True Legend

I must say that True Legend has become my new favorite Mike Lupica book…and I am a huge fan of all of his books. This story is about a high school basketball player named Drew that everyone calls, “True”, because he is the real deal. He is so talented that an agent moved him and his mother from the East coast to the West coast to play in his own facility. Drew knows that he gets by in life because others look out for him. Everyone knows he is on his way to stardom. His best friend, Lee, a teammate that isn’t as talented as Drew even helps with all of his school assignments. Things begin to change when Drew notices an old guy playing ball amazingly on an outdoor court really late at night. The guy takes off once Drew lets him know he has been watching him. At an extremely important game, with seconds left on the clock, Drew makes the arrogant decision to take the game winning shot when Lee was wide open and would’ve made it without a doubt. Drew misses – the old guy is at the game and shows Drew his disappointment. Drew is determined to find out who this guy is – why did this guy not make it in the big league? Will Drew learn what it really takes to become a legend before it is too late? The video clip below is an interview of Mike Lupica on the Today Show.

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The Underdogs

My students and I love Mike Lupica’s books. The Underdogs is not only a book about football, but about the economic downturn that many of our cities have faced in recent years. Will Tyler loves football and is determined to have a team despite so many families moving out of town because factories have closed and jobs have been lost. Without money, there are no resources for sports. When he writes a letter to New Balance for sponsorship and gets a positive response, his dreams seem to be coming true. Unfortunately, Will has a hard time finding guys to play on the team. When Hannah, a classmate and star soccer player, tells Will she wants to play on his football team, Will and his father have some difficult decisions to make. Read The Underdogs to see if heart and determination are enough to bring a dying town to their feet. Other great books by Lupica include The Batboy, Hero, The Big Field, Million-dollar Throw, Summer Ball, Two-minute Drill, Heat, Miracle on 49th Street, and Travel Team.

Hero

Over the six years I have been the librarian at my school, Mike Lupica’s books have been on our middle school reading list every single year. Yes, he’s that good and my students enjoy his books tremendously. Although he mentions the New York Knicks a lot, he has strayed away from the sports genre to mystery/suspense with his newest novel, Hero. The beginning of the story is narrated by fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman’s father, a hero who worked for the government, but ultimately dies in a plane crash. The story is then narrated by Zach who has doubts about his father’s death being an accident. His father was invincible. Strange things begin to happen to Zach shortly after his father’s death. He begins to have special powers which enable him to sense danger and fight off attackers. With the help of his good friend, Kate, Zach sets out to find answers about his father’s past. In doing so, he must decide who can be trusted in his life. Will Zach be the hero his father was? Other great reads by Mike Lupica include Million Dollar Throw, The Big Field, Travel Team, Miracle on 49th Street, Summer Ball, and Heat.

The Batboy

Mike Lupica’s, The Batboy, is a must read for all you baseball fans. Fourteen-year-old Brian Dudley has started his dream job - being the batboy for the Detroit Tigers. Brian’s father, a former major league pitcher, walked out on him and his mom two years before. Brian’s love for baseball stems from his relationship with his father. It was their connection. Brian plays baseball as well and aspires to be like his idol, Hank Bishop. Things seem to be looking up when the Tigers add Hank Bishop to their roster. Hank is just returning to the major leagues with a tarnished image from his use of steroids. Nevertheless, Brian has always believed in Hank’s accomplishments at the plate. What happens when the person you look up to most isn’t who you imagined him to be? How do you get yourself out of a hitting slump when everything you have tried fails? Although a predictable storyline, the characters (especially the minor ones) will make you glad that you read this one. Check out Mike Lupica’s other great books: Heat, Travel Team, Miracle on 49th Street, Summer Ball, The Big Field, and Million-Dollar Throw. Click on the book trailer below for an introduction to The Batboy.