The Underdogs
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica tackles football!
Will Tyler can fly on a football field. He may not be the biggest running back around, but no one can touch him when it comes to hitting the hole and finding the end zone. And no one can match his love of the game. When Will has a football in hand, he may as well be flying for real because life can't touch him - his dad isn't so defeated, his town isn't so poor, and everyone has something to cheer for. All of which does him no good if the football season is canceled. With no funding for things like uniforms and a cared-for playing field, with seemingly every other family moving to find jobs, there simply isn't enough money or players for a season. Unless one kid can rally an entire town and give everyone a reason to believe . . .
For fans of his bestselling novels Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw, Mike Lupica delivers a feel-good sports story that will have readers cheering where they sit.
“There's plenty of action for sports fans, and readers will root for Will and his teammates till the very last page.” –School Library Journal
“[F]ootball fans will…respond to the detailed and exciting game action once the season gets rolling and find inspiration in Will and his teammates' tenacity.” –Publisher’s Weekly
“Will's ingenuity and loyalty are encouraging, causing readers to want to cheer him on as he makes his dream come true.” –VOYA
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Twelve-year-old football talent Will lives and breathes his sport. And he's not about to let the tough times suffered by his western Pennsylvania town including a major factory closure signal the end of the football program he loves. With a Hail Mary pass effort, Will makes a passionate plea to footwear maker New Balance and secures funding to play if he can pull together a proper team. He eventually rallies an unlikely group including a girl and Will's father as reluctant coach worthy of a championship. Lupica (The Batboy) again nails the emotions of likeable kids who just want to play, and who aren't too overscheduled or distracted for neighborhood pick-up games. Frequent mentions of the history and hardships of Will's town and references to the nearby favorite pro team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, help keep this Cinderella story grounded in contemporary reality. Despite a sluggish start and a familiar trajectory, football fans will likely respond to the detailed and exciting game action once the season gets rolling and find inspiration in Will and his teammates' tenacity. Ages 10 up.
