Athlete vs. Mathlete
By W. C. Mack
4/5
()
About this ebook
Owen Evans lights up the scoreboards. His brother, Russell, rocks the school boards. These twin brothers couldn't be more different. They've long kept the peace by going their separate ways, but all that is about to change. The new basketball coach recruits Russell for the seventh grade team and a jealous Owen has to fight to stay in the game. When someone tries to steal Russell's spot as captain of the mathlete team, will the two be able to put aside their differences in order to save his position? Or will they be sidelined?
Don't miss the other books in the Athlete vs. Mathlete series:
Athlete vs. Mathlete
Athlete vs. Mathlete: Double Dribble
Athlete vs. Mathlete: Time Out
W. C. Mack
W.C. MACK is the author of Athlete vs. Mathlete and Athlete vs. Mathlete: Double Dribble, as well as numerous books for children. She was raised in Vancouver and now lives in Portland, Oregon. www.wcmack.com.
Related to Athlete vs. Mathlete
Related ebooks
Ten Thousand Tries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lifeboat 12 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Jasper June Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stay Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Muffled Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jake Drake, Class Clown Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Candy Smash Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nowhere Boy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Absolutely Normal Chaos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magic Trap Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bell Bandit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sophie Washington: Things You Didn't Know About Sophie Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRoll with It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/596 Miles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kickoff! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Unexpected Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ruby on the Outside Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lost and Found Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brave Like That Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5BenBee and the Teacher Griefer: The Kids Under the Stairs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Notorious Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Report Card Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bat and the End of Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We Dream of Space: A Newbery Honor Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seventh Wish Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Social Themes For You
Invisible Things Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pout-Pout Fish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stellarlune Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty: Ready, Set, Go-Cart! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stuart Little Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dork Diaries 1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winnie the Pooh: The Classic Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverseen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legacy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The One and Only Bob Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witch of Blackbird Pond: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Horse and His Boy: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlocked Book 8.5 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lodestar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nightfall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exile Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keeper of the Lost Cities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Athlete vs. Mathlete
19 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5it was a great book about two siblings using each others strengths and weaknesses to both win.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a really nice story about two brothers who are in middle school and are trying to figure out how they fit in. They both think they know their roles (one is an athlete and one is a scholar) until a new basketball coach shakes things up. I think it has a good message and would be nice paired up with "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer Holm or "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead, which also have themes of finding where you belong in middle school.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I wasn't really expecting to love this book, but I ended up finding it hard to put down. It flows. Short, engaging, 2 perspectives that are really good at being 2 perspectives, and strong family dynamics for the win. Had some funny moments, had some genuine celebration of both word games and basketball. Great fun!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Excellent: flawed characters who are likeable, lessons learned without being preachy, "brains and brawn" shown as complementary, not exclusive, attributes and in a non-stereotypical way. I really don't like sports, including basketball, and I don't like reading sports books, but I really enjoyed this book. One to read with my kids when they get older (upper elementary and middle school aged).
Book preview
Athlete vs. Mathlete - W. C. Mack
Blazers
Tip-off
Seventh-grade basketball started out all wrong, and it only got worse.
"He wants us to try out?" Chris asked.
Unbelievable,
I muttered, staring at the sign-up sheet on our new coach’s office door.
Try out for our own team?
Chris, the rest of the guys, and I had been playing together since Cotter Elementary. We were undefeated in sixth grade (if you didn’t count our five losses, which I didn’t because the refs had been out to get us), and we’d been shooting hoops at Sunset Park all summer to stay on top of our game.
Next Wednesday afternoon,
Chris said, then pointed at the word as he read it. Tryouts.
I shook my head. This is nuts.
Yeah, but what can we do about it?
Talk to the coach,
I said, knocking on his door.
Come in,
a deep voice boomed from inside the office.
You coming?
I asked Chris, hoping I had backup.
Uh …
He took a couple of steps away from me.
I guess that’s a no.
I rolled my eyes, turned the knob, and swung the door open.
I only knew three facts about our new coach:
1. He was from North Carolina.
2. He loved to win.
3. He wanted us to try out for our own team.
And when I walked into his office …
4. He was a freakin’ giant.
Seriously, like thirteen feet tall. And it was all muscle.
