May the Best Player Win
by Kyla Zhao (Author)
The game is on in this fun-filled middle grade debut about chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in sports, perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Pérez!
The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship--and with it, a ticket to nationals. What's even more exciting is that May got an award for being the top female player and a splashy feature in the biggest chess magazine in the country. May should be thrilled. But some of her teammates, including her supposed-to-be-friend Ralph, aren't too pleased with the attention she's getting--and they're even questioning her skills.
Backed into a corner, but not one to back down, May makes a move as bold as any of her chess tactics: She bets Ralph she can win the school's internal tournament and be chosen as team captain for nationals. The crown is May's for the taking . . . except she's starting to crumble under the weight of everyone's expectations. Anxious feelings begin to affect her performance and, what's worse, eat away at her love for the game.
Now May is left to wonder: Can you still play for fun when you're playing to win?
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Kirkus
An emotionally intelligent work that explores socially relevant themes.
Publishers Weekly
After what she perceives as a disappointing performance in the California Middle School State Chess Championship finals, Chinese American seventh grader May Li is thrilled to learn that she won the award for "top female player." She even gets a splashy feature in the esteemed Chessbase magazine, to the chagrin of her teammate Ralph, who bitterly remarks that "everyone knows that girls aren't as good at chess as guys." Hurt but refusing to let his comments get to her, May plays her gambit--she bets on herself to win the team's internal tournament and subsequently be named captain before nationals. But as the competition progresses, she finds that the pressure and high expectations take a toll on her confidence and her friendships, leading her to question her love for chess. Zhao (The Fraud Squad, for adults) draws on personal experience, as addressed in an endnote, to explore themes of sexism in a male-dominated field and anxiety brought about by sudden fame and scrutiny. Digestible chess strategy breakdowns and terminology scattered throughout serve as an approachable introduction to the sport. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
Praise for May the Best Player Win
"A middle grade Queen's Gambit, May The Best Player Win is a realistic story of one girl's love of chess and her journey to rediscovering the love of the game...Utterly believable and inspirational, May's story will have you on the edge of your seat and you itching to play a game of chess!" —Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy
"Girls deserve to just have fun! Full of puns and emotions that had me on the edge of my seat, May the Best Player Win is an all-too relatable tale about how girls have to prove themselves over and over in boy-dominated hobbies." —Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
"This book is a game-changer for readers of all ages, regardless of whether you play chess! May the Best Player Win captures the thrill of competition, the weight of expectations, and the sting of naysayers." —Carissa Yip, 2x US Women's Chess Champion & Women's Grandmaster
"Compassionate, empowering, and full of heart, May the Best Player Win reminds young readers that sometimes, the only limits on our potential are the ones we place on ourselves." —Rebecca Mix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mossheart's Promise
"May Li is the type of fierce, loveable, larger-than-life heroine who stays with you long after the story ends. Readers will root for May and her friends from start to finish in their epic journey to nationals!" —Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series
"The chess games are thrilling...and the book's valuable life lessons will speak to anyone who's lost their love for a pursuit. An emotionally intelligent work that explores socially relevant themes." —Kirkus Reviews
"Digestible chess strategy breakdowns and terminology scattered throughout serve as an approachable introduction to the sport." —Publishers Weekly
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV032040 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Games - General
Chinese Americans
Chess
Novels
