First Team

August 1, 2014
In this sequel to New Kid (2014), Brock discovers real life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Brock is thrilled when his father announces that it's time for them to settle into a normal life, one in which they don't have to move every few months to escape his father's murderous enemies. But real life turns out to have plenty of problems, too. Brock's natural ability to throw a ball gains him attention from the junior varsity football coach, but the socioeconomic politics of the town dictate that the quarterback positions go to wealthy kids who are related to the coaches. And what about the bad feelings he's been getting about different people in town and the strange cars that look like they could be following him? Are his dad's enemies really fooled? NFL player-turned-author Green delivers a fast-paced, compelling tale that middle-grade readers will find entertaining. The story sometimes feels too convenient for the sake of a tidy plot, and Brock's character occasionally seems a little flat, but readers will probably be caught up in the timeless dramas of boy meets girl and boy wants to play football. An exciting continuation of Brock's adventures on and off the field. (Fiction. 10-13)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-Picking up right where New Kid (HarperCollins, 2014) left off, the shadowy "bad guys" are chasing Brock and his dad out of town. Another vehicle blocks their escape route and rams them down the side of an embankment. They not only escape unhurt, but also manage to evade the bullets being shot at them. Brock's dad stops their slog through the woods in the pouring rain to check his GPS on his cell phone. They are conveniently close to the runway where the man has parked an airplane. That's when Brock learns that his dad knows how to fly and isn't afraid to play a game of chicken with their assailants, who may be Russians or the "agency." There's plenty of action here, only it's not quite adrenaline-inducing because, while there is menace, there is no bite. The unidentified pursuers are just too inept and Brock's dad is just too lucky. The contrivances become increasingly difficult to believe and are not relegated to the espionage. Readers are expected to believe that the pitching prodigy is also a football prodigy, a quarterback no less. The mentor is the high-school star quarterback son of his dad's love interest. The issue of classism in the football-obsessed town they settle in would be interesting if the coaches were not cardboard stereotypes. A bewildering twist at the end may portend a third book.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 Kicking off with a high-intensity car chase, Green's latest stars 12-year-old Brock Barrette and his dad, who are once more on the run due to secrets from his father's CIA past. They find refuge in Calhoun, Ohio, a middle-of-nowhere town where Brock's father promises they can build a normal life. Eager to fit in, Brock knows that Calhoun is a football town and trades in his baseball glove for some pads and a desire to become a first-team quarterback. Town politics are heavily entwined with the sport, and Brock faces bullying from a coach and teammates for being a Flatty (from the wrong side of town). Not everyone has it out for Brock; a new friend and the pretty girl from the library help Brock both on and off the field, though when shadows from the past resurface, Brock's new life is threatened in unexpected ways. This story of friendship, fresh starts, and belonging has appeal that continues far past the end zone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)