Scores big on family, detective work, and the love of the game.
Diez Espada loves solving mysteries as much as he loves fútbol.
A Miami sixth grader who was named after the jersey number of his dad’s favorite player, Lionel Messi, Diez finds comfort in noticing clues and solving puzzles. Diez lost his mother, a librarian who ran a mystery book club, to ovarian cancer, and sleuthing helps him feel close to her. A love for mysteries was something they shared, just as soccer is something he has in common with his father. When the FIFA World Cup trophy goes missing from the hotel where his dad works, Diez teams up with Rio Salvatierra, a wealthy, no-nonsense eighth grader (who also happens to be crushworthy) to track down a criminal mastermind and return the trophy to its rightful owner. The mystery unfolds at a brisk pace, with unpredictable twists, layered characters, and smart, engaging dialogue. Diez’s observations of the often ridiculous adults around him are by turns funny and poignant, especially as he continues to navigate his grief. The story features a cast of characters who are predominantly coded as Latine. Packed with fútbol references and references to real-life players, the novel nevertheless remains accessible to readers who may not follow the sport closely. Soccer fans and mystery lovers alike will relish this fast-paced, clever, and heartfelt story.
Scores big on family, detective work, and the love of the game. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9781250419262
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
Joyfully captures an all-consuming passion for an intriguing niche interest.
Puzzle cubes challenge a cast of determined contenders in a tense national competition.
Twelve-year-old Tyler Gooden loves solving his Rubik’s Cube. After his dad died three years ago, he felt adrift until he found this gift from his father, set aside years before. The mental aerobics and motor dexterity that cube-solving required gave him a sense of focus. So begins the story of Tyler’s determined journey to the national championship, sponsored by Cube-Mania. He can’t afford to attend, but Cube-Mania founder and CEO Victor Chen recognizes his “remarkable ability” and offers a surprise sponsorship. As the competition begins, Tyler meets a crew of fellow cubers, including “cubing prodigy” Eli Newton and his overbearing dad, twin sensations Lizzy and Izzy Peterson, world record holder Dirk Speedman, and the elderly Miles Wizzinski, the first great cuber of the 1980s, whose efforts have resulted in carpal tunnel syndrome. The story’s slightly stilted present-tense language will make readers feel as though they’re reading the novelization of a competition documentary (think The Speed Cubers or the Scrabble-focused Word Wars). Gamers’ backstories combine with play-by-play scenes of puzzles being solved, shocking twists, and some well-earned victories. Colorful graphic novel panel interludes bring to life the drama of gameplay—it’s hard to look away from this delightfully hyperfocused tale. Most characters present white; Tyler is of Filipino descent, the Peterson twins are Black, and Victor Chen is cued Asian.
Joyfully captures an all-consuming passion for an intriguing niche interest. (Fiction/graphic hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593531907
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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