Football Books

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Other reviewers have done a great job explaining the plot of "Football Hero" by Tim Green. Anyone who reads this book will enjoy the story and the satisfying "good guys win with a compromise" ending. What is just as valuable is Green's writing style for young readers and the voice he projects in this title and last year's book "Football Genius."

Green has experience writing adult thrillers and non-fiction about life in the National Football League. Young readers get to partake of his writing talents and skill with all things literary by reading his new books. The language is accessible, the chapters are comfortable and managable in length, and the action is well considered. Green turns a not so good situation for a teenaged boy who has lost his family into a winning final score by giving young Ty Lewis a conscience. His choices to do the right thing are influenced by his older brother Thane's sage like stories of advice and this brings them closer while they are healing over the loss of their parents. There are many brotherhoods featured in "Football Hero" and Green prioritizes them so that readers understand that brothers can and should be able to count on each other for anything.

Teachers, librarians, and parents looking for something to encourage boys 8-12 to read will be pleased with Green's books.

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (7/08)

Welcome to the world of the National Football League! "Tiger" Lewis is predicted to be a top draft choice. His future looks bright and he should be rolling in fame and fortune very soon. He is all excited about the upcoming draft. He wants his younger brother Ty to join him for the "big draft weekend."

Ty would love to spend more time with his older brother but he has major obstacles in his way. Ty is a pretty good football player as well. Only thing is he can't even compete for his school's team. Uncle Gus and Aunt Victoria are Ty's legal guardians now that Ty and Tiger's parents have been killed in a car accident. Uncle Gus demands that Ty work in his cleaning business. What kind of life can this be for a young boy who has high hopes for a future like his older brother? Gus is obsessed with gambling! He can't seem to ever pass up a good or a not so good bet.

Ty Tiger is drafted by the Jets. Ty is excited for his brother. "Football Hero" tells the story of a draft choice in his rookie season in the National Football League. The author Tim Green uses his own experiences as being a draft choice and NFL rookie to bring insight to the story.

Middle schoolers will love this story. Aspiring athletes will see the turmoil that goes into their beloved game and the hard work that it takes. There is a touch of mystery in the story as you wonder if Uncle Gus can ever be cured of his addiction without drastic trouble or destruction. Even if you want to read just one book about the NFL, football or young adults this summer, you will want to snag this one. "Football Hero" by Tim Green is a sure-fire touchdown for young readers!

This book is just as good if not better than Football Genius. Tim Green really know the sport and some of the shady dealings that go along with it. In this story Ty, whose parents passed away get shipped to live with his aunt and uncle. Ty's older brother Thane is a college football star is destined to be one of the top picks in the upcoming NFL draft. Ty really wants to play middle school football but his uncle has other plans as he gets him a work permit for his 12th birthday and expects Ty to help out in his cleaning business. When Thane gets drafted Ty gets talked into helping out his uncle, who is gambling with the mafia, in exchange for being allowed to play football. What happens next is a whirlwind story that keeps you reading and wanting more. This is the second youth football story released by Tim Green and I cant wait for more releases.

Ty Lewis' parents have died in an accident, so he has gone to live with his dad's sister, Aunt Virginia, and Uncle Gus. Ty's older brother is Thane (aka Tiger) Lewis, a hopeful NFL first-round draft pick from Syracuse University. Thane and Ty are close, but because Thane is finishing up his college degree, Ty is forced to remain with his aunt and uncle.

Living with his aunt and uncle is horrible. Ty remembers the loving home he came from, and misses his parents terribly. His relatives make him sleep on a stained mattress on the floor in the laundry room. His uncle has scavenged an old Porta Potti that he forces Ty to use instead of the indoor plumbing. And now it's his twelfth birthday. Ty doesn't expect anything exciting, and it's even worse than he thought possible. His uncle presents him with a work permit allowing Ty to work for the family cleaning business. So while Ty and his cousin, Charlotte, spend their evenings after school scrubbing toilets and floors, his uncle sits back and drinks beer and socializes.

Ty has two shining spots in his life: his brother, Thane, and the chance to play on his middle school football team. Ty is fast and has sure hands. Coach V has great plans for Ty for the upcoming season. But his Uncle Gus does everything he can to keep Ty from playing football and away from his brother.

Then, Thane gets his draft pick and is worth millions. Uncle Gus enters into illegal gambling with the mafia, and Ty and Thane are the unwitting pawns. With the intervention of the FBI, Ty may come out better or worse than he started. But you have to read the story to see how the plot twists and turns.

