The Million Dollar Race

By Matthew Ross Smith

A boy must invent a country to compete in a race and face his best friend.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 566 ratings

240 pages· 31,579 words· Est. 4.5 hour read

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Grant Falloon is on the brink of breaking a world record, but his unconventional family throws a wrench in his plans. Without a birth certificate, he can't compete in the international race. His solution? Create his own country. But as he navigates this wild plan, he must confront the possibility of defeating his best friend, Jay. Can Grant balance ambition with friendship, or will the race cost him more than he bargained for? Dive into a whirlwind of speed, creativity, and unexpected challenges in this thrilling adventure.

From the publisher

“I dare you to predict the winner of The Million Dollar Race. OK, you dragged it out of me: it’s the READER!” –Jerry Spinelli, Newbery Award-winning author of Maniac Magee Perfect for fans of Lizzy Legend and the Baseball Genius series, this quick-paced, heartfelt, and zany novel follows a speedy kid from an unconventional family who will do whatever it takes to win an international track contest. Grant Falloon isn’t just good at track; he’s close to breaking the world record 100-meter time for his age group. So when the mega-rich Babblemoney sneaker company announces an international competition to find the fastest kid in the world, he’s desperate to sign up. But not so fast. Nothing’s ever that easy with the eccentric Falloon family. Turns out, his non-conformist parents never got him a legal birth certificate. He can’t race for the United States, so now if he wants to compete, he may just have to invent his own country. And even if that plan works, winning gold will mean knocking his best friend–and biggest competitor–Jay, out of the competition. As unexpected hurdles arise, Grant will have to ask not only if winning is possible, but what he’s willing to sacrifice for it.

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