Chess Club: The Winning Move [Hardcover]

A heartfelt, laugh-out-loud illustrated middle-grade novel about friendship, coming of age, and found family following four friends who form a chess club as they try to survive middle school intact. Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Dan Geimenhart.

Chess is Halima Kasims favorite thing in the world. But with no local chess club in her small town, she has no one to practice with offline. Yearning for worthy opponents IRL, she recruits newbies: her next-door BFF Jem (a dedicated friend reeling from the recent loss of her grandfather), Jems long-lost friend Parker (eager to escape the shadow of his sport-star siblings), and Daniel (itching for answers after discovering a mysterious note left for him inside a book). Together the team forms their own chess club, navigating not just the board but the highs and lows of middle school social life. Along the way theyll learn that it takes more than practice to be greatits teamwork, confidence, and the power of friendship. And never forget . . . chess is a game full of surprises.

Rebecca Donnellywas born in England and has lived in California, Florida, New Mexico, and just outside the Adirondack State Park in northern New York. She is the author of more than 30 books for young readers, including the Indies Introduce/Kids Indie Next pickHow to Stage a Catastrophe. Her nonfiction bookTotal Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our Worldwas a School Library Journal Best Book of 2023.

Isabelle Duffyis an illustrator, animator and designer based in the Blue Mountains, Australia. Isabelle graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Animation at the University of Technology Sydney, but has had a deep passion for art for as long as she can remember. Her work focuses a lot on drawing expressive, lively characters that create meaningful storytelling, accompanied by bubbly and bright colour palettes. When Isabelle is not drawing, she clƒd