I admit that I have never heard of Mr. Green before reading this story. Mostly because I will be honest and say I am not a fan of football. I go out of my way to avoid any game that may be on TV. But Mr. Green's story sounded exciting and thrilling. The story moved fast and had plots outside of football to interest those beyond the sports fans. This book will easily have appeal to boys ages 10 to 100. The reader will be satisfied to see that the underdog does come out on top in the end!

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

What else can I say? Yet again, my 7-year-old son and I devoured another Freddy the Pig book. This guy knows how to write and how to tell a great tale while slipping in tidbits for all ages.

Despite the title of the book, and despite the title of this review, this sixteenth volume in the Freddy the Pig series is much less about football, and much more about the Bean farm animals saving the day once more. This time the antagonist (Freddy readers like learning new words) is the dishonest Mr. Doty. He's so dishonest that Doty isn't even his real name. Animal-hater Mr. Garble recruits Mr Doty to pretend he's Mrs. Bean's long lost brother, to whom the Beans owe a large amount of money. In order to prevent the Beans from paying him, Freddy steals all the Beans' money from the bank. Where he hides it is for you to find out when you read the story.

There's a great deal to learn in this volume, including why spiders like to hang from the ceiling (try it yourself, the author suggests). A child will also learn many new words: felicitous, sanctum, recumbent, transgression, malefactor, culinary, pecuniary, habiliments, prejudice, hackneyed, and speach impediment.

We also find out that none of the prisoners in the Centerboro jail got through third grade, and that the prisoners love to play hopscotch. And we learn that under the laws of a free people, everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty.

There are also some fresh new Freddyisms here, as when Freddy states that Mr. Bean "is one of the best people in the world at not saying anything." And when Mr. Bean says to Freddy that he knows "you're not guilty, but don't do it again."

The principal audience for the Freddy the Pig series is 7 to 10 year olds, but they are also very fun for adults to re-read, too.

Walter Brooks begins this sixteenth tale of our indomitable porcine poet with a great stir on the Bean Farm. Mrs. Bean's long lost brother has been discovered, and is coming to the farm for a reunion. When Aaron Doty makes his appearance, it is with mixed reviews. He is generally nice enough, although he has a marked affection for telling tall tales, but he has a suspicious mean streak. In the final analysis, the animals come to suspect that he is a fraud, taking advantage of the fact that Mrs. Bean's brother left when she was quite young. When they find out that Doty is conspiring with sneaky Mr. Garble from Centerboro, they are convinced.

But what should they do? The Beans owe Doty half of Mrs. Bean's inheritance. $5,000 dollars that long ago was put into the farm. They will have to borrow the money from the bank, and that means the Bean's will be near destitute. Even when the animals trap Doty in one lie after another, Mrs. Bean is adamant. No matter how rotten the man is, as long as he is her brother he is entitled to the money. Freddy will have to go to unheard of extremes to make this problem come out right.

One the lighter side, Freddy manages to be drafted into the Centerboro High School football team. It seems that pigs make superb tackles, and the Centerboro team is in sad shape. To make matters worse, their archrivals from Tushville have several players on their roster who are old enough to be teachers. Whenever Freddy can make time, he is either in classes of at football practice. Hopefully he will be able to help the Centerboro team improve their hapless record.

As usual, Brooks and illustrator Kurt Wiese manage to recreate one of the strangest fantasy worlds ever put into children's books. Animals talk, often making more sense than do their human counterparts. Freddy is part poet, part banker, part newspaperman, and now, part left tackle. Spiders go for trips to California, and the Centerboro jail is better than most four star resorts. Through it all come positive lessons about friendship and support, honesty (well, sometimes), and an abiding belief that a determined effort will turn things around. Hard as it may be to believe, you can do a lot worse than learning your values from a pig!

As usual, Freddy gets into trouble and into the adventure by trying to help his friends. In this case, Mrs. Bean's long-lost brother turns up and wants his share of the inheritance, something that will bankrupt Mr. Bean and possibly ruin the farm. At the same time, he is needed to help the Centerboro high school football team beat its rival, Tushville, who has ringers playing on their team. The action is fast and furious, and a delight to read. Brooks and his Freddy books are a godsend to parents who read to their children.

