Brave New Game, by S. K. Michalowski

Devastating losses, impossible odds, and one viral mistake. In seventh grade, Charlie Gold will face them all.

Thirteen-year-old Charlie Gold is the orphaned son of a basketball legend, a 6’2” would-be hooper, and a math prodigy who sees the game in numbers. But after an on-court disaster goes viral, Charlie’s own basketball dreams collapse overnight.

Forced to the sidelines, he turns to his secret strength: statistical analysis. When his gift for numbers catches the attention of a local college coach, Charlie sees a long-shot chance at redemption—helping rebuild a broken team into March Madness contenders.

But even math geniuses can miscalculate. When Charlie’s mistakes threaten the team he loves and the legacy his family has left, he must decide whether to stay in the shadow of his late father’s name or step into the spotlight and find the courage to play his own game.