Off the Bench — Fred Bowen

Kris wants to be a star scorer like his brother -- so why does his coach keep him waiting on the bench?

Kris comes from a sports-loving family. His brother is the star scorer on the high school team, and is being recruited by Division 3 colleges. Kris longs to earn the same adulation, and he's a good scorer for his junior high team. But why won't his coach start him? He's better on defense than his rival, Carlos, and nearly as good a shooter.

Soon Kris becomes obsessed with earning a place in his team's starting lineup. He does everything he can think of -- including being an invaluable player every time he comes in. But nothing seems to get Coach's attention. Even after he learns the history of the valuable “6th man,” Kris can't seem to let it go. How will he ever be a big scoring star?

For every kid who hates to read but loves basketball, comes a suspenseful novel with plenty of play-by-play sports action.

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year