That Love Has Turned Into A Career
Brave New Game follows a thirteen-year-old basketball-loving math genius who, after a disastrous moment on the court, finds his basketball dreams ending until a college coach rebuilding their team recruits him for his statistical talents. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Two things inspired me. First, I’ve been a teacher and school librarian for 16 years and I’ve seen a shift in middle-grade books away from stories that are grounded in traditional team sports like football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. It’s wonderful to see other sports represented now – like track and tennis – but, I know from experience how many young boys in my classroom caught the reading bug from books about the team sports that they were playing. Some of the great sports novelists aren’t writing as much anymore, and I want to fill that gap.
Second, I have a nephew and a son who are involved professionally in college sports. They inspired me with all the personal, complex stories of their players. I wanted my students to hear those too.
What were some driving ideals behind Charlie’s development, and what interested you about exploring a character who can analyze complex situations mathematically but struggles to understand his own emotions and relationships?
My students who love sports but aren’t playing on elite teams – they inspired this story. And my son, too. He’s had a mind for numbers and stats since he was five. Now that love has turned into a career.
What does Charlie’s journey suggest about accountability, second chances, and learning to trust your own judgment?
Teens make mistakes. They choose poorly, they mess up relationships, and they feel immense pressure in today’s world. That is part of growing up and finding your inner well of resilience, forgiveness, and strength. Charlie’s had it harder than most, so we feel for him. And he is a sympathetic, lovable character, for sure. But, just like other kids, he is capable of making terrible decisions, lying, and cheating. His journey is an age-old, very human tale, about consequences, hard truths, and the ripples our choices have on other’s lives.
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
I’m currently working on something very different, but yes, I have a story brewing for the deeply unlikeable villain in Charlie’s story. Can’t wait to tell that tale.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website
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.
HARDCOVER FLAP TEXT:
As a six-foot-two seventh-grader, Charlie Gold is a giant among dwarves, a tree that towers over lunch ladies and bathroom stalls. As the son of a late March Madness legend, he is all too aware that with great height comes great expectations—especially on the basketball court. Problem is, Charlie’s more mathlete than athlete. He’d much rather be solving calculus equations than practicing crossovers.
After he gets into an ugly on-court scrap, a video of the fight goes viral. Overnight, his hoop dreams go up in smoke and he becomes a national meme known as the Bully Baller.
Desperate for redemption, Charlie turns to his real superpower: numbers.
When a local college coach spots his genius, he gives Charlie a secret assignment: use his calculus knowledge to tutor the team’s star player and his stats skills to scout hidden gems who can help next year’s team make a March Madness run. But success puts Charlie back in the spotlight. This time, if his mistakes go public, he won’t just ruin his family’s name—he’ll take an entire team down with him.
Posted on October 10, 2026, in Interviews and tagged author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Brave New Game, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, S.K. Michalowski, sports fiction, story, writer, writing, young adult. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
Leave a comment
Comments 0