Special Collections
'Winning Season' Series
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Curveball
by Rich WallaceThe pressures of being an undercover reporter are getting to Eddie Ventura. No one on his baseball team has realized that he is the anonymous writer behind all the great new coverage their team has been getting from their school newspaper.
The only problem is... not everyone is thrilled with the stories, or the uncanny way their secrets are being leaked to the press. Should Eddie quit writing for the school newspaper before his secret is uncovered?
Lexile Level: 750L
Double Fake
by Rich WallaceGet ready for some amazing soccer action in Winning Season 4! It's summer in Hudson City. And for Calvin Tait and Zero Rollison, it's time to give soccer a shot. The YMCA soccer league looks like an easy way to get their feet wet and learn some technique, and once Calvin gets his foot on a ball and the taste of a winning game, he's totally hooked.
Soon Calvin is leading his team to the finals, where they'll be up against the toughest players in the league-twin sisters with Mia Hamm-inspired shots on goal. Calvin knows he's good, but are the twins better?
Lexile Level: 720L
Dunk Under Pressure
by Rich WallaceThe guys call him Dunk, but Cornell Duncan couldn't dunk from a six-foot ladder. He's flat-footed and slow and can jump only about two inches off the ground. but put him at the foul line and he's a star-a free-throw magician. That's the main reason he made the Hudson City all-star basketball team, which, if the team keeps winning, is headed to the state tournament.
But just when Hudson City seems to have a good chance at going all the way, Dunk gets a wake-up call. Following a few disastrous minutes off the bench, he realizes that it'll take more than free throws to make him a real all-star.
Lexile Level: 720L
Emergency Quarterback
by Rich WallaceJason Fiorelli is having a great year as wingback on the Hudson City Hornets. Twenty-seven receptions, six touchdowns, and fifty points for the season! Now with only three games left, the league title is within reach, until -- disaster -- the Hornets' star quarterback has a season-ending injury. And Wade, the replacement quarterback doesn't have the talent to take charge.
In a surprise move, Coach sends Jason in as emergency quarterback. It's an opportunity to save the season, but it also feeds the rivalry between Wade and Jason. With the championship game drawing near, can the Hornets pull it together in time to work as a team?
Lexile Level: 720L
Fast Company
by Rich WallaceManny Ramos is the fastest guy on the Hudson City Youth football team--maybe even the fastest in his school--so the new track club seems perfect for him. His light weight could finally be a benefit instead of a curse! When he first sees the enormous indoor sporting complex where he'll race some of the fastest guys around, Manny is awed.
Will his time in the 800 meters be any competition for guys who've been racing for years? Manny is determined to put in the time and effort to be a track contender He's finally found his sport.
Lexile Level: 610L
The Roar of the Crowd
by Rich WallaceManny's starting his first football season with the Hudson City Hornets, and he's determined to get in the game and not warm the bench. Problem is, Manny's not a big guy, and when he tries to tackle the offense, he's the one who ends up on the ground.
Coach isn't too pleased, especially when the team starts losing. But Manny refuses to give up; he's as tough as anyone out there and he's fast. He's got the season to prove to Coach, his teammates, and himself that he has the talent to earn the roar of the crowd.
Lexile Level: 680L
Second String Center
by Rich WallaceSlimmed down and in great shape, Dunk is thrilled to make the school basketball team as a secondstring center. Jared, the starting center, is the best player on the team.
But when Jared begins missing practice as well as the shots he used to make, Dunk is on the court more than he expected. He's playing better than ever, but will that jeopardize his friendship with Jared?
Lexile Level: 700L
Southpaw
by Rich WallaceJimmy Fleming throws left, bats right and left, and is hoping to become Hudson City's newest pitcher. But while he makes the team, things don't go just the way he'd hoped. His teammates aren't too welcoming, and his time on the mound is less than stellar. It doesn't help that his dad is applying more and more pressure on him to be a star pitcher.
Before long, Jimmy is wishing he'd never come to Hudson City. But Jimmy isn't one to give up, and just when the season hits a low point, Jimmy's pitches--and his attitude--begin to find their mark.
Lexile Level: 700L
Takedown
by Rich WallaceStrong, wiry, and lightweight, Donald seems to have the perfect combination of physical attributes for wrestling. And after seeing a high school wrestling match, he's excited to join Hudson City's middle-school team.
The workouts are grueling, and he loses his first few matches, but Donald's most difficult obstacle is his temper. Can he channel it to work for him instead of against him? Packed with action and drama, this newest Winning Season book from accomplished author Rich Wallace won't disappoint.
Lexile Level: 690L
Technical Foul
by Rich WallaceJared knows he's the best basketball player in school. He's got the talent, the touch, and the shots. With him at center, the Hudson City Hornets finally have a chance at making the playoffs.
But Jared's also got a temper, and when the ref throws him out of the game, he watches his team's chances start to slip away. With some help from his friends, he begins to realize that he's got to be a better teammate in order for the Hornets to be a better team.
Lexile Level: 680L