Ironjaws - Softcover

Vanschaik, Jerry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1069345938 ISBN 13: 9781069345936

Publisher: Pete's Press, 2025

Synopsis

Ironjaws is not the first fish story ever told.
But it may be the first one to blend fishing with basketball in a way that asks us to think over what teamwork and friendship are, and what winning really is.

“Five eighth grade boys, on an overnight trip, discover there is more to landing a fabled fish than simply casting their lines into the lake. It takes cunning, teamwork, and, sometimes, staring down death to win. In this captivating YA novella, author Jerry Vanschaik draws us into the action as the friends revert to their respective roles on a youth basketball team in a quest to land the ultimate trophy.”

--Don Thrasher, contributing arts and music writer for the Dayton Daily News

"An energizing and well-paced story, Ironjaws transports us back to the simpler days of adolescence. Jerry paints a vivid picture of the main crew's tight-knit bond and impressive teamwork. As you turn the pages, the book will likely stir up some memories from your own childhood, when inside jokes and sharing experiences with your closest friends were the most important things in the world."
-Joey Held, author of Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships

“Basketball’s innate ability to bring young people together in meaningful and sometimes unexpected ways is at the center of this heartwarming, beautifully rendered tale of friendship, hope and redemption.

—Craig Leener, Author of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy and There’s No Basketball on Mars

“An underdog story of friendship, adventure, and coming of age as five boys on the brink of high school discover resiliency, teamwork, and the importance of chasing dreams. Jerry Vanschaik’s Ironjaws shows that nothing is impossible on the basketball court, or out on the lake, if you have a little help from your friends.”

—J.R. Jamison, award-winning author of Hillbilly Queer: A Memoir

“As a fan of both basketball and fishing, the story drew me in and held me to the last word!”

- Barbara Hay, An award-winning author, journalist, and short-story writer and the author of the debut young adult novel LESSON OF THE WHITE EAGLE , THE BULLDOGGERS CLUB: THE TALE OF THE ILL-GOTTEN CATFISH.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pete's Press
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1069345938
• ISBN 13: 9781069345936
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 76