The Contract

As a young boy, Derek Jeter dreams of being the shortstop for the New York Yankees. He even imagines himself in the World Series. So when Derek is chosen for the Little League Tigers, he hopes to play shortstop. But on the day of the assignments, Derek Starts at second base. Still, he tries his best while he wishes and dreams of that shortstop spot. And to help him stay focused on school, his parents make him a contract: keep up the grades or no baseball. Derek makes sure he always plays his best game—on and off the baseball field!

Audio Excerpt

Hit & Miss

“Just try to make solid contact; stay level and in control. Positive thoughts only, right?”

That’s the advice Derek’s father gives him about batting—and a lot more. It seems that Little League season is here. Throughout the long Michigan winter, Derek thought that opening day might never come. Now at last he can pursue his dream of one day playing shortstop for the New York Yankees.

As luck would have it, he’s on the Red Sox this year, and they seem to have more talent than the Tigers, the team he was on when last season ended in disappointment. His best friend, Vijay, is with him again, and Derek gets the same number—13!—that his father wore in college. Now if the new kid with the chauffeur turns out to be a player, well, the Red Sox might just win it all. But as Derek finds out, both baseball and life are hard. Before the season is over, he’ll break out of a slump, bring his teammates closer together, learn a new sport, solve the mystery of why his sister, Sharlee, seems so quiet, and suffer the consequences for violating the contract he signed with his parents. Before he can move closer to his dream, there are many lessons to be learned.

Audio Excerpt

Change Up

In the third book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, Derek’s father keeps his promise to coach his son’s youth baseball team. 

Derek is sure this will be the best season yet! He has it all planned—his dad will have him start at shortstop, and the team will cruise to a championship. But sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. Change Up focuses on a key life lesson of Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation—Deal with Growing Pains—in the series companion to Hit & Miss and The Contract, about which The Wall Street Journal said, “the play by play action is exciting and the lessons many.” 

Audio Excerpt

Fair Ball

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s own life, Fair Ball is the fourth middle grade novel in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing Program and focuses on the theme “the world isn’t always fair.”

Life isn't always fair. You can't control that, but you can control how you think and act when things don't go your way. You have to hang in there and keep after it, not get down and give up.

Derek has a lot to look forward to. School is almost out, his baseball team is competing in the Westwood Little League Playoffs, and then he’ll head to his grandparents’ house for the summer. Sure, there are finals to study for first, but Derek doesn’t mind. Maybe this year he’ll get better grades than Gary. But when his best friend Dave starts to act strangely, ignoring Derek and canceling their plans, his summer isn’t looking quite so fun. What’s going on? Doesn’t he want to be Derek’s friend anymore?

Derek is so distracted by his problems with Dave that he makes a mistake in the outfield during a key play—and his team loses the game. It’s so unfair! With the championship at stake and finals looming, Derek needs to stay focused or risk everything.

Curveball

In the fifth book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, Derek spends the summer with his grandparents in Pequannock Township, New Jersey.

Sometimes, you were looking for role models. And sometimes, you were being one yourself.

Derek is having the best summer yet! Fun on the lake with his cousins, baseball, and a visit from his best friend, Dave: what more could he ask for? It gets even better when Derek gets to go to a Yankees game and meets a bunch of kids who play ball near the stadium, and they’re good. Awesome, actually, especially Jumbo and Tiny. Derek can’t wait to introduce them to Dave, but Grandma says if he wants to go to another Yankees game, he’ll have to earn some of the money for tickets himself. This means spending quality time with Grandpa mowing lawns and learning the meaning of hard work.

Derek brings Dave to meet Tiny and Jumbo, whom Derek admires. But when Jumbo tries to convince Derek to do something he’s sure will get him in trouble, Derek has to rethink who his role models are.

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, Curveball is the fifth book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

Fast Break

In the sixth book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, young Derek bites off more than he can chew when he decides to enter the school talent show and try out for the basketball team.

Between promising Vijay that he’ll compete in the school talent show and promising Dave that he’ll try out for the basketball team, Derek Jeter has a lot he’s trying to juggle. A commitment is a commitment, and Derek is determined to work hard and try his best, but he worries he might be in over his head and fears he’s going to let his friends or himself down. How can Derek do it all?

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, Fast Break is the sixth book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

Strike Zone

In the seventh book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, young Derek and his friends learn the true meaning of teamwork when they have to embrace the unexpected on their baseball team.

At the first practice of the season, Derek takes note of who is on the team. They have some good players, for sure—but also some weaker ones. There’s still one kid missing, and Derek hopes it’s a really good ballplayer to round out the roster. But when the kid arrives, everyone is shocked: she’s a girl! Can Derek’s team come together to have a winning season?

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, this is the seventh book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

Wind Up

In the eighth book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, young Derek and his friends learn how to balance competitive spirits with their love of the game.

As Derek and his team tackle playoffs, everyone deals with the pressure in different ways. And practice gets intense! One of Derek’s teammates, Avery, starts being especially hard on herself. She isn’t even enjoying the game anymore. Can Derek and the rest of the team pull her out of her funk?

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, this is the eighth book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

The Contract Series―Boxed Set (1-3)

The first three books in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, are now available together in a collectible boxed set!

This paperback boxed set contains the first three middle grade novels in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing program. Inspired by Derek Jeter’s own life, The Contract, Hit & Miss, and Change Up focus on setting your goals high, thinking before you act, and dealing with growing pains. The Wall Street Journal raved, “the play by play action is exciting and the lessons many.” This is the perfect series for every baseball fan.

The Contract Series―Boxed Set (1-5)

The first five books in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter are now available together in a collectible boxed set!

