Golden and his family live and breathe soccer. A big Lionel Messi fan, Golden is obsessed with putting in 10,000 hours of practice toward becoming a master of the game, and he’s ecstatic to be elected co-captain of his team (coached by his mom) along with his best friend, Lucy. But Golden’s ability to focus on soccer begins to deteriorate along with his dad’s health. Although his parents have told the family the Dad will eventually pass away due to his ALS, Golden is in denial. He thinks that if he can get his team to the championship game, work out enough with his dad, and maintain a positive attitude, his dad will find the strength to beat ALS. To make matters worse, Lucy breaks the news that she and her mom will be moving to Maine for her stepdad’s new job, and Golden is devastated; meanwhile, he’s reluctant to let his other good friend, Chinese American Benny, come over—it’s hard to deny how serious things are if he sees the truth in other people’s eyes. Sometimes heartbreaking and always emotionally resonant, this novel offers a realistic view into the constantly disrupted routines of a white family dealing with a life-changing illness. As Dad’s ALS worsens and emotions run high, Golden and his siblings learn to step up, offer support, and provide care even when it feels like everything is falling apart. (Ages 9-13)

A middle school soccer whiz’s determination to keep things from changing is tested when his father’s ALS symptoms worsen in this “heart-tugging and uplifting” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) story about growing up and facing loss, perfect for fans of Shouting at the Rain.

Twelve-year-old Golden Maroni is determined to channel his hero, soccer superstar Lionel Messi, and become captain of his soccer team and master of his eighth grade universe…especially since his home universe is spiraling out of orbit. Off the field, Golden’s dad, once a pro soccer player himself, is now battling ALS, a disease that attacks his muscles, leaving him less and less physically able to control his body every day. And while Mom says there’s no cure, Golden is convinced that his dad can beat this, just like any opponent, they just have to try.

Golden knows that if you want to perfect a skill you have to put ten thousand tries in, so he’s convinced if he can put that much effort in, on and off the field, he can stop everything from changing. But when his dad continues to decline and his constant pushing starts to alienate his friends and team, Golden is forced to confront the idea that being master of your universe might not mean being in control of everything. What if it means letting go of the things you can’t control so you can do the most good for the things you can?