Swagger: The Boy With A Secret
A laugh-out-loud, heart-punching middle-grade novel about leadership, loyalty, and the secrets that make us who we are.
You ever meet a kid named Swagger?
Didn't think so.
Swagger McGovern isn't just a kid with a legendary name and a mouth that gets him into trouble, he's also hiding a secret big enough to change everything. While other kids survive summer with video games and popsicles, Swagger is stuck at Camp Resolute, a military-style camp where sweat is currency, pranks are dangerous, and respect is earned the hard way.
By day, Swagger is a smart-mouthed trouble magnet with a gift for chaos.
By night, he's sneaking off campgrounds for a reason no one can know.
Every night, Swagger runs to Room 217 of a nearby hospital where his dad, a retired Marine, is fighting a battle he may not win.
At camp, Swagger forms an off-the-books brotherhood called BTΣ, Beat The System: a mismatched crew of brainiacs, athletes, outsiders, and rule-breakers armed with decoder rings, secret codes, and pranks that are funny, until they aren't. As rivalries explode, friendships crack, and betrayals hit close to home, Swagger is forced to confront a harder truth:
Leadership isn't about being the loudest.
It's about who you protect when things fall apart.
Told with razor-sharp humor, unforgettable characters, and emotional depth, Swagger: The Boy With a Secret blends laugh-out-loud middle-school antics with powerful themes of grief, courage, forgiveness, and purpose. From prank wars and cafeteria coups to midnight letters and life-changing choices, this story proves that sometimes the kids labeled "troublemakers" are the ones most capable of changing the system for good.
Perfect for fans of:
Smart, funny middle-grade fiction with heart
Stories about friendship, leadership, and finding your voice
Reluctant readers who want action, humor, and meaning
Classrooms, book clubs, and anyone who believes mischief can have a mission
Because legends aren't born perfect.
They're built, one bold choice at a time.
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