The Team by Benedis-Grab, Daphne

"We play with passion and we play with heart. And sometimes that passion goes too far."

When a violent event sends a middle school reeling just before the Homecoming football game, secrets start to come to the surface...

The Cottonwood middle school's undefeated football team, the Coyotes, are on the field, working to maintain their record. But suddenly the game comes to a halt. A hard hit has taken a player down--and he's been injured so badly he'll never play again. And then the very next day, the athletic office and coach's computer are found totally trashed.

A culprit is found almost immediately: Brian Miller, "the Destroyer," one of the best players on the team. Except . . .why would such a loyal and talented player do something like that to his own team?

Unless he didn't actually do it. Three kids decide to figure out what really happened. But as they start to ask questions, the threats start arriving.

What happens when winning is more important than anything else, and when obedience to the team is more important than anyone else?

This is a gripping read about what happens when a culture of total loyalty goes too far.

A high-stakes whodunit, this is perfect for readers interested in:

• Tim Green, Tommy Greenwald, Mike Lupica, and Kwame Alexander's sports stories
• A fast-moving plot
• Sinister secrets
• Lots of action, on and off the field
• Sports drama
• Quick reads

Author: Daphne Benedis-Grab
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 7.50h x 5.20w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781546150411
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/15/2026
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2026
School Library Journal 09/18/2026 pg. 1

About the Author

Daphne Benedis-Grab is the author of the middle-grade thrillers I Know Your Secret, I Know You're Lying, I Will Find You, and I Know You Started It. She is a school librarian and gets to hang out with kids and books all day (she is a very lucky person!). She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her family and has a cat who has been known to sit on her computer if he feels she has been typing too long. Visit her at daphnebg.com.