Travis Gardner lives to play quarterback.

He's a standout QB by middle school, and he's prepared to put everything he has into the game. Then Gainesville University's head coach makes Travis a promise: Travis will have a place on the team, and a scholarship to go with it. He just has to get through high school first.

As Travis starts ninth grade, he'll have to earn his teammates' trust and dodge opponents aiming to sack the star quarterback. But his biggest challenge might be staying focused in the face of sudden fame. Because now the pressure is on, and Travis has to prove himself with every pass.

Travis' love for the game . . . seems absolutely authentic. This engaging read will resonate with middle schoolers, especially aspiring athletes.--Booklist

Who is the Greatest Of All Time--the G.O.A.T.? This is the question debated constantly between fans for any number of categories. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? The greatest band? Video game? Sci-fi movie?

In The Great G.O.A.T. Debate: The Best of the Best in Everything from Sports to Science, award-winning young adult author Paul Volponi explores the greatest of all time in over twenty-five different categories. Volponi asks the G.O.A.T. question of writers, superheroes, musicians, philosophers, architects, athletes, and more. Alongside icons such as martial artist Bruce Lee, basketball star Maya Moore, and rapper Jay-Z, readers will also discover the diverse talents of inventor Leonardo da Vinci, the artistry of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, and the genius of scientist Marie Curie.

Full of facts, trivia, and mini-arguments, The Great G.O.A.T. Debate is sure to expand readers' horizons and help answer the ultimate question: Who is the Greatest Of All Time?

It started out as an innocent day for Martin, but it quickly turned into his worst nightmare--arrested for something he didn't even mean to do. And five months later, he is still locked up in jail on infamous Rikers Island. Just when things couldn't get worse, Martin gets caught in a fight between two prisoners, and his face is slashed. He's scarred forever, but one good thing comes from the attack: Martin is transferred to a part of Rikers where inmates must attend high school. When he meets his caring and understanding teacher, will Martin open up and learn from his situation? Or will he be consumed by prison and getting revenge on his attackers?

Volponi, who taught on Rikers Island for six years, writes with an authenticity that will make readers feel Martin's fear.--Publishers Weekly

Volponi . . . brings to life a believable range of teachers, COs, and inmates and portrays power, hierarchies, and race relations both outside and inside the jail walls with unflinching realism.--School Library Journal

With down-to-earth language based on his own experiences . . . Volponi captures the reader.--VOYA

Who is the Greatest Of All Time--the G.O.A.T.? This is the question debated constantly between fans for any number of categories. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? The greatest band? Video game? Sci-fi movie?

In The Great G.O.A.T. Debate: The Best of the Best in Everything from Sports to Science, award-winning young adult author Paul Volponi explores the greatest of all time in over twenty-five different categories. Volponi asks the G.O.A.T. question of writers, superheroes, musicians, philosophers, architects, athletes, and more. Alongside icons such as martial artist Bruce Lee, basketball star Maya Moore, and rapper Jay-Z, readers will also discover the diverse talents of inventor Leonardo da Vinci, the artistry of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, and the genius of scientist Marie Curie.

Full of facts, trivia, and mini-arguments, The Great G.O.A.T. Debate is sure to expand readers' horizons and help answer the ultimate question: Who is the Greatest Of All Time?

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

An ALA Quick Pick Top Ten

IRA Children's Book Award (Young Adult)

Finally, the first, long-overdue book on SpongeBob SquarePants for all ages!

When SpongeBob SquarePants debuted in 1999, the fun-loving, pure-hearted title character took the world of animation by storm, riding a virtual tsunami of praise. As the 25th anniversary of the show nears, it's time to look back at where it all began and revisit all the adventures from the best episodes.

In SpongeBob SquarePants: The Unauthorized Fun-ography, award-winning author Paul Volponi presents the first ever biography of the show, exploring its origins and providing insight into the characters, the episodes, the voices, and the fans. From jellyfishing with Patrick Star and irritating Squidward Tentacles, to flipping krabby patties at the Krusty Krab and attending boating school with Mrs. Puff, this book covers it all. Volponi even includes fascinating details pulled straight from the pitch bible used by creator Stephen Hillenburg to sell the show to Nickelodeon, revealing how SpongeBob SquarePants became the network's first original Saturday morning cartoon.

Featuring quotes from an exclusive, in-depth interview with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob, as well as quiz questions in every chapter to test the reader's SpongeBob IQ, SpongeBob SquarePants is the perfect book for all fans of the dorky and loveable talking sea sponge and his band of friends.

During the sweltering summer of seventeen-year-old Paul Volponi's life, he had only one goal--he wanted, no, needed to become a legitimate and respected New York City street basketball player. It was a passion that consumed him night and day, and at times even isolated him from his friends and family. So he entered through the gates of the Proving Ground, the roughest streetball yard in the city. It was a place where the fouls resembled felonies, and the atmosphere mirrored that of the Roman Coliseum more than Madison Square Garden. It was where teens and adults contested pickup games with a ferocity seemingly greater than that of the NBA Finals. The Proving Ground was a difficult place to cultivate friendships and an easy environment to make enemies.

