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  • Published: 2 December 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593700334
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $21.00

Penny Draws a Team Sport




The fifth book in the humorous, heartfelt, highly illustrated series about a girl who doodles to cope with her anxiety, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard. Now in paperback!

The fifth book in the humorous, heartfelt, highly illustrated series about a girl who doodles to cope with her anxiety, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard.

When fifth grader Penny Lowry's school announces an upcoming charity pickleball tournament, she doesn't know what to think. On the one hand, all her friends are joining the team and she doesn't want to feel left out. But on the other hand, Penny's never been particularly athletic. What if it turns out she's terrible at pickleball? What if she lets her teammates down?

Things get even more stressful when a local news channel announces they'll be covering the tournament, giving Penny something new to worry about: what if she embarrasses herself on live TV?

It's all a lot to handle, but luckily Penny has her right hand dog Cosmo, her best friends, and her love of drawing to get her through!

  • Published: 2 December 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593700334
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $21.00

Also by Sara Shepard

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Praise for Penny Draws a Team Sport

Praise for Penny Draws a Best Friend:
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Good Housekeeping Kids’ Book Awards Selection
A Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Selection

“Uses humor and relatability to address big topics like mental health and anxiety in an approachable and tween-friendly way . . . Perfect for fans of graphic novels like Smile, Click, and the Dork Diaries series.” —Brightly

“Shepard’s light touch and sketchbook-style b&w doodles make for an engaging read that candidly portrays the effect of destabilizing changes on one child experiencing anxiety.” —Publishers Weekly

“Imbued with humor, colorful characters, and the perilous dilemmas of childhood . . . Shepard carefully and successfully walks a tightrope in her treatment of Penny’s worries by validating her feelings while suggesting that they should not be the only thing that guide her actions and choices. The epistolic format and the quirky, lovable main character will appeal to fans of Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries and Svetlana Chmakova’s Brave.” —The Bureau of the Center for Children's Books

“A bright and emotionally accessible story full of wit and warmth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will likely relate to [Penny's] concerns . . . This new series comes straight from the heart.” —Booklist

“A great new series to help new middle graders figure out and process their new world.” —Book Riot

Praise for Penny Draws a School Play:
“Readers will feel seen and validated . . . A helpful story about a young anxiety sufferer navigating the unexpected.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Penny Draws a Secret Adventure:
“Humor and genuine positivity along with an honest portrayal of how anxiety can affect young people. . . . A sympathetic and amusing account of a young anxiety sufferer navigating life changes.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Penny Draws a Best Friend:
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Good Housekeeping Kids’ Book Awards Selection
A Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Selection

“Uses humor and relatability to address big topics like mental health and anxiety in an approachable and tween-friendly way . . . Perfect for fans of graphic novels like Smile, Click, and the Dork Diaries series.” —Brightly

“Shepard’s light touch and sketchbook-style b&w doodles make for an engaging read that candidly portrays the effect of destabilizing changes on one child experiencing anxiety.” —Publishers Weekly

“Imbued with humor, colorful characters, and the perilous dilemmas of childhood . . . Shepard carefully and successfully walks a tightrope in her treatment of Penny’s worries by validating her feelings while suggesting that they should not be the only thing that guide her actions and choices. The epistolic format and the quirky, lovable main character will appeal to fans of Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries and Svetlana Chmakova’s Brave.” —The Bureau of the Center for Children's Books

“A bright and emotionally accessible story full of wit and warmth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will likely relate to [Penny's] concerns . . . This new series comes straight from the heart.” —Booklist

“A great new series to help new middle graders figure out and process their new world.” —Book Riot

Praise for Penny Draws a School Play:
“Readers will feel seen and validated . . . A helpful story about a young anxiety sufferer navigating the unexpected.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Penny Draws a Secret Adventure:
“Humor and genuine positivity along with an honest portrayal of how anxiety can affect young people. . . . A sympathetic and amusing account of a young anxiety sufferer navigating life changes.” —Kirkus Reviews