The Endless Game by J.D. Amato, art by Sophie Morse. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026. 9781665927154. 248pp.
Fred moves a lot, and now he’s the new kid in Lakeside, Illinois, where most of the kids take part in a high-stakes, summer-long game of capture the flag. (The homeschooled kids set the rules and act as judges.) Fred is immediately recruited to the Downhill team, which gives him an instant community. The Downhill King, Raquel, is trying to come up with a strategy for the summer; things are a little off because their former king (Mike) was framed for writing graffiti on a wall and sent away from the summer. (Can they find evidence to clear his name?) The Downhill team suspects the Uphill kids were responsible but can’t prove it. (In fact the Uphill King is a jerk who is clearly not above cheating to get his way; he’s a classic villain, even if all the kids on the Uphill team aren’t bad.)
The game has been going for 75 years, and has been played by generations of kids in Lakeside. Adults aren’t allowed to play or interfere. The game goes from 11am until the lights come on at dusk. (Captured kids have to report to the other team’s jail during these hours.) Each team has a castle. There are raids and other forms of chaos, and, needless to say, heroes. It’s all a little out of hand, but it looks like a lot of fun, too, and, at best, it gives each of the kids a chance to figure out what they’re good at and how to contribute to their teams.
My favorite character: Sarah, whose talent is hiding. She’s always wearing the craziest camouflage outfit.
