Soccer for Kids

Title: Soccer for Kids
Published by: Rockridge Press
Release Date: October 12, 2021
Contributors: David A. Kelly
Pages: 56
ISBN13: ‎ 978-1638071082

Gooooooal! Exciting soccer basics for kids ages 6 to 9

No sport is watched, played, or enjoyed in the world more than soccer (called football in most places). Millions of fans from all over the globe have developed a love for not only playing and watching soccer, but also learning the fun facts, player stats, and history of this high-energy sport. Soccer for Kids provides an engaging, easy-to-understand breakdown of the rules and history of this exciting sport. Kids will discover soccer’s past, meet famous pro athletes, and develop a lifelong interest in playing it, too!

Go beyond other soccer books for kids with:

  • Soccer 101—This book covers the basics of soccer and all the rules new players need with drills for kicking, passing, and dribbling.
  • Player profiles—Discover some of the most influential soccer players of all time and get fun facts about their careers, championship titles, and world records.
  • Soccer then and now—Young athletes will learn how the sport has evolved over the years and show off their soccer trivia with friends.

Kick off a love of soccer from an early age with this introductory soccer book.

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Tee Time on the Moon

Title: Tee Time on the Moon
Published by: Astra Publishing House
Release Date: 7/25/2023
Contributors: David A. Kelly and Edwin Fotheringham
Pages: 40
ISBN13: 9781662680175


Astronaut Alan Shepard’s mission: Fly to the moon. Study it in more detail than ever before. Hit a golf ball in low gravity. But how far? Find out in this engaging STEM/STEAM picture book.

In 1971, Alan Shepard and his fellow astronauts made their way to the Moon in the cramped Apollo 14 capsule. Their mission: Study the moon in more detail than ever before. While the world watched on TV, Shepard and Edgar Mitchell gathered rock and soil samples wearing stiff, heavy spacesuits. But Alan Shepard had a secret hidden in his sock: two tiny golf balls. Golf was Shepard’s favorite sport. And since the moon has virtually no atmosphere and gravity that is only a fraction of the Earth’s, a golf ball should have been able to go far. But did it?

Here’s the little-known but true story of an experiment that may have started as a stunt, but ended up making people think differently about the moon, ask questions, and look for answers

 

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“The author adds plenty of carefully researched detail to a story that is usually barely mentioned in histories, if at all, and, at the end, a very helpful overview of every Apollo mission and what it accomplished.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The extensive back matter briefly summarizes each Apollo moon mission as well as Shepard’s career as an astronaut. A fresh approach to the history of space exploration.” —Booklist

Tee Time on the Moon
introduces readers to the thrill of the Apollo missions while inspiring them to see connections between our life on Earth and the exploration of the Moon and space. The book is engaging, informative, and an excellent distillation of the magic and innovation of the Apollo era.”—Dr. Waleed Abdalati, former NASA Chief Scientist

“People have always been fascinated by the Moon. The Apollo missions only increased that fascination. When you add in a great astronaut who decides to play golf on the Moon, you have Tee Time on the Moon, a thriller that will keep young readers mesmerized. It is great to find a writer and artist who have created a book that engages students in science and technology.”—Farouk El-Baz, secretary, Lunar Landing Site Selection Committee for the Apollo program

“David Kelly captures the adventure and playful spirit of Apollo 14 in this delightful retelling of Alan Shephard’s journey to the Moon.” —Teasel Muir-Harmony,Curator of the Apollo Collection, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Additional press on TEE TIME:

Picture book buzz for TEE TIME ON THE MOON

 

Football Mysteries #1: The Two-Minute Warning

Title: Football Mysteries #1: The Two-Minute Warning
Series: Football Mysteries #1
Published by: Curveball Books
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Contributors: David A. Kelly and Robert Thibeault
Pages: 118
ISBN13: 9781959378037

From David A. Kelly, author of the Ballpark Mysteries chapter book series, it’s a football mystery set in Texas! Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins are visiting the Dallas Cowboys stadium, but someone has just handed Carlos, the Cowboys' star quarterback, a threatening note. Soon after, a mysterious figure takes aim at them with a football. Can Kate and Mike discover who's out to get the Cowboys' quarterback before the big game?

Each Football Mysteries book also includes amazing facts about the team and its stadium.

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Read a sample:

THE FOOTBALL MYSTERIES #1 - The Two-Minute Warning
By David A. Kelly
(Copyright 2023 by David A. Kelly)

Chapter 1 – Giddy Up, Pardner!

“Go wide for a bomb!” Kate Hopkins whispered to her cousin Mike Walsh.

