Wyatt Parker has decided he is tired of being bullied, and he also wants his best buddy, girl-next-door Evan, to see him as more than a friend. The fact that she seems smitten with a high school quarterback reinforces the idea that playing football is the answer. His parents are supportive of sports: His older brother, Aaron, plays football. Wyatt, though, is small for his age, and they think the sport too dangerous, so his dad enrolls him in golf camp. Then his older brother lets him in on a secret football league with no adult supervision, where the hitting is fierce and only the toughest are welcome, including his school’s biggest bully. In order to play, Wyatt will have to engage in the kind of deception that he hates. The more he becomes involved in the league, the more he changes, until his relationship with Evan is affected" (Kirkus Review)
"A conscientious, undersized middle schooler decides he wants sports success even if it means lying about the secret league he joins.
Wyatt Parker has decided he is tired of being bullied, and he also wants his best buddy, girl-next-door Evan, to see him as more than a friend. The fact that she seems smitten with a high school quarterback reinforces the idea that playing football is the answer. His parents are supportive of sports: His older brother, Aaron, plays football. Wyatt, though, is small for his age, and they think the sport too dangerous, so his dad enrolls him in golf camp. Then his older brother lets him in on a secret football league with no adult supervision, where the hitting is fierce and only the toughest are welcome, including his school’s biggest bully. In order to play, Wyatt will have to engage in the kind of deception that he hates. The more he becomes involved in the league, the more he changes, until his relationship with Evan is affected" (Kirkus Review)
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Ty's older brother, Thane is a college football star headed for the NFL. Ty wants to follow in his brother's footsteps and is ecstatic when he his recruited to play football for his middle school team. But Ty's uncle has other plans for Ty. Claiming Ty has no time for football, his uncle uses Ty to work for his cleaning service. Ty's uncle gets involved in a dangerous gambling ring with the mob and uses Ty to gain insider information. Both Ty's life and his brother's football career is on the line. Author's Website: Tim Green Lexile 840 12-year-old Charlie is a fantasy football guru. He may be just a bench warmer for his school's football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he's first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie's fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs — a fictional NFL team — and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out... it's press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It's all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna.
Author Website Twelve-year-old Michael Arroyo loves to play baseball. He has a good chance to pitch his way into the Little League World Series. Despite his talent, there are many obstacles in his way. Coaches for the other teams begin to question Micheal's age and wants proof that he's really twelve. His father dies after bringing Michael and his brother to the United States from Cuba, leaving the boys orphans. Michael has no parents and no birth certificate to prove his age. If Social Services finds out his secret, Micheal fears being separated from his brother, Carlos. How will Michael make ends meet, get his birth certificate, get back on the mound and avoid being separated from his brother? Find out in Heat by Mike Lupica.
Author's Website - Mike Lupica Reading level: 5.3 |