YA Sports Reads: Part 1, Football

With the Superbowl this weekend and the Winter Olympics 2014 starting on February 7th, we have a lot of big sports events in the near future!  To really fill out your sports fix, then pick up one of these sports YA read from the library.

Football Fiction

Leverage by Joshua Cohen - High school sophomore Danny excels at gymnastics but is bullied, like the rest of the gymnasts, by members of the football team, until an emotionally and physically scarred new student joins the football team and forms an unlikely friendship with Danny. - Look at that cover. Intense, right? Still, it doesn’t even begin to show how intense Leverage was. This is one of those books that is so well written and so involving that by the end the reader feels gutted. (Librarything.com review)

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker -  Groomed by his father to be a star player, football is the only thing that has ever really mattered to Mick Johnson, who works hard for a spot on the varsity team his freshman year, then tries to hold onto his edge by using steroids, despite the consequences to his health and social life. - I absolutely loved this book. If you like books about football you would love this book too. It is about a football player in high school. He takes steroids when he is a sophomore. (Librarything.com review)

Payback Time by Carl Deuker - Overweight, somewhat timid Mitch reluctantly agrees to be the sports reporter for the Lincoln High newspaper because he is determined to be a writer, but he senses a real story in Angel, a talented football player who refuses to stand out on the field--or to discuss his past. - This is what great YA literature should be: fast-paced, competently written, a teen-focused topic and theme. Characters are believable, if not deep, and the plot has some satisfying kinks. Nothing at all objectionable. Deuker scores a touchdown on this one! (Librarything.com review)

The Rivalry by John Feinstein - Eighth-grade sportswriters Stevie and Susan Carol team up to solve a mystery at the famous Army-Navy football game. - All of Feinsteins sports mysteries capture my son's attention and keep him turning the pages! A great read for the Middle School level. (Amazon.com review)

Second Impact by David Klass -                  When Jerry Downing, star quarterback in a small football town, gets a second chance after his drunk driving had serious consequences, Carla Jensen, ace reporter for the school newspaper, invites him to join her in writing a blog, mainly about sports. - This story is written in a very interesting way - it actually contains blogs written by Carla and Jerry - it is as though you are an onlooker reading their story. E-mails between them tell an even deeper part of the story…This story is as fresh as today's front page, and as old as the game of football.  It is aimed at teens, but a compelling read for adults as well.  (Amazon.com review)

Pop by Gordon Korman -  Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water. - I know little about football, but a love of the game wasn't required to thoroughly enjoy this story of a teen and his unconventional mentor. This was a loving portrayal of a hero living with Alzheimer's disease. The occasional change in point of view was jarring, but on the whole I enjoyed this. I would recommend it to someone looking for realistic fiction about sports.  (Librarything.com review)

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her. - I was surprised how much I really, really liked this book. Based on the title, I wasn't expecting much. However, this is a great story with awesome characters that's very well written as well. The main character, D.J. is not your average girlie girl, which is what makes her so relate-able and realistic. This book really made me laugh out loud and I was so excited to find out there was a sequel! (Lion Catalog review)

Muckers by Sandra Neil Wallace - Felix O'Sullivan, standing in the shadow of his dead brother, an angry, distant father, and racial tension, must lead the last-ever Muckers high school football team to the state championship before a mine closing shuts down his entire town.  - This book was fast to finish, inspiring, and heartwarming. It is a wonderful story that is very well told. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and think you will enjoy it too. I highly recommend it. (Amazon.com review)