Eva to the Max

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Author(s)

Rebecca Caprara

Publisher

Dial Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

10+

Release Date

May 19, 2026

ISBN

979-8217004973

A fast-paced, exhilarating novel-in-verse about a young motocross phenom, chasing her dream no matter the risks

Motocross is Eva’s life. Nothing beats the rush she feels ripping it up on the course—except maybe the moment just after the race when she removes her helmet, and the other riders realize they just got smoked by a twelve-year-old girl.

While fear of bullying leads Eva to keep her passion a secret at school, she’s known in the local racing circuit as “Eva Knievel,” a brazen competitor willing to risk it all to win. But when her daredevil behavior leaves her with a bruised ego and a busted bike, Eva is forced to reckon with the high costs of her beloved sport—financial, physical, and emotional.

As if that reality check weren't harsh enough, there's a new girl at school whose arrival not only threatens Eva's carefully crafted school persona, but her place on the podium, too.

Editor review

1 review

Fresh look at interesting sport

May 05, 2026 (Updated: July 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Eva Rummell is determined to preserve her father's racing and stunt legacy by riding in motocross races. Her older brother Dustin has no interest in the sport, nor does her best friend Toby, who used to race but quit after he wiped out and got a concussion. Now he makes sculptures out of found materials. Eva's mother isn't wild about her racing, and definitely wants Eva to be more ladylike. School is difficult. At a previous school, Eva was bullied for liking motocross, so now doesn't share her interest with anyone, and doesn't have any friends other than Toby. When Dustin points out to her that the family is struggling financially and that Eva's sport takes a lot of resources, she decides to try to qualify for the AMA National Championship at Loretta Lynn's ranch so that she can get a sponsorship. Her father was injured in a stunt when Eva was four, and is in a wheelchair. He and Toby's dad, Gray, run a repair shop and help train Eva. Eva has a 1967 Mustang that she got for free and is trying to repair. When a new girl, Cameron, starts at her school, Eva befriends her, but is very surprised when she sees Cameron competing in a motocross race. Since Eva doesn't want anyone at school to know about her sport, she insists that Cameron keep it quiet as well. When Eva gets angry during one race, she has an accident that ruins her bike. In order to replace it, she decides to sell the Mustang, since her parents don't have the money, and she would have to step away from racing otherwise. Eva is a fan of Evel Knievel, but Dustin points out that he wasn't the nicest person. There is some tension with Toby, since Eva rarely asks about his art, and also because his father spends more time helping Eva with motocross. Eva's dad agrees to train Cameron along with Eva, and the two practice together a lot. When the girls find out that the qualifying race for their division has been cancelled, they ask the organizer if it can be put back in if they sell 200 tickets. They manage to do this, even though it means letting people at school know about Eva's involvement. The qualifying race is crucial to Eva's continued participation in the sport, and she finishes third to Cam's first in the first race. In the second, Cam crashes, and Eva stops to help her. Both girls not only end up qualifying, but because of their teamwork, also get a sponsorship from FZL. The end of the book includes information about the history of girls and women participating in motocross.

Good Points

I can't think of any other books about motocross except Christopher's Dirt Bike Racer or Jake Maddox's Motocross Double Cross, so this was a fun book to see. Eva is an interesting character, and her relationship to the sport is very complicated. Her mother runs a consignment shop and has taken another job at a pharmacy; there's a lot of tension in the relationship, mainly because the mother is so worried that Eva will get injured. I loved Dustin, and his devotion to applying for college and studying for the SATs! The information about training and races was fascinating. I do have one student who spends a lot of time racing dirt bikes, and he recently broke his arm in a race, so Eva's injuries (including- eek!- chipped teeth!) are very realistic. This novel in verse is much more poetic than many I have read; it's not just prose cut up into shorter lines. The information about Evel Knieval and women's motocross added extra depth to the narrative.

On a personal level, motocross racing seems like a bad environmental choice, and is so dangerous that I can't imagine letting any of my children or grandchildren participate in it!

This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Farid's Wave (which is also a novel in verse), Roe's Air, Copeland's Drive, or Englefried's Learning to Fall. Caprara has a number of titles, all different from each other, including The Ripple Effect (2025), Mission Multiverse (2018), and The Magic of Melwick Orchard (2018).

Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer #1 Reviewer 2477 reviews

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User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0(1)

Characters

5.0(1)

Writing Style

5.0(1)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

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Fun, Quick Read

July 07, 2026 (Updated: July 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Like all verse novels, this was a very quick read. The motor cross aspect is what really stood out to me! It is an interesting sport, and one that several students in my school participate in, so the injuries seemed accurate, and the motor cross information was very informative. The writing is very lyrical, and I did like the characterization of Eva. She had very complex feelings that were dealt with throughout the book.

Good Points

I like that it was a unique take, but it does mean that not everyone will be interested in this book. A lot of my girls do like NIV, so I think it will be a big hit with them!