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Overview

New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica tackles football!

Will Tyler 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 his hand, 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 well-maintained playing field, with every other family moving to find jobs, there just isn't enough money or players for a season. It's up to Will to rally the town and give everyone a reason to believe . . .

Editorial Reviews

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. (Aug.)
Children's Literature
Football is more than just a sport to twelve-year-old Will Tyler; it is the very air he breathes. Unfortunately, though, there is not enough money for a twelve year old football team this season in the town of Forbes, Pennsylvania. Once upon a time, Forbes had been home to the factory that produced the Forbes Flyers, once a very popular athletic shoe brand. However, the factory has long since been shut down and with it, many jobs lost. Now it is up to Will to save the football season. In a daring attempt, Will writes a letter to the CEO of New Balance, requesting that they sponsor Forbes seventh grade football team. Much to his surprise, he receives a letter back stating that New Balance will indeed sponsor the football team. Now the only problem is coming up with enough players for a team and finding a coach; however, despite these minor details, the Forbes Bulldogs have their football team complete with the right amount of players, including Hannah Grayson (the new girl in town), and the perfect coach. When game day arrives, they lose but as the season goes on, they prove to get better. Before they know it, the championship game has arrived and once again Castle Rock and Forbes meet to battle it out. Only this time, Will is determined the game will not end like last year's championship game. Pre-teen boys will enjoy this middle reader, particularly those who love the game of football, as will some girls. Reviewer: Justina Engebretson
VOYA
Seventh grader Will Tyler has been playing football for as long as he can remember, but this year, pickup games and fantasy football seem to be the only way he will experience the sport. The sneaker factory in his hometown of Forbes, Pennsylvania, is closed, leaving many in the community distraught and destitute. The national unemployment rate is hovering around 9 percent; the people are feeling the repercussions, and it is affecting their children. There is not enough money in the city's budget to support the football league, and they need new uniforms. Football is Will's heart, so he refuses to accept that losing sponsorship will equal the end of his city's team. He huddles with his friends and comes up with a plan that allows everyone to root for their favorite team, the underdogs. The scenes are descriptive and put the reader in the middle of the action, whether Will is playing football on a team or kicking a ball around with Hannah Grayson, the new girl with whom he is enamored. The plot is predictable and a bit melodramatic, but Will's ingenuity and loyalty are encouraging, causing readers to want to cheer him on as he makes his dream come true. Reviewer: KaaVonia Hinton
School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—Twelve-year-old Will Tyler and his widowed dad don't have much, and their small Pennsylvania town is fading since the athletic-shoe factory closed down several years earlier. But Will has football—until he finds out that the town council can't come up with the funds to keep the youth teams going. In a desperate Hail Mary move, he sends a heartfelt letter to the New Balance CEO asking for funds. When he gets word that the company is going to sponsor the team, Will thinks their troubles are over—until he discovers that several families are leaving Forbes for towns with more promise of jobs. Suddenly, there's a real possibility that there might not be enough players to make a team. Will encourages his dad, who has avoided the sport since a serious knee injury ended his own career, to sign on as coach, and together they convince the guys to take a chance on Hannah Grayson, a new girl who has a killer kick. The Bulldogs (or Underdogs, as Will fondly calls them) are on the roster, but it's still an uphill battle: with so few players, nobody sits out during the games. Sure enough, the team solidifies and gives the town something to cheer about. While the plot reads like a feel-good Hollywood movie, even Lupica's minor characters have depth and the dialogue rings true. There's plenty of action for sports fans, and readers will root for Will and his teammates till the very last page.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Kirkus Reviews

A 12-year-old halfback with a huge passion for football fights to keep his team on the field.

Will Tyler keeps reliving the final play of the previous year's championship, when his team came so close before his fumble caused the loss to their well-heeled rivals across the river. Unfortunately, budget cuts may keep the town from fielding his team this year. Like other manufacturing towns, Forbes, Pa., has lost jobs and businesses that might sponsor a sports team. Will takes a chance, writes to a national company and comes up with the funds to keep the team going. That was almost the easy part: The team no longer has a coach, former players are not interested and skepticism abounds. One of the few who want to play is Hannah, a new girl in town with great ability and as much grit as Will. For Will's dad, who has agreed to coach, and his teammates, this is nearly a deal-breaker. Sports-loving readers will identify with Will, whose heart and determination leap off the page. His budding friendship with Hannah rings true and contributes to his growth on and off the field. The relationship between Will and his widowed dad provides an emotional touchstone, while the desperation of a small town trying to hang on permeates the story.

Authenticity and texture combined with well-paced football action make for another solid outing from Lupica. (Fiction 10-14)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780399250019
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 9/20/2011
  • Pages: 272
  • Sales rank: 18,247
  • Age range: 10 - 14 Years
  • Lexile: 840L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 6.10 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Mike Lupica
Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica is the author of many novels for sports fans. His columns for the New York Daily News are syndicated nationally, and he is a regular on ESPN's The Sports Reporters. Partial to the little guys, Mr. Lupica enjoys coaching youth basketball. He lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his wife and their four children.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 44 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(38)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 44 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted November 1, 2011

    Highly recommend

    Bought this book for my 14 year old son who does not like to read books and yet he is really into this book! Highly recommend for the readers or "non-readers" in your household. Great book.

    7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    A really good book

    This book is a very good book if you like football this is a good book for you to read. As for me it is oe of my favorite books to read.

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 7, 2011

    Fav

    1 of my favs

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 16, 2012

    The Underdogs by Mike Lupica Book Review

    The book “The Underdogs,” by Mike Lupica is about a twelve year old boy named Will Tyler. He’s lives in the small town of Forbes, Pennsylvania. When the factory in the town goes out of business leaving most of the town unemployed there is no money to sponsor the 12 year old football. Football is everything to Will and nothing is going to get in his way of playing his game. With the help of New Balance and his father, Will is able to form a team. Along with a former teammate and the new girl in town, but when Will’s best friend moves the team only has ten members. With the championship game in there sight and chance to beat Castle Rock on the line can they do it? The had its strengths and its weaknesses, a strength is that the book made the reader want to keep reading and a weakness was that there wasn’t a huge struggle for the reader. The reader couldn’t connect as well as the reader might have liked. This writing has a similarity to a player today in the NFL, now Tim Tebow may not have money issues or not enough players, but he was told he couldn’t win games and look he went and made it to the playoffs. This is a reason I like the book is because he was told he couldn’t and he did something about it. As an overall read I loved the book and would recommend it all my friends. This book gave me the impression that when you set your mind to something anything can happen and this book emphasizes this.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 17, 2012

    inspirational

    Great read for someone going through difficult times :D

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2012

    Awesome by Anonymus

    AWESOME! BEST BOOK EVER!

    2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 29, 2011

    Another great by lupica

    The detail and Will and his dads role and the story plot is amazing

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2011

    BOOK OF THE YEAR!?

    JUST LOVED IT, AMAZING

    2 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 19, 2012

    Awsome

    This is the best book in the entire world there will never be a better book like it #14 bommer

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 6, 2012

    AMAZING

    This book is awesome love bit cuz it involves sports and mike lupica is my favorite author

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted May 3, 2012

    Dogclan joiners come HERE! -DogStar

    Give name description & age & why u want to join. -DogStar

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 24, 2012

    Anoynomus

    This is the best book i have ever.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2012

    Whats up with you joe clic

    I like monkies

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 22, 2012

    Anonymos 3/22/12

    I think its a good book so far

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted February 11, 2012

    I love this book

    It is amazing i love it. There is action and some romance. It makes you want to read for ever

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 27, 2012

    max

    Awesome book

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 23, 2012

    Junk

    Junk crap

    0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 16, 2012

    About the book

    So far i really like it! It is a little hard to understand but great book!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 10, 2012

    hi Im joe cliick here

    I like monkeys!!!!!

    0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2012

    Great book

    Great sample... should be another great book by mike lupica.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
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