Meet Maggie Steele.
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is the story of a Kansas farm girl who takes up the pole vault. It was written for young readers who know what it is to compete, and for the families, coaches, and teachers who stand behind them. It is honest about loss and about the long work of finding your footing again, one brave effort at a time.
"Girls who play sports and the coaches and families who support them will thoroughly enjoy this warm, uplifting story." — Christine Brennan, USA TODAY, Best Selling Author of On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports
"A fine YA novel about perseverance in sports and in life." — KIRKUS REVIEWS
A car crash takes Maggie Steele's older brother, and the future she had pictured closes. Life on her family's Kansas wheat farm keeps moving, but for Maggie nothing is the same. Then she finds an unlikely way forward in the pole vault, a sport that asks for everything she has.
Learning to vault is hard, and learning it is also how Maggie begins to carry what she has lost. At the center of the story is her bond with her grandmother, whose steadiness helps her through grief and the work of growing up.
Inside the Second Edition
The Second Edition adds features that deepen the reading and open conversation.
Foreword by Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi
Chapter discussion questions by Dr. Melissa I. White, language arts teacher and sport psychology specialist
The audiobook is narrated by Emmy Award-winning Tavia Gilbert. Together these make Maggie a strong choice for individual readers and for teams, classrooms, families, and reading groups.
"Heartwarming and realistic, this book is a winner!" — Nancy Julien Kopp, Chicken Soup for the Soul
Why readers connect with Maggie
An honest story
Maggie's story begins in heartbreak and earns its way toward hope, without shortcuts.
A distinctive sports setting
Set against the backdrop of Kansas farm life and high school track, the novel brings readers into the demanding, unusual world of the pole vault.
A story for athletes and beyond
Even readers who know little about track and field will recognize Maggie’s deeper struggle: learning to believe in yourself after life knocks you down.
A cross-generational read
At the heart of the novel is Maggie’s bond with her grandmother, whose steady wisdom and love help guide her through grief, adolescence, and the difficult work of becoming.
What readers are saying
“Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is seriously the most inspiring book I’ve ever read. Maggie’s journey shows that with enough determination, you can overcome anything.” — Taylor, 16
“I couldn’t put this book down! Maggie’s story made me want to push myself harder in everything I do.” — Alex, 15
“The world needs more Maggies!” — Joline Frook, sports mom
A strong choice for
girls in sports
track and field families
coaches and mentors
middle grade and YA readers
parents looking for a meaningful read
classrooms, teams, and discussion groups
Ready to meet Maggie?
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is a coming-of-age story about grief, perseverance, and finding lift again, set in the world of Kansas farm life and high school pole vault.
For Catholic Schools & Parishes
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon was selected for the Wichita Diocese Catholic Schools Battle of the Books, and it reads cleanly for younger students.
"It's nice to know that someone is writing books for our YA that aren't filled with rough language or sexual references but still have enough intrigue and action to keep students reading." — Lisa Hinson, Resurrection Catholic School librarian and curator of the Wichita Diocese Battle of the Books list
Its themes suit faith-based classrooms and parish reading groups: grief and the slow work of healing, perseverance, the bond between a girl and her grandmother, and the courage to keep reaching after a loss.
It works well in Catholic schools for grades 5 through 8, in parish youth and family reading groups, and for home and summer reading. Discussion questions by Dr. Melissa I. White are built into the Second Edition.
Grain Valley Publishing is a proud member of the Association of Catholic Publishers.