Most Popular Books by Rich Wallace

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?

Jared knows he''s the best basketball player in school. He''s got thetalent, 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.

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."

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

Marcus Thorpe just had the first, and worst, 400-meter race of his seventh-grade life. He knows it was rough, but his friends'' jokes are starting to sting. Luckily, redemption is in sight. If Marcus can just find the right pace, he can earn a spot in the 4x400 relay and prove his worth at the special meet at the high school. Will he pull his weight, or will the final stretch crush him again?

Celebrate the genius, diversity, and grit of immigrants and refugees in this boldly illustrated guide to 36 American trailblazers. The men and women in this book represent nations from Somalia to Germany, from Syria to China, from Mexico to Sweden, and more. They are people like Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, international singing sensation Celia Cruz, star basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, world-renowned physicist Albert Einstein, and influential journalist Jorge Ramos. And they are all immigrants or refugees to the United States of America. Their courage, their achievements, and their determination to change the world have helped make our country a stronger place. Perhaps after reading their stories, you will be inspired to make the world a better place, too.

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.

FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! ? "An alarmingly relevant book that mirrors current events." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Demonstrating the power of protest and standing up for a just cause, here is an exciting tribute to the educators who participated in the 1965 Selma Teachers'' March. Reverend F.D. Reese was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. As a teacher and principal, he recognized that his colleagues were viewed with great respect in the city. Could he convince them to risk their jobs--and perhaps their lives--by organizing a teachers-only march to the county courthouse to demand their right to vote? On January 22, 1965, the Black teachers left their classrooms and did just that, with Reverend Reese leading the way. Noted nonfiction authors Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace conducted the last interviews with Reverend Reese before his death in 2018 and interviewed several teachers and their family members in order to tell this story, which is especially important today.

Two friends look forward to a season of soccer with the YMCA summer league.

Manny''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.

It''s soccer season, and sophomore Bones Austin and his team are struggling to make it to the district play-offs--against all odds. To make matters worse, Bones has a crush on the girlfriend of his best friend, Joey. Bones and Joey are forced to learn a little something about teamwork, even when hard times seem to be tearing them apart. Rich Wallace returns to Sturbridge, Pennsylvania, in his stunning follow-up to Wreslting Strubirdge, in Knopf Paperback for the first time.

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?

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.

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.

Randy is a chubby ninth grader with a Cub Scout hair cut who guesses M&M colors with his eyes closed and makes up words. He’s also a chess whiz who has defeated his older brother Zeke in nine of their last ten matches. Zeke is a high school senior, a soccer champ, and a chess natural who can beat just about anyone if he decides to really concentrate. So why is his loser little brother the better athlete, the better chess player, and the first to have a girlfriend? The competition heightens when both Randy and Zeke qualify for the Northeast Regional of the Pennsylvania High School Chess Championships (Randy is seeded, Zeke is not)—and play their way right into a brother-tobrother final round. Told in alternating points of view between brothers, Rich Wallace’s new novel brings to life one of America’s favorite pastimes in a suspenseful story about competition and family loyalty. Rich Wallace is the author of several books for young adults, including One Good Punch, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Wrestling Sturbridge, an ALA Quick Pick. He lives in Pennsylvania.

After the first day of tryouts for the school basketball team, Stu stays behind to shoot extra free throws--his weak spot. As he''s shooting baskets, a boy joins him in the gym. He''s wearing a retro jersey, and Stu doesn''t recognize him. He tells Stu to come back later, and he''ll give Stu tips. Stu returns, and the boy named Randy helps him with his shooting. Stu asks Randy when he went to school there, but the boy disappears. Stu discovers Randy is a ghost. Randy helps Stu make the basketball team, and Stu chooses to wear the ghost''s number on his jersey.

Slimmed 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?

Griffin Lane loves playing soccer in the local league. His three best friends are there. It''s competitive but more relaxed than school sports. And he''s right where he wants to be, playing defense out in front of the goal. But when the goalie is injured, everyone seems to think Griffin is the best replacement. Can he hack it between the sticks, or will his nerves win the day?

Some might think Jay was cheated. By his mother, who walked out when he was 9. By his dad, who took a job a couple thousand miles away and let him stay above a bar in a one-room apartment. By the basketball coach, who saw his talent but chose youth over determination. And even Jay’s not sure whether this last year of high school in the small town of Sturbridge, Pennsylvania, will add up to anything. But just when senior year seems a waste–kissing the wrong girls, offending the right ones, playing basketball on a church league with other “rejects”–life begins to click again. The church league gives him some of the best basketball he’s ever played, and the right girl gives him a second chance. Jay may not know what he wants next out of life, but he’s beginning to get a clue about how to play the game.

Stu gets lost in the woods as night is falling. He knows he''s near a quarry where a teenager and his dog had fallen and drowned years before. A dog appears and clearly wants Stu to follow him. Stu starts to follow the dog, but he hears a voice calling the dog. Stu yells to the voice and heads toward it. The voice keeps calling for the dog, and Stu is getting closer to it. Then he hears the voice screaming in fear. He finds himself on the edge of the quarry and hears a splash below. The dog leaps over the edge to save the teen. After another splash there are no more sounds.