The Extra Yard by Mike Lupica - ESSENTIAL

Lupica, Mike The Extra Yard (Home Team #2), 292 pages.  Simon & Schuster, 2016.  $17.  Content: G.

Teddy’s father left him and his mom years ago.  Last year, Teddy’s best friend, Jack, coached him from his days of flabby couch potato to the position of catcher on their World Series of Baseball team.  Eighth grade is just starting and Teddy dreams of football.  If he can make the cut, he can find his place in the sport he truly loves – and not as a spectator.  Then, surprise!  Dad shows up, having taken a job at ESPN in town.  Does Teddy have it within him to create a relationship with his dad?  Is this just a distraction from the real game – especially when the stakes are raised so high – Jack is out for the season and somebody needs to step in as quarterback.

Lupica writes great football, well, really any sport.  And usually he writes great people story too.  This time, however, the relationship between Teddy and his father doesn’t really get the growth moments that it needs in order to feel full-fledged.  Doesn’t stop it from being an excellent football book, though!

MS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher