Books with author Fred Bowen

The Franklin High Panthers need a new quarterback. Freshman Jesse Wagner knows the plays, but he feels he is too small to be QB material. Jesse’s brother Jay has a problem of his own: his college coach wants him to switch from quarterback to safety. The brothers agree on a deal: Jesse will try out for quarterback, and Jay will try playing safety. Meanwhile, Jesse and his teammates recruit an unlikely kicker for their team—a girl named Savannah.

Tyler’s hopes for an unbeatable season for the Cougars disappear when his friend Zack, the team’s hot-shot midfielder, and two more of their best players accept an offer to play for an elite travel team.Tyler has to admit he’s pleased when Coach Murray puts him in Zack’s midfielder position. But playing the middle is tough and Tyler’s spirits really sink when the Cougars lose their season opener in a close game―and the next game, too. Then an elderly English soccer fan tells Tyler about America’s 1-0 surprise upset of England―the world’s number one team―in the 1950 World Cup. Tyler learns that any game can be won or lost by a single play. But will one play really be enough to beat the top-ranked Mustangs?Author Fred Bowen continues his Sport Story Series with play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! An afterword provides the real story of the 1950 World Cup match between the United States and England.

It seems like Ryan, Zeke, Miles, and Eli have been friends forever. They spend practically every afternoon together playing basketball or just hanging out. But this year is different. All four friends are trying out for the basketball team.With so many good players in the running, Ryan is concerned that he won’t make the team. But he’s even more worried about what will happen to his group of friends if all of them don’t make the final cut.

An eighth-grade basketball player has amazing shooting talent but could use a little team spirit in this novel “bound to engage and entertain young readers” (School Library Journal). Richie Mallon is known as “the shooter”—the one on the team who scores most of the baskets. Every day he practices at his driveway hoop, perfecting his technique. Richie never plays any other roles on the court, leaving it to his teammates to do the assisting and rebounding. Under a new coach, Richie makes the team, but isn’t given a starting position. Then, when his shooting skills fall into a slump, he must find a way to become a more well-rounded player. With over 440,000 copies sold, Fred Bowen’s Sports Story Series continues to deliver play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Jake Daley loves baseball. He loves playing for the Red Sox in the Woodside Baseball League. He loves playing short stop. Most of all, he loves to win.So Jake is excited when new kid Adam Hull joins the team. Adam can do it all—pitch, hit and field. But soon Jake’s excitement beings to fade. As the Red Sox rack up win after win, Adam’s talents dominate every game. Jake can’t help but wonder:Do he and the other players even matter?

Jamie has the perfect glove. No matter the play, he can make the catch. He’s oiled the glove all winter and, as the season approaches, he—and his glove—are in top form.But when the golden glove mysteriously disappears, so do Jamie’s confidence and his baseball skills.Will Jamie find his glove in time for the big game? Was the golden glove really the secret of his success?

The Reds and the Cubs are battling for the first place in the Rising Stars League. The Reds need a victory in today’s game to push ahead in the standings.Kyle, the Reds center fielder, wants to win so much that he secretly cheats—just a little—to clinch the game for his team. His teammates go wild with victory. His parents beam with pride.Suddenly Kyle feels uneasy. But what can he do? He’s a winner—and he can’t turn back now . . .

Brett Carter is a hotshot on his basketball team, the Wildcats—or at least he was. After missing an easy layup shot at the buzzer in an important game, he feels like a total loser.But things get worse. At his best friend’s birthday party at a rock climbing center, Brett freezes on the wall. Then he blows an easy question in the American history bee at school. He is losing his confidence fast, both on and off the court—and the championship game is coming up.Can Brett overcome his fears and play like a “winner” again?

Can street ball and technical play mix it up on the court and score wins for the team? Can Ben convince Hud to leave his hotshot style back on the pickup court?Ben and Logan are looking forward to basketball season playing on the Roosevelt High School freshman team. Ben figures he’s a shoo-in to play shooting guard and Logan will be the team’s center. But their perfect team still needs a perfect point guard.The two boys discover Antonio “Hud” Hudson at the local rec center, where fast-paced pickup games are the rule. Hud looks like just what the team needs—an instinctive passer with fancy moves. Even better, Hud is coming to Roosevelt!Roosevelt’s tough coach has one rule for the boys: no pickup basketball. Later, when Ben finds Hud playing at the rec center—in violation of the rules—he has to make a decision. Does he turn Hud in, or does he keep his mouth shut? As captain, can Ben somehow help Hud balance his passion for the game and his dedication to the team?

Sam loves football. There’s nothing better than the rush he gets when his team, the Cowboys, are working together—moving closer and closer to the end zone.In a key game, the Cowboys beat their arch rivals to remain undefeated, thanks to a major play by Sam. But the celebration ends when he and his teammates make an unwelcome discovery.Is the Cowboys’ perfect season in jeopardy?

Josh and his talented travel league soccer teammates are having trouble coming together as a successful team—until he convinces them to try team-building exercises.Thirteen-year-old Josh tries out for the United, an elite travel league soccer team, and is thrilled when he makes the cut. But once the season is underway, he discovers that the practices are grueling and the other team members are prone to hogging the ball. All the other players are talented, but they each seem to be playing for themselves and not for the team. They can’t seem to pull together enough to win a single game. Tired of always being in the losers bracket, Josh begins to wonder if he made a mistake by leaving his old team and his buddies. Should he quit the United?But just when Josh is about to give up on his new team, he makes a discovery: While doing a homework assignment about the World Cup soccer championships, he learns that the 1999 United States Women’s World Cup team faced similar difficulties. Individually they were excellent athletes, but they just couldn’t work together. How did the 1999 team win it all that year? By using team-building exercises. Fired up by this idea, Josh convinces his coach to try the same approach. At first his teammates are skeptical, but with time they turn the United into a real team!

Another exciting, fast-paced sports story from Fred Bowen featuring lots of play-by-play actionMatt Monroe is a shoo-in for starting quarterback for the Parkside Middle School football team this year.Or is he?Devro, a new seventh grader, looks pretty impressive. He’s consistent and can run the plays almost as well as Matt. And he’s got speed.As the fall football season unfolds, the team has more than its share of surprises and unexpected challenges, as well as plenty of victories and upsets on and off the field—all of which Matt records and analyzes in a journal he keeps for his English class. By the last kickoff of the season, Matt has learned that a team is only as good as the sum of its parts and that playing together is the only way to win.