September 1, 2010
Gr 3-6-In Mike Lupica's latest addition (Philomel, 2010) to his Comeback Kids Series, Jake has gone from being on a star soccer team to his new school's horrendous one. He tries to have a good attitude and do the best he can while boosting the morale of his teammates. However, Kevin, one of the team members, won't have anything to do with Jape, and he won't even really play the game. Jake's coach urges him not to give up on Kevin, who has recently lost his mother to cancer. While the story is a bit didactic and is resolved too neatly, the sports aspect is exciting. Keith Nobbs's narration is expressive and well-paced. A good choice for reluctant readers and those wanting more contemporary books than those by Matt Christopher.-B. Allison Gray, Santa Barbara Public Library System, CA
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