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE 1993 KC CHIEFS WHO ALOMOST WON IT ALL. THE CHIEFS OF 1993 WENT OUT AND DID SOMETHING TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES BY PICKING UP 2 OF THE BEST BIG GAME PLAYERS OF THEIR TIME, MARCUS ALLEN AND JOE MONTANA. THE BOOK GOES INTO GREAT DETAIL HOW THE TEAM WAS PUT TOGETHER AND THEN GIVES A DETAILED LOOK AT HOW THEIR SEASON WENT. ALOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES INFO IS AVAILABLE IN THIS BOOK ALONG WITH SOME GREAT INTERVIEWS AND GAME BY GAME RESULTS IN MAKING THIS A MUST READ FOR ALL CHIEFS FANS.

This book rocks my world. I love the Chiefs and the Bob Gretz's daughter Liz is really cool.

Hail to the Chiefs changed my life. Before I was a bum out on the streets on Moscow, now I'm a successful astronaut. Hail to the Chiefs showed me the true meaning of life. Bob Gretz is my hero. He should win the Nobel Prize for Literature this year. Buy this book, it will change your life.

this book is sooo cool!!!!! bob gretz should win the noble prize!!!!! i loved it so much that i read it in a day!!! i couldn't put this book down! i would buy it if i were you!!!!!

This guide has everything you need to know about the 2007 wolverines. Great pictures, great articles. I highly recommend it. Go Blue!

You get excited when you see the maize and blue helmet on the cover of a magazine. Then you quickly read through the 2 page review on Michigan.

Then you realize the rest is about Texas P&Q university.

Now imagine the whole magazine was on Michigan - well imagine no more - this is that magazine. Keep a copy by the toilet, at your desk, by your bed, on the beach.. wherever you like to read.

Plus - you are supporting MGoBlog - the best blog site on the net.

Brian has the PhD in Michigan football. Brilliant analysis combined with humor make this THE book to read.

Brian Cook knows Michigan football -- backwards and forwards. If Fielding Yost were alive, he and Brian would be trading notes. The section on the stretch play alone is worth the sales price. Anyone who doesn't own this book can't seriously claim to be a Michigan fan.

Melanie & Snip have presented some wonderful children stories that really leave great evidence of their story telling ability and probably contained the essence of stories their loved ones shared with them. Some of these stories caused me to have flash backs of those delightful childhood experiences we all remember. I'm sure they'll inspire you to reflect in retrospect as well.

The 12 true stories were well written and appealing with great photography and amazing design work. I have to be honest the construct on the book alone is solid with excellent quality to the pages which I'm sure will last a life time. As I think about the thousands of books in my collection I am positive that most of them are not constructed nearly as well as this one is. But I would highly recommend any of their books as I have not been dissappointed by any of them. Not only are they excellent story tellers but they have done an amazing job at publishing this wonderful book. They could have easily split the book into a multiple seller and made more money but then it would have been "Sad Little Stories". I really think that they are quite amazing authors and I'm excited that they're working to give us more fine work like this. Thanks for your time.

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE

An awesome book. The stories are long enough to read one per night, and the photography is a really cool way to illustrate them.

This is a great book to read with your kids. It has good stories with a moral and lesson for all ages. Each story is a quick read that adds a nice break from the stress of the day!

Perhaps the best years of living take place between the ages of 5-12. The whole world opens up through reading, writing and learning to express yourself. With these new opportunities come choices and conflicts.

Happy Stories perfectly captures those years with stories that brim with freshness and warmth. Re-live the magic of those years by reading this book yourself. Or pass it on to your young reader and watch how it opens up their hearts and minds to the joys of happy living.

What little J. Dave Miller, another original
Arena League player, the author misses is what
should have been more on the very fine QB-RB-KR
Shawn-Ke'ali'i Withy-Allen. Withy alteranted with
the erratic but lovable fellow islander Tim Chang
for 7 of the lat nine games in the 10-4-0, '02
season.

Also, Withy played four years of Indoor Football
and won one Championship and his Fayetteville
Guard played in another Championship. The team
played in several leagues. This book is very good
but not as good as 'The Perfect Season' followup,
which turned out to be ['07] June Jones, III's
last season Coaching the Warrriors [not Rainbows]!

I just purchased this book and it's excellent! The photos are great, the flow of writing easy to follow and keeps the reader enthralled! There were tear-jerking and funny moments mixed with the hard work and serious work ethic of these boys turned men. Overall, it's an inspirational book for anyone who's ever been at the bottom and had only hope to bring them back up again. This is definately one of my favorite books! GO WARRIORS!!!

