A very unlucky kid worries his misfortune has rubbed off on his gifted friend in the sixth book in The Very Worst Ever chapter book series!

Everyone knows the Golds: Olympic gold-medalist, all-star athletes who run everywhere they go. Their son and one of [REDACTED]’s best friends, Jake, is no different. But during gym class, a rare stroke of luck helps [REDACTED] score the most points during a scooter soccer game. Jake’s never been number two. Has [REDACTED] unwittingly traded luck with his gifted friend?

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Very Worst Ever chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

Excerpt

1 HIDE-AND-SCOOT

I want you to imagine the scariest place ever.

Is it a vampire’s castle? Or maybe a shark-infested volcano? Or worse yet… a vampire’s castle inside a shark-infested volcano?!

Pffft!

I was in an even worse place.

Here, it smelled like moldy sneakers. Kids charged at you from all corners. Books fell from shelves and tripped you.

I’m talking about… the Library-Gym.

(Yeah, you read that right. It’s the library and the gym.)

My class was in the last round of scooter soccer practice. It’s as wacky as it sounds. You hop on a scooter, wheel around, and kick the ball into the right net.

And me? I wasn’t playing, I was hiding. But I wasn’t alone. I’d met two new friends—Shiny Coin and Dust Bunny.

Don’t judge me for not playing. It’s much safer for everyone this way.

Remember when I tried boomerang tag? The whole school lost working lights for weeks.

FWEEET! went Coach Olympia’s whistle, and I flinched at the sound.

Peeking from my hiding spot, I saw her standing on one of the library tables. She might look sweet, but Coach Olympia didn’t mess around.

“You call that scootin’?” she shouted at the players. “That won’t win the after-school scooter soccer tournament! Look at Jake Gold—he’s got what it takes.”

Jake swooshed past me, did a cool backflip on his scooter, and kicked the ball into the net. He was one of my best friends and one of the best kids in gym. His parents were athletes, after all.

“SCORE!” his team cheered.

“Go, Jake!” I whisper-cheered.

They were doing just fine without me. But then something terrible happened.

Jake looked my way.

“What are you doing back there?” he asked. “The game is over here, silly!”

Now everyone looked my way.

And Coach did not look happy.

“[Redacted]!” she shouted. “Get back in the game and stop cheating!”

“I’m not cheating at scooter soccer,” I squealed. “I’m hiding from it.”

“No excuses!” she shouted. “You just cost your team two points.”

DING! The scoreboard subtracted two points from my side.

“Dude!” a kid complained. “How could you?”

“So long, Shiny Coin,” I said. “So long, Dust Bunny. Hello, helmet.”

Grabbing my scooter from the ground, I kicked off. But instead of moving forward, my scooter moved backward.

Coach Olympia said, “Yikes! I mean, keep trying!”

I did keep trying… and rolled right into a stash of overdue books.

“Ugh,” I groaned. “I… can’t… do… this.”

“I’ve got you, bro!” Jake shouted from across the room.

He pushed off his scooter and made the coolest spin turn ever toward me.

“You just need some riding lessons!” Jake said, helping me up. “Practice at my house later?”

Oh, great. Just what I wanted.

About The Author

Andy Nonamus

Andy Nonamus has been writing for as long as he can remember. He lives in New York.

About The Illustrator

Amy Jindra

Amy Jindra is a Cleveland, Ohio, native with a passion for illustration. Ever since she can remember, she has been drawing everything and anything. She enjoys developing characters and scenes that tell a story, create a connection, and warm the heart. Amy is fueled and inspired by the arts, family and friends, and good sushi.