Kate and Mike were huddled in Kate’s backyard in Cooperstown, New York on a warm fall afternoon. They loved baseball, but today was the perfect day for football.

School had let out early and they had decided to play a game against an imaginary NFL team. Orange and brown leaves fluttered across the grass.

Kate used her finger to draw an upside-down “L” on Mike’s outstretched palm. It showed him the route she wanted him to run.

Mike nodded. “Got it.”

The huddle broke up.

Mike leaned over a brown football, opposite a pretend row of linemen. Kate stood behind him with her hands out.

“Strawberry! Blueberry! Razzleberry pie! Hut, hut, HIKE!” Kate called.

Mike snapped the ball and bolted off the line.

Kate caught the snap. A trail of leaves fluttered behind Mike as he raced for the other side of the yard.

Kate cocked the ball back over her right shoulder. She launched a long, high throw deep down the right sideline. Just as she released the ball, Mike zagged to the right.

The ball arced into the crisp blue sky, spinning through the air without a wobble.

Mike glanced behind him. The football was plunging back down again. It was heading right for the very edge of the grass in front of him.

Mike poured on an extra burst of speed. He held his hands up. This was going to be close. The ball dropped straight for his hands. From behind the line of scrimmage,

Kate cheered. “You got it! You got it! Go!”

But just as the ball touched his fingers, Mike lurched to the right. His legs twisted and his outstretched arms swung to the left as the ball brushed past them. Mike crumpled to the ground while the football bounced end-over-end down the yard.

Kate covered her eyes with her hands. “No! No! No!” she cried. “That could have been a touchdown! What happened?”

Mike lay on his back and stared up to the sky. He caught his breath and watched a couple of fluffy clouds float by.

Football Mysteries #1 - image copyright 2023 David A. Kelly

The Gold Medal Mess

Title: The Gold Medal Mess
Series: MVP #1
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0553513196

From the author of the Ballpark Mysteries comes a brand-new sports-themed chapter book series featuring the coolest club around—the Most Valuable Players!

Five friends are ready for their school’s Olympics field day. There will be relay races, archery contests, and more! But not everyone wants to play fair—someone is trying to ruin the events! Can the kids in the Most Valuable Player club solve the mystery, save the Olympics, and take home the gold?

Perfect for kids who love to compete in all kinds of contests and have fun with great friends, David A. Kelly’s new series teaches readers that when you’re a most valuable player, you love sports, always show spirit, and never give up! And don’t miss bonus back matter filled with cool sports facts in every book.

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The Fenway Foul-Up

Title: The Fenway Foul-Up
Series: Ballpark Mysteries #1
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: Feb 22, 2011
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0375867033

Now leading off the line-up—book #1 in a brand-new early chapter book mystery series where each book is set in a different American ballpark! 

Thanks to Kate's mom, a sports reporter, cousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins have tickets to the Red Sox game and All Access passes to Fenway Park. But as they're watching batting practice before the game, the lucky bat of Red Sox star slugger Big D is stolen . . . right in front of dozens of people. Without the bat, Big D can't seem to hit a thing. Can Kate and Mike figure out who pinched the bat before Big D and the Sox chalk up a loss?

The Fenway Foul-Up includes a fun fact page about Boston's Fenway Park.

Cross Ron Roy's mystery series with Matt Christopher's sports books and you get the Ballpark Mysteries: fun, puzzling whodunnits aimed right at beginning readers.

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Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball

Title: Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball
Series: Mud #1
Published by: Millbrook Pr Trade
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Pages: 32
ISBN13: 978-0761380924

 

 

 

 

**Winner of the
Maryland Library Association’s Blue Crab Award
for transitional non-fiction!**

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and Secret Mud that Changed Baseball! Learn the incredible story behind the slippery, slimy stuff they have to rub on baseballs before each major league game.

Lena Blackburne loved baseball. He watched it, he played it, he coached it. But he didn’t love the ways players broke in new baseballs. Tired of soggy, blackened, stinky baseballs, he found a better way. Thanks to a well-timed fishing trip and a top-secret mud recipe, Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud was born. For seventy five years, baseball teams have used Lena’s magic mud to prepare baseballs before every game. Read the story of how Lena’s mud went from a riverbank to the major leagues and all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Read about baseball rubbing mud in Sports Illustrated.

