New Kid

February 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-After hitting a two-run homer in the third inning that ties the championship game, Tommy Rust finds himself at bat, poised to bring in the game-winning run. Then his dad shows up and Tommy knows he's not there to watch the big game. It's time to run. For as long as Tommy can remember, this is how they live- going from town to town, always under a different name. By the time Tommy and his dad reach their destination, a little town in Upstate New York, he has memorized his new name, Brock Nickerson, and managed to push down his anger at being uprooted yet again. In an attempt to fit in at his new school, Brock accepts a dare and throws a rock through Coach Hudgens's window. The Coach, admiring Brock's throwing arm, offers a ticket out of trouble: he wants Brock to join the travel team. Brock and the Coach are compelling and sympathetically drawn characters. Brock's dad is not as fleshed out and comes across as inconsistent. While the baseball action is engaging, the mystery surrounding the father and what he does for a living is never fully explained. This lack of resolution may hint at future installments.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

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Starred review from January 15, 2014
A teenage baseball star struggles not only with game-day stress, but also with the ever-present fear that his world is about to end. Brock Nickerson, whose name was Tommy last week, has more than his fair share of problems. Just like plenty of other kids, he worries about finals, baseball and bullies, but he also has to think about which microwave meal he'll heat up for himself for dinner and when his dad will announce it's time for them to leave again. For good. His dad's job is mysterious and dangerous, and it requires them to stay on the run. Moving abruptly has only gotten harder as Brock gets older, and when he finds a great baseball coach and a good friend--and a potential girlfriend--the thought of leaving it all behind terrifies him even more. Best-selling author and former NFL defensive end Green delivers a riveting book about the complexities of being a teenager caught in unusual circumstances beyond his control. His writing is both compelling and intelligent, and even the implausible scenes--like a visit from a baseball great--still maintain a feel of authenticity. Even readers who aren't sports fans will find plenty of familiar drama and entertainment in this book. Exciting, romantic and thought-provoking, this book scores a home run. (Fiction. 10-14)

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