Chad Morris

“I don’t think you should Ever. Quit. Trying.”

The Playmakers is a clever, touching, middle grade book that’ll have you cheering for the underdogs! Filled with humor, endearing characters, the thrill of competition, & messages every kid needs to hear, Chad Morris & Shelly Brown deliver another inspirational winner.

Jax, Nic, Luke, & Miley all have something to prove. Jax & Nic love basketball & are devastated when they don’t make the team. Even though Jax is the shortest kid in show more seventh grade & Nic struggles with self esteem & is teased for having a dad in jail, they have skills. Jax decides he’ll form his own team to compete with the school’s team & show the coach he & Nic have what it takes. Luke is tall & pretty good at basketball, but he didn’t try out & dreams of doing theater. When he’s the only one cut from the play, he agrees to join Jax’s team if he’ll help him win a theater competition. Miley is a shy kid who excels at math, but her parents want to have her homeschooled if she can’t overcome fears & find a place to fit in. As these kids all come together with some amazing help from a teacher, mom, & some fabulous girl basketball players, they might just have a chance to compete.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! There were so many positive messages showing kids that they should go after their dreams even when the odds are stacked against them. I also loved the message of coming together to help each other even if unsuccessful in the end. As a mom with a son who loves theater, it was fun seeing that aspect of the story. I also loved the contrast between supportive & absentee parents, & teachers who are helpful & those who can be devastatingly detrimental.

The characters were endearing & I enjoyed the emotional range they represent. Each has unique challenges & I loved seeing how they helped each other grow & become more confident. Miley’s story is uniquely told through doodles, texts, lists, & notes. While I somewhat missed her narrative, the illustrations showcased her personality.

All in all, a relatable, heartwarming, inspiring, humorous book middle grade & up readers will enjoy. I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided. show less

“‘And I learned that being good is a lot more important than looking good.’ I took a deep breath. ‘I know, it sounds like a fridge magnet, but it’s true.’ Me. No filter. Smiling.”

Virtually Me is a clever, heartfelt, realistic fiction middle grade readers will enjoy! Three Jr. High students share their hopes, fears, and deepest secrets as they attend an experimental virtual school during the 2021 pandemic year. Through their experiences, they learn valuable lessons about self show more acceptance, valuing things other than appearance, reinvention, second chances, and true friendship. It’s a thoughtful story with great messages. There are even references to K-pop!

Bradley, Hunter, and Edelle all have their own reasons for attending virtual school. Ever since having a mean prank pulled on him in 3rd grade, Bradley has withdrawn himself and tried to remain in the background. He longs for friendship and acceptance. His secret dreams of sharing his talent for dancing and love of K-pop remain hidden. Attending virtual school gives him an opportunity to reinvent himself. He can design his avatar any way he wants and create a new, more hip persona.

Hunter is hiding a secret from his friends. He’s experiencing a form of alopecia most likely alopecia areata and is embarrassed about his patchy hair loss. He’s extremely competitive and for one so focused on appearance and winning, this trial is extremely difficult. Virtual school allows him to be his popular, competitive self yet hide his real appearance. But, his drive to win may just be his downfall.

Edelle is attending virtual school because her mom hopes to convince her that appearances aren’t everything. For the popular girl who lives for likes on social media, being forced to adopt a plain avatar and miss out on in person school is going to be difficult. Edelle is in for a huge shock when she learns what it’s like to be just average looking. When her supposed best friend who fawned all over her in real life doesn’t recognize her or give her the time of day, she has to decide what real friendship is.

This is one of the first middle grade books I’ve seen that subtly addresses the pandemic and what kids were going through during that time. I loved the lessons each kid learns as they navigate online school The virtual setting allowed the kids to really explore who they were. I liked how each one had a different problem to overcome which made them easily relatable. I also loved Jasper. He’s the glue that keeps everyone together and when you learn his reason for attending virtual school, it really drives home the messages the authors were trying to convey throughout.

It’s well written, fun, and even enjoyable for adults to read. This is definitely one book I’d recommend to ages 10 and up. I received advanced complimentary copies from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. show less

This tender story told with heart and humor, and will leave you smiling and full of warm fuzzies.

Having been around a good number of 11 year odds over the years, I would say that the authors did an amiable job of writing in a believable voice, making Juniper Bean really sound her age. I loved that about this story. Told entirely from Juniper’s point of view, we learn about her family and how they have lived in the mountains, off grid, and wholly reliant on what they can glean from wild, show more Juniper’s entire life. But when a medical emergency for her brother sends them back into the city so he can get treatment, Juniper suddenly has to learn to navigate a foreign—and seemingly cutthroat—world.

I adored Juniper’s curiosity and confidence. Her little confidence boosting talks she would give herself were beautiful, and I hope my kids can say things like that to themselves. Juniper is a character who puts her all into what she does, and is extremely resourceful and resilient. I loved watching her navigate this new world, with new relationships, and do so with her head up high.

There are also some deeper themes throughout this one, including strong family and friendships, bullying, parental abandonment, split families, life-threatening illness, and anxiety attacks. But it’s all written in age-appropriate ways, and I think any middle grade reader could benefit from the lessons woven throughout this delightful story.

**thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Quotes I loved:

Stupid can get you dead.

She had a big heart that leaked out her eyes.

I was fine. You’ll never learn to do flips if you’re afraid of flopping sometimes. You’ve got to try. show less

Juniper has always lived off the grid with her family, but when her younger brother must go to a hospital, the whole family (re)enters Society, where Juniper is passionately curious about everything (including how the refrigerator works, which no one seems able to explain). An incredible fish-out-of-water story (see also: Schooled by Gordon Korman).