The Rookie Bookie

by L. Jon Wertheim, Tobias J. Moskowitz

Overview

Using the tips, truths, and stats they explore in their New York Times bestseller Scorecasting, two dads pack super sports savvy and important math and financial concepts into a fun and heartwarming first novel for kids.

New kid Mitch Sloan wants to fit in, but his nerdy love of statistics and making money isn't winning him any friends in his sports-loving town—until he finds the perfect way to attain instant popularity. But running a football betting ring at school eventually turns sour, and Mitch loses the only real friend he's made. He'll have to win her back by using his brainpower for good and helping the school football team achieve victory—if they'll listen to the advice of a former bookie!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316249799
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jon Wertheim is an executive editor for Sports Illustrated, a regular contributor to CNN and NPR, and the author of several books, including Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won, which he co-authored with Tobias Moskowitz.


Tobias Moskowitz is a financial economist and a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He was the winner of the 2007 American Finance Association Fischer Black Prize, awarded to a leading finance scholar under the age of forty.

Editorial Reviews

A Mathical Book Prize Honorable MentionA Maine Student Book Award Nominee

"Wertheim and Moskowitz cleverly introduce elements of probability, economics and business.... The sports fan's alternative to The Lemonade War."—Kirkus Reviews

"A cleverly written story, with an astute take on what makes middleschoolers tick. Strong supporting characters, and a good balance of tension and humor keep the pages turning.... A thoughtful and highly entertaining read."—School Library Journal

"A relatable protagonist...and a fun venue for readers to learn a bit about business, football, and math.... This story hits its mark and should intrigue readers with information about how number-crunching can make an impact on the gridiron."—Publishers Weekly

"A rare offering for both the sports enthusiast and the kid who is always picked last for the team."—Booklist

From the Publisher

"(Sports + numbers) x great writing = winning formula. A must read for all couch analysts."

Richard Thaler

"A counterintuitive, innovative, unexpected handbook for sports fans interested in the truths that underpin our favorite games. With their lively minds and prose, Moskowitz and Wertheim will change the way you think about and watch sports. Not just for stats nerds, Scorecasting enlightens and entertains. I wish I had thought of it!"

Jeremy Schaap

"The most important and fascinating sports book in years."

The Star-Ledger (NJ)

"Scorecasting is both scholarly and entertaining, a rare double. It gets beyond the cliched narratives and tried-but-not-necessarily-true assumptions to reveal significant and fascinating truths about sports."

Bob Costas

"Sports buffs eager to win their next barroom argument will be lining up for this book."

Booklist

2014-08-27
Best-selling authors Wertheim and Moskowitz (Scorecasting, 2011) team up again on their first novel for children. Unsurprisingly given their expertise, their foray into middle-grade fiction will appeal mostly to sports fans with a passion for statistics and playing the odds. Seventh-grader Mitch Sloan is the new kid at Jonasburg Middle School, and he's determined to fit in. Unfortunately, it's a little easier said than done in this small, football-obsessed Indiana town, as Mitch is more into talking about sports than actually playing them. What Mitch is really into is money—namely, figuring out how to make a lot of it as quickly and as easily as possible. When tomboy and fellow sports fan Jamie Spielberger turns up as a potential business partner and best friend, the kindred spirits turn their sports and business know-how into a wildly successful, and possibly illicit, middle school gambling ring. While Wertheim and Moskowitz cleverly introduce elements of probability, economics and business, these bits of wisdom often get bogged down in sports talk, and the book often winds up feeling too much like a how-to manual for aspiring bookies. Still, there is a heart to Mitch's tale, and his desire to protect his family and to forge true friendships will resonate with readers. The sports fan's alternative to The Lemonade War. (Fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews