UNDERCOVER TAILBACK
by Matt Christopher & illustrated by Paul Casale
When Parker Nolan sees a spy sneak out of Coach Isaac's office, his penchant for telling wild stories comes back to haunt him: his teammates laugh him off when he tries to tell them that a copy of the Kensington Kudzus' secret playbook has fallen into their rivals' hands. As usual, Christopher enlivens this moral tale about the value of truth with plenty of sports action. The Kudzus take a drubbing on the field until, desperate, they begin to improvise and ultimately carry the day, after which Parker tricks the malefactor—none other that Spike Newton, the Kudzus' money-hungry quarterback—into the open. Quick, easily read, and predictable. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 10-12)