Athlete vs. Mathlete: Double Dribble - Hardcover

Mack, W. C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1619631296 ISBN 13: 9781619631298

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2013

Synopsis

One month ago, academic whiz Russell Evans never thought he'd be a basketball superstar. But now he's playing on the seventh-grade team alongside his fraternal twin, Owen, and they're tearing up the court. The Pioneers are on a winning streak, and Russ and Owen are getting along better than ever. Until the Matthews twins (Mitch and Marcus) show up. These twins are a triple threat: practically basketball pros, academic geniuses, and . . . identical. Things heat up on the court and in the classroom as these brothers are poised to rule the school.

Now Russ and Owen are fighting for the spotlight, and sabotage seems like their only hope. But when Marcus suffers an injury and Mitch falters during a big game without him, it becomes clear that the Matthews are powerless when separated. Will Russ and Owen take advantage? Or do they have other plans in mind?

About this title

About the Author

W.C. MACK is the author of Athlete vs. Mathlete, as well as numerous books for children, including After All, You're Callie Boone and the Canadian hockey novel Hat Trick. She was raised in Vancouver and now lives in Portland. www.wcmack.com

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—Twelve-year-old Owen and Russell are twins, but they're about as different as can be. Owen is athletic; Russell is bookish. But Russell has discovered that he is a capable basketball player, so he and Owen converge on the court to make an imposing point-scoring duo, until a new set of twins comes to town. Mitch and Marcus exhibit prowess at everything they do-including basketball. They're granted spots without having to try out, and while their phenomenal skill helps the team, their time on the court means that someone else is getting benched. And when it's Owen, he has a hard time seeing past his jealousy-until one of the newcomers suffers an injury, and everyone learns that their confidence and skill may be a facade. Owen must decide if he can push aside his feelings in order to find out what the new twins are really all about. This is a straight-up sports story from an author who clearly loves basketball. Chapters alternate between the brothers' viewpoints, and lots of dialogue moves the story right along. Most of the supporting cast is hard to differentiate, but Owen's and Russ's characterizations solidly depict middle school life. This second book in the series is a good choice for reluctant readers who like sports, but it may not have broad appeal beyond that demographic.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1619631296
• ISBN 13: 9781619631298
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192