The Winning Move

Written by Rebecca Donnelly · Illustrated by Isabelle Duffy

Part of the Chess Club series

Four friends form a chess club, facing middle school challenges and unexpected surprises.

3.4/5 Goodreads · 39 ratings

208 pages

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Halima loves chess but lacks opponents in her small town. She recruits Jem, Parker, and Daniel to form a club. As they navigate middle school, they discover that teamwork and friendship are key, and chess holds unexpected surprises. Can they master the game and their lives?

From the publisher

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 Kasim’s 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), Jem’s 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 they’ll learn that it takes more than practice to be great–it’s teamwork, confidence, and the power of friendship. And never forget . . . chess is a game full of surprises.

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