A touching sports story
597993
I  especially liked learning about the soccer world and about the toll extracted from serious athletes. A completely believable  well told story.
3386343
This picture book is designed for grades 2-4; however anyone with a love of football and especially Notre Dame Football would enjoy reading this. It has nice colour pictures that have been modeled on a friend of the author who died in a car accident; we are told this in a touching dedication.

The story, as expected touches a spot in those who believe in playing sports with their heart. It tells the story of George Gipp, the legendary Notre Dame Football player, who gave rise to the motivation to win one for the Gipper.
This is a piece of American sports history and of its culture that is worth learning at a young age.
1334097
It's easy to look at baseball today and grimace. Steroid scandals, multi-million dollar contracts, free agency, etc. have watered down the true National past time that we all hold so dear. Of course, reading this book, the Teammates, will take you back to a time and place that no longer exists. A time when baseball really mattered.

But more than that, this is a book about the power of friendship. The book chronicles the life-long friendship of four Boston greats - Williams, Pesky, DiMaggio and Doerr.

Shortly before the death of the Spelndid Splinter, Pesky and DiMaggio head south (Doerr was too ill to make the trip) and begin a journey - not just to Florida to be by their teammate's side one last time, but also a journey back in time - the golden era of baseball. The reader then becomes privy to a world of stories about the four friends. Halberstam is our vehicle through a joyous and memorable ride through history. They say the Boston Red Sox are more than a baseball team. They say the Sox help link us to our past, and in some way I think they do - this book does just that.

This book is one to hold on to and pass down.
884668
Saving Babe Ruth is not about the player or the game of baseball, but rather his legacy. The story revolves around a small town conflict concerning youth baseball. What is the future of this game that has become incredibly competitive? While the title may seem misleading, it is truly about saving the essence of Babe Ruth, and the youth league that bears his name,

As someone who isn't terribly interested in the game of baseball, I still found this a gripping read. The school principal character was fascinating with his double life. He balanced two full-time careers, attempting to keep his secret as long as possible. This book was based on actual events, and has sparked controversy.

The story plays out like a summer-beach-mystery, grappling with the issues of small town drama, marital stresses, and how to departmentalize your career.

The story is about an underdog who fights for a wholesome hobby and amusement.
3151999
More than a sports chronicle, this book is one to think more deeply about sport and community. It hits a home run.
3439397
You don't have to be a sports fan or from a small town to enjoy this book. Adam Sachs writes a very enganging story that combines both of those things along with a great story line. Very easy to mentally picture all of the characters and the events of the story. I look forward to reading his next novel.
2722642
Travel Team is an underdog story about Danny Walker, the shortest twelve-year old in Middletown.  Danny is a gifted basketball player, but hes got some big shoes to fill.  His absentee father is a former pro ballplayer who might be best known for taking the local youth league to the national championships.  Dannys family situation is interesting enough, but the real story begins when Danny fails to make the towns travel team of top ballplayers when the coach thinks that hes just too short to compete.

When Danny starts to think about taking a year off from basketball, his dad steps back into the picture and offers to start up an alternative ball team.  He and Danny then set about assembling an unlikely team made up of Danny, a few other misfit kids, and even the unthinkable.a girl!  After a series of losses, it quickly becomes clear that this team will never win an actual game.  Until, all of a sudden, they actually do!

I don't want to give away too much of this book, because its worth reading for yourself.  It reminded me of all of Matt Christophers books that my classmates and I used to race through.  So many kids like to play sports, even though only a very small percentage will grow up to play professionally.  Theres so much that young people can learn from sports, and one of the most important things they can learn is how to lose well.
3722230
First, a little about me, so you understand where this review is coming from.  I am NOT a basketball fan and have never enjoyed professional basketball.  But, I have heard of Lebron James and a few months ago saw a story about him on 60 Minutes that made him see like a down-to-earth kind of guy and I was curious to learn more about him.  I'm also a sucker for sports stories where people overcome the odds.  So, when I saw this book offered by the Amazon Vine, I snatched it up.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.  It's written in a breezy style and his personality and values really come through.  For me, the book flew from the descriptions of his childhood to when he met the others in the Fab Four. Some of the later chapters go into a lot of detail (and I mean A LOT OF DETAIL) about the games and the seemingly minute by minute breakdown of what happened.  I skimmed those parts.