I live in Hawaii and never realized the unbelievable story of the University of Hawaii Football's dramatic comeback from being an all but forgotten footnote as a loseing fooball program to becomeing one of the nations best! The book is uncompromising in detail of the foritude and perseverence of what one man, coach June jones can do. It's what legends are made of. I haven't played football in over 37 years but it brought back the spirit and love for the game I thought I had forgotten. This book has soul and love for the players outside of the game. This book is hard to put down...I reccommend it to every father who has a son. Every person who loves Hawaii. Anybody who wants to read a 'true hero story!' And the Hawaii football story is still not over yet!

This book has a well-executed literary "gameplan". It discusses the history of the Hawaii program, the origins and meanings in its culture and traditions, the respective backgrounds of so many key figures, and an undeniable thread (Faith, Hope and Redemption)that weaves step by step, through from start to finish, the finish of course being the incredible achievements of an overlooked and under-funded football program long given up for dead.

If someone submitted a movie screenplay of the true stories that make up this book, they'd be laughed off the studio lot. Or at best, the film would be marginalized down to cheap laughs, stereotypical characters and situations.

This is an amazing and compelling story, whether you're a fan of Hawaii football, if you're a fan of sports in general, or even if you've never heard of June Jones or Colt Brennan but just want to read an uncommonly uplifting book. Highly recommended and very timely with their recent success and national recognition.

Hayden Fry is a revered figure in the state of Iowa, and rightly so. He arrived in Iowa City in 1979 and quickly resusitated one of the worst football programs in the country. Under Fry's direction, the Hawkeyes went to the Rose Bowl three times in a nine-year span. Fry also integrated the Southwest Conference at Southern Methodist, and in this well-written autobiography, he brings his long, career successful career to life and recalls many colorful anecdotes. This is an entertaining and illuminating book from one of the most significant coaches of his generation.

THROUGH HIS STORIES AND MEMOIRS HAYDEN FRY SHOWS EVERYBODY ONCE AGAIN THAT HE IS A "CLASS ACT".HE MAKES ME PROUD TO BE A HAWKEYE!! THANK YOU HAYDEN!

As a long-time fan of the Iowa Hawkeye football time, I watched them get repeatedly shelled during the late sixties and the seventies. Teams used to defeat them by thirty or more points and rarely have to throw a pass. In 1979, the savior arrived in the form of coach Hayden Fry, but at first it did not seem that that was the case. His statements like, "Scratch where it itches", at times sounded so homey that many people wondered if he was just another over-hyped coach who would add to the string of failures.
However, that all changed in the first half of the first game the Hawkeyes played under Fry. They stormed ahead of Indiana 26-3 in the first half, although they ultimately lost 30-26. From that point, everyone was a believer and his teams went on to give us some of the most exciting moments in our lives. This is Hayden's recollection of his life, although most of the ink is used to describe his years at Iowa, and there is very little of a personal nature that does not directly involve football. Reading it brought back so many fond memories of listening and watching, that I found myself reliving some of those times. If you are a Hawk fan, then this is a book that you must read.

Easy reading book on the very successful career of legendary (ranks as 10th all-time winningest coach in NCAA history) college football coach Hayden Fry, known nationally as the long-time and much loved coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes ("Americas Team"). The book chronicle's his [unprecedented] success in "turning-a-round" hapless football programs at SMU, North Texas and Iowa. Highlights include his 17 bowl games (including 3 trips to the Rose Bowl), spending a lot of time with the Iowa Hawkeyes where he coached for twenty years, including 3 Big Ten Championships, but also recalls his days at SMU where he was the man responsible for integrating football in Texas (SouthWest Conference)- arguably his greatest achievement in his football career. His days as a high school and college standout player are also explored - a true "aficionado" for the game of football! Hawkeye fans and football fans alike will enjoy this "yarn" from one of the most colorful characters in college football in a generation!

It's information is insightful, Biblical, practical and Ken puts into the hands of his readers a do-able, day to day playbook for Dad's to win with their kids. Ken's insights, stories and truths empower and equip men to leave lasting Godly imprints in the daily lives of their children and all those whom they touch....he helps us Packer fans to realize that though it may be hard to fathom...there are indeed higher priorities in life than football and dare I say it...the Green Bay Packers

Very inspirational. Easy read, great message. This book greatly affected my husband's relationship with our children. Great book for any dad, especially a sports (football) fan.

