It's the ultimate test for middle school friendships!

Frederick Douglass Zezzmer already has his entire life figured out...and he's only in middle school!

Doug’s going to be The World's Greatest Inventor if he can just convince his Pops—a legendary Denver Broncos wide receiver—that science is just as important as sports.

So when Principal Yee announces an epic competition, Doug knows he has to win. But that won't be easy! The competition doesn't just include "unconventional" STEAM challenges. It also has (gulp) sports.

Even worse, it's a team competition. And instead of being in a superstar group, Doug gets paired with four middle school misfits no one else wants. 

Doug only has one week to turn his team of outcasts into winners ... and maybe even friends. Will his legendary invention-making skills be enough?

_____

Control Freaks is a STEM fiction & satire novel that is perfect for ages 8-12 and for adults. Topics include middle school friendships, blended families, STEAM and sports. 

TRAVIS ELIZABETH COD

She's a nine-year-old, grade-skipping brainiac who's already in sixth grade. She's also an astronaut-in-training. Her heart is set on being the first person to walk on Mars. Travis has everything she needs except for friends...and a mom.

LIAM MURPHY

His mother was on the U.S. soccer team. His dad played professional baseball. His oldest sister runs cross country in college. His second oldest sister plays softball in high school. Everybody assumes Liam should be an amazing athlete, too. But Liam has a big secret. He's awful at sports...and he'd rather be a veterinarian.

HUEY LINKMEYER

Magic card tricks are his superpower, but anxiety is his Kryptonite. No matter how much Huey wants to perform for a crowd, he gets so nervous in front of an audience that he can barely speak. How can he  manage the STEAMS (STEM + Art + Sports) competition without letting the rest of his team down?

PADGETT BABINEAUX

She's intense...even for an eighth-grader. When she was in third grade, Padgett vowed not to cut her hair until she wins the Nobel Prize for Physics. Now her hair is below her knees. Nobody messes with Padgett Babineaux when she's in a mood, and guess what? She's almost always in a mood.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS ZEZZMER

He's the undisputed STEM master of Benjamin Banneker College Prep middle school. He's destined to become The World's GREATEST Inventor...if he can just convince his Pops―a legendary Denver Broncos wide receiver―that science is just as important as sports. But changing Pops' mind about his future won't be easy.