Showing results by author "Jake Maddox" in All Categories

Ever since he arrived at his family's rented summer house, Brendan has been hearing horror stories from all of the locals about sharks in the water. His new friend and surfing partner, Alex, swears the stories aren't true, but Brendan can't shake his fear. Then, one day, when Alex and Brendan are surfing off the coast, Brendan's shark nightmare comes true in a horrible way.

Nita and Sohail are thrilled when they win scholarships to attend the Alaska Young Explorers program. Both kids could use the prize money to help their families and set out to compete as hard as they can. But things take a turn when they're paired up on an expedition. The two make a misstep while hiking down a glacier and find themselves in dangerous territory.

Christopher has never rafted on a river like Australia's Franklin River. Will he be brave enough to tackle the whitewater?

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?

Jae Cho isn’t very good at games. Whether it’s board games, card games, or anything else, she usually doesn’t have much luck. But when she watches her brother, Dal, playing Castle Crusaders 5, she’s fascinated by the strategy of destroying the opponent’s forces and taking out the enemy’s castle. When Dal rushes off and leaves the game running on his computer, Jae can’t resist the temptation to try playing for herself. Before long she’s hooked on the game and secretly playing against others on her brother’s computer whenever she can.

Valentina loves playing video games, and she’s really good at them. When a local esports team asks her to join them for an upcoming tournament, she’s thrilled. There’s just one problem—Valentina has great skills in first-person action games, but winning Kings and Castles relies on teamwork and strategy.

When Mariana and her new friend, Selena, try to play some basketball at a local court, they’re challenged to a game by two older girls. If Mariana and Selena win, they get to use the court. But if the older girls win, they get Selena’s special autographed jersey. Unfortunately, things go badly and the younger girls lose the bet—and the jersey. However, they soon come up with a plan.

Mira Ravi is the first-seed singles star on Hilltop Middle School's tennis team, but her life off the court is a much harder match to win. Mira juggles tough responsibilities at home, in school, and with her team, but she also has a secret that threatens the balance. Can Mira be honest about her struggles and still play the sport she loves?

Mina is a talented figure skater, but she's looking forward to trying a new challenge—pairs skating! Mina has second thoughts, though, when she starts practicing with Luke, a shy boy who she doesn’t know well. Can the pair overcome their trust issues and become a successful pairs skating team?

When Kendall receives a surprise email, he can hardly believe his luck. He’s been invited to compete in an esports tournament for his favorite game, Ooze Escape! He loves battling his way to the top level in the game and trying to escape the deadly ooze that burns up everything—and everyone—in its path. There’s just one problem—Kendall spends too much time battling enemies and looking for awesome loot. He always gets knocked out by the ooze before he can make his escape.

Kadijah Carrie—aka KC—is obsessed with roller skating. When its revival goes viral on the internet, she shows her parents and friends all the cool videos and tricks she can find. Then Kadijah discovers the world of roller speed skating, and she is determined to take part in a local speed skating tournament. But there's a tiny problem . . . Kadijah doesn't know how to skate. Will the help of her friends and a stint at a fast-food drive-in get Kadijah up to speed for the race, or will she wipe out?

Michael has the speed to be a great wide receiver, but he struggles to consistently catch passes. The defensive coach sees potential in Michael's speed and has him try his hand at defensive back. Then the head coach puts Michael on special teams to return kicks. Michael is grateful for all of the opportunities to help his team win, but catching passes continues to trouble him. Can Michael improve his catching and become a true triple threat?

For twelve-year-old Bristol, being on the slopes means ultimate freedom. As an adaptive snowboarder and a junior instructor, the upcoming PowderX Games are a chance to show her parents how serious she is about the sport. But juggling boarding and teaching with homework and vision therapy for her vergence insufficiency is harder than Bristol thought.

Sondra and her best friend, Jonathan, have finally saved up enough money to attend the summer camp of their dreams—Camp Vert. In order to fit in at the competitive skateboarding camp, the two friends decide to learn a challenging trick, the frontside 180 heelflip. When the friends’ cabins go up against one another in competition, will they both master the trick? And more importantly, will they stay friends in the middle of the rivalry?

Jasmine Lopez and her brother Arjun love exploring the coral reefs around Fiji, where their marine biologist parents are stationed. Jasmine, already a certified scuba diver, dreams of following in her parents' footsteps and wants to help Arjun do the same. Unfortunately, her younger brother is sure he already knows everything. That attitude gets them into danger when Arjun drifts too far from the group during a dive—and straight into a reef shark.

When Robinson learns about wheelchair rugby during Super Sports Saturday, he can’t wait to try it. But then his family moves to Alabama to help take care of his grandma after she gets hurt. But Robinson’s in luck—his dad tells him about an organization called the Shore that has a wheelchair rugby team.

Can a speedy football receiver outrun his all-star brother's footsteps? Andrew's been improving his speed at the wide receiver position. But he'll need to work overtime to lead his team to victory and impress his older brother.

Nick hates running, but when his gym teacher gives him an ultimatum—join the relay-race team or fail the class—he knows he has no choice. He'll have to suck it up and run. Will he learn to run or let down his team?

Wildcats center PJ Harris is the tallest player on the team. Everyone expects him to be a natural on the court. He's an all-star, except for one thing. He's horrible at free throws. When a game comes down to PJ's free throws making the difference between win or lose, he freaks! Can he solve his problem in time to earn back the respect of his coach and teammates and himself?

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?