When Alvin's twin sister, Yasmin, lands the lead role in their middle school play, Alvin is faced with the need to find something to do after school while she is rehearsing, so he takes up cross-country running (it is either that or doing homework in the library)--he has always been a fast runner, but he soon learns that distance running is more about patience and pacing than pure speed and staying in the lead, and he will have to adapt or be left behind. When Alvin's sister lands the lead in the school play, his parents tell him he'll need to find an after-school activity to keep him busy until they can pick up both kids. A fast runner, Alvin would like to give track and field a try, but it's the wrong season and he reluctantly chooses cross-country instead. But there's more to running cross country than being fast. Alvin must learn how to use patience and pacing, or he'll be left in the dust. Reader support tools, like a glossary and discussion questions, round out this story from the high-interest Jake Maddox JV series.
