Going Live in The Midfield

Eleven years old. Two houses. One login.

Serina Cortez does sixth grade from her bedroom in Lathrop one week and her grandmother's kitchen table in Oakland the next - and virtual school is the only thing flexible enough to keep up with her double life. When a teacher spots her knack for solving problems, Serina lands a spot in her school's ultra-competitive startup incubator. One small idea - an app to stop her soccer team's group-chat meltdowns - turns into a real business, with real users, a real monetization deadline, and a real chance of real failure.

Then the same app that saved her team almost costs her the championship. Her best friendship gets squeezed between two zip codes. And with the State Cup final forty-eight hours away, Serina has to figure out whether she can run a company, play midfield, keep her two homes and two friend groups in sync, and still show up for the people who matter - all at the same time.

Going Live in the Midfield follows one entrepreneurial, soccer-obsessed sixth grader as she proves that virtual school isn't a shortcut. It's a launchpad.

Perfect for young readers who love:- Middle grade books about kid entrepreneurs, startups, and STEM- Stories about friendship stretched across two different worlds- Sports fiction with real stakes on and off the field- Grandparent and multigenerational family stories- Any reader who's ever felt like they didn't fit the standard mold - and built something new instead

A heartfelt, funny, technology-forward story for readers 8-12 about virtual education, entrepreneurship, and the family and friendships that hold everything together.