The Ultimate Goal (Good Sports League #1) - Hardcover

by Tommy Greenwald (Author), Lesley Vamos (Illustrator)

Ben Cutler loves soccer--and this fast-paced, illustrated chapter book follows him as he moves from his fun, easygoing rec team to a more competitive travel squad, where winning suddenly matters more than anything else.

Ben has a great team, with the best pregame chants, halftime jokes, and celebrations. He and his best friend Jay-Jay even invent dances for when they score a goal. And Ben is good at soccer--really good.

Soon he's recruited to join a travel team that plays at a higher level. But on his new team, things are different: no pregame chants, no juice-box breaks, and the most important rule of all--no dancing.

Even though his new team is winning all the time, Ben starts to wonder if something important has been lost along the way.

As the pressure builds, Ben has to decide what kind of player--and teammate--he wants to be, and whether winning is really the ultimate goal. Readers will recognize the challenge of staying true to what they love, even as expectations change.

Comic panels and spot illustrations bring the sports action to life in a format perfect for reluctant readers.

Put on your cleats, grab your jersey, and join the Good Sports League! This funny chapter book series about sports and sportsmanship is from acclaimed author Tommy Greenwald.

Author Biography

Tommy Greenwald is the author of Game Changer, Rivals, and Dinged. Game Changer is on 19 state lists, a YALSA Top Ten pick, and a Junior Library Guild Premier selection. Rivals was also a Junior Library Guild selection, and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Greenwald is also the author of the Crimebiters! series and the Charlie Joe Jackson series, among many other books for children. Day job-wise, Greenwald is the cofounder of Spotco Advertising, a theatrical and entertainment advertising agency in New York City, and the lyricist and co-bookwriter (with Andrew Lippa) of John & Jen, an off-Broadway musical that has been produced around the country and internationally.
Lesley Vamos earned a bachelor of digital media with high distinction from the University of New South Wales Art and Design, along with an honorary award in hand-drawn animation despite continuing to hold her pencil incorrectly. Vamos has been running her illustration and design business for over a decade and is passionate about telling stories that put good into the world. She is the illustrator of If Dinosaurs Had Hair, Disgusting Justin, and the Good Sports League series. She lives in Sydney with her partner, two children, and a small floofer named Penny.