Description

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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.


 

About the Author

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Tommy Greenwald is the author of many books for children, including the Crimebiters! and Charlie Joe Jackson series. Greenwald is also the cofounder of SpotCo Advertising and the lyricist and co-writer (with Andrew Lippa) of John & Jen, an off-Broadway musical and book. To read more about Greenwald, visit tommygreenwald.com.

Praise For…

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"What could be a tale of haves and have-nots swerves, instead examining the pernicious effects poor judgment, vicarious living, and outright self-interest can have on the physical and mental well-beings of student athletes."
— Kirkus Reviews

"No reader will leave before the final buzzer." 
— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Booksl