I'm Fred Bowen. I write sports fiction for kids 8 years old and up, and a sports column for kids in The Washington Post.

I've been a big sports fan since I was a kid. My best childhood memories are from playing Little League in the park and basketball on the playground. I can remember homeruns, bad calls, and great comebacks from games I played more than 30 years ago. My favorite reading back then was sports fiction and the sports section in the newspaper.

Many of today's kids are as sports-crazy as I was. And I am thinking about them as I write my books and my columns.

In addition to being an author and columnist, I am a lawyer for the federal government. I use my lunch hours, daily commutes, and weekend mornings to write, and I use my annual leave to visit schools and speak at conferences.

My first book, T.J.'s Secret Pitch, came out four years ago, and my otherwise "normal" life got a lot more interesting. I've met some really cool librarians, teachers, and reading specialists at conferences across the country, and some great kids at book-signings and schools.

I invite you to click around my website. If you have questions or comments, you can reach me at sportstory@aol.com.

The Winners Take All
Community-Read

• Shows young sports fans how much fun reading can be.
  
  
• Makes reading a family affair, and especially pulls in dads.
  
  
• Gets kids thinking and talking about character, honesty, and doing the right thing.
  
  
• Pulls the community together and gives students, parents, and teachers a fun and easy way to talk about big issues.

For more information about the WTA Community-Read click here.

Winners Take All was a
finalist for six state awards:

1. Virginia Young Readers
2. Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Minnesota)
3. The Volunteer State Award (Tennessee)
4. Pennsylvania Young Readers
5. Young Hoosier Award (Indiana)
6. Land of Enchantment Award (New Mexico).