Play On

When Ember Callahan's family moves from California to a small town in Kansas, she leaves behind her best friend, her championship soccer team, and her chance to compete at nationals. Now she must start over at a new school, on a new team, and in a place where soccer practice sometimes includes cows on the field.

At Grainger Middle School, Ember learns that fitting in can be harder than scoring the winning goal. The Kansas Barnstormers have heart but have never won a state title, and rival player Chelsea seems determined to make Ember's life miserable both on and off the field.

As Ember adjusts to her new home, she discovers that being part of a team means more than talent. It requires patience, courage, humility, forgiveness, and the resilience to keep going when life doesn't go as planned.

Blending fast-paced soccer action with humor, friendship, family, and a light mystery involving a local legend, PLAY ON is an uplifting middle grade novel about perseverance, belonging, and character growth.

Clean, age-appropriate, and highly relatable, PLAY ON is a strong addition to school library collections-especially for readers who enjoy sports fiction, friendship stories, school settings, and positive stories about finding your place.