New Releases by Rich Wallace

In this key civil rights and social justice book for young readers, Scipio Africanus Jones—a self-taught attorney who was born enslaved—leads a momentous series of court cases to save twelve Black men who'd been unjustly sentenced to death. In October 1919, a group of Black sharecroppers met at a church in an Arkansas village to organize a union. Bullets rained down on the meeting from outside. Many were killed by a white mob, and others were rounded up and arrested. Twelve of the sharecroppers were hastily tried and sentenced to death. Up stepped Scipio Africanus Jones, a self-taught lawyer who'd been born enslaved. Could he save the men's lives and set them free? Through their in-depth research and consultation with legal experts, award-winning nonfiction authors Sandra and Rich Wallace examine the complex proceedings and an unsung African American early civil rights hero.

Recounts George W. De Long's expedition to reach the North Pole.

When Stu hears a voice calling him late at night, follows it to the haunted house down the road, and sees the ghost of a boy who was murdered fifty years before, he feels compelled to find out why the ghost is reaching out to him--even if it means risking his own life.

"After the starting point guard sprains his ankle during a game, Jamere steps in until his rival teammate returns for the championship. But with both boys expecting to start in the final game, their coach asks Jamere to decide who will play. The ending is Up2u!"--Page [4] of cover.

Stu hears a voice calling him late one night and leaves his house to investigate. He enters an abandoned house down the road and is scared off by a ghost. Stu and Dan go back during daylight and find nothing, but Dan says a boy died fifty years ago at the house, falling from a deck into the steep gorge below. Rumor has it he was pushed by another kid, but the death was declared an accident. That night, Stu returns to the house alone. He meets the ghost of the young boy who was pushed off the deck and the ghost of the murderer. Stu finds himself falling off the deck. The ghost saves his life.

Torry Santana is a seventh-grade sports star. His friends will tell you he's good at everything, but he works hard for it, too. This year, he's a starter on his school basketball team. Yet after a big loss, the eighth graders are eyeing his spot. Can Torry find a way to face their big rivals again, or will he crumble under the pressure?

Javon Park loves baseball. This summer, his team is fighting for the championship! As relief pitcher, Javon knows the final moments of every game belong to him. And after drum lessons from his older brother, Ki, Javon feels like he might have found his rhythm. Strike one, strike two, strike three. Will it be enough to take down a worthy opponent?

Up2U Adventures?where the ending is Up2U! When young Archer and his partner, Bull, find a silver vein in the Arizona desert, they think they will be rich. But Cactus Flats is a town with many dangers and men waiting to double-cross them. Will Bull and Archer survive the Wild West? The ending is Up2U. Calico Chapter Books is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades 2-5.

Famous female athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias had one driving goal: to become the greatest athlete who ever lived. But there was more to Babe than just sports. Babe had a meteoric rise -- to famed basketball player, Olympic medalist, and top female golfer. But her life included many controversies surrounding her upbringing, personality, marriage, and even her early death. This action-packed true story of a woman ESPN ranks as #10 of the top North American athletes of the twentieth century is a fascinating biography of a historical sports figure. Ideal for Women's History Month, the book includes personal and professional photographs, quotes, a bibliography, and an index.

Have you ever heard an urban legend? In this trio of terrifying tales, three boys have a close brush with the unknown as they encounter ghostly horses who run the streets at night, phantom farm children whispering in their ears, and a deceased former classmate who may be less dead than everyone thought. . . . Eerie, thought-provoking, and perfect for Halloween, these scary stories are sure to delight readers who grew up on Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark looking for a good spine-tingler!

Riley feels like the smallest kid at sports camp. In fact, he is. He just turned eleven in April, but most kids here are twelve, and a few are even thirteen—and gigantic. It’s hard enough for a shrimp like Riley to fit in. He just doesn’t want to be the weak link as his bunk competes for the Camp Olympia Trophy. Riley knows he’s no good at strength and accuracy games like basketball and softball. But when it comes to speed and endurance events, like running and swimming, he’s better than he looks. He’s pretty sure he can place in the top ten—and bring in major trophy points—in the final mile-long swim race across Lake Surprise. But he doesn’t count on being followed by the shadow of Big Joe, the giant vicious snapping turtle of camp lore. Wasn’t that supposed to be a legend?

