Phil Bildner

A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Glenn Burke into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself. When sixth grader Silas Walker does a school presentation on former Major League Baseball player Glenn Burke, it’s more than just a report on the inventor of the high five. Burke was a black gay baseball player in the 1970s—and for Silas, the presentation is his own first baby step toward coming out as gay. Soon he tells his best friend Zoey, but the longer he keeps his secret from his baseball teammates, the more he suspects they know something’s up. Kids get pulled from the team, fingers point at Silas, and he stages one big cover-up with terrible consequences. Was it a mistake to share his truth? This is Phil Bildner’s most personal novel yet, and drives home the message that there’s no one way to come out—and there’s a place in the field for everyone.

A High Five for Glenn Burke

In New Orleans, there lived a man who saw the streets as his calling, and he swept them clean. He danced up one avenue and down another and everyone danced along. The old ladies whistled and whirled. The old men hooted and hollered. The barbers, bead twirlers, and beignet bakers bounded behind that one-man parade. But then came the rising Mississippi—and a storm greater than anyone had seen before. In this heartwarming book about a real garbage man, Phil Bildner and John Parra tell the inspiring story of a humble man and the heroic difference he made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans

Marvelous Cornelius

"From the first morning with their odd new teacher, fifth grade is full of shocking surprises for best friends Rip and Red"--

A Whole New Ballgame

the story of Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams and the record-setting summer of '41

The unforgettable season

Step right up, ladies and gents. Believe the unbelievable and dream the impossible because Hannah, the little girl with big dreams, is coming your way. Come and see for yourself her bold acts of bravery, her courageous conviction as she proves to the world that the Brooklyn Bridge is safe to cross. But she can't do it alone. P. T. Barnum and his parade of twenty-one elephants provide a spectacular show that will save the day! Impossible, you say? Then you'll have to look inside. You won't want to miss this, the greatest show on earth.

Twenty-One Elephants

Traces the friendship and rivalry of tennis stars Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports

Martina & Chrissie

In a country struggling with acceptance, hope can come in many different forms. As a boy, Hector loved playing soccer in his small Johannesburg township. He dreamed of playing on a real pitch with the boys from another part of the city, but apartheid made that impossible. Then, in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and apartheid began to crumble. The march toward freedom in South Africa was a slow one, but when the beloved Bafana Bafana national soccer team won the African Cup of Nations, Hector realized that dreams once impossible could now come true. This poignant story of friendship artfully depicts a brief but critical moment in South Africa’s history and the unique role that sports can play in bringing people together.

A story of friendship, hope, and apartheid in South Africa

The Soccer Fence

In the fourth book of the Rip and Red series, the two boys have one last basketball thrill ride before the end of fifth grade. It’s fifth-grade graduation time for Rip and Red, and this year’s festivities are going to be extra special because Reese Jones Elementary is also celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. As part of the gala, Hoops Machine, the exhibition basketball team, is paying a visit, and Rip may be playing a surprise role. But he and his friends need to finish their schoolwork first, which includes taking a newly required standardized test. However, when the students of Room 208 begin to question the need to take the test, a mini opt-out movement gains momentum. When the administration gets wind of this rebellion in Mr. Acevedo’s class, Hoops Machine, middle-school basketball tryouts, and walking at the graduation ceremony are in jeopardy. So is Mr. A’s job. But luckily for Rip, Red, their classmates, and their teacher, when you stand up for what you believe in, the people you’ve touched along the way rally to your corner. Most Valuable Players is the fourth book in the Rip & Red series, written by Phil Bildner with illustrations by Tim Probert.

A Rip & Red Book

Most Valuable Players

Loren Long

In 1899, the trip to Chicago for Griffith, Ruby, and Graham becomes an adventure in itself after they realize their Uncle Owen has gone missing and the Chancellor has set his sights on the money the Travelin' Nine have been trying to raise.

Great Balls of Fire

In the late 1800s, a baseball with strange powers belonging to their late father works wonders for three children and a travelling baseball team which must raise $10,000.

Magic in the Outfield

Bildner tells a heartwarming father-and-son story against the backdrop of the"Greatest Game Ever Played," the 1958 NFL championship. Full color. 11x 8 1/2.

Phil Bildner

Books

Your next favorite book is out there