Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Backfield Boys by John Feinstein - ESSENTIAL

Feinstein, John Backfield Boys, 353 pages.  Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2017.  $18.  Language: PG (13 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (football violence, some yelling)

Jason and Tom, best friends from New York City, have been offered scholarships as freshmen  to a very expensive elite-athlete boarding school in Virginia.  Tom is an outstanding quarterback and Jason has the makings of a top line wide-receiver.  When they get to school, however, Jason is assigned to be a backup quarterback, while Tom has been put with the receivers.  What’s going on.  And the boys, best friends forever, weren’t assigned as roommates, either.  It really can’t be because Tom is black, could it?  Not in 2017 - right?!  But there is something wrong about at TGP - maybe the boys really are right.  If so, how do they prove it, or will they just walk out?

Feinstein has written a football book perfect for the year.  I don’t know when he started writing this one, but it feels like he finished it yesterday.  Very up to date, very frank and honest about modern racism.  LOVED it!

MS, HS - ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

No comments: