Most Popular Books by Tommy Greenwald

From award-winning author Tommy Greenwald comes a thrilling companion novel to Game Changer that explores the growing pressures in youth sports, and the lengths some parents will go to make sure their kid comes out on top Cal Klondike’s life revolves around baseball. He’s the Walthorne Baseball Academy’s star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal’s relationship to baseball forever. Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story for middle grade readers about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

A boy and his dad discover all they have in common on a fishing trip in Hooked, a sweet picture book about father-son bonding by Tommy Greenwald with illustrations by David McPhail. Joe loves fishing. He loves watching the water and looking at the sky, he loves the peacefulness, and he especially loves dreaming about catching the Big One. Joe’s dad does not love fishing. He doesn’t like the waiting, or the worms, or the fact that nothing much happens. But when Joe needs a parental chaperone for an ice-fishing field trip, his dad agrees to go along. And when the waiting turns into talking, exchanging jokes, and sharing hot chocolate, Joe''s dad discovers something unexpected. He doesn’t just like fishing with Joe—he loves it. You could even say he’s hooked.

A mysterious football accident sends a high school reeling in this award-winning multimedia-format novel from Tommy Greenwald Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood is in a coma, fighting for his life after an unspecified football injury at training camp. His family and friends flock to his bedside to support his recovery—and to discuss the events leading up to the tragic accident. Was this the inevitable result of playing a violent sport, or did something more sinister happen on the field that day? Told in an innovative multimedia format combining dialogue, texts, newspaper articles, interview transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy’s inner thoughts, Game Changer explores the joyous thrills and terrifying risks of America’s most popular sport.

Annabella Donatello likes to do everything. She likes to draw, fly kites, play soccer, cook, and eat what she cooks. She even likes to do math! But there are two things she loves most of all: softball and performing. So she''s thrilled when she gets c

The thrilling conclusion to the Project Z trilogy! Life as an undead fifth grader is pretty good for Arnold. He finally feels like he can embrace both his zombie side (unlimited jellybeans!) and his regular kid side (kickbutt trampoline moves!). And now there''s a new zombie in town. Azalea, Arnold''s closest friend from the Territory, is living with Evan''s family and ready to try out human elementary school. But when Azalea questions whether or not she wants to return to the Territory, Arnold starts having doubts, too. Should he stay-- or go?

From Tommy Greenwald, the acclaimed author of Game Changer, and artist Lesley Vamos, Ultimate Goal is the first title in the hilarious, heavily illustrated chapter book series the Good Sports League. Ben Cutler loves everything about soccer! He’s got a great team, and they have the best pregame chants and half-time jokes. He and his best friend, Jay-Jay, even invent dances for when they score a goal! And Ben is good at soccer. Like REALLY good. Too good for a casual rec team. Soon, he’s recruited for a travel team. His new team plays amazingly well, but they take soccer super seriously. No pregame chants, no juice-box breaks, and the most important rule of all: NO DANCING. Even though his new team is winning all the time, Ben is left to wonder, Is winning all that matters in the end? Includes a sneak peek of the second Good Sports League book, Perfect Pitch

From the author of the award-winning Game Changer comes a gripping novel about two student-athletes searching for stardom, a young reporter searching for the truth, and a crosstown basketball rivalry that goes too far The people of Walthorne love their basketball—and one of the things they love most is the special rivalry between the Walthorne North Middle School Cougars and the Walthorne South Middle School Panthers. As the season begins, two star players are feeling the heat: Austin Chambers, captain of Walthorne North, worries that he’s not good enough to live up to his father’s legacy, while across town, the brilliantly talented Carter Haswell, captain of Walthorne South, is already under pressure to get a scholarship that might ease his family’s financial stress. While both boys do whatever they can to make sure their team wins, Alfie Jenks, a school sports reporter, discovers that behind-the-scenes scandals are just as much a part of youth sports as on-the-court action. When she blows the story wide open, the whole season is jeopardized. Told through a series of flashbacks, newspaper reports, social media posts, and interviews, Rivals will have readers tearing through the pages to see what happens next—and asking themselves if winning has become more important than doing the right thing.

In the gripping companion to Tommy Greenwald’s award-winning novel Game Changer, a star football player watches his father deteriorate from injuries he suffered playing the very same sport—now in paperback Caleb Springer is the up-and-coming star freshman quarterback on the high school football team, which isn’t a surprise considering his dad, Sammy Springer, was an NFL superstar and is now the town celebrity. College scouts are already snooping around Caleb and his future seems set. But just as Caleb’s glory days begin, his dad starts to change. He’s forgetting things and getting angry at random times. Caleb is forced to confront a bleak possibility: The sport that gives him so much status and self-worth might be the cause of his dad’s strange behavior. Will Caleb keep playing the sport of his dreams, even if he knows how dangerous it can be?

Laura Corbett and Damian White are loners, and not by choice. Kids make fun of smart, sarcastic Laura for her weight and artistic Damian for his tendency to sweat through his shirts. Calista Getz, however—well, everyone agrees that Calista is the prettiest girl in the whole school. Maybe even the whole state. Let''s just say that she sits at the popular lunch table. Laura and Damian don''t. But when Calista wakes up just before the school dance with the BIGGEST pimple she has EVER seen right in the middle of her face, and her attempts to hide it backfire spectacularly, Laura and Damian are the only ones who don''t ignore her. In fact, they seem to see not only past her pimple, but past her popularity, too. Together, they''ll challenge the school''s status quo in this hilarious, heartfelt novel The Real Us, by Tommy Greenwald.

Pete Milano''s class clown antics lead him to an unexpected opportunity: a chance to audition for a hot new indie movie alongside the most popular girl in school. Pete Milano has always been proud of his ability to make his friends laugh, even if his constant jokes and tricks often land him in trouble. But this time, Pete''s mischievous ways have brought him to the right place at the right time. He''s been asked to audition for the hottest new indie movie, starring opposite the girl of his dreams. As Pete navigates the thrilling world of movie-making, he quickly realizes that balancing his real life with his newfound fame is harder than it looks. With his relationships with his girlfriend and friends on the line, Pete must decide what matters most to him. Will he sacrifice everything for his shot at stardom, or will he find a way to have it all? In Pete Milano''s Guide to Being a Movie Star, author Tommy Greenwald delivers a hilarious and heartfelt story about friendship, fame, and staying true to yourself. Perfect for middle grade readers and fans of humorous school stories, this book will keep you laughing and rooting for Pete until the very last page.

Charlie Joe Jackson, the most reluctant reader ever born, made it his mission in the first book to get through middle school without reading a single book from cover to cover. Now he''s back--and trying desperately to get straight As in order to avoid going to academic camp for the summer. To do this, he will have to betray his friend, lose the girl of his dreams, and end up acting in a school play about the inventor of paper towels. Charlie Joe''s not exactly the "school play kind of guy," but desperate times call for desperate measures, in Charlie Joe Jackson''s Guide to Extra Credit by Tommy Greenwald.

Yes! Graduation day is finally here! Charlie Joe has been waiting for this moment his entire middle school career. This might even be the best day of his life. No more teachers! No more books! Just make it through the ceremony and he''s free. But suddenly things around him are starting to change. Words like "responsibility" and "college prep" keep popping out of his friend''s mouths. What happened to words like "fun" and "pool party"? And come to think of it, doesn''t high school bring more teachers and more books? Maybe this whole growing up thing isn''t such a good idea after all. Actually being a kid is pretty darn fun! Surely Charlie Joe can figure out a way to put the brakes on growing up-and fast! This hilarious final installment in the Charlie Joe Jackson series written by Tommy Greenwald and illustrated by J. P. Coovert is infused with nostalgia and just the right amount of chaos.

Arnold Z. Ombee is back in this wacky, page-turning sequel to A Zombie Ate My Homework! The zombie secret is out!Sort of... Scientists at the lab that Arnold escaped from claim they''ve changed their tune. Instead of creating super zombie soldiers, they just want humans and zombies to be friends.Too good to be true? Probably. But Arnold agrees to help teach other zombies everything he''s learned so far about being a real human boy.But there''s something that seems strange about these new "zombies" (well, stranger than usual). Arnold knows it''s up to him to unearth the secret before it eats him up inside. And outside. And everywhere else.

Arnold Z. Ombee has escaped a secret government zombie project -- but now can he survive human elementary school? From the hilarious mind behind the Crimebiters series comes a new trilogy that fans of The Last Kids on Earth will love to pieces (literally). Arnold Z. Ombee has escaped a secret government lab that''s developing zombies. Young, scared, and alone, he is found by the Kinders, a warmhearted couple who take him in. The Kinders decide Arnold will become part of their family. They help him disguise his undead appearance and teach him how to act like a human boy. After a lot of practice, he''s ready for the ultimate test: Fifth grade!

Charlie Joe Jackson is back and he''s at academic summer camp trying to convert all the other kids to non-academicsNone genius at a time. Illustrations.

Overscheduled and Overwhelmed, Jack Strong Stages a Sit-In on His Couch! All Jack Strong wants is to be a regular kid, but his parents have packed his schedule with every extracurricular activity imaginable: tennis, baseball, cello, karate, tutoring, and Chinese language lessons—on top of his regular homework. They''re determined to make him "well-rounded" and prepared for those crucial college applications. But Jack''s had enough. In Jack Strong Takes a Stand, Jack stages a sit-in on his couch, refusing to budge until his parents let him quit some of the extracurriculars. As his protest gains momentum, a local television host takes interest in doing a segment about him. With tensions rising as counter-protesters camp out across the street, Jack''s enjoying the newfound attention—but worries his sit-in may have gone too far. This humorous middle grade book is perfect for reluctant readers and kids who love funny stories about school, friendship, and family. Part of a hilarious series, Jack Strong Takes a Stand will have tweens and teens laughing out loud while relating to the challenges of growing up in today''s overscheduled world.

There''s a crisis at Eastport Middle School! It appears that everyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend except . . . Charlie Joe Jackson??!? Yup-he''s the only single guy out of all his friends. How is this possible? Even Pete Milano snagged a girl! Well, Charlie Joe refuses to be left out. He quickly goes looking for help in the last place anyone would think to find him-the library. And what he finds is the gem of all gems, the guidebook of all guidebooks, the key to finally getting a girl! Now, everyone is suddenly coming to him for love advice. (Oh, how the tables have turned.) But Charlie Joe''s world is swiftly turned upside down when he realizes the girl he actually likes... might not actually be the girl he likes.

"When his weekly allowance just isn''t cutting it anymore, lovable slacker Charlie Joe devises ways to make more money--and fast"--