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Three Masters of the Mind members wanted me to give up basketball. ATHLETE VS MATHLETE (Bloomsbury 2013), the first book in her basketball series, was the winner of the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, and a finalist for the Texas Bluebonnet Award and Iowa Association of School Librarians Children's Choice Award. 148 – “Mom and Dad wanted me to be a basketball star. WC Mack was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and now lives in Portland, Oregon. But when Coach Baxter called my name, I realized that I’d only been fine with being the brains because I never imagined I could be both things – a mathlete and an…athlete.” 101 – “After so many years of being divided into brains and brawn, Owen and I had both been fine with our roles.
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They made me feel like I could do anything. 58 – “I don’t know what it was about that shiny blue and silver fabric, but I knew those shoes were as magical as Superman’s cape or Spider-Man’s skintight suit. The new basketball coach recruits Russell for the seventh grade team and a jealous Owen has to fight to stay in the game. They've long kept the peace by going their separate ways, but all that is about to change. These twin brothers couldn't be more different. “I saw the kid almost kill himself with a yo-yo in fourth grade.” His brother, Russell, rocks the school boards. 26 – (Speaking of Russell) “But he has no coordination,” Paul said, laughing. 16 – (Masters of the Mind warming up by rhyming) “If a rat sat on a fat cat’s mat, would the cat be okay with that, or find a bat and go after the brat?” Owen begins to worry when it seems that Russell is invading his turf! The story is told by both brothers in alternating chapters. However, Russell has some real skill when it comes to blocking shots. Owen helps Russell prepare for tryouts, mainly to prevent him from making a fool of himself. The new basketball coach notices Russell’s height and insists that he try out for the basketball team. Russell is an outstanding student and the captain of the Masters of the Mind team, and although he’s tall, he is uncoordinated and no good at sports. Owen is great at sports but only an average student. Summary: 7 th graders Owen and Russell are fraternal twins with very different strengths and interests. Ratings/Awards: Iowa Children’s Choice ’14 – ‘15 Themes/Curriculum Connections: Alternating & 1 st Person Point of View, Jealousy, and Sibling Rivalry