Chess is Halima Kasim's favorite thing in the world. But with no local chess club in her small town, she has no one to practice with offline. Yearning for worthy opponents IRL, she recruits newbies: her next-door BFF Jem (a dedicated friend reeling from the recent loss of her grandfather), Jem's long-lost friend Parker (eager to escape the shadow of his sport-star siblings), and Daniel (itching for answers after discovering a mysterious note left for him inside a book). Together the team forms their own chess club, navigating not just the board but the highs and lows of middle school social life. Along the way they'll learn that it takes more than practice to be great-it's teamwork, confidence, and the power of friendship. And never forget . . . chess is a game full of surprises. MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A GAME. PLAY TO WIN. Rebecca Donnelly was born in England and has lived in California, Florida, New Mexico, and just outside the Adirondack State Park in northern New York. She is the author of more than 30 books for young readers, including the Indies Introduce/Kids' Indie Next pick How to Stage a Catastrophe. Her nonfiction book Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World was a School Library Journal Best Book of 2023.
Isabelle Duffy is an illustrator, animator and designer based in the Blue Mountains, Australia. Isabelle graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Animation at the University of Technology Sydney, but has had a deep passion for art for as long as she can remember. Her work focuses a lot on drawing expressive, lively characters that create meaningful storytelling, accompanied by bubbly and bright colour palettes. When Isabelle is not drawing, she can be found exploring local villages and nature reserves, playing cosy video games, or baking up a storm!
