Nikki on the Line

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle dreams of becoming a great basketball player like her WNBA idol, Mia McCall. Nikki has always been the best point guard in her county league, and her dreams feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, it turns out that Nikki is no longer the best point guard. In fact, she's no longer a point guard at all, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.

The stress piles on as Nikki's best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals the most embarrassing secret on the entire planet--her biological father was a sperm donor. As if that's not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school to save money on childcare.

As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki's confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out?

With a brilliant voice, fast-paced action, and characters who feel as if they live and breath, Nikki on the Line heralds the arrival of a brilliant new voice in contemporary middle grade fiction.

“"This charming and heartfelt debut is perfect for fans of Ali Benjamin and Kwame Alexander." -- Booklist”

Praise for Nikki on the Line: A Spring 2019 Indies Introduce pickA Spring 2019 Indie Next List pick
"A tremendous book about basketball, taking risks, and becoming your true self."--Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor-winning and bestselling author
"An optimistic middle-grade novel melding heartfelt realistic fiction and sports fare."--Kirkus Reviews
"I rooted for Nikki both on and off the court as she navigates changing friendships, tough competition, and the mystery of what makes us who we are."--Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of A Mango-Shaped Space
"In Nikki on the Line, Barbara Carroll Roberts crafts a compelling story of a girl trying to fit the pieces of her identity together at a time when everything around her is shifting. Layered, compassionate, and utterly engrossing."--Anne Ursu, author of The Lost Girl
"Readers who enjoy sports stories as well as those who enjoy realistic fiction will instantly connect with Nikki."--School Library Connection
"This accessible coming-of-age story comes alive in its descriptions of basketball and the game's resulting life lessons."--School Library Journal
"This charming and heartfelt debut is perfect for fans of Ali Benjamin and Kwame Alexander."
--Booklist

Barbara Roberts is a graduate of Hamline University's Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program. Her professional writing experience includes fifteen years as a corporate communications writer and five years as a book reviewer for the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. This is her first novel.

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle dreams of becoming a great basketball player like her WNBA idol, Mia McCall. Nikki has always been the best point guard in her county league, and her dreams feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, it turns out that Nikki is no longer the best point guard. In fact, she's no longer a point guard at all , which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.The stress piles on as Nikki's best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals the most embarrassing secret on the entire planet -- her biological father was a sperm donor. As if that's not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school to save money on childcare.As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki's confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out? With a brilliant voice, fast-paced action, and characters who feel as if they live and breath, Nikki on the Line heralds the arrival of a brilliant new voice in contemporary middle grade fiction.

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