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Entertaining. Great for 10-12 ( )

Ben McBain is one of the best football players. Most coaches would make dramatic changes to get him on their team. He plays the game very similar to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Ben is always the top player on the team to make the last really important play of the game. But, he really wants to become a quarterback, but the coach's son gets in the way and doesn't have a very big opportunity to get the position he has been dreaming of for his whole life.
Throughout, the book Ben McBain gets help from one of the greatest quarterbacks son's of all time, Shawn O'Brien. Shawn helps Ben improve so that he can get the position that he has been trying really hard to get. Ben always is a good teammate when it comes to football. But now he is unsure if he should be continuing to be a good teammate and going after his own dream of becoming a quarterback. As the book continues, Ben McBain and Shawn O'Brien career's change dramaticly.
This seemed like this was one of Mike Lupica's greatest books of all time. He really was able to keep my attention throughout the book. The story seemed to make a lot of sense and was very enjoyable. I saw that there is more books in this series. I am excited to see if they will be just as exciting as this book was.

"Ben knew in his heart that he had all the skills needed to be a quarterback, not just the arm. More than that, he knew he had the ability to do the one thing that was supposed to count the most in sports:
The ability to make a play."
Ben absolutely loves playing football, and he's really, really good at it. But he's never been tapped to play quarterback because he's always been the smallest player on the team. He knows he'll never get a shot this year either, because the new coach is a retired NFL player who's got a son he's grooming to be a quarterback just like he was. Ben tries out for the position anyway, and as expected, the coach gives the quarterback job to his son, Shawn. Shawn isn't nearly as good as he should be, and he knows it. Ben does his best to befriend Shawn and help him, even though his buddies (the Core Four)tell him he's nuts. But in Ben's mind, it's all about the team and being a good teammate -- and working towards winning enough games to get into the championship, which won't happen if Shawn can't play well consistently. Tons of great football play-by-play action in the games and in the practices! Ben's parents are great people, and his best friend is a smart-alecky girl named Lily who's brilliant AND funny. Lupica definitely knows how to write great sports stories for this age group, and I'm glad he's started another series. I'll be looking for the next part of Ben's story! Great for 6th grade and up. ( )

I'd come across Heat, one of Mike Lupica's earlier novels purely by chance. I'm not much of a sports fan but the story of this young boy and his older brother trying to get by after the death of their father was about much more than just baseball. Somehow, Lupica wove in the problems facing a young illegal immigrant - the fear, the need to hide and the desire to fit in - into the story of this amazing athlete who has a chance to bring his little league team to victory as long as he isn't outed and deported first. It's hard to explain exactly, but after reading Heat, I started reading as much of Mike Lupica's young adult novels that I could find. Needless to say, I was excited to review his latest young adult novel, Game Changers.

Like Heat, Game Changers introduces us to a hero so likable, that you find yourself in his corner early in the book. Ben McBain is a born quarterback: he loves football, he's understands the game, sees the entire field when he plays, he's quick, he's strong, and he brings his teammates together. Unfortunately, Ben is also much smaller than the usual quarterback, which means that few of the coaches or grownups see him as a natural for that position. Instead of whining about his luck, Ben plays smarter and he works harder than everyone else. Fortunately, he lives right next to a field which he and his three closest friends have dubbed McBain Field for all the hours they've spent there over the years.

The book opens with a new football season starting. Ben McBain is better than ever and he's excited for tryouts. Their new coach O'Brien is a superstar in his own right - he played for the NFL and cares about the kids. Unfortunately for Ben, the coach's son Shawn O'Brien is trying out for quarterback too. Shawn is bigger, stronger, and is a shoe-in for the position.

Invariably, Shawn becomes the starting quarterback. When Shawn plays well, he excels. But in tough times, Shawn gets nervous, he worries too much, and somehow he loses his game. Ben's friends see this as an opportunity for Ben to take over. But Shawn reaches out to Ben for his help and Ben soon finds himself spending his free time helping Shawn become a better quarterback. Shawn's sworn Ben to secrecy about their extra sessions. How much of a good guy does Ben have to be?

When can Ben finally tell his good friends what's going on? And can Ben ever use what he's learned to win the quarterback position for himself?

In Game Changers, Lupica puts Ben McBain through the wringer. Somehow, hard work, decency, and friends make things work out for the team, for Ben and even for Shawn. Game Changers combines football, friendship, loyalty, and a good story. I recommend it!

ISBN-10: 0545381827 - Hardcover $16.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press (May 8, 2012), 224 pages.
Review copy courtesy of Amazon Vine and the publisher. ( )