Join Flex on His Quest to Be Cool Like most middle schoolers, Flex's mind is on a million different things-school, sports, friends, girls (of course), and yeah, he's thinking about God too. More than any of these thoughts, Flex is obsessed with one thing-being cool. But how can Flex attain awesomeness when he's so amazingly average at, well...EVERYTHING?!? Football could be his ticket out of seventh-grade obscurity, but then Coach sticks him with a boring jersey number and reassigns him to the most unglamorous position on the entire team. His parents aren't helping, either. They won't even let him bring his iPod to school like the other kids do. At least, his parents love him and love the Lord. That's HUGE. And just when Flex thinks life couldn't any more complicated, he finds himself suddenly drawn to KK, the mysterious drama girl. She's homeschooled and in ninth grade. KK is totally different...and a little exciting. Will Flex ever be considered cool? In God's eyes, maybe he already is. Join 7th-grader Flex as he navigates the confusing middle school world of friends, family, faith, football, and females in his never-ending quest to be cool. With God's help, will Flex learn there's more to life than just being awesome? "For me, a formerly pudgy junior high athlete who was a professing Christian and avid reader, this book is a total flashback replete with Oklahoma drills, screaming coaches, awkward crushes, and much embarrassment. Even the descriptions of church youth groups and friends' basements is pitch perfect. Reading it now as an adult and a parent, though, made it even more real because I can see the story from both sides. This is a wonderful combination of fun, humor, nostalgia, and what Christian faith can look like in real, normal life." -Barnabas Piper, author and podcaster "Authentic, relatable, hilarious-those were a few of the words that came to mind as I read about Flex and his early adolescent experiences. Ted Kluck has created a world kids will recognize instantly. They'll feel Flex's anxieties and longings and triumphs and, hopefully, follow him down the same uneven path toward God." -Drew Dyck, contributing editor to CTPastors.com, author of Yawning at Tigers: You Can't Tame God, So Stop Trying "If anyone asks who my favorite memoirist is, I don't have to think about my answer: It's Ted Kluck. And in The Extraordinary Life of a Mediocre Jock, Kluck's gift seems to translate effortlessly into a semi-fictionalized version of his tween experience in the form of a middle-grade novel that is simultaneously hilarious, charming, and true-to-life, without ever talking down to the reader. I laughed out loud reading it and handed it off to my ten-year-old, who laughed even louder." -Zachary Bartels, author of Playing Saint and The Last Con Ted Kluck is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in ESPN the Magazine, USA Today, and ESPN.com. He's the author of several books, including Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, coauthored with Kevin DeYoung. Ted lives in Tennessee with his wife Kristin and their two sons, Tristan and Maxim. www.tedkluck.com Daniel Hawkins is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. He earned his BFA in applied visual arts from Oregon State University. In addition to serving the worldwide mission of the Nike Foundation, he has worked as an independent contractor for a variety of local, national, and global organizations. www.dhawkdesign.com "For me, a formerly pudgy junior high athlete who was a professing Christian and avid reader, this book is a total flashback replete with Oklahoma drills, screaming coaches, awkward crushes, and much embarrassment. Even the descriptions of church youth groups and friends' basements is pitch perfect. Reading it now as an adult and a parent, though, made i

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