Best Teen & Young Adult Football Fiction

Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring. ?Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A #1 New York Times bestseller and the first novel in a brand-new series—from bestselling author Abbi Glines—about a small Southern town filled with cute boys in pickup trucks, Friday night football games, and crazy parties that stir up some major drama. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…. Two years ago, Maggie Carleton saw her father murder her mother, and once she told police what happened, she refused to speak another word. Now Maggie lives with her cousin Brady’s family, and when she meets West, she sees the pain in his eyes that no one else recognizes. The bond between West and Maggie grows, and eventually. Maggie rediscovers her voice to walk West through his father’s final days. Aided by chapters that alternate between West’s and Maggie’s perspectives, what could be a typical romance—both are drop-dead gorgeous and could have anyone they want—is raised to a new level by Maggie’s self-imposed silence and the grief they are both experiencing.

Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though–she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. "A beautiful novel with a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, Catching Jordan shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football." "" Catching Jordan is a definite read for everyone; sports fan or not"- Blogger AnnMarie, World of Books " - World of Books ""I fell in love with the hero on page 1, and CATCHING JORDAN just gets better from there. ""Anyone who's ever questioned her path in life will connect with Jordan's struggles and ultimate triumphs." ""All you really need to know about American football to enjoy Catching Jordon is that they throw the ball a lot, don't worry about the rest the story itself is so witty and the romance is so deliciously good and that's all that really matters in the end. It's the kind of book that you pick up to read and find that you can't put it down until you've turned the last page! Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché! Instead she writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest.

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. "The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and standup comedy gets unequivocally-and hilariously and triumphantly-bent in this novel. "Nimbly blends sharp with unapologetic emotion....fluid narration deftly mingles raw feelings with funny, sardonic insight. "Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience. "Fierce observations and sharp sense of humor...hilarious language.

Instead, the legendary El Gato ("The Cat") quietly narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in a mythic corner of the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach the gangly boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. Grade 8 Up–When acclaimed South American journalist Paul Faustino begins his interview with World Cup soccer star El Gato, he expects to be recording the thoughts of a goalkeeper at the height of his career. Peet achieves his expressed desire to write an entirely new kind of soccer story, not only including the experience of play, but also mesmerizing readers with a supernatural mystery in a tale about relationships, loneliness, and believing in oneself.

Told in flashback, this is the story of 13-year-old Tom Leonard his AA hockey team and hometown's "can't miss kid." The relationships between father & son, adolescent friends, youth player & adult coach, and amongst hockey teammates are well done. I like the way that the main characters develop - Tom matures and learns the fun of playing a team game.

An honest and knowledgeable book about overcoming adversity, and the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes , Mickey’s powerful story shows that with support and determination anyone can be triumphant, even when the odds are stacked against him. -- Midwest Book Review. The Legend of Mickey Tussler is a very good story that I'm sure will resonate with those readers who have experience with special needs children and teens... -- BaseballBookReview.com. Praise for THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER: "In my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America I see all kinds of challenges facing kids today, and this book does a very good job of treating gifted kids and teenagers with sensitivity and understanding in coping with and meeting these challenges." THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER reaches the heart the way Alex Rodriguez reaches the bleachers." Milwaukee Brewer's manager Arthur Murphy recruits 17-year-old farm boy Mickey Tussler as a pitcher for his team. And though Mickey's slowness enrages his impossibly cruel father (who abuses his wife and derides Mickey as a "retard"), the boy's dad is happy to collect his son's pro baseball salary.

She s thrilled when she discovers that the horse is real and, with the encouragement of Blackjack s owner, she learns to ride and show while developing a strong bond with the animal. But when tragedy strikes and Blackjack falls into the hands of a cruel trainer, Heather must find a way to get her beloved horse back before it is too late... Additionally, while the main character in the Morgan Horse series is a girl, and one of her best friends is a boy, their relationship is platonic. The reader will experience the thrill of competition in the ring as Heather and Blackjack participate in shows and the feeling of flight as she and Rusty jump the fences. Her accurate and detailed descriptions of basic horsemanship and stable management make the Morgan Horse Series books not only fun adventure stories, but educational as well.

"I felt love, excitement, respect and a ton of heartbreak..." - Amanda Nicole Books. The veil I’ve worn from birth carries with it a terrible loneliness; a suppression I cannot imagine ever being free of. When the peace delegation arrives from the savage world of Glacium, my life is shoved wildly out of control by the handsome Prince Kedrick who, for unfathomable reasons, shows me kindness. Sometimes it takes the world bringing you to your knees to find that spark you thought forever lost. "I felt love, excitement, respect and a ton of heartbreak..." - Amanda Nicole Books. When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is dreaming up a story in her head; the cause of many headaches for her friends and family, who have struggled to encourage her participation in normal activities - such as everyday life.

Ocean breeze in her hair and sand between her toes, Anise can't wait to spend the summer before her senior year surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends. "Debut novelist Silverman realistically captures Anise's love for her surfing life and the terrible sacrifice she makes when leaving it behind for a whole summer, and her relationships with her family are bittersweet and loving, giving her depth of character. "Anise's reluctance to leave, rooted in worries of forgetting home and being forgotten, will resonate with readers who've ever been homesick...A quick summer read to reassure teens who worry about college or blooming where they're planted." The book features a cast of diverse characters and a fresh take on sports (surfing and skateboarding)... worthy of a spot in any teen's beach bag. ".

Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden’s powerful graphic memoir Spinning captures what it’s like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. “Tillie Walden's Spinning is an engrossing, gorgeously quiet look back at the 12 years she devoted to figure and synchronized skating.” ― New York Times. “This beautiful story about sorrow, growth, and triumph will resonate in every reader’s heart.” ―Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times –bestselling author and two-time National Book Award finalist. “This is a beautifully told story that will resonate with anyone who played an instrument, or did gymnastics, or got signed up for skating: these things weren't always what we wanted to do or cared about, but they gave us some focus when everything else was mystery and chaos.” ―Lucy Knisley, New York Times bestselling author of Relish: My Life in the Kitchen. “ Spinning is spare yet intimate, painfully honest, and oh-so-real.” ―Malinda Lo, three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist author of Ash and Adaptation.

Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard.