February 1, 2018
Gr 6 Up-The "Gridiron" series follows the different stories of high school players united by their love of football. In Showdown, Toby and Walter are rookies on their varsity team, but must lead their team to victory after a prank war with a rival school takes out their best players. Busby and Anton are determined to win the big game to keep their economically depressed school open in The Late Hit. When Anton gets injured and has a severe concussion, Busby must decide what is more important: winning the playoffs or his friend's health. Jeff and Scooter narrate alternating chapters in Late Start, showing their differing perspectives on Scooter earning the football scholarship Jeff thought was his. When she loses a spot on the soccer team, Riley decides to try out for the kicking position on her school's all-male football team in The Extra Point. To be successful, she must overcome a player who doubts her abilities as a girl and her own lack of confidence. VERDICT With action-packed sequences on the field and riveting plots off of it dealing with timely topics, such as sports injuries and sexism, this series will appeal to hi-lo readers on a fourth grade reading level.
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2018
A former-soccer-player girl learns to become a kicker (�cf2]Extra�cf1]); a senior running back loses his spot to the new kid (�cf2]False�cf1]); a competitive linebacker considers pushing his concussed teammate back into a game (�cf2]Hit�cf1]). While lacking meaty plot lines, lessons about overcoming individual trials and practicing good sportsmanship are woven through these football-focused hi-lo novels. There are three other fall 2017 books in this series.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)