Learn about how David A. Kelly researched baseball rubbing mud

Awards and Nominations

  • Winner - Black Eyed Susan Book Awards
  • Connecticut Nutmeg Award (2015)
  • Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth
  • Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices
  • Grand Canyon Reader Award
  • Illinois Monarch Award
  • Library Media Connection Editor's Choice
  • Maine Chickadee Award
  • Maryland Blue Crab Award
  • Missouri State Teacher's Association Reading Circle selection
  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
  • Nutmeg Award

Reviews
“Dominguez’s illustrations, which are painterly in style, look as if pastels were used to draw the dramatic baseball poses in a variety of perspectives….This accessible story with be enjoyable to a larger audience than just baseball fans.” —School Library Journal

“Kelly provides information about an unusual aspect of the game in a sprightly, entertaining story with a great ‘aha’ moment. Dominguez’s bright, expressive double-page spreads follow the events closely and make them live.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The colorful, exaggerated paintings artfully (and comically) capture the full allure of ballpark ambiance by including plenty of behind-the-scenes activity. The information provided in the minimal text is bolstered by a solid two-page author’s note.” —Booklist

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Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse

Title: Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse
Series: Babe Ruth #1
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: February 24, 2009
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0375856037

 

Overview
Before 1918, the Boston Red Sox were unstoppable. They won World Series after World Series, thanks in part to their charismatic pitcher-slugger Babe Ruth. But some people on the Red Sox felt the Babe was more trouble than he was worth, and he was traded away to one of the worst teams in baseball, the New York Yankees. From then on, the Yankees became a golden team. And the Red Sox? For over 80 years, they just couldn’t win another World Series. Then, in 2004, along came a scruffy, scrappy Red Sox team. Could they break Babe Ruth’s curse and win it all?

Reviews
“It’s the lively sports lingo and compelling subject matter that keep newly independent readers in their seats until the final out.” -–Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books

“Here is vivid history retold…as if we are at the ball park, even making the reader assume The Babe’s real life as he began his career in somewhat astonishing circumstances…this kind of engaging story should be read aloud to fully appreciate the intensity and excitement of one of America’s endearing pastimes. —Children Literature

“Play-by-play descriptions of important games will keep baseball fanatics reading to the end.” —School & Library Journal

Resources
Read Interviews with the Author
Explore Fun Facts about Babe Ruth
Read Author’s Background
Read Author’s Note

Interviews and Press Coverage
Listen to an interview of David A. Kelly talking about his book, Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse

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The Soccer Surprise

Title: The Soccer Surprise
Series: MVP #2
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0553513226

From the author of the Ballpark Mysteries comes a brand-new sports-themed chapter book series featuring the coolest club around—the Most Valuable Players!

The MVP club wants to save an old field house close to their school. They could turn it into their very own sports center! Luckily, a famous soccer star is coming to town and wants to help. Can the kids and their all-star friend raise enough money for the field house? And will practice with a pro help them score big at their next soccer game?

Perfect for kids who love to compete in all kinds of contests and have fun with great friends, David A. Kelly’s new series teaches readers that when you’re a most valuable player, you love sports, always show spirit, and never give up! And don’t miss bonus back matter filled with cool sports facts in every book.

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The Pinstripe Ghost

Title: The Pinstripe Ghost
Series: Ballpark Mysteries #2
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: Feb 22, 2011
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0375867040

Batting second—and perfect for Halloweenbook #2 in an early chapter book mystery series where each book is set in a different American ballpark! 

Mike and Kate are waiting for Kate's mom at a boring press conference in Yankee Stadium when the team official says something that makes Mike perk up his ears. There are rumors that the ghost of Babe Ruth is haunting the new stadium! A chill air blasts down a service hallway before every home game, along with various thumps and bumps. Is the Bambino really searching for his missing locker?

The Pinstripe Ghost includes a fun fact page about New York's Yankee Stadium.

Cross Ron Roy's mystery series with Matt Christopher's sports books and you get the Ballpark Mysteries: fun, puzzling whodunnits aimed right at beginning readers.

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The Football Fumble

Title: The Football Fumble
Series: MVP #3
Published by: Random House Children's
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 110
ISBN13: 978-0553513257

From the author of the Ballpark Mysteries comes the coolest sports club around—the Most Valuable Players!

The MVP kids can’t wait to play in the big football game. That is, until they catch a glimpse of their opponents! The team from Hamilton Elementary School seems bigger and—even worse—just plain mean. Taking on a tough opponent is never easy. Will this bully blitz keep the MVPs off their game? Or can they find a way to huddle together and win the day?

Perfect for kids who love to compete in all kinds of contests and have fun with great friends, David A. Kelly’s series teaches readers that when you’re a most valuable player, you love sports, always show spirit, and never give up! And don’t miss sports facts in every book.

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