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May the Best Player Win

By Kyla Zhao
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Brief Description
May the Best Player Win by Kyla Zhao is a humorous and heartfelt MG debut that explores chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in elite sports. Tick, toc . . . Tick, toc . . . The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2400
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May the Best Player Win by Kyla Zhao is a humorous and heartfelt MG debut that explores chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in elite sports.

Tick, toc . . . Tick, toc . . . The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship, propelling them into high gear in preparation for nationals. What's more exciting for May is that her win came with a special award for being the top female player in the tournament. An award that earns her a spot on a splashy Lingard Middle School campaign celebrating student achievements.

May should be thrilled. However, some of her teammates, including her supposed-to-be-friend Ralph, aren't too keen on the special attention she's receiving—and they're even questioning her skills. Unwilling to back down, May makes a bold move: she bets Ralph she can win Lingard's internal chess tournament and become team captain for nationals.

Under the pressure from her teammates and the school's expectations, May starts to crumble under pressure. Anxious feelings begin to strip the joy from chess and even affect her gameplay. Rediscovering the joy in chess might be just what May needs to win the bet.

The board is set. The game is on! The crown is May's for the taking.

This novel is perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Perez!

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780593859605

Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 September 2024

Country: United States

Imprint: G.P.Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'

Edition: International edition

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 255g

Pages: 240

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Kyla Zhao Penguin Books Young Adult

About the Author

Kyla Zhao is the author of The Fraud Squad (Berkley, 2023). She had her first women's magazine byline at the age of sixteen. Since then, she has also written for the Singapore editions of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Tatler. A native Singaporean, Kyla now works in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. In 2023, Kyla made Forbes Asia's 30 under 30 list. She's still trying to understand why Californians adore hiking and Patagonia fleeces so much. May the Best Player Win is her middle-grade debut.

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