Perfect for fans of The Trouble with Heroes and Hey, Kiddo, this heartfelt illustrated novel tells the story of two friends who help each other make tough decisions while on a hiking adventure.Two middle schoolers, Jaxson and South, embark on a day-long mission to climb the fire tower at the top of Mount Hope. Until now, the two have been mostly long-distance friends, but after mo...

A 2021 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor BookA Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020A 2021 ALA Rainbow BookA Bank Street Best Book of 2021A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke--the first professional baseball player to come out as gay--into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be him...

Fifth grade is one wild ride in this illustrated middle grade novel about two best friends—the first book in the funny and engaging Rip and Red series.Rip and Red are best friends whose fifth-grade year is nothing like what they expected. They have an eccentric new tattooed teacher named Mr. Acevedo, who doesn't believe in tests or homework and who likes off-the-wall projects, the more "off" the better. And guess who's also their new basketball coach? Mr. Acevedo! ...

Lammy Award WinnerA "Best Book of the Year" from School Library Journal and Chicago Public LibraryA People's Pick for the Best LGBTQ+ Kids Books for Pride MonthA Book Riot Best Recent LGBTQ+ Picture Books SelectionAn American Library Association Rainbow Book List SelectionAn inspiring picture book biography about Glenn Burke, the fi...

The 1958 NFL championship game is known to football fans as the "Greatest Game Ever Played." Featuring gridiron legends like Johnny Unitas, Frank Gifford, and Vince Lombardi, the Game marked the beginning of America’s infatuation with professional football.Now, Phil Bildner tells a heartwarming father-and-son story against the backdrop of this historic moment.When the New York Giants baseball team moves to San Francisco, young Sam discovers the other New York Giants—the football Gi...

In a country struggling with acceptance, hope can come in many different forms.As a boy, Hector loved playing soccer in his small Johannesburg township. He dreamed of playing on a real pitch with the boys from another part of the city, but apartheid made that impossible. Then, in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and apartheid began to crumble. The march toward freedom in South Africa was a slow one, but when the beloved Bafana Bafana national soccer team won ...

In New Orleans, there lived a man who saw the streets as his calling, and he swept them clean. He danced up one avenue and down another and everyone danced along. The old ladies whistled and whirled. The old men hooted and hollered. The barbers, bead twirlers, and beignet bakers bounded behind that one-man parade. But then came the rising Mississippi—and a storm greater than anyone had seen before. In this heartwarming book about a real garbage man, Phil Bildner and John Parra tell the ins...

A baseball stadium comes to life in this magical picture book brought to you by legendary sports icon and role model Derek Jeter.Seven-year-old Gideon is overjoyed to be at Yankee Stadium watching his favorite team win! And when the game is over, he’s going to get an autograph from his favorite player. However, Gideon gets separated from his family and then he tumbles into a secret part of the stadium. There he discovers a magical world where everything from the ra...

At the start of the 1941 baseball season, neither Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees nor Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox were beloved by baseball fans. But that all changed when Joe started a 56-game hitting streak and Ted's batting average rose to over .400. Despite numerous challenges along the way-Joe had his bat stolen by an overeager fan and Ted's batting average dipped to .3995 on the last day of the season-the records set by "Joltin' Joe" and "The Splendid Splinter" have yet to...

The extraordinary story of James Banning, the first African-American pilot to fly across countryDuring the Great Depression, the ace black pilot James Banning decided to fly from coast to coast to serve as an inspiration to people everywhere. So with a little ingenuity and a whole lot of heart, he fixed up the dilapidated OXX6 Eagle Rock plane with his co-pilot and mechanic, Thomas Allen, earning them the derisive nickname, “The Flying Hobos.” But with the help of friends ...

Fifth grade is turned upside for two best friends when a spunky new student joins their class in this illustrated middle grade novel—the second book in the funny and engaging Rip and Red series.Just when they think they've got the hang of things, Rip and Red find that fifth grade continues to challenge them in head-spinning ways. Tiki, a new girl whose Egyptian dad is an animal-rights activist, has just joined their class. She's charismatic, funny—and she's got gam...

Fifth grade is a game changer for two best friends in this illustrated middle grade novel—the third book in the funny and engaging Rip and Red series.It's spring of their fifth-grade year and Rip and Red have a thrilling opportunity to participate in a weekend basketball tournament with a few other members of the Clifton United team. While the tournament is only a short bus ride away, the boys will travel outside their comfort zones. Ultra-competitive Rip must play...