(As of April 21, 2013)
1. “Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain” by Ryan Blair
2. “Life After Life” by Kate Atkinson
3. “Maggie Vaults Over the Moon” by Grant Overstake
4. “A Kansas Soldier at War” by Ken Spurgeon Continue Reading →
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon has vaulted onto the library bookshelves at Wichita Public Schools – a thrilling feat for author Grant Overstake, who was born and raised in “The Air Capital City.”
The new teen sports novel also can be found at the Wichita Public Library and in many private school libraries in the city.
“I was really touched when I heard that school officials had read and endorsed Maggie’s story, and that my book was going to be available to so many students in my hometown,” said Overstake, who attended Buckner Elementary, Brooks Junior High, and Heights High School.
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon retells the story of Maggie Steele, a gutsy farm girl from tiny Grain Valley, Kansas, who pours her broken heart into the daring and sometimes dangerous sport of pole-vaulting. The story climaxes at the Kansas State High School Track and Field Championships, held each May at Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University. Continue Reading →
Kennesaw State University’s pole-vaulters, shown from left: Michael Owenby, Shawna Lehman, Jacy Robertson, Lauren Wilson, and Matt Morris. The squad is coached by Robbie Roberson. Maggie says, “Go Owls! Go!”
Maggie was delighted to receive an awesome photo from the Kennesaw State University Pole-Vaulting Squad!
Located in Kennesaw, Georgia, Kennesaw State is one of the strongest track and field teams in the South, competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
According to Owls’ Coach Robbie Robertson, his vaulters loved seeing their awesome sport highlighted in the new teen novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon by Grant Overstake. Robertson also coaches the Georgia Pole Vault Club. Continue Reading →
Coach Kimbrook Tennal shown coaching his vaulters at Centralia (Kan.) High.
The fictional town of Grain Valley, Kan., paints an authentic picture of Midwest farm towns and the people who live there; including down-to-earth, everyday-heroes like Kimbrook Tennal, assistant track coach at Centralia High School, in Centralia, Kan., (Pop. 512).
Coach Kimbrook Tennal
Located in extreme northeast Kansas, Centralia is best known for producing NFL star John Riggins, who was born in Seneca and attended Centralia High. Riggins went on to play for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In the new teen sports novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, author Grant Overstake retells the story of another amazing small-town athlete, Maggie Steele, a gutsy farm girl who pours her broken heart into the daring sport of pole-vaulting. The story climaxes at the Kansas State High School Track and Field Championships, the largest track meet in the nation, held at Wichita State University‘s Cessna Stadium.
Coach Tennal wrote the author to say Maggie brought back his own golden moments at Cessna Stadium, because he and his wife, Kim, are the parents of three Kansas track and field champions!
“I loved the book and I wish I had written it,” he wrote. “I consider that about as high a compliment on the book as I can make.” Continue Reading →
Sport Psychologist Adrienne Langelier, M.A., has posted a professional and insightful review of Maggie on her award-winning blog, Adrienne Langelier Racing.
Adrienne Langelier
Adrienne provides sport psychology consultation, general psychotherapy, and skills coaching for adults and students. She also regularly conducts workshops with athletes and coaches of all sports and levels; including those at the collegiate, professional and elite levels.
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is vaulting onto library bookshelves everywhere, including the beautiful public library in Mishawaka, Indiana!
Join the campaign to help Maggie vault into libraries around the world.
Our goal is to have Maggie available in every public and school library, so please retweet this post and send it to your local librarians, too.
Ask them to add this inspirational new teen novel to their bookshelves and be sure to let us know when they say “Yes!” so we can feature their library’s photo on our blog.
“A fine young adult novel about perseverance in sports and in life.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS
Order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indie Bound, and Watermark Books.
The global online bookstore, Books Direct, has just introduced Maggie Vaults Over the Moon to its worldwide audience!
To celebrate Maggie’s addition to its shelves, Books Direct is sponsoring a drawing for a free copy of the inspiring teen sports novel by Grant Overstake.
Books Direct is your one-stop online book store for the whole family. The Australia-based mega store boasts thousands and thousands of followers. You will find all the latest new releases and best-sellers – including e-books – aimed at all the women, children, teens, and men in your life.
The Kansas State Track and Field Championships is the largest track meet in the nation, with over 3,000 athletes and 20,000-plus spectators.
Longtime track and field official Chris Ellis is well known in the Sunflower State for his dedication to the sport of high school and collegiate pole-vaulting, especially in his role as the tireless head official at the Kansas State High School Track and Field Championships, the largest track and field meet in the nation, which includes two whole days of boys’ and girls’ vault competitions in all classifications.
We were delighted to read his new review of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon on Amazon.com:
“As the head pole vault official at the Kansas State High School Track & Field Championships since 1991, I have seen many great competitions and many many great competitors compete at this amazing event. However, after so many years of officiating the competition, not to mention the 3 years I competed in the event, my passion lost some of its intensity. Maggie Vaults Over the Moon reignited my passion for this 2 day extravaganza . I remember the first time I walked into Cessna Stadium as a young track athlete – WOW – I was speechless. I will rekindle that feeling this year and for many years to come thanks to Maggie!!” — Chris Ellis
The 102nd annual State Meet will be held May 24-25, 2013, at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.
“Maggie Vaults Over the Moon” focuses on farm issues in rural Kansas.
What’s the future for the thousands of real-life Maggie Steeles living on family farms? The answer has dramatic implications for the future of rural America.
The future of family farms is the topic of a recent article posted at NPR.org written by Jessica Stoller-Conrad, titled, “Future Farms Of America Might Not Include Much Family.”
The article quotes a professor of agricultural economics who says the tradition of passing farms from one generation to the next, for the sake of tradition, has run its course. He disputes the belief that farm parents owe it to their children to reserve a place for them in the farm business. Because, he says, “The other side of that coin is that then your children owe it to you to stay home, even if they don’t want to.” Continue Reading →
We were delighted to see Maggie Vaults Over the Moon receive the following endorsement from Midwest Book Review:
“When someone tells you that you can’t do something, it’s human nature to try to do it anyway. Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is an inspirational tale following Maggie as she enters the sport of pole vaulting, and is constantly told that she can’t pull off certain heights. Driven to prove them wrong, and with the backing of her loved ones, she succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is an inspirational pick for young adult fiction collections.”
Midwest Book Review is an organization which maintains several book review publications. Established in 1976, the organization’s Editor-in-Chief 
is James A. Cox. Midwest Book Review produces several book review publications per month, with a goal of encouraging small press and increasing literacy. The organization has a focus on serving community and academic library organizations located in California, Wisconsin, and the upper Midwest.
