Showing results by author "Jake Maddox" in All Categories

Star quarterback Alex has always played football with his best friend, Oscar. But when Oscar suddenly quits the team to join the school play, Alex feels blindsided and betrayed. Now, pressure is mounting on and off the field. Can the two boys ever recover from their friendship fumble?

When twins Lydia and Marco are approached to be on their dance studio's jazz team, Lydia is thrilled. She and Marco both love to dance and used to have fun dancing together as kids. But lately, it seems their relationship has grown more distant. Lydia can't wait to dance with her brother again, but Marco is worried. He's used to hip-hop and will be the only boy on the team. And when bullies start mocking Marco for doing "girl dances", it could spell trouble for the whole team.

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 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?

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.

Tobias Wilson has a secret. For the past two years, since attending a Choctaw Nation powwow with his family, he's been teaching himself how to hoop dance. But when his best buddy Declan discovers him dancing, it isn't long before his whole class knows. Once the secret is out, Tobias has the opportunity to share his dancing at the spring talent show, but he's not sure he wants that. Is he ready to share his Native dance with others or will he stop dancing altogether?

Toby Brandt would rather be hitting jump shots than doing chores on his Grandpa’s farm. But he’s about to learn a new appreciation for the great outdoors. His cousin Chloe and her friends soon convince Toby to join them on their nature runs. Before long, he learns to enjoy running with them through the woods and navigating their homemade obstacle course. However, when they tell Toby about the upcoming Wild Run, he doesn’t want to risk getting hurt and letting down his friends.

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?

Karate is the most important thing in Aliyah’s life. It allows her to fight–and she’s good at that. It also makes her feel like a winner. Nothing is more important to Aliyah than taking down an opponent, especially if it’s her main rival, Suma. Things soon change with the arrival of a new student, Zoya, who also happens to be Suma’s little sister. Aliyah sees something familiar in Zoya–an anger and aggression that reminds Aliyah of herself. Upon the request of Suma, and with the approval of the sensei, Aliyah agrees to train Zoya.

Hank Watson enjoys helping his basketball team win big games. However, his true passion is cooking. Hank doesn't tell his team that he likes to cook because he's afraid they'll make fun of him. When an opportunity arises to meet celebrity chef Brenton Spooner, Hank jumps at the chance. But while practicing a difficult dish to impress his idol, he accidentally burns his hand. The injury isn't serious, but it affects his performance both on the court and in the kitchen.

Blake Easton loves playing wiffle ball with his friends, so when they encourage him to try out for the local traveling baseball team, he decides to give it a shot. Blake has never played organized sports before, and the tryouts are tough, but he makes the team as a second-string player.

New-kid Javier Moreno makes a big splash on the soccer field when a video of his amazing goal goes viral. But now the fame is going to his head, and he's hogging the ball and showing off. Will Javi's solo act ruin the team's chances at making the state championship?

Devon Rosario has played basketball his whole life, and he's great at it, so great, in fact, that his dad, team, and community in the Bronx can't imagine him doing anything else. And while Devon loves his team, he's not so happy with the rigid structure his success in the sport and his father's expectations has created. So when he sees Jamal, a Yemeni refugee and new kid at school, doing BMX tricks on his bike one day, he's intrigued. Can Devon keep his newfound love of BMX under wraps? Or will he be busted when his BMX secret comes out?

Cameron Jones plays soccer not because he loves it, but because his dad believed he will one day earn a big prize: a college scholarship. When his father’s job transfer takes him from the big city to a small-town team, Cameron thinks it might be his chance to take a step back from soccer.

New-kid Javier Moreno makes a big splash on the soccer field when a video of his amazing goal goes viral. But now the fame is going to his head, and he's hogging the ball and showing off. Will Javi's solo act ruin the team's chances at making the state championship?

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.

Benji Krueger loves playing hockey with his friends at his home on Prairie Lake. But Benji's heart is broken when his parents announce that they're having a baby and the family will have to move. To make matters worse, his older sister, Raina, is a skilled hockey player and loves to embarrass Benji on the ice. When Benji learns about a pond hockey tournament by his house, he rallies his friends to take on his sister's team. Will Benji finally defeat his sister on their own home ice and learn to have confidence in his own abilities?

Davalyn “The Daredevil” Hart may be a new rider in the sport of wheelchair motocross, but this adrenaline junkie is ready to push herself. When she gets a new WCMX chair designed to take a beating at the skate park, she turns her stunts up to the next level.