FIGHTING TACKLE

Terry, the fastest runner on his football team, was an ideal defensive safety. But his body is changing in all the wrong ways for a runner—he's bulking out, and he's always hungry. The coach moves him into a new position, but Terry vows to get his old spot back. Meanwhile, Nicky, his younger brother with Down syndrome, is proving to be a born runner, already beating Terry in races. The boys' close and loving relationship is strained until Terry adjusts to the newfound talents his stocky strength provides. Christopher (Top Wing, 1994, etc.) creates a moving story about a special sibling rivalry and one boy's discomfort with change. As usual, exciting sports scenes anchor the plot. (Fiction. 8-12)