This is the story of Paul's summer-long initiation at the Proving Ground. It is truly a streetball testament of a teenager who wanted more than anything else to earn his stripes in streetball society. Only what he didn't understand at the time was that this experience would deliver to him, as it does today for so many young adults, a set of skills that would enhance his life far beyond the boundaries of a basketball court.

A fascinating exploration of the science, history, literature, and culture behind comic book superheroes' powers and origins.

How does Superman's strength allow him to squeeze a chunk of coal into a diamond? What's the connection between Wonder Woman's golden Lasso of Truth and a lie detector? Why does the Black Panther speak so many different languages? What does Natasha Romanova (aka Black Widow) teach us about the Cold War?

All this and more is explored in Superhero Smart: Real-World Facts behind Comic Book Characters, written by award-winning author Paul Volponi. In a fast-paced, free-flowing narrative, Volponi reveals that there is so much more to spandex-clad superheroes than meets the eye. To truly understand their origins and powers, one must also understand science, history, literature, and the incredible diversity of people and cultures around us.

The exploits and powers of almost every comic book superhero or villain have a basis in reality, opening the door to learning about so many things from the past and present. And in learning more about these heroes and our world, we can help prepare for and create a better future, just as superheroes strive to do every day in the pages of our comic books.

How did author Edgar Allen Poe influence the naming of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens? What major historical events inspired the naming of the Philadelphia 76ers, San Francisco 49ers, and Oklahoma Sooners? And what caused the NBA's Washington Bullets to change their name to the Wizards?

In That's My Team! The History, Science, and Fun behind Sports Teams' Names, Paul Volponi shares the answers to these questions and more. Leading readers on a fast-paced journey through different parts of the United States and the world, Volponi reveals fascinating pieces of information on pop culture, history, science, literature, and a slew of other subjects through the lens of sports. Both reluctant and sports-crazed readers, teens and preteens alike, will find this book an exciting way to learn about a variety of subjects through their favorite sports teams.

How did author Edgar Allen Poe influence the naming of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens? What major historical events inspired the naming of the Philadelphia 76ers, San Francisco 49ers, and Oklahoma Sooners? And what caused the NBA's Washington Bullets to change their name to the Wizards?

In That's My Team! The History, Science, and Fun behind Sports Teams' Names, Paul Volponi shares the answers to these questions and more. Leading readers on a fast-paced journey through different parts of the United States and the world, Volponi reveals fascinating pieces of information on pop culture, history, science, literature, and a slew of other subjects through the lens of sports. Both reluctant and sports-crazed readers, teens and preteens alike, will find this book an exciting way to learn about a variety of subjects through their favorite sports teams.

Travis Gardner lives to play quarterback.

He's a standout QB by middle school, and he's prepared to put everything he has into the game. Then Gainesville University's head coach makes Travis a promise: Travis will have a place on the team, and a scholarship to go with it. He just has to get through high school first.

As Travis starts ninth grade, he'll have to earn his teammates' trust and dodge opponents aiming to sack the star quarterback. But his biggest challenge might be staying focused in the face of sudden fame. Because now the pressure is on, and Travis has to prove himself with every pass.

Travis' love for the game . . . seems absolutely authentic. This engaging read will resonate with middle schoolers, especially aspiring athletes.--Booklist

March Madness is in full swing, and there are only four teams let in the NCAA basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the seminfinals, and it's there that the fates of Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J. intertwine. As the last moments tick down on the game clock, you'll learn how each player went from being a kid who loves to shoot hoops to a powerful force in one of the most important games of the year. Which team will leave the Superdome victorious? In the end it will come down to who has the most skill, the most drive, and the most heart.

Volponi nails it when it counts in this dynamic story. --Booklist, starred review

Volponi adroitly renders authentic and inspired basketball action. --The New York Times Book Review

Julio Ramirez Jr. lives in the shadow of his famous father. Not just because Julio Senior is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins and famous for his scorching fastball, but because he defected from Cuba, leaving Julio and his sister and mother branded as the family of a traitor. Now sixteen, Julio has dreams of playing shortstop for Cuba's national team--until he's given the opportunity to sail to the U.S. Can he abandon his family, just like his Papi did? Is freedom worth the perilous journey and risking prison if he's caught? Will his Papi be waiting for him on the other shore--or, with the Marlins in the World Series against the Yankees, has Julio Senior forgotten all about his son?

An entertaining tale of baseball, family and loyalty.--Kirkus Reviews

Volponi once again delivers top-notch sports fare coupled with a deeper story of family and fidelity. . . Readers will identify with Julio as he juggles dreams, bitterness, and family loyalties in this lyrical, spare novel.--Booklist

A poignant story. . . this is a must-read for any teen who not only loves stories about sports but also enjoys reading about families.--VOYA