The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game

November 22, 2010
Feinstein's fifth installment about junior sports reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson mines his adult nonfiction title, A Civil War (Little, Brown, 1996) for its setting: the annual Army-Navy game, a gridiron classic that traditionally ends the college football season. Considerable time is spent spinning a thread about security and racism because President Barack Obama plans to attend, but the real "mystery" unspools quickly, late in the story. Stevie and Susan Carol share a subtle but sweet chemistry stemming from their shared love of sports as well as their experiences as 14-year-old reporters, whose credibility as observant insiders is rarely questioned by adults. Feinstein's respect for both West Point's cadets and the midshipmen of Annapolis is evident, making this a good choice for kids with an interest in the military, but the most enthusiastic audience will be readers who devour Sports Illustrated the moment it arrives. Feinstein unloads on corrupt officiating and the professionalization of college sports, and he writes cameos for a parade of sports stars and the reporters who cover them, creating a rousing backdrop for this light but engaging read. Ages 10–up.

August 15, 2010
Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, intrepid teen sports reporters, are once again teamed up with Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns on a big nationally televised game (Change-up: Mystery at the World Series, 2009, etc.). The football rivalry between West Point and Annapolis is longstanding, and the traditions associated with it, as well as the differences between the military academy programs and regular universities, add much-needed color, as the plot's pace is decidedly slow. Told in chapters that alternate between prior events and the day of the game, the mystery comes slowly into focus. President Obama is attending, and one of the main characters is the head of the Secret Service, providing distraction from the real evildoers. Feinstein continues to use real famous people as characters and provides walk-on roles for golfer Phil Mickelson, reporter Bob Woodward and many others in addition to the president. Fun for those who like the focus on the background of sports rather than the actual game, this is a serviceable entry in the series. (Mystery. 10-14)

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December 1, 2010

Gr 6-9-Intrepid teen reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are once again granted extraordinary access to the behind-the-scenes action at a major sports event. In the course of pursuing their journalistic duties, they meet a number of real-life celebrities including journalist Bob Woodward, legendary basketball coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Bobby Knight, politico Ed Rendell, golfer Phil Mickelson, and sports commentator Tony Kornheiser. Even Barack Obama works the kids into his schedule. Since the "mystery" (involving corrupt officials at the Army/Navy game) is not introduced until page 225, there is plenty of room for background on the service academies' rivalry, as well as other seemingly random topics (a story line on Susan Carol's participation in a swim meet, for instance, is dropped into the middle of the narrative, and abruptly abandoned). Even aspiring sports journalists will find it difficult to stick with this meandering effort.-Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT

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