Home Field Advantage allows a father to remember what is really important and how he score where it really counts.

In 1992, Dave Branon of Sports Spectrum joined with Joe Pellegrino to present Christian role models in baseball. Now Branon and Packer Ken Ruettgers give us a role model in football, a sport in desperate need of same. When the bad boys get all the ink, we all need to look beyond that to the behavior and character of players like Ruettgers. Branon - we're waiting for the good guys of basketball. The mainstream media don't even try to hide their rolling eyes and smug boredom when Christian players praise The Lord. Get over it, media, and ask yourselves why you're disturbed at a player who kneels in the end zone to thank his Lord rather than break into a dance of self-glorification.Bit by bit, book by book, the good guys are gaining.For more on the Branon touch, try a subscription to his magazine, Sports Spectrum. It's a whole new world out there, sports fans, a world where the Minister of Defense is in the pulpit

Chad Hennings is a man of commitment and a man of God. In his book, Hennings stresses the importance of commitment and shows how his life time commitment to hard work has landed him in the National Football League. This is a wonderful book that is interesting and easy to read.

Chad's book has inspired many people who look to him as a role model. His book reflects on how important a good moral and religious foundation is to the development of a true winning spirit, whether on the field or off. Small town Iowa does not afford you many chances. But Chad set his sights on his dream, figured out what it took to acheive them and then took action, while keeping his foundation in the Lord. Chad continues to remember where he came from, and has not let his position in the NFL cloud who he really is, and what is important in his life.

Chad Hennings speaks from the heart - the heart of a godly man. Life has many things in store - highs as high as winning the Superbowl and lows as low as seeing your child wrought in crippling pain. Yet through everything, there is one constant - Jesus Christ is always there for you and everyone who calls on his name. Chad is an awesome individual - not for his football abilities, but for his commitment to Jesus Christ and his family.

I met Chad Hennings last year at a local grocery store. He greeted my wife and me with kindness and sincerity. His heart and committment are as strong as his grip. It Takes Committment is a wonderful book. Chad talks about the level of committment needed in devotion to family, working with teammates, and certainly not least, submitting to God. Amidst the Dallas Cowboys' tumultuous times as of recent is Chad Hennings, a rock of honor and example. His comments are sorely needed, not just in football, but in today's culture in general. The book is easily readable for all ages, and brims with honesty and love. I agree with Emmitt Smith's foreword: This book was written by a man of God and needs to be read by every American adult and youth. You won't be disappointed

Jim Brown is a true Icon on so many levels beyond sports. on the field in college and NFL He is One of the best who ever did it. socially He has done alot of great things. he has always spoken out and been his own man.this book was very detailed and a must have. he speaks on such a wide range of topics and pulls no punches.

As I write this, football great Jim Brown's autobiography, OUT OF BOUNDS, is out of print. While I have not ready every autobiography or sports bio, I can't imagine one more engrossing than the Cleveland Brown's OUT OF BOUNDS. Two reasons: 1)It's the story of possibly the best football player to date, in his own words. 2)Jim Brown's own words are dead honest. If you think he's kidding about anything you read in OUT OF BOUNDS, I'd like to see you tell him to his face. Don't give up the search to find OUT OF BOUNDS!

This book was an excellent biography abput sports legend Jim
Brown. He covers his outstanding football career at Syracuse
University. He is also able to give adequate coverage to his
outstanding career as a professional football player. He covers the women who have been a part of his life. He also discusses the football coaches that he dealt with during his football
career. Brown also openly discusses his role in many social issues of the time. He is still even today a hero to many Americans. This book gives an outstanding coverage of his life.
You will not be dissapointed. Buy it.

Read this 4 or 5 years ago, but I can still remember things JB mentioned. This is easily the best sports bio I've read. Usually these things are complete fluff, but JB is a man of substance and he speaks out with intelligence and experience on a number of things (race relations, gangs, etc.) In many ways he is the anti-OJ; he has never gone out of his way to fit in with whites while turning his back on the meanstreets. Rather, he has dedicated much of his life to helping young blacks improve themselves and get out of the gangster life. He does a lot of honorable things, that's why it saddens me when I hear about his repeated run ins w/the law for beating his wife/girlfriend. In any case, this book gives great insight into the complex mind of the greatest football player to ever play the game.