Plunked

When a young slugger gets hit by a pitch, he needs more than practice to get back his game.Sixth grader Jack Mogens has it all figured out: He's got his batting routine down, and his outfielding earns him a starting spot alongside his best friend Andy on their Little League team, the Tall Pines Braves. He even manages to have a not-totally-embarrassing conversation with Katie, the team's killer shortstop. But in the first game of the season, a powerful stray pitch brings everything Jack's worked so hard for crashing down around his ears. How can he explain to his parents and friends why he WON'T be playing? Readers will root for Jack as he finds the courage to step back up to the plate.Michael Northrop is the New York Times bestselling author of TombQuest, an epic book and game adventure series featuring the magic of ancient Egypt. He is also the author of Trapped, an Indie Next List Selection, and Plunked, a New York Public Library best book of the year and an NPR Backseat Book Club selection. An editor at Sports Illustrated Kids for many years, he now writes full-time from his home in New York City. Learn more at www.michaelnorthrop.net. Praise for Plunked"Plunked gives a marvelous degree of attention to the second-to-second details of youth baseball . . . {for} any kid who has ever loved a sport to the point of obsession." -Gordon Korman"Readers will appreciate this down-to-earth sports story . . . rooted in the writer's knowledge of the game and what it means to its young players." -Kirkus"A well-crafted story and fun read. The sharp dialogue, the characters and, yes, maybe even a little bit of {Jack's} anxiety will resonate with young readers." -tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated Michael Northrop is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle-grade adventure series TombQuest. He is also the author of On Thin Ice; Trapped, an Indie Next List selection; Plunked, a New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing selection and an NPR Backseat Book Club pick; and other titles. An editor at Sports Illustrated Kids for many years, he now writes full-time from his home in New York City. Learn more at michaelnorthrop.net. Praise for Plunked
"Plunked gives a marvelous degree of attention to the second-to-second details of youth baseball . . . {for} any kid who has ever loved a sport to the point of obsession." -Gordon Korman
"Readers will appreciate this down-to-earth sports story . . . rooted in the writer's knowledge of the game and what it means to its young players." -Kirkus
"A well-crafted story and fun read. The sharp dialogue, the characters and, yes, maybe even a little bit of {Jack's} anxiety will resonate with young readers." -tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated