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Overview
Tiki and Ronde were the stars of their Pee Wee football team, the Cave Springs Vikings. But middle school is much bigger than elementary school and it’s a whole different game—on and off the field. When Coach Spangler takes a job coaching for the high school team and Tiki’s old science teacher Mr. Wheeler is tapped for the middle school coaching job, the beginning of the school year and the football season is off to a bumpy start. But through working together, the boys discover that the whole team is bigger than any of its parts.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
The Hidden Valley Eagles have a new coach, and no one is happy. Last season, beloved Coach Spangler led the team to the District Championship, and the team expected he would do the same this year. But he has been replaced unexpectedly by Mr. Wheeler, a science teacher who once played football in college. What does he know about coaching? Not much, in the opinion of most of the team members. He wants them to watch videos? To understand that football is a mental game as well as a physical one? Maybe it's not the game that's mental...maybe it's the coach! That is certainly the opinion of the talented but arrogant quarterback, Cody Hansen. Cody thinks the game is all about him. The Eagles' first game is a huge, mistake-filled disappointment, and hopes of winning a second championship are rapidly fading. Is it possible for the new coach and the team to figure out a way to work together and get back on track for another winning season? Based on the childhood experiences of real-life football stars, Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber, this book celebrates the sport of football and the teamwork that makes victory possible. A list of definitions for all of the football plays mentioned in the book is included for those with little prior knowledge of the specific terminology. Reviewer: Anita Barnes LowenSchool Library Journal
Gr 4-8
Ronde and Tiki Barber are entering eighth grade and ready to defend their school's title as football division champs. Unfortunately, their beloved coach announces that he has accepted a job at the nearby high school. On top of that, their quarterback is dividing the team with his hotdogging antics and insults. The Barber twins are convinced that, if they can get the team to listen to their new coach, they can salvage the season. The authors are NFL players and know a thing or two about football. Unfortunately, this novel uses terminology that may be too complex for all but the most passionate fans of the game. A glossary is included, but a solid familiarity with terms and rules is still necessary or kids will be left behind. An adult sensibility prevails: a former teammate declares that a player is "just immature.... I was the same way in seventh grade." On the same note, in the midst of training, Tiki has an inner monologue about how lucky he is "in the mom department"-what 13-year-old thinks about that during football practice? This book will circulate based on the subject, the authors' popularity, and the snazzy cover. However, it will satisfy only the most avid football fans.-Laura Lutz, Queens Borough Public Library, NY