Fiction Books

Go Long! (Kickoff)

Ronde Barber, Tiki Barber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's Tiki and Ronde's second year on their junior high school football team, the Hidden Valley Eagles. The eighth-grade season is here, and the boys have come together as a team. Now key starters, Tiki and Ronde are ready for a great season, and with hard work and determination, maybe they will even go all the way to the State Championship!

But when Coach Spangler announces that he has been asked to move up to the high school team, and Mr. Wheeler, the science teacher, is tapped for the head coaching job, the season seems over before it begins. Sure, Coach Wheeler played college football until he was benched by an injury, but it just isn't the same. Tiki wants to give Coach Wheeler a chance, yet the team's loyalties are divided. What does a science teacher know about the game of football? Can the team work together, get behind their new coach, and play smart?

Inspired by the childhood of NFL superstars Tiki and Ronde Barber, Go Long! is a story of teamwork, perseverance, and what it takes to be a champion.

Kickoff!

Tiki Barber, Ronde Barber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Hut! Hut! Go long, Tiki!"

Tiki and Ronde's twelfth summer is winding down--the nights are getting shorter and the evenings cooler. That means two things: The first day of junior high is just a few days away, and it's almost the start of football season at last. With two championships and an 8-2 season last year, Tiki and Ronde are ready to graduate from the Peewee League and hit the field as starting players for the Hidden Valley Eagles.

But junior high is a lot bigger than elementary school. The competition for starting spots is stiff, and seniority rules. If Tiki and Ronde make it past tryouts and cuts, will they get the chance to play, or will they have to spend the season watching from the bench with the other seventh graders?

Inspired by the childhood of NFL superstars Tiki and Ronde Barber, Kickoff! is a story of teamwork, perseverance, and what it takes to be a champion.

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Amazon.com Exclusive Q&A with NFL Superstars Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber, Authors of Kickoff!

Amazon.com: How do the lessons learned on the field benefit a player's academic life?

Tiki Barber: The structure and discipline that it takes to understand schemes and game plans are great tools that transcend the playing field and carry into the classroom. Additionally, because of the strict academic guidelines for athletes, doing well in school is often a requirement for participation.

Ronde Barber: I honestly don’t think they benefit it in a direct way. To me, playing lessons are more life lessons. What you are as a student is more a reflection of what you are willing to put into your schoolwork. And in that way I guess it correlates but only because in sports, if you’re talented enough and have enough drive, you will reap the rewards of the hard work you put into it.

Amazon.com: In Kickoff! Tiki and Ronde are faced with a tough decision: Should they stick with the team even if it means riding the bench? What advice do you have for kids who love their sport but aren’t getting a lot of playing time on the field?

Ronde: You are the only one who can control how hard you work regardless of your current amount of playing time. There may be better players on your team, but that doesn't mean you can't outwork them. It takes absolutely no talent to work hard, do your best, and be the most focused guy. Eventually we all get our opportunity.

Tiki: I would encourage them to keep their eyes on the prize. If you never stop trying then you will never fail. I would also tell them to try and differentiate themselves by developing a specific skill or to consider a different position that may suit their talents better.

Amazon.com: How important is a positive attitude to a team's success?

Tiki: A positive attitude is critical to a team’s success. There was a poster in our locker room that speaks specifically to this: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right!" It's the belief that you can be successful that pulls you through the tough times, on the field and off.

Ronde: You only get out of anything what your mind is willing to accept is possible. The best way to gain success is to prepare for success and then see it through. So if you don't believe it is possible, chances are it won’t be.

Amazon.com: How can a player get the attention of his or her coach?

Ronde: Do the right things and take coaching well. No one, especially a coach, likes a negative attitude.

Tiki: A good way to get a coach to notice you is to volunteer to do things that other players might shy away from. For example, in football, being a special teams player is important but lacks that glory that athletes crave. By volunteering to do the grunt work, you show your coach that you have the passion to be on the field and help the team win.

Amazon.com: Growing up, what was the most important thing you learned from your coaches?

Tiki: That even though you put all of your energy into something, and still fail, don't be discouraged, because in actuality you’ve learned a valuable lesson that will help you be successful in the future.

