Million Dollar (Gutman)

Eddie "Air" Ball wants to win the Finkle Foods poetry contest for a chance to sink a million-dollar free throw at halftime of the NBA finals. He knows he can make the shot, no problem. He's not so sure he can write a winning poem, though. Luckily, Eddie has the help of his best friend, Annie "Oakley" Stokely. Not only is Annie as good at shooting baskets as Eddie is, she also knows a lot about writing poems. Together, the two friends might have a chance to win the money that will help their parents move them out of their trailer park homes. With entertaining books like Babe and Me and The Kid Who Ran for President, Dan Gutman has become one of the most popular writers of young adult titles around. Johnny Heller's narration hits nothing but net in this engaging tale of basketball and life.

The great news: The prize is $1 million! With it, 13-year-old Whisper Nelson could buy jewelry, clothes, and pay for college. She could even send her sister to college! To win, she must kick a goal past a professional soccer player. The bad news: She hates sports--all sports--with a passion! After her infamous soccer goal four years ago, to the other team's advantage, Whisper vowed to never play sports again. Afraid of, yet again, looking like a total failure in front of a crowd of people, Whisper has a tough choice to make. Will she try the kick? Dan Gutman not only succeeds in writing an exciting play-by-play sports story, but also captures the essence of middle-school life. Narrator Christina Moore scores big with the right mix of emotions--from insecurity to confidence--from loss to victory.