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Green, Tim
19 Reviews
(4)
4-6
When talented seventh-grade football player Danny Owens--son of a deceased Superbowl champion and an alcoholic mother--gets caught cheating, his teacher discovers he can't read. To make matters worse, the pressure of learning creates anger-management problems. Counseling, tutoring, and stalwart friends help Danny define success on his own terms. Green's latest is pretty message-y, but his fans will appreciate the authentic football details.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Baseball Genius series.
Twelve-year-old Jalen DeLuca (Baseball Genius) is desperate to play travel baseball, but his single dad can't afford the fees. When Jalen is caught stealing baseballs signed by Yankee James Yager, he uses his uncanny ability to predict pitches to help save Yager's flagging career. Themes of bullying and perseverance are woven through this second implausible baseball story. Short chapters keep things moving until the abrupt ending.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Sixth grader Cory, a promising running back from a rough Irish neighborhood, receives his injured best friend's football scholarship to a private school. When he is a suspect in a break-in, Cory is determined to be more than a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Despite the predictable plot, the brisk pace and lively descriptions of game play will drawn in readers.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Deaf seventh grader Landon has always faced bullying, but as the biggest kid in his new school, he has high hopes for playing football. Despite difficulties, Landon's strong will and the friendship of a star player help him earn his peers' respect. The writing is overtly messagey, but readers will cheer as likable Landon fights to fit in--and succeeds.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Ryan inherits ownership of the Dallas Cowboys following his father's death. Legal battles ensue as Ryan and his stepbrother fight for controlling interest of the franchise; they end up resolving their differences on the football field. Accessible text alternates between "Present" and "Years Earlier" to tell the story. Although highly implausible, this fast-paced book will appeal to young football fans.
Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg
(4)
4-6
When a truck hits his mother and leaves her fighting for her life, Ryder needs money to cover hospital costs. With the help of his elderly neighbor and a first responder friend, Ryder sets out to find his father, whom he believes is a professional baseball player. The well-drawn characters help carry this baseball story through some far-reaching plot turns.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
Brock and his father (New Kid) escape the "bad guys," and an accident provides them with the "luck" of new facial features and the promise of a stable life in Ohio. Now the struggle is on the football field, but living on the wrong side of town hinders Brock's chances. Despite its plot contrivances, the book's blend of espionage and sports is exciting.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
Tommy's father has a secret that keeps the two of them moving from town to town under different names. The new kid, again, with a new identity, "Brock Nickerson" is also an exceptionally talented pitcher. Can he pursue his love of baseball at his new school, or will that jeopardize their safety? The suspense story line isn't as developed as Green's signature sports action.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(3)
4-6
Best friends forever, Joey and Zach both aspire to be on the same select baseball team--but there's only one spot, and one of them will be eliminated. Green treats this dicey situation with respect and laces the plot with sports action, some solid coaching advice, and the added spice of a first love interest for the two sixth graders. The story isn't deep, but it is solid.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(4)
4-6
Troy finds his gig as play-predicting "genius" for the New York Jets in jeopardy as his attention turns to quarterbacking his own perfect season. This sixth novel blends familiar characters--cousins Ty and Thane, coach Seth, and more--with new sparks like cocky but likable wide receiver Chuku. Football action, quick dialogue, and short chapters help propel the rather drawn-out novel.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(3)
4-6
Harrison's mother died an addict and his foster father is abusive. Then he's rescued by a caseworker and placed in a new family. Harrison finds his calling on the football field, but his glory is cut short when he must battle cancer, his toughest obstacle yet. This book offers Green's signature sports action as well as a thoughtful outlook on illness and recovery.
Reviewer: Nancy Hull
(4)
4-6
This third Baseball Great novel finds talented young shortstop Josh's performance on the field affected by his parents' marital problems. While his team shoots for the Little League World Series, Josh must figure out how to get his head in the game. As usual, the plot lines and characterizations are rather thin, but the baseball writing is solid.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(4)
4-6
Green unites his stars of Football Hero and Football Genius through a youth seven-on-seven tournament at the Super Bowl. Ty Lewis and Troy White meet as rivals, but they find themselves working together to foil a Mafia kidnapping in the Everglades. Family drama and spot-on football action propel the story to its conclusion that, contrived as it is, will gratify Ty and Troy's fans.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
In Troy's fourth football-themed adventure, his long-gone father, Drew, appears on the scene. Troy yearns for a relationship, despite warnings from his mother. Events move along through short, fast-paced chapters, but the story grows overloaded as Troy helps the FBI unravel his dad's criminal connections while continuing to work for the Atlanta Falcons and winning another big game for his own team.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
This sequel to Baseball Great revolves around Josh's nascent romance with Jaden--jeopardized when she starts dating a handsome baseball superstar from California--and the exposition of a corrupt umpire. Rivals is less compelling than its predecessor due to some cartoonish characters and implausible plot elements, but fans of light sports fiction will be appeased.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(4)
4-6
There are some mysterious goings-on at Josh's middle school involving the baseball team--and steroids. Assured, vigorous sports writing makes this book notable: Green knows about baseball and the pressures put on young players to perform at ever-higher levels. The text is convincing regarding training regimens and baseball play, though somewhat less so about middle-school social life.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(4)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Troy White (Football Genius) continues to help the Atlanta Falcons by using his unique talent for "predicting football plays...like a supercomputer." A disgruntled reporter exposes Troy's secret, jeopardizing the team's playoff chances. Fast-paced chapters propel the story as Troy works to untangle the lies twisted in the media storm (though his own actions, left unexamined, aren't entirely aboveboard).
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Ty Lewis finds himself embroiled in an illegal gambling scheme when his guardian convinces him to crib injury reports from his older brother, a rookie for the New York Jets. Soon Ty finds federal agents and mobsters interested in his information. The premise is a stretch, but the story is suspenseful and doesn't shy away from football's seamier side.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(4)
4-6
Using his mind "to analyze tendencies...like a supercomputer," twelve-year-old Troy White can predict any opposing team's upcoming plays. Yet this "football genius" must overcome several obstacles to help the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, in whose PR department his single mom works. If readers can suspend their disbelief of the premise, they'll relish the sympathetic characters, fast-paced action, and insider details.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
19 reviews
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