Publisher Description

Julia just changed schools. Luckily, her best friend, Ava, goes to her new school. Ava's been on the cheerleading squad for two years, and she promised to help Julia make the team. But if Julia is a better cheerleader than Ava, will they still be able to be best friends?

Author Biography

Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler - or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps - literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers.

Table of Contents

Everything you know -- First day -- Tryouts -- Who's in? -- Time -- Miss Captain -- Back to normal -- No more captain -- Disaster -- The competition.

Review

In Cheer Captain, Julia wants to become captain of the cheerleading squad at her new middle school. However, she worries that if she does, it could harm her friendship with Ava, another cheerleader and a friend. In Drive to the Hoop, Mel is also new in town. She has a chance to move up from the freshman basketball team to JV, but this upsets the other freshman players. Mel, like Julia, wonders if she can form friendships while being successful in her sport. Both easy chapter books deal with popularity and competition from a female perspective, which is a nice niche to fill. Unfortunately, the stories are contrived, and the illustrations are poorly executed. These hi/lo titles are extremely formulaic but are likely to circulate and could be considered for larger collections.-- "School Library Journal"

Review Quote

In Cheer Captain, Julia wants to become captain of the cheerleading squad at her new middle school. However, she worries that if she does, it could harm her friendship with Ava, another cheerleader and a friend. In Drive to the Hoop, Mel is also new in town. She has a chance to move up from the freshman basketball team to JV, but this upsets the other freshman players. Mel, like Julia, wonders if she can form friendships while being successful in her sport. Both easy chapter books deal with popularity and competition from a female perspective, which is a nice niche to fill. Unfortunately, the stories are contrived, and the illustrations are poorly executed. These hi/lo titles are extremely formulaic but are likely to circulate and could be considered for larger collections.

Feature

Black and White, Discussion Questions, Glossary, Heading(s)/Subheading(s), Illustration(s)/Drawing(s), More Resources/Suggestions for Further Reading, Pronunciation Guide, Safe websites at FactHound.com, Table of Contents, Writing Prompts

Details