Friday, February 7, 2014

QB1 by Mike Lupica

Age Range: Ages 10 and up

This book can be best summed up as Friday Night Lights meets the Manning brothers. But that doesn’t do it complete justice.
Jake Cullen comes from a family of football and a legend of quarterbacks. His brother graduated the year before and now plays for a D1 college and his father is a former NFL player. Jake, as a high school freshman and younger brother, has to prove his own worth and abilities as a quarterback. He begins as a third string and through the book works his way up to first string quarterback leading the team to a state championship. As a freshman.

Okay I’m not going to lie. This does strike me as a little idealistic and unrealistic. I almost wish Jake had stepped out of his father and brothers shadow not as a triplicate version but as his own person. Yes, Jake is described as being bright and intelligent, using his mind as much as his body playing quarterback unlike his father and brother, but otherwise they all follow the same trajectory of success at a young age.

Anyway, ramble aside, Lupica does do an amazing job at capturing the aura and technicalities of football. This book could and will draw in football players and athletes who might be reluctant readers (and those who aren’t!) especially for middle school students. I work with several boys who play football and also struggle with reading. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to them. I think what I like best about Mike Lupica’s books (as well as Tim Green’s books – and Matt Christopher books – but sadly I feel like kids don’t read his books as much anymore) are that they not only capture the sport in detail - they also capture the real life human interactions.

There are strong friendships, rivalries among team mates and classmates, as well as the mixed bag of family dynamics. In this case Jake Cullen has two friends who he can turn to, a mother who roots for him and understands his views on life, a teammate rivaling for the quarterback spot, and a father who puts the older brother before Jake. The main character is usually a strong protagonist standing up to wrong doing is occurring (n this case a dual issue of the rival team mate and Jake’s own father) and taking the best path (not fighting the teammate but using words and walking away to keep the team together). But these books are still able to show how these characters struggle with their emotions and making hard decisions, making it seem more realistic. They’re not just goody two shoes who know the “right” way and always feel the “right” feelings. This book (as well as Lupica’s other books) show the real, grittier side of life and even with that side of life, you can still make good choices.


Hat’s off to a Connecticut author who makes sports come alive!

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