Defending Champ

Ages 10 And Up, Grades 5 And Up

In this follow up to Triple Threat, New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica takes us to the soccer field in another empowering story--now in paperback!

Fresh off her football victory as QB, twelve-year-old Alex Carlisle is on cloud nine. But with football season over, Alex is ready to get back on the field on the spring for soccer. But after tryouts, with Alex back on her old team, she and her teammates find out that athletic funding has been cut in Orrville, and girls soccer is one of the first teams to go. Now, Alex knows playing soccer is about more than just healthy competition—it’s about fighting for their right to play. Why should the girls team be first to get cut?

So the soccer girls hatch a plan. The girls team versus the boys team; if the girls can raise enough money, they will fund their own season. But Alex soon realizes that her plan to save the girls team has consequences. Will Alex be able to figure out a way so that everyone gets the chance to play? Or will the girls be the ones left out?

About the Author

Mike Lupica (www.mikelupicabooks.com) writes for New York's Daily News and appears on ESPN's The Sports Reporters. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Heat, Travel Team, QB 1, and Fantasy League. He lives in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Author Residence: New Canaan, CT

Author Hometown: Oneida, NY