May the Best Player Win

In this middle grade novel, May Li’s chess team is headed to nationals—and she’s just been named top female player with a feature in a major chess magazine.

She should be excited, but jealousy brews, especially from her friend Ralph. When he questions her skills, May challenges him: if she wins the school tournament, she’ll be team captain.

It’s a bold move—but as pressure mounts, May’s anxiety threatens her game and her love for chess. Can she still play for fun when winning feels like everything?

Author: Kyla Zhao

Pages: 225 with hardback cover