"The Boys of Riverside" by Thomas Fuller

The Boys of Riverside by Thomas Fuller is about a deaf football team from California.  I enjoyed getting to know the players and the coaches who are also deaf.  I learned a lot about what it means to be deaf, but there is plenty of football too.  This is a good read for football season!  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball" by Joe Baker

Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball by Joe Baker is a book I devoured.  This is full of tips for choosing the right shot, shot placement, strategies, league play, recreational play, focusing and more.  I took notes as I read and ended up with a list of 25 tips for improving my game.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their pickleball game and win percentage.  I found it to be very interesting and practical.  I look forward to implementing the tips and suggestions in this book.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Bowlers Guide" - Great Instructional Booklet

I found my old Bowlers Guide booklet for years ago and read it again to refresh my memory.  It helped me bowl more confidently and consistently, improving my scores from two weeks ago.  It gives basic fundamentals, explains how to shoot spares using the 3-6-9 system, tips for lefthanders, seniors and children with lots of pictures.  It really covers everything from deliveries to scoring and equipment.  I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to bowl or improve their game.  I remember giving these to the last place team in our church league years ago.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Heroine" by Mindy McGinnis (Second Time I've Read This)

In Heroine by Mindy McGinnis, this is the year Mickey has been waiting for.  She is the bad ass catcher of her school softball team.  This is the year they are going to win State!  It will be the first time in school history, except she gets into a car accident.  She will need to re-hab big time to be ready for the first game.  Her doctor gives her a prescription for pain pills and the more she takes, the more she wants.  Can she still make her softball dream come true?  This is a really good book!  Mickey was a great character with a good storyline.  I enjoyed it very much!!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I read Heroine back in 2019 but enjoyed reading it again.  Click the link to see my earlier review.

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"The Swell" by Allie Reynolds

In The Swell by Allie Reynolds, Kenna and Mikki are childhood friends.  Fast forward the years and Mikki is going to get married.  Kenna shows up and finds the Mikki she knew has changed.  Kenna is with a bunch of people and will not leave an Australian beach they have found to be the best for surfing and want to keep secret.  Odd thing is, people go missing.  Can Kenna get Mikki to leave for her own good?  

I didn't care for any of the characters in this book; however, the storyline and action were good enough to keep my interest.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Winners" by Fredrik Backman

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the last of the three books about Beartown and its hockey team.  Beartown and their rival, Hed, still hate each other.  Beartown is really good and plans to shut down Hed from playing hockey again.  There is so much stuff that goes on in this that it would take too long to explain it all.  I will just say I got to know the characters very well.  I think this is a great series and this book is as good as the first two--Beartown and Us Against You.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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My Weird School FAST FACTS Series by Dan Gutman

Explorers, Presidents, and Toilets by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I found extremely interesting and filled with fun facts about U.S. history.  I learned new things in an enjoyable way and highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about U.S. history, including the history of toilets!  (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Dogs, Cats, and Dung Beetles by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book I found to be informative and funny!  It is filled with interesting fun facts about all sorts of animals as well as some jokes throughout the book.  I especially enjoyed the chapter on presidents’ pets.  Arlo and Amanda both alternate sharing facts in a fun way.  I highly recommend this book to any animal lover.  (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Sports by Dan Gutman if a FAST FACTS series book I found to be interesting and funny.  Arlo and Amanda both alternate sharing facts as in the other books in this series.  Most sports are covered, but I noticed pickleball was not included. I especially liked the baseball and basketball facts, but enjoyed the whole book.  I liked that at the end it encourages kids to search the internet for their own weird facts about a subject that interest them.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Dinosaurs, Dodos, and Woolly Mammoths by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I skipped because I just am not interesting in reading about dinosaurs and other extinct animals.  I included it here because it is part of this series.

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"It's Better to Be Feared" by Seth Wickersham (Patriots Dynasty)

It's Better to Be Feared by Seth Wickersham covers the 20-year run of the Patriots dynasty.  I really enjoyed this book!  It brought back so many great games and so many great players that made it all happen with lots of inside insights as well.  If you are a Patriots fan, this is a must read.  If you're not a fan, then you wouldn't want to read this book anyway.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Walk On" by John Feinstein

The Walk On by John Feinstein is the first of The Triple Threat series about a high school freshman quarterback, Alex Myers.  There are two QBs ahead of him in the depth chart, the starter being the coach's son!  Alex is a very good passer though and the coach's son is not.

I thought this book was good and enjoyed the dynamics on the football team as well as the insight in play calling during games.  I liked Alex and his girlfriend who was a reporter for the school newspaper.  I thought the story line was good, although predictable.  The only thing I did not like was ending.  I would have liked to have seen how the Championship game played out!  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Gerard's review of 5/16/21:

In The Walk On by John Feinstein, Alex Myers is a very good Freshman quarterback.  He is starting at a new school and wants to play for the varsity football team.  The problem is that the quarterback they have is not only good, but also the coach's son!  I thought this book was good for a children's book.  It goes fast but is predictable.  It is light reading which is a break from normal.  (4 stars)

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"The Dynasty" by Jeff Benedict

The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict covers a 20-year run in which the Patriots won six Super Bowls!  If you are a Patriots fan, this is a must read.  I really, really enjoyed going over the year by year of all the great tames they played.  This book covers a ton of off the field stuff too which I found very interesting.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page xii of prologue:  At that moment, Kraft owned a franchise that had never won a championship.  Belichick's overall record with the Patriots was 5-13.  Brady had never started an NFL game. It was unimaginable to think that Bledsoe was staring up at the nucleus of the greatest sports dynasty of the modern era.

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"The Making of a Miracle" by Mike Eruzione with Neal E. Boudette

The Making of a Miracle--The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal--Winning US Olympic Hockey Team by Mike Eruzione with Neal E. Boudette is the story of growing up playing sports.  I enjoyed learning about Mike's family life outside of sports.  The highlight of the book is the Olympic team that beat the U.S.S.R. and then went on to win the gold Medal.  There is good inside stuff about that.  I enjoyed this book and it moved right along. 
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  And now something good, something really good and wonderful and incredible and amazing, had happened, and at that moment, that's when I stopped believing.  The thought just kept going through my head as I moved from one teammate to the next.

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"The Batboy" by Mike Lupica

The Batboy by Mike Lupica is another good sports book for kids that I enjoyed as well. Brian’s parents are divorced and baseball has become his life, just like it was for his dad. This story is about Brian’s best summer ever when he gets to be batboy for the Detroit Tigers and sees baseball from the inside. Then his own baseball team is having a great season too! To top things off, his all-time favorite player, Hank Bishop, is making a comeback and signed with the Tigers! Unfortunately, Hank is not what he expected, but Brian still pursues a friendship with him in spite of Hank’s harshness towards him.

There is a lot of baseball in this book which I enjoyed. It gives some insight into baseball history and even shows the struggles of a player going through a slump. It captures the excitement of the game and was a pleasure to read. I loved the ending!   I highly recommend this to any kid who likes baseball.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15: Working for the Tigers, even if it’s just for one summer, is my dream. And my mom, even though she isn’t too big on baseball since my dad left, is always telling me that you can’t know if your dreams are out of reach until you actually reach for them.


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Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen (We Both Liked This Teen Book)

Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen is a YA novel about a girl who loves to play hockey who tries out for the boys' team when the High School cuts out the girls' team due to lack of funds. I thought this book was pretty good.  It is written for teens so I was able to figure out what was going to happen, but I still enjoyed it and give it a solid 4 stars.  I am sure tomboy girls would love it!  It goes very fast, a quick read.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Karen's review:
Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen is an interesting story about Michigan, a high school student whose hockey team was cut due to lack of funds. She loves hockey and wants to keep playing no matter what! When alternatives her friends find do not work for her, she decides to try out for the boys’ team and makes it. Although she is a very good player, even better than a lot of the boys on the team, they are not happy, especially the ones who feel cut because of her! They all give her a hard time except the goalie, who is at least civil to her. The captain, Daniel, is the ring leader and the coach pretty much backs him up in an effort to get her to quit. When she proves to be tougher than they thought, Daniel sets her up in an effort to get her kicked off the team. That is when she finally reports it to the authorities.

I enjoyed this book but thought Michigan let things to too far. She should have reported the incidents right away. Anyhow, this is a good book for any young athlete to read. There is some hockey action, but mostly it’s about practices and off the rink fallout from the hazing Michigan receives. Her brother is a great character who is very supportive of her and for whose team Michigan is an assistant coach. I recommend this book to any girl athlete. I think girls would like it more than boys but it would be good for them to read it as well. (4 stars)


Teaser from page 13:  I'm happiest when I have skates on my feet, a stick in my hands and teammates by my side.  "Please . . ."  My voice cracks and the rest of my plea sticks in my throat.

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"The Cost of These Dreams" by Wright Thompson

The Cost of These Dreams--Sports Stories and Other Serious Business by Wright Thompson is a collection of true stories about athletes and one story about fans of a team.  I thought these stories were excellent because they were so interesting!  They go beyond who won or lost and share about the personal lives of the athletes.  I feel like I got to know the real person.  Stories included their families and friends.  There was a great mix of people and the stories were varied like the people who they were written about.  I enjoyed it very much and even if you are not a die-hard fan, I think you would enjoy it too!  It certainly gives insight into the true life of a professional athlete.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 13:  He described what the game meant to him.  He called it his "refuge" and the "place where I've gone when I needed to find comfort and peace."  Basketball made him feel complete, and it was gone.

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"Last Man Out" by Mike Lupica

Last Man Out by Mike Lupica is about a brother and sister whose father was a Boston fireman who died rescuing a family from their burning house. Tommy played football and his dad would always sit in the top corner of the bleachers to watch his games. His sister, Em, was the star on her soccer team and her dad also attended all her games. This story is how the father’s death affected Tommy and Em and how they were able to help each other.

This book is sad, but with a good ending—well sort of. It does show how important it is to enjoy every chance you get to play and how things can change very quickly. Both Tommy and Em felt angry at losing their dad and dealt with the pain differently. I liked this book and would recommend it.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 23:  Tommy wished this was all a dream and he could wake himself up.  A nightmare that would end as soon as his eyes opened.

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"Shoot Out" by Mike Lupica

Shoot Out by Mike Lupica is about Jake, a very good soccer player who was on the best team, but moved and now finds himself on the worst team without even a chance of making it to the playoffs. Once he gets done feeling sorry for himself, he discovers a new role—that of team leadership and helping his teammates get better. His biggest challenge is Kevin, who is a loner and seems not to care about soccer at all since his mom died. He wanted to quit, but his dad would not let him. Jake decides to try being his friend and in the process, sees how much talent Kevin really has.

I think this story is one that could help a good player who finds himself on a very bad team make the best of it. It is a very quick children’s read, but I enjoyed it.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 11: No, it wasn’t Belmont that Jake disliked. It was their so-bad-it-actually-hurt twelve-year-old travel soccer team.


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"Play Makers" by Mike Lupica (Game Changers series)

Play Makers by Mike Lupica is part of the Game Changers series. This one is about a boys middle school basketball team that struggles all season after one of their best players hurts his ankle. Ben is the team leader of the Ram and known for his skill, but when a new kid (Chase) who is even better joins another team, Ben gets a wake-up call challenging him to get better. Ben also has a girl friend, Lily, who is the one who gave him the heads up about Chase. Chase is out to prove he is the best and even tries to move in and become friends with Lilly, making Ben very mad.