Lebron and his friends did overcome a lot to get to where they were at the end of the book and went on from there apparently.  The thing I enjoyed the most was the story of their friendship and how it affected them through their teenage years.  At the end, it was great to read that they are still in touch and still consider each other friends.
3749114
I bought this book after reading an excerpt in The Hockey News Magazine.  I really didn't know what to expect.  Fraser paints a picture of the NHL that is grueling, touching, and funny.  He follows his time from his ascension into the ranks as an NHL Referee and follows some extremely memorable moments up until his last game.  Fraser discusses some confrontations and experiences with players that are often colorful.  What was most endearing about this book were the touching and emotional moments that Fraser experienced.  He shows how meaningful hockey has been to him and many of the players he has worked with over the years.  As he talks about his last games in different hockey venues, i found myself touched with the admiration and respect that some of the NHL's legendary players had for Fraser.  This book is wonderful.  I am a college student and amid my various due dates and other responsibilities i found myself reading this book whenever i had a chance.  I very highly recommend this book.
3703351
A heartfelt tale of middle school children and their lives on and of the soccer field. DEAREST CASEY brings back fond memories for all the student athletes who lived for their sport during some of the most special times of their lives. Obviously written by someone who cared so deeply for others.
3688450
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- The story covers not just the initial "meet and fall for each other" phase of Declan and Simon's relationship; it covers a period of approximately two years, with the highs, the lows, and everything in between. As a result, the relationship really seems like it's a long-term fixture when the story ends.
- Simon's narrative voice is easy to follow, with a conversational tone that flows smoothly. He relates things matter-of-factly, and he drops little asides in that made me smile, like this: "You're probably wondering why this is all important. I'm trying to give you a little background information about myself before we get to the meat of this story."
- The dialogue is natural-sounding, funny but not overly clever. The characters make plenty of humorous and/or meaningful comments, but they aren't back-to-back-to-back. They occur periodically throughout the course of normal conversations.
- I liked reading a story set in Australia because I'm not familiar with the country, nor are many books in this genre set there.

CONS:
- I found large sections of the book to be quite a downer. The book shows both the highs and the lows of the men's relationship; however, more often than not, we see a wonderful scene the two men share but are then left with the sadness of their having to separate again, or deal with homophobia, or keep their relationship a secret. Simon even says at one point, "And that was how it was for us. Ups and downs. Sometimes more downs than ups."
- I know very little about Australian Rules Football, so some of the discussions about the game and the league--particular plays, where the teams are from, who's rivals with whom, etc.--lost me. To be fair, though, Kennedy keeps such sections of the story to a minimum.

Overall comments: I think this is a great story, and I'm glad I read it. Kennedy's a good writer, and the book has a lot more depth than many m/m stories have. I doubt I'll ever read it again, though, because even though it ends happily, I was left with, as Simon says, "a somewhat bittersweet feeling. Perhaps slightly more bitter than sweet."
1824508
Any sports fan who picks up "Eagle Blue" will not be disappointed, although you should like this one even if you could care less about hoops...Basketball is the stage for the story, but not the story in and of itself.  This isn't your typical book depicting some world-weary NBA star or jaded coach.  D'Orso makes you care about the players and coaches at a tiny school literally in the middle of nowhere, thus their wins (and losses) somehow become your own.  If that were as far as this book took you, it would be satisfying just on that basis.  But it doesn't end there.

By the time you're done reading "Eagle Blue", you'll likely become sympathetic with the people populating its pages.  Theirs is a culture that has been decimated, and you can see very real defeat among many tribal members.  The ultimate story is how a group of teenagers galvanizes a town with nothing else to cheer about despite the efforts of some people, mostly outsiders, to kill what they have, and he thankfully keeps the focus on that.  You end up rooting for them.

If you're at all like me (and God help you if you are), you'll fight to stay awake until 3AM because you literally do not want to put this book down and fall aleep.
2562785
Robert Bausch has given us a sports novel. Make no mistake: There is no chance this will win the Pulitzer or the Nobel Prize for Literature. But then neither did "Rocky". Oh, "Rocky" did win Best Picture that year, a bit of a travesty considering some of the cinematic masterpieces which have won that award. But "Rocky" had something special about it: heart, an appeal to us all. It is a beloved movie and an icon.
"Jesse Smoke" has heart, has the underdog theme, has story. Bausch devilishly maneuvers the story line, heading for smooth sailing just before snagging on the reef; detailing the rudiments of pro football for the nonfootball fan, but doing it delightfully well; conjuring most of the pitfalls which would arise if Jesse really did take the field. His game descriptions are as good as watching "Game Day" recaps---maybe better.
The premise of a female playing in the NFL is a bit far fetched but far fetched things happen all the time. We can easily suspend disbelief here, especially since all the 'what ifs' are covered in a realistic manner. Altogether a fine and well-told story, emphasis on story.