KICKERS: a young middle grade soccer series Book 3 It’s a race to the Kickers soccer league play-offs. Nine-year-old Ben is pretty sure that if the Bobcats win two of their last three games, they’ll earn a tournament spot. But in their game against the Tigers, the Bobcats are a mess on the field—they’re not passing well at all—and Ben decides to take control. Someone has to win this thing, and his teammates just aren’t measuring up. Then the whistle blasts, the red card waves, and Ben is out—benched for dangerous moves. Not only that, he’s barred from the next game, too—a key bout against the Rabbits. How can he possibly help his team to the play-offs from the sidelines? The Kickers series, from award-winning sports novelist Rich Wallace, features nonstop soccer action, black-and-white art, and league statistics and soccer tips throughout. Also available: KICKERS #1: THE BALL HOGS KICKERS #2: FAKE OUT KICKERS #4: GAME-DAY JITTERS

Introducing a soccer series for new readers Kickers #2 The Kickers soccer league is heating up, and Ben's team, the Bobcats, has two losses, one win, and one tie. Ben knows he can pull his team out of its slump and right into the league play-offs with his new move: the fake-out. He practices the tricky footwork every chance he gets. But every time he tries it on the field, he flubs up, loses the ball, and hurts his team. Meanwhile, everyone else is faking him out. Is Ben out of his league? In his Kickers series, award-winning author Rich Wallace offers action-filled novels about the Bobcats, a fourth-grade coed soccer team, and their bid for the league play-offs.

Filled with on-the-field soccer scenes, black-and-white artwork, and sports statistics throughout, this short novel—ideal for newly independent readers, athletes, and all sports fans—follows nine-year-old Ben and his fourth-grade team, the Bobcats, as they race to the Kickers League playoffs. Ben knows he's one of the team's strongest players, but he's been struggling with the jitters. He's just freezing up on the field. Can he pull through for his teammates now that they really need him?

With help from his older brother Larry, nine-year-old Ben learns to cope with his nervousness about the Kickers League playoffs. Includes "Ben's Top Ten Tips for Soccer Players."

As the summer of 1969 turns to fall in their New Jersey town, 12-year-old Brody plays football during his first year in junior high while his older brother's protest of the war in Vietnam causes tension with their father. By the author of the Winning Season series.

Brothers Zeke and Randy participate in an important chess tournament, playing against each other while also trying to deal with their father's intensely competitive tendencies.

Introducing a soccer series for new readers Kickers #1 Nine-year-old Ben is brand-new to soccer, but he's a good athlete and knows he'll do well on the Bobcats, his team in the local Kickers soccer league. If he can only work around his obnoxious teammate Mark, the ball hog, Ben is sure he'll score his first goal. But Coach Patty, and Ben's own teammates, show him a little something about teamwork. And suddenly it dawns on him: he's a ball hog, too. Can he change his ways before the Bobcats lose their shot at the Kickers play-offs? Award-winning sports novelist Rich Wallace introduces the Kickers soccer series, filled with lively black-and-white art and fast-paced, on-the-field action.

Nine-year-old Ben, a natural athlete and member of the Bobcats co-ed soccer team, wants to overcome his inexperience and prove himself on the field, but his obnoxious teammate, Mark, keeps hogging the ball.

Nine-year-old Ben learns some lessons in self-control and sportsmanship when his behavior on the soccer field gets him sent to the bench.

Eigtheen-year-old Michael Kerrigan, writer of obituaries for the Scranton Observer and captain of the track team, is ready for the most important season of his life--until the police find four joints in his school locker, and he is faced with a choice that could change everything.

Welcome to Sturbridge, Pennsylvania, a small, dead-end town with nothing to do and no way out. At least that's how Ben, a high school senior and the second-best 135-pound wrestler in school, sees it. But Ben's fed up with being stuck on the bench, watching as his friend Al, the state champion, gets all the glory. If Ben doesn't get his life in gear, he could end up like his father and the other men in Sturbridge--working on the line in the cinder block factory. Spurred on partly by a wise, intense young woman, and partly by a strength found deep within himself, Ben looks for a way out--his whole life depends on it. In the words of Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli, "Wrestling Sturbridge isn't just an outstanding first novel; it's an outstanding novel, period."

The 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?

Nineteen-year-old Danny spends an eventful summer in Maine, looking for romance, working as a "straight" dishwasher in a gay bar, and trying to reconnect with his estranged father.

Strong, 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.

the 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.

Get 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?

Jimmy throws left, bats right and left and is hoping to become Hudson Cityżs newest pitcher, but things donżt go quite as planned and when the season hits a low point, Jimmyżs pitches and his attitude begin to find their marks. Includes table of contents, book preview and author profile. Chapter Book: 11 chapters.

Jason has twenty-seven receptions, six touchdowns and fifty points for the season as a wingback, but after the star quarterback is injured, Coach sends Jason in at emergency quarterback. Includes table of contents, book preview and author profile. Chapter Book: 9 chapters.

Manny 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.