May 1, 2010
Gr 5-8-In "Dugout Rivals", Jake Daley is looking forward to a new season of baseball. Since he was voted "Team's Best Eleven Year Old" last year, he's sure he is going to be the shortstop for the Red Sox. Then Adam Hull moves in. He can do it all: hit, field, and pitch. Suddenly, Jake has competition for the MVP trophy. Over the course of the season, he must come to terms with his shortcomings as Adam works through his own set of problemshis parents' bitter divorce and the uncertainty of moving again. During the championship game, both boys learn why there is "no 'I' in team." Similarly, in "Hardcourt Comeback", Brett Carter is the big man on the courts, but after missing a crucial game point, forgetting the answer to an easy question in Brain Bowl, and becoming paralyzed with fear on the rock-climbing wall, his self-esteem is as deflated as an old basketball. Can he regain his confidence before the big game? While the characters are much more self-aware than most seventh graders (and families and coaches feel like they were made for a TV movie), Bowen's stories move along briskly with rapid-fire action sequences and end with surprising twists. Less-athletic readers may be unfamiliar with plays and sport-specific lingo. Both books conclude with a "Real Story" section that references real players' life events to underscore the motivation for coaching pep talks in the books."H. H. Henderson, Heritage Middle School, Deltona, FL"
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