Ronde: Well, I had lots of coaches growing up and they all had important influences on me. It would be hard to say any one is more important than another. But what sticks out to me is the idea of just playing hard. Expect adversity. And force your will on your opposition.

Amazon.com: What advice do you have for students who have a difficult time balancing school and sports?

Ronde: To me the best part of playing sports in school was that it made me organize my time in order to get everything done. Unlike regular kids, student athletes have less free time to commit to their schoolwork. So I would encourage them to schedule their day around their sport. You know when you have to be at practice, and you know when you have to be at school. The time in between you can get a lot done, so make it a routine that you can stick with.

Tiki: Make lists. It allows you to prioritize the important things in your life. When you can systematically check off the day’s tasks, you’re more able to focus on completing them.

Amazon.com: Growing up, did you ever get nervous before a game or in the classroom? How did you handle it?

Tiki: I was always nervous before every game and in the classroom, at test time for instance. I was always able to handle it by visualizing success: Playing the seAmazon.comuence of events through my head helped prepare me for what was ahead.

Ronde: Everyone feels nerves or anxiety at times. I think of it as excess energy. There is nothing you can really do to get rid of it. The best way I know how to deal with it is to make sure you are prepared to succeed. If you know you have studied enough for a test or practiced enough for a game, then you can expect to know how you will do, and in that way you can embrace those nerves and use that energy to your advantage.

Amazon.com: Kickoff! delivers the message that "players make plays, but teams win championships." How does this message apply to sports and life?

Ronde: I don’t think we can ever really accomplish anything in life by ourselves. We always have parents, friends, coaches, teachers that lift us up and help us along. In a sense, that is your team in life just as a good Amazon.comuarterback needs good receivers to help him or a good running back needs a good offensive line. Only together can they succeed. So when we compete or when we test, yes, it’s the individual that has to make the "play" but it's the whole team that wins in the end.

Tiki: We all have individual responsibilities in sports and in life. Personal focus and dedication are paramount to being successful individually, but it is the coordinated effort of the many that ultimately brings fulfillment. That applies to a team, a marriage, a job, etc. We are all components of something, and the strength of all components determines the viability of the whole.

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Hooray For Fly Guy! (Fly Guy)

Tedd Arnold

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Hooray indeed! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My 6 year old son and I loved this new addition to Tedd Arnold's Fly Guy series. When Buzz's football team is short a player, his pet Fly Guy tries to help out. But can a fly really play football?

I won't spoil the ending (which had my son rolling on the floor laughing), except to say that Fly Guy helps score the winning touchdown in the big game using the kind of trick play you'd expect to find in Arnold's irreverent playbook. Another wonderful and fun book for the early reader!

Awesome book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful book that can be enjoyed by young children who can read at a first grade level. I chose this series because I wanted a chapter book that my young students could actually read. The series is great and the humorous stories keep the young readers interested. The books have become the classroom favorites.

Editorial Review:

"Flies can't play football," says the coach. But Fly Guy and Buzz are determined to prove him wrong. New readers will experience both pride and delight as they read the simple text and look at the funny pictures of Fly Guy trying to kick a football, go out for a pass, and tackle his friend Buzz. In the end Fly Guy scores and gets to do his hilarious touchdown dance.

Hooray for Fly Guy!

The first book in the Fly Guy series, Hi! Fly Guy, is a Theodor Geisel Honor Book.

The Dog That Stole Football Plays

Matt Christopher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Football dog! 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This book is so good. The dog steals football plays to make his owner's team win. They win a lot of games with his help. One day Mike told his dog not to come with him and he didn't. Guess what happened then? Read this book to figure it out. You'll love it.

1st grade football fanatic could not put the book down 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

My newly-reading first grader couldn't put the book down. He finished the 47 or so pages in no time. The vocabulary was challenging, the plot interesting and the illustrations "grown up." It would be interesting to boys and girls, football fans and non-fans alike.

If your child is not reading at the 1st grade level and able to decipher a few words like "triumphant" and "defenseman", I recommend Leonard Kessler's "Kick, Pass and Run." The difficult words are one's like "receiver" or "touchdown." Would work for a younger early reader. Note that it is easier, but still about 64 pages long.

