by Mike Lupica
Amazon rating: 4.6/5.0, Grade 3-7
Good Reads: 4.2/5
Common Sense Media: no reviews
4Rbooks: 5/6, Grades 5-7
Synopsis:
I decided to review all four of these books together. The home team consists of Jack, Ted, Gus, and Cassie. The books follow the friends from the end of 6th grade through the end of 8th grade, one sports season at a time. Each character is the main focus of one of the books, as are the sports, but their friendship with each other is the glue that holds the stories together.
Book #1: The Only Game, Jack and baseball
Book #2: The Extra Yard, Teddy and football
Book #3: Point Guard, Gus and basketball
Book #4: Team players, Cassie and softball
Sports fans will enjoy the stories for their realistic depictions of practices, games, and interactions between teammates. The scenarios are realistic, and there isn’t a guaranteed happy ending to each season. There are also larger themes at play in each novel.
The Only Game: expectations and survivor’s guilt
The Extra Yard: absentee parents, effects of divorce on children, school
budget cuts
Point Guard: gender equity and racism
Team Players: peer pressure and special needs children
Parental Guidance: low to medium
Book #1 deals with the loss of a sibling so it could be difficult for a reader
going through the same events in their life.
There is one mildly inappropriate word in book #2. The relationship
between Teddy and his father is strained.
There are veiled negative references to Trump as part of the racism theme
in book #3.
Recommendation: Medium High
I enjoyed this series. I appreciated the accuracy of the sporting interactions which should be expected since Mr. Lupica is a sportswriter. The themes are handled well, and in an age appropriate manner in my opinion. The relationships that develop among the characters is admirable and the types of friendships you hope your children have. Especially noteworthy is that Jack and Cassie, the two “popular stars” are genuinely nice children who reach out to be inclusive with those who aren’t part of the “in crowd.” These are great books for boys and girls who are into sports.
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