Before I could say anything, I heard Chris breathing next to me. Whew. I wasn’t facing the beast alone.
Hi,
I said to Coach Baxter. It sounded like a squeak, so I cleared my throat and tried again. Hi, Coach.
What can I do for you?
he asked, without looking up from the box of books he was unpacking.
I checked out the team photos on the wall behind his desk, the framed newspaper pages with champ
headlines, and the shiny trophies on top of his bookcase.
The guy obviously knew what he was doing. But so did we, the Lewis and Clark Middle School Pioneers.
The clock is ticking,
Coach Baxter growled.
I cleared my throat again. Uh … it’s about the tryouts.
Coach lined up the books on the middle shelf, from tallest to shortest. Next Wednesday at three.
Yeah. I saw the sign, but I wanted to talk to you about it because—
You can’t make it? Tough break.
He reached into the box for more books. It’s Wednesday at three. No exceptions.
Chris elbowed me and whispered, Let’s go.
But I wasn’t finished. "I can make it. I just don’t think I need to."
Coach Baxter finally looked at me, and I wished he hadn’t. His eyes were like death rays. And why is that?
he asked, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest.
I was way off. He was probably closer to fourteen feet tall.
Because I was on the team last year, and—
It’s a new year,
he interrupted.
I know, but Coach Miller—
I’m the new coach.
Yeah, but the Pioneers—
It’s a new team.
Getting a whole sentence out of my mouth would have been awesome. I get that, but—
I don’t think you do,
he said, dropping into his chair. What’s your name?
Uh-oh,
Chris whispered.
Owen Evans.
Listen, Owen. I’m in charge, and I’ll pick my team the way I want to. Nobody gets a jersey just because they played last year. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but that’s the way it is.
He looked us over. Any questions?
Chris and I both gulped.
Okay, then I’ll see you next Wednesday, ready to work.
Sure.
I nodded, and Chris pushed me out the door.
Once we were back in the hallway, I groaned, This totally stinks.
We grabbed our stuff from our lockers, and I saw my brother, Russell, coming our way. He was carrying more books than any other kid in the hallway and his glasses were sliding down his nose, like they always did. He stopped to fix the top book on his stack and ended up dropping the whole pile on the floor.
I can’t believe you guys are related,
Chris said, shaking his head.
No one could. We were twins, but nobody ever believed it, even when we said we were fraternal, not identical. Russell and I are totally different. He’s almost five inches taller than I am and has arms like wet spaghetti. Even in his brown cords, his legs look like toothpicks and his crazy curly hair is nothing like mine.
Hey, Russ,
I said, picking up a couple of books and handing them to him.
Thanks,
Russ said, smiling.
That was another difference between us. Russ never let stuff bug him, and I got mad a couple of times a day, minimum. Mom said I was a short fuse and he was a slow boil. The thing is, my brother never actually boiled over. Like, ever.
He checked his digital watch. I’m late for class. I’ll see you at home,
he said, heading for the stairs.
Hey, you!
a voice boomed from behind us.
It sounded like a jet flying too low, but instead of ducking, I turned around and saw Coach Baxter waving one arm in the air. It was like watching King Kong take over the hallway, and I was surprised he didn’t have a school bus full of screaming kids in one hand and a freaked-out librarian in the other.
Everyone was looking around, trying to see who he was yelling at.
Tall kid!
Coach shouted.
The only one who hadn’t bothered to look was my brother.
Do you mean Russell?
I asked, totally confused.
Who’s Russell?
he barked at me.
That skinny kid over there,
I said, pointing. He’s my twin.
Coach turned to stare at me.
Fraternal,
I explained, then shouted, Hey, Russ!
That stopped him. My brother turned around, and I waved him over.
He had to fight the crowd, and when he finally got to us, his face was red and he was out of breath, like the spawning salmon we learned about in science class. Yes?
Coach wants to talk to you,
I told him.
He does?
When Russ turned to Coach, his eyes bugged out, like he hadn’t noticed there was a giant standing there. Like you couldn’t see the guy from outer space.
You play?
