by Phil Bildner
“Don’t worry. It will be.”
I tugged on the strings of my hoodie. “I can’t believe you made me get up early on the first day of spring vacation.”
To be perfectly honest, I really didn’t mind. I’m not a late sleeper, but that didn’t mean I wanted to go anywhere. The first morning of vacation is supposed to be spent sitting on the couch in your boxers watching cartoons and playing Xbox.
“Are we going to Perky’s?” I asked.
Mom claw-lifted her thermos from the console. She’d already been to Perky’s. When she came in to wake me an hour ago, she said that she was running out to get coffee and that I needed to be ready by the time she got back.
“Are we meeting Dana?”
“Nope.”
“Red and Suzanne?”
Mom strummed the steering wheel and shook her head.
“I’m thinking about cutting my hair,” I said.
“Okay.” She peeked at me. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s time.”
“Cutting it all off?” she asked.
“I think so.” I ran my hand over my head. “Diego said when his hair grew back, it grew in darker.”
“Honey, I don’t think it’s possible for your hair to get much darker.”
“Did you know he’s had hair all year?” I lifted my legs so that my shins pressed against the glove box. “The only reason he wore a hat was because he liked being the only kid in school who was allowed to.”
“That sounds very Diego.”
“How much farther?” I asked.
We were driving on streets we always ride on, but I still didn’t have a clue where we were going.
“Maybe two minutes,” she said.
“Can I get a hint?”
“Your father knows about it and approves.”
“That’s not a hint.” I drummed my knees. “Do you realize how annoying you’re being?”
She smiled her I-know-something smile again. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that a few minutes from now.”
“I’d better not be.”
Since we got back from the Showdown, Mom had been acting very cool. Obviously, the fact that things went well between my dad and me had a lot to do with it. She wanted me to talk about it—she was dying to talk about it—but I told her I wasn’t ready yet. She said we would need to at some point over vacation. That was fair.
“Okay, honey.” She touched my leg. “Here’s a hint: This has been in the works for a while now. Your father and I are happy and relieved you finally green-lighted it.”
“I green-lighted it?”
“You really are growing up, Rip.”
“Okay,” I said, eyeing her sideways. “I think.”
We made a left onto a road we don’t often take.
“Any idea yet?” she asked.
“No.”
“It’s going to keep you busy.”
“Is that another hint?”
“That’s a big hint.”
“Whatever you—” I stopped midsentence. “Don’t play, Mom!” I pointed to the sign up ahead. “Is that where we’re going?”
“Going where?” She smiled an extra-wide version of that smile.
“I’m getting a dog?” I said, my voice squeaking. “I can get a dog?”
We turned into the driveway of the Sean Casey Animal Rescue shelter.
“Yes, Rip,” she said. “You’re ready for a dog. We’re getting a dog.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” I shook my fists in front of my face. “We’re getting a dog! We’re getting a dog!”
Mom pulled into a spot and put the car in Park.
“I love you, Mom.” I reached over and hugged her. “I love you, I love you, I love you!” I planted a kiss on her cheek.
She laughed. “Is this an okay surprise?”
“Okay? This is the best surprise in the history of ever!”
She held my wrist. “You will call your father to say thank you.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me you’ll call—”
“I promise, I promise, I promise,” I said. “I promise I’ll call my dad and tell him thank you.” I pounded the dashboard. “I’m getting Bubba!”
“Is that what you’re naming it?”
“I’m getting Bubba.” I kissed her cheek again. “I’m getting Bubba Chuck.” I opened the door, burst from the car, and hammer-fisted the air.
Acknowledgments
Thanks, respect, and love to …
Wes Adams, my editor extraordinaire. This has been and continues to be my dream project. Andrew Arnold, the designer of the series. Keep on dazzling, man. I like to be dazzled. Tim Probert, the illustrator whose drawings have added a whole other dimension to the world of Rip and Red.
Mary Van Akin, Katie Halata, Janet Renard, Joy Peskin, Lucy Del Priore, and the entire rockstar crew at Farrar Straus Giroux and the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Your unwavering support is humbling and heartening.
Erin Murphy, my agent. The best in the business. Yeah, I’m biased, but I speak the truth.
Elizabeth Acevedo, Anna Rekate, and Audrey Vernick, my always reliable beta readers. Your critical and caring eyes and pull-no-punches feedback are appreciated more than you can possibly imagine.
Kayley Cook, R.N., Dr. Faith Galderisi, Dr. Lori Gluck, and Dr. Craig Hurwitz, my acute myeloid leukemia experts. While most of the AML storyline ended up in the deleted darlings folder, your insights and anecdotes were invaluable.
Shana Corey and Yvonne Salgado, who provided me with the oh-so-needed mom’s-eye-view of what it’s like living with almost-middle schoolers.
Chris Davis, my former student, for his basketball coaching expertise. You got game.
Brenda Bowen and Virginia Euwer Wolff. We will rise to the occasion, which is life.
Kevin, my husband, my family.
By Phil Bildner
The Rip and Red Series
A Whole New Ballgame
Rookie of the Year
Tournament of Champions
The Sluggers Series
with Loren Long
Magic in the Outfield
Horsin’ Around
Great Balls of Fire
Water, Water Everywhere
Blastin’ the Blues
Home of the Brave
About the Authors
Phil Bildner is a former New York City public school teacher who lives in Newburgh, New York. The author of many books, including Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans and The Soccer Fence: A Story of Friendship, Hope, and Apartheid in South Africa, Phil is a frequent speaker at conferences and travels to over sixty schools a year. You can sign up for email updates here.
Tim Probert has illustrated children’s books, including Pickle by Kim Baker, as well as magazines and advertisements. He is also a director at the animation studio Aardman Nathan Love. He lives in New York City. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
One-on-One-on-One
Road Trip
No More Earplugs
Mom Being Mom
Roster, Unexpected
Part of the Plan
Running the Offense
Above and Beyond
Perky’s Post-Practice
Teach Can Ball
Rising to the Occasion
Clifton United Can Ball
In the Zone
Dazzling
Ping Ping
Sleepover
Sunday Night Bomb
Detonation
Pressing Matters
Full Basketball Mode
Hoodie Time
Kids in the Hall
Thursday Night Bomb
All Night Long
Zombie-Walking
At the Bus
The New Teammate
The United Express
Pool Play
Night Talk
Bumper-Vators
Who’s Your Daddy?
Breakfast of Champions
Pool Team
Renegades
The Opener
Showing Up
Differently Dazzling
Almond
Seedings
Front Street Fury
Pacer
See You Later
Two Days Later
Acknowledgments
Also By Phil Bildner
About the Authors
Copyright
Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Text copyright © 2017 Phil Bildner
All rights reserved
First hardcover edition, 2017
eBook edition, June 2017
mackids.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Bildner, Phil, author. | Probert, Tim, illustrator.
Title: Tournament of champions / Phil Bildner; pictures by Tim Probert.
Description: First edition. | New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017. | Series: Rip and Red | Summary: Rip, Red, and their friends on the Clifton United basketball team travel to a spring sleep-away tournament. | Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016035880 (print) | LCCN 2017012645 (ebook) | ISBN 9780374305086 (Ebook) | ISBN 9780374305079 (hardcover)
Subjects: | CYAC: Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Basketball—Fiction. | Contests—Fiction. | Family life—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.B4923 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.B4923 Tou 2017 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016035880
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at [email protected].
eISBN 9780374305086