This is a cute story about being a leader and friendship set in a basketball setting. I enjoyed it, but thought it had a fairy tale ending. It goes quickly with lots of basketball game action which I liked. I would recommend it to kids who enjoy playing basketball.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 29:  As easy as it would have been to just write it off as one bad day, one lousy scrimmage, Ben knew in his heart that he had looked as bad as he had because Chase was that good.


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QB 1 by Mike Lupica is a Heartwarming Sports Story

QB1 by Mike Lupica is about Jake Cullen, a high school freshman quarterback who is struggling with trying to be as good as his dad and older brother and win his father’s love and attention. Jake feels like he’s always playing second fiddle to Wyatt who is now starting QB at University of Texas. Jake is smart, but doesn’t have quite as strong an arm as Wyatt. Fortunately, his high school coach got him to change his throwing mechanics to create his own throwing style which works better Troy Cullen, Jake’s dad, is a former player whose pro career ended in just his second year after four concussions (brain wounds) and seems to be living vicariously through his older son, Wyatt. When Jake finds himself in a QB controversy, everyone is pretty surprised when he gets to be the starting QB while only a freshman. His father is caught off-guard at how good Jake got so quickly.

I enjoyed this book very much because there was a lot of football in it as well as the team dynamics and the feelings of insecurity Jake was dealing with concerning his father and older brother. This takes a good look from the perspective of a younger brother feeling the pressure of following in his star brother’s footsteps and yearning for some of his father’s attention. This book got my interest and kept it from page 1. I would recommend it to anyone who likes high school football and team dynamics.
 (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 13: He knew already that he just wasn’t going to be the player his dad had been before him, certainly wasn’t going to be the player his big brother had been.
He had talent, just not Cullen talent, at least not that he’d noticed so far in his young life.


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"Us Against You" by Fredrick Backman--We Both Liked This!

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the sequel to Bear town. It is about the aftermath of the rape of Maya and how Bear town and Hed become not just rivals, but enemies! This book really centers on the community and the way society changes. There are many well-developed characters in this, not just the hockey players. When the hockey coach takes most of his good players and plays for Hed instead, Bear town has to rebuild its team, starting with finding a new coach who is a woman! This second book shows how politicians use their power and comparisons are drawn between them and “the pack.” The characters feel like real people—both good and bad at the same time with real life problems.

This book started out pretty slow for me because I’m not into politics and wanted more hockey. The beginning of the book is spent on political deals and trying to build up a hockey team, but then the violence started and I began to get attached to the characters. I really liked Benji, the pack, Ramona, Vidar, Amat, Jeanette (martial arts teacher) and Elisabeth Zackell (hockey coach). This is mostly a sad story with a few bright spots. It is about loyalty and dynamics of friendships which I found interesting. If you enjoyed Bear town, I think you will also enjoy the sequel.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the follow-up to Bear Town and is as good!  It picks up where Bear town left off.  I loved both these books!  I really enjoyed all the different people in this one.  The writing is so good I read every word!  What I enjoyed most was that from page to page I never knew what character was going to tell the story next or what the outcome would be.  The twists and turns were very good!  I WANT MORE BEAR TOWN!
(5++ stars) 

Teaser from pg. 9: The worst thing we know about other people is that we’re dependent upon them. That their actions affect our lives.


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"Underdogs" by Mike Lupica

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica is a football story about a youth football team in a small town that can’t afford another season. Will comes up with a way to save the team, but they are one player short until they let a girl try out. Of course, there is some tension over letting a girl on the team and also they need a coach. Will is determined to not let the town take away football from and actively seeks a coach.

This is predictable, but a very good football story with dads and sons bonding, a girl proving she can play, and overcoming many hurdles to get to the championship game. I liked the football action, the team dynamics and the interaction between Will and Grayson.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page  83:  So Will wasn't even close to giving up yet, on the season or on Toby or getting the coach he wanted, the coach he knew would be perfect for his underdog team.  What did his dad always say?  'If you don't think you can, you can't.'

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