Twelve-year-old Football Genius Troy is astonished to see the father he's never met at his coach's house, interrupting their end-of-season victory party. He's a lawyer and agent, and he'd like to represent Troy in contract negotiations to maximize the return on Troy's remarkable ability to predict football plays. This installment of Troy’s story is more focused on sports dealmaking and Troy’s longing for a strong connection with his dad than on the sport itself. Most of the action centers on the trust issues that are generated among his family and friends as questions around his father’s motivation emerge. Troy’s dad is aligned with a shady celebrity in the music business, and the titular "big time" refers to the buckets of money that could be Troy's if he follows his father's advice. Green proves to be as engaging about the business of sports and the kind of cheating it engenders as he is about the game itself. Less satisfying is how small a role Troy’s friends play, although they do give him an assist at key moments. Still, a solid entry in the series. (Mystery. 8-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-168619-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem.
A middle schooler struggles to adjust after moving to an idyllic Massachusetts town.
Trish Das is at a crossroads. Not only is the 12-year-old unhappy that her family has moved yet again due to her mother’s cardiology career, she also has to try out for a new baseball team. The fact that one of her new teammates is a former archrival further complicates matters. Math prodigy Ben Messina went head-to-head against fellow math whiz Trish at last spring’s Math Puzzlers Championship. When Trish emerged victorious, Ben was stunned. The two get closer when the team’s mysterious pregame snacks start making everyone play better while also causing magical side effects during games. Equally surprising are the cryptic puzzle booklets Trish and Ben receive in the mail that lead them to even more wins. But as the puzzles get harder to solve, the risk of failing to do so increases. Alternating between Trish’s and Ben’s perspectives, LaRocca’s novel—a companion to 2019’s Midsummer’s Mayhem—is a Much Ado About Nothing homage that explores parental expectations, complicated friendships, and teamwork. The protagonists’ love of problem-solving shines through, and the puzzles themselves are clearly explained. As a third-generation Indian American, Trish also has moving conversations about the circumstances that led her grandparents to emigrate and how those decisions still impact their lives. Ben is implied White. Final illustrations not seen.
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1101-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming read that demystifies the work of making a movie and celebrates the gifts of authentic friendship.
Marcus, obsessed with making comics, finds new ambitions for his superhero character Toothpick when he joins an after-school filmaking club.
Always-working comedian Hart enters the children’s-literature world with this middle-grade novel uplifting one of the profound life lessons that helped catapult him to global superstardom. It’s certainly not a biography, but one can see the shades of reality, with a young Black boy who’s short and funny making his way into film. Marcus’ gift for storytelling is nurtured by his love of making comics (represented visually throughout by Cooper). Readers come to understand how these creative acts help process stress and grief via striking conversations between Marcus and his loving father that also show the critical importance of developing emotional language. After an inspiring first day of film class, Marcus declares that he will make the most awesome movie ever—but there’s a gigantic difference between making comics and making a movie: You can’t make a movie alone. He’s going to have to work with peers who challenge him. Through Marcus’ experiences, young readers will learn about the many different concepts, tools, and techniques that are part of the behind-the-camera filmmaking endeavor. Unfortunately, lumping Toni Morrison in with William Shakespeare as just another “dead author” is a distasteful moment in an otherwise enjoyable read. The book adheres to a Black default.
A charming read that demystifies the work of making a movie and celebrates the gifts of authentic friendship. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17914-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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