Coach asked.
Russell looked as confused as I was. Play what?
Basketball,
Coach said.
Chris and I both cracked up.
What’s so funny?
Coach snapped.
That shut us up, and he looked at my brother again. I want you to come to tryouts next week.
Russ just stared at him. "Are you talking about basketball tryouts?"
No, ballet,
Coach growled.
Russ blinked hard. I’m sorry. I don’t—
"Of course I mean basketball."
Uh …
Russell looked at me as if I knew what was happening, but I had no idea.
Russell? Basketball? It had to be a joke.
I think I’m going to need someone your height,
Coach said.
My height?
Russ asked.
Coach stared into his eyes, like he was trying to figure out if there was something wrong with him. Yes. You’re the tallest kid at this school, and you’d be perfect at center.
Center? Paul played center!
But I’m on the honor roll,
Russell said.
And athletes can’t be good students?
Coach asked.
No.
Thanks a lot,
I muttered.
I disagree,
Coach said. And I want to see you there next Wednesday.
But I—
Russell started.
Coach lifted a hand in the air to stop him. This isn’t a request, uh … what’s your name again?
Russell Evans.
My brother sighed just like he did when Mom got him the wrong periodic-table T-shirt.
Like there was a right one.
Mr. Evans,
Coach said, I’ll see you at tryouts next Wednesday.
I watched Coach disappear into his office and wondered if he was totally nuts. My brother was seriously the worst athlete on the planet. He couldn’t even dribble! He tripped over a soccer ball in second grade and broke his arm. He hit himself in the face with his own badminton racket. He was a perfect fit for the library, not the locker room.
Russ frowned. So, I guess I’ll be making a complete fool of myself next Wednesday. Everyone knows I’m smart, not sporty.
Athletic,
I groaned. No one says ‘sporty.’
Russell nodded. But you understand what I’m saying, don’t you? Everyone knows you’re the jock and I’m the brains. I’ll feel like a joke if I go.
The fact was, he would be a joke. And the bigger mess he made of tryouts, the more I’d hear about it. Would the guys make fun of me, too, knowing Russ and I shared DNA? Probably. And that was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
I shook my head and an idea popped into it. An awesome idea. Don’t worry about it, Russ. We’ll practice this weekend so you’ll be ready.
Chris was looking at me like I was crazy. That’s a long shot,
he whispered.
Cool beans,
my brother said, nodding.
No, it’s just cool, Russ.
"Okay, cool." He smiled.
As usual, there was something brown and gooey stuck in his braces.
Look,
I said. There’s no way you’ll make the team.
No way,
Chris echoed.
Not a chance.
Russell laughed.
But I promise to make tryouts as painless as possible.
For him and for me.
Thanks, Owen,
he said, lifting his hand to give me a high five.
He missed.
Did you get your practice schedule yet?
Dad asked me at the dinner table that night.
Nope,
I said, shaking my head. We have to make the team before we can practice.
Make the team?
Mom asked. You’re already—
The new coach is making us try out.
Wow,
Dad said, passing me the chicken. That’s different.
Yeah, different and stupid.
Hmm.
Dad raised his eyebrows. That might be the only time I’ve ever heard you use the word ‘stupid’ to describe basketball.
Because it’s totally stupid. I was already on the team!
Maybe your new coach wants to shake things up a little,
Dad said.
Coach Baxter wasn’t just shaking things up a little.
He was causing a freakin’ earthquake. "Yeah, right. He wants Russell to try out."
Dad was reaching for the rice but he froze. He looked at my twin. Is that true?
I guess,
Russ said, through a mouthful of green beans that would probably be stuck in his braces for the next four days.
Well, that’s great news,
Dad said, slapping him on the back.
Russ almost choked. I won’t make it,
he said.
Who told you that?
Dad asked.
Russell looked at me and I shrugged.
Owen?
Mom said, all disappointed. That’s not very nice.
I wasn’t trying to be mean,
I told her. He won’t, and he’s cool with that. Right, Russ?
Both of my parents looked at my brother, waiting for an answer.
I don’t care,
he told them. "Making the basketball team isn’t exactly