Editorial Review:

Trouble and struggle erupt on Mike's football team when Harry, his telepathic dog, is forced to remain home, unable to give the team his supernatural advice. Reprint. C. "

Kick, Pass, and Run (I Can Read Book 2)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An excellent book for little football fans 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Both of our sons love sports. And both have loved this book. It's simple, easy to understand and easy to enjoy. I, and my boys, like it because the stars are the animals, and the little boys that play football. The pictures are simple and descriptive enough to convey the message and the story moves along quickly enough to keep short attention spans occupied. We've read Kick pass and Run hundreds of times in the last 4 years, and now that we own a copy of it ourselves, we'll probably read it twice as often.

Editorial Review:

Rabbit was the first one to hear it.
Duck was the first one to see it.
Cat was the first one to feel it.

But what is it? It turns out to be a football, and it leads the animal friends to discover the exciting game of football.

Young sports fans have cheered Kick, Pass, and Run for thirty years. Now Leonard Kessler has reillustrated his classic I Can Read Book in full color, bringing this popular tale to a new generation of beginning readers.

The Great Quarterback Switch (Matt Christopher Sports Classics)

Matthew F Christopher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The great Quarterback switch 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I would give,The great Quarterback switch 5 stars. Have you ever had a twin? Well if you do or if you don't you will still in joy this book. This book is adout twins one is a Quarterback the our is in a wheel chair. They can switch bodys so the our is in a wheel chair can play agian. They can not tall nobody they mite think they are crazy but they told their best friend. I would not chagne a thing in the book.
I think 2 grade and up could read this book if you like football. If you the sports Matt Chirstopher who worte this book he writes many sports book for 2 and up. Adults would like his books to.

The Great Quarter Back Switch 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is about two twins that love the game of football, but one of the twins is handicaped. When his other brother plays in the football games, they switched their minds and the twin that was normal would be sitting in the wheelchair. I think that this book is very good. Its not the greatest, but its good for kids like in the middle school or junior high.

Editorial Review:

Twelve-year-old Michael, confined to a wheelchair after an accident, uses mental telepathy to communicate football plays to his quarterback twin brother Tom, then suddenly finds himself on the field in his brother's place.

Deadline

Chris Crutcher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?

First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.

And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list.

Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

Football Hero

Tim Green

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ty Lewis can't believe it when Coach V recruits him for the football team. This is Ty's big chance to prove how fast he is on the field, get a fresh start in a new school, and be like his older brother, Thane "Tiger" Lewis, who's about to graduate from college—and is being courted by the NFL.

But Ty's guardian, Uncle Gus, won't let him play. Uncle Gus needs Ty to scrub floors and toilets for his cleaning business while he cooks up gambling schemes with the local mob boss, a man called "Lucy."

When Lucy hears just how famous Ty's older brother is, he becomes suddenly friendly. Are the questions Lucy is asking Ty really about fantasy football . . . or is the Mafia using Ty to get valuable insider info from his superstar brother? Desperately worried, Ty must come up with a plan to save Thane's football career—and, ultimately, his life.

Author of the New York Times bestselling Football Genius, former NFL player Tim Green will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for Ty—and enjoying an up-close look at what it's like to be inside the NFL.

The Team That Couldn't Lose: Who is Sending the Plays That Make the Team Unstoppable? (Matt Christopher Sports Fiction)

Matt Christopher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Awesome! 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The Team That Couldn't Lose by Matt Christopher is a very interesting book. The characters are Coach Kash, Chip Chase, and the rest of the Cayugans football team. Mr. McFall, an old player who played 60 years ago, has lost his old playbook because his wife sold it. A boy named Danny Livenmore bought it, and was sending plays to the Cayugans.
This book is a must read! It has a good author because he is a very young sports writer. He will probably have some good books in the future.
Matt Christopher is a former sports magazine seller. Also he worked at General Electric. And is a young sports writer for kids. Keep an eye out for more books by Matt Christopher.

Editorial Review:

When inexperienced Phil Wayne takes over as coach of the Cayugans, Chip Chase figures that they're in for a losing season. But Phil surprises everyone by teaching the team a fantastic new play each week--plays that he later admits were mailed to him anonymously. Will Chip and his teammates discovery who the mystery coach is before the season ends?.

Knights of the Hill Country

Tim Tharp

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be--both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw--where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country--they'll be legends.

But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school--the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine--the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else--is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.

This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.


From the Hardcover edition.