The release of the book was wonderfully timed, just here at the beginning of football season. And at the penultimate point of this year's Presidential election. Woven throughout the book are pictures of modern America: Our media, our fascination with train crashes and fires, our preoccupation with gender; the predatory distortions of perverted reporters and the lies that get told about almost anything. Nothing is sacred, most surely not the truth. In "Jesse Smoke" we never have our noses rubbed in it---we just read along and form sympathies and develop outrage when the powerful and the puerile threaten our new friends.
Bottom line: "The Legend of Jesse Smoke" makes for delightful reading even if we get poked in the ribs now and then.
Highly Recommended
3574280
I won this book in raffle. I felt the story flowed well. The plays were engrossing and I really liked the character relationships on and off the field. There were parts of this book where I found myself laughing out loud. It was great to see the Thunderbolts level of skill was achieved with the selflessness of players. And you get to see Sagamores players be wickedly awful. A touch of class and a little comedy, I feell always make for a great sports read. And the message here is beautiful and beneficial to all. I highly recommend it!
4550804
For Nate Brodie, there's nothing else quite like the sport of football. The 13-year-old from Valley, Massachusetts is a huge fan of the New England Patriots, his favorite player being star quarterback Tom Brady. Brodie (aka "Brady," as his family and friends call him) is the starting QB for the Valley Patriots, and is known as "the boy with the golden arm" for his fantastic throws and great sportsmanship. But football is more than just a game for Nate; it's a chance to get away from the daily grind of school and hang out with his friends.

However, football has now taken on a more important meaning. Shortly after his 13th birthday, Nate, his mom, and his best friend Abby McCall make a trip to SportStuff, where Nate is finally able to buy the limited edition autographed Brady football for which he's been saving up. It's there where he learns about the contest "The SportStuff Million-Dollar Throw":

"The winner of the contest was going to get the chance to make one throw --- from thirty yards away through a twenty-inch hole --- at halftime of the Patriots Thanksgiving night game against the Colts."

It's a one-in-a-million chance, but Nate wins the contest and a shot at the big money. While excited about getting the opportunity to go to Gillette Stadium, he knows that this is the most important play of his life. If he wins, the million dollars could definitely help his family: his dad has had to work two jobs after he was laid off at his old real estate company, and his mom works at a gift shop and volunteers at the hospital. In addition, they have had to put their house up for sale, the only home Nate has ever known.

To add to Nate's worries, his best friend has her own troubles. Abby, a talented artist who creates vivid, colorful paintings, has a form of retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that causes complete blindness. Nate wants the best for her and tries to continue to be optimistic, the same way she is for him even as her own world begins to darken. Could Abby benefit more from this money? And if so, what about his family's woes?

As Nate deals with these difficult changes and as Thanksgiving night creeps closer, the pressure to make the million-dollar throw begins to affect him on the field, and he wonders if he will be able to achieve his goal of winning not just one but two championships.
Featuring some great game play and cool sports references, MILLION-DOLLAR THROW is a wonderful, heartfelt story about the strength of friendship and family that can be enjoyed even by those who are not football fans. Mike Lupica scores a touchdown with his latest winning novel.
403232
It's not so much about football as it is obsession, and using that obsession to get over a family tragedy. Football fans who've watched games with their dads will love it, but I think anyone who's gone a little overboard with their passion at one point in time in their life will empathize with this memoir.
610668
I liked this book for many reasons.  First off it was well written using the english language beautifully and leaving the reader to enjoy every sentence.  The story read almost like a gripping novel. I felt my heart race during every competition.  The author did a great job not getting bogged down in the complicated world events but rather placed the right amount of information so one had a true appreciation for how the world was at the time, at home and abroad.  I recommend this book for anyone who loves a story of true work and dedication and what it takes to overcome the odds against you.  Anyone who loves sports would enjoy this book, but even those who don't because this book it about so much more.