The Playmakers

by: Shelly Brown, Chad Morris,

An entertaining, funny, and empathy-building story about underdogs who will stop at nothing to prove they’re remarkable too.

Jax has something to prove. After trying out for the basketball team, he and his friend Nic don’t make the final cut. Sure, Jax might be the shortest kid in the seventh grade, and Nic might not have a lot of confidence, but they’ve got skills.

Luke is the tallest kid in the seventh grade. He’s not bad at basketball, but he didn’t even try out for the team. Instead, Luke’s an aspiring actor and auditioned for the school play. Unfortunately, he didn’t get cast.

Jax and Luke decide to take matters into their own hands. They have a wacky, wild, outrageous idea, a plan that is sure to fail—unless it doesn’t.

Jax decides to form his own basketball team and challenge the school team. Luke agrees to join the team, on the condition that Jax and his friends help Luke compete in a regional drama competition.

Miley, probably the smartest kid at school, agrees to help both Jax and Luke. She’s been reading up on sports science and thinks she might have found a way for her friends to win through math.

Can a team of underdogs prove to the whole school that they have what it takes to be noticed, or will it all go horribly wrong?

Meet the Author

Shelly Brown

SHELLY BROWN went to junior high in a regular ol’ building (boring) and has never transformed into a round fuzzy animal. But she has been listening to K-pop since before BTS’s first album and feels a deep affection for well-made falafel pitas. She’s an aunt to some incredible young people, a substitute teacher, and a wannabe Kyoshi warrior.
As a married couple, Chad and Shelly both love writing books and hanging out with each other and their five kids. They’re grateful they get to spend time with students in assemblies across the nation talking about topics from kindness to writing.

Books of Shelly Brown

The Playmakers April 1, 2025

The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry August 15, 2023

Virtually Me February 7, 2023

Willa and the Whale 2020

Squint 2018

Mustaches for Maddie 2017

Meet the Author

Chad Morris

CHAD MORRIS loves the VR set he got for Christmas and is much better at it than he is at video games, but that’s still not saying much. Still he would love to try to keep his balance on Skatecoaster, laugh like crazy in The Furriest, and punch light blasts at alien bugs in Infestation ExtermiNation. He occasionally dances in public, and he’s pretty terrible at social media.
As a married couple, Chad and Shelly both love writing books and hanging out with each other and their five kids. They’re grateful they get to spend time with students in assemblies across the nation talking about topics from kindness to writing.

Books of Chad Morris