New Kid Books in Order

The New Kid books are part sports story, part family mystery. They follow Brock Nickerson, a boy who has spent his life on the run with his father, changing towns, names, and backstories so often that even Brock is not sure who he really is.

In New Kid, Brock arrives in a small town in upstate New York with a new name, a new school, and strict orders from his dad to stay under the radar. That is hard to do when you are a talented pitcher and the local high school coach spots your arm. As Brock starts to build real friendships, earn a role on the team, and maybe even fall for a girl, his dad’s mysterious job keeps dragging them toward another disappearance.

Green lets readers feel the constant tension in Brock’s life. Every phone call could be a warning. Every new friend is someone he might have to leave without saying goodbye. Baseball quickly becomes more than a sport. It is the one place where Brock can forget the lies and simply play.

First Team picks up after yet another move. Brock’s dad insists they will finally be safe in their new town, but the same old rules still apply: no talking about the past, no getting too close to anyone. This time Brock joins the football team, hoping that finding his place on the field will help him build a life that feels solid for once.

Of course, the shadows of his father’s secrets are not easily shaken. As Brock earns trust in the locker room and starts to think of his teammates as his “first team” in every sense, hints from the past start to surface. He must decide whether to keep playing his father’s game or tell the truth and protect the people he cares about.

Together, the books offer a mix of on-field excitement and slow-burning suspense. They are about sports, but also about identity, trust, and what it takes for a kid who has lived behind a false name to finally decide who he wants to be.