This paperback boxed set contains the first five middle grade novels in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing program. Inspired by Derek Jeter’s own life, The Contract, Hit & Miss, Change Up, Fair Ball, and Curveball focus on setting your goals high, thinking before you act, dealing with growing pains, learning the world isn’t always fair, and finding the right role models. The Wall Street Journal raved, “the play by play action is exciting and the lessons many.” This is the perfect series for every baseball fan.

Baseball Genius

By Tim Green and Derek Jeter

An average kid with an above average talent for predicting baseball pitches tries to help his favorite player out of a slump in this entertaining novel from bestselling authors Tim Green and Derek Jeter.

Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. Unfortunately his dad can’t afford to keep him on the travel team. His dad runs a diner and makes enough to cover the bills, but there isn’t enough to cover any extras. So Jalen decides to take matters into his own hands and he sneaks into the home of the New York Yankee’s star second baseman, James Yager, and steals a couple of balls from his personal batting cage. He knows that if he can sell them, he’ll be able to keep himself on the team.

But like the best-laid plans—or in this case the worst!—Jalen’s scheme goes wrong when Yager catches him. But Jalen has a secret: his baseball genius. He can analyze and predict almost exactly what a pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. He can’t quite explain how he knows, he just knows. And after proving to Yager that he really can do this, using a televised game and predicting pitch after pitch with perfect accuracy, the two agree to a deal. Jalen will help Yager out of his batting slump and Yager won’t press charges.

However, when he begins to suspect that the team’s general manager has his own agenda, Jalen’s going to need his friends and his unusual baseball talent to save not only Yager’s career, but his own good name.

Audio Excerpt

Baseball Genius: Double Play

By Tim Green and Derek Jeter

Jalen DeLuca and his hero New York Yankee James “JY” Yager must team up to prove themselves in this sequel to Tim Green and Derek Jeter’s New York Times bestselling novel, Baseball Genius.

Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. He’s playing for his summer travel team and trying to win a regular spot in the rotation. But Jalen’s got more than talent on the field. He’s a baseball genius who can analyze and predict almost exactly what any pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. He can’t quite explain how he knows, he just does. His unique ability helped him to save the career of New York Yankee star baseman, James “JY” Yager, and now Jalen figures he’ll be almost part of the team. Or will he?

After a power struggle with the Yankees GM and a failed negotiation with Cat, JY strikes out on his own to show he can still hit in the majors without the help of Jalen’s baseball genius. Disappointed, but focused on his own baseball career, Jalen tries to carve out his own spot with the Rockton Rockets.

When things go wrong for both of them, JY works out a deal with Cat, bringing the pair together again. With JY’s help, Jalen and Daniel are able to join a travel team from a nearby rival town who will face off against the Rockets in the championship game of an elite tournament in Boston. With the pressure mounting for JY to perform at the Green Monster and Jalen intent on paying back his former team, they’ll have to pull off the ultimate double play if they’re both going to succeed.

Baseball Genius: Grand Slam

By Tim Green and Derek Jeter

Jalen DeLuca and his hero New York Yankee James “JY” Yager must team up to prove themselves in this sequel to Tim Green and Derek Jeter’s New York Times bestselling novel, Baseball Genius.

Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. But he’s more than just a fan and a talented player; Jalen is a baseball genius. He can analyze and predict almost exactly what a pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. His unique ability helped him save the career of the Yankees’s star baseman, James “JY” Yager, by signaling the pitches from the stands.

Now turning his focus to his own baseball career, Jalen has to put his genius into action in new and untested ways. But without the stats and information he has on the pro players, analyzing the pitchers seems impossible. And even if he knows what the pitch will be, actually hitting it takes more than intuition.

As if the pressure of the team and drama with his friends weren’t enough, one major event changes everything—Jalen’s mom comes back into his life. Can Jalen work through it all to hit a grand slam and make his baseball dreams a reality?

Audio Excerpt

Born Just Right

By Jordan Reeves and Jen Lee Reeves

When Jordan Reeves was born without the bottom half of her left arm, the doctors reassured her parents that she was “born just right.” And she has been proving that doctor right ever since!

With candor, humor, and heart, Jordan’s mother, Jen Lee Reeves, helps Jordan tell her story about growing up in an able-bodied world and family, where she was treated like all of her siblings and classmates—and where she never felt limited. Whether it was changing people’s minds about her capabilities, trying all kinds of sports, or mentoring other kids, Jordan has channeled any negativity into a positive, and is determined to create more innovations for people just like her.

Ida B. Wells

By Diane Bailey

Ida B. Wells was an African-American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890s.

On one fateful train ride from Memphis to Nashville, in May 1884, Wells reached a personal turning point. Having bought a first-class train ticket, she was outraged when the train crew ordered her to move to the car for African Americans. She refused and was forcibly removed from the train—but not before she bit one of the men on the hand. Wells sued the railroad, winning a $500 settlement. This event sparked Ida’s passion and she never backed down in the fight for justice!

Michael Collins

By James Buckley Jr.

On July 16, 1969, a Gemini rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Previous launches had focused on getting astronauts into space, docking two spacecraft, and even walking in space, but this mission was different. Apollo 11 was designed to land two astronauts on the moon and then bring them back to Earth. Four days later, two astronauts, Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, did walk on the moon. But did you know that there were actually three astronauts aboard the rocket on July 16? Michael Collins didn’t get to walk on the Moon, but his contribution is just as important as Armstrong and Aldrin’s.

He may not have walked on the moon, but he’s one of only twenty-four people to travel there. In fact, without Michael Collins, that first moon landing might never have happened.