shot at the buzzer in an important game, he feels like a total loser. But things get worse. At his best friend’s birthday party at a rock climbing center, Brett freezes on the...

Chris desperately wants to be more than a benchwarmer on his basketball team. Hoping he can get more playing time, he asks his friend Greta, the high-scoring star of the girls’ team, for help with his shooting skills. But it is Greta’s mom—a former basketball star who never even scored a basket—who teaches Chris how to change his strategy and become a success on the court.

It seems like Ryan, Zeke, Miles, and Eli have been friends forever. They spend practically every afternoon together playing basketball or just hanging out. But this year is different. All four friends are trying out for the basketball team. With so many good players in the running, Ryan is...

Marcus is tall, strong, and the best basketball player on his team—except at the foul line. At the end of an important game, Marcus misses crucial free throws and his team loses. Afraid of being fouled and failing again, he stops playing aggressively and beings passing up chances to score. But...

Can street ball and technical play mix it up on the court and score wins for the team? Can Ben convince Hud to leave his hotshot style back on the pickup court? Ben and Logan are looking forward to basketball season playing on the Roosevelt High School freshman team. Ben figures he’s a shoo-in...

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...

The Reds and the Cubs are battling for the first place in the Rising Stars League. The Reds need a victory in today’s game to push ahead in the standings. Kyle, the Reds center fielder, wants to win so much that he secretly cheats—just a little—to clinch the game for his team. His teammates...

Tyler is angry when his best friend Zack, their team’s hotshot midfielder, leaves to play for the Panthers, an elite travel team. He’s sure the Cougars’ season will tank—before it even begins. The Cougars lose their season opener—and their next game, too. Tyler blames Zack, but it’s...

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