The Academy VI: Rise of the Scorpions

The Academy #6

by T.Z. Layton

Now a New York Times bestselling series! Fresh off his success with the junior national soccer team, Leo K. Doyle is back in England and playing for the U16s, where he'll be a newbie all over again.

Will Leo get any playing time? Can he work his way into a starting lineup filled with older, bigger, and more experienced players?

Unfortunately, the move to a new division might be the easy part. There's a new contender in the Youth Prem―the Southwark F.C. Scorpions―who have a roster full of superstars that play to win at any cost. They're the dirtiest, roughest team Leo has ever faced, led by an old enemy who cheats at every turn.

Meeting a pretty girl. An intense race for the title. Dealing with a tragedy that threatens to ruin the whole season.

Whew.

Playing at the highest level is never easy, but this might be Leo's toughest season yet. Can he and his friends overcome their challenges and make another run at the title?

The inspiring, action-packed sixth book in The Academy series perfect for young listeners 7-13 and for sports fans of all ages.

296 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

T.Z. Layton is the award-winning author of the bestselling Academy series, which has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film. The author is also a soccer dad, youth coach, referee, former collegiate player, and lifelong fan of the beautiful game.

To stay up to date on the Academy series and other stories by T.Z. Layton, it’s best to visit his website (tzlaytonbooks.com) and join his newsletter.

Reviews

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to get this DRC, and while I still really enjoyed it, as an adult reader, I occasionally found myself getting bored, especially in the first half of the book. Although the Scorpions were the antagonists in the book, I felt like the real emotional appeal didn't happen until an event later in the story. I wished for a bit more depth in Leo's responses as he remembered his mom's death (although I do realize that most 14-year-old boys aren't exactly skilled at dealing with emotions.) I didn't feel like there was as much character growth for Leo as in previous books in the series. I do know that my favorite series books growing up didn't have a lot of depth. At the same time, I did like that the ending wasn't totally predictable.

All that being said, I still spent an enjoyable evening reading this in one sitting and do want to keep following Leo's soccer/football career. I definitely recommend this where other series entries are popular. Just don't start with this volume.

[Mo Holub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo's first season in the U16's comes with new teammates, new challenges, and new enemies...who are the Southwark FC Scorpions, and what will it take to beat them? What if everything Leo has isn't enough?

Even as Leo pushes hard and leaves it all on the pitch, this season might teach him the most important lesson of all: sometimes winning is about more than the score at the end of the match.

[Henry Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of his books!!