Two-Minute Drill

Two Minute Drill by Mike Lupica is a story about a boy named Scott that moves to a new town and school. At his new school, he had no friends and a bully was always picking on Scott. One time when Scott was being picked on, the coolest kid in his grade name Chris, stuck up for Scott. After that, Scott and Chris became friends. While Chris was one of the best football player on the team, Scott didn't think he was good at all. But since Scott's father had played football for Boston College, Scott thought he should join the football team anyway. It turned out that Scott was really good at kicking. Scott and Chris' football team made it to the championship in their league. Scott's team was losing by one point in the fourth quarter with three seconds left. And the coach told Scott to go out and do something and if you want to find out about the end of the book you should read this book. I liked this book a lot. It was a very good book. My favorite part of the book is the end but, you will have to read it to find out about it. My favorite character is Scott, because he thinks he's not good at football but, he keeps trying and doesn't quit the team and he finds out what he's good at in football. I think the author wrote this book for a lesson to never give up. I recommend his book to everybody that likes football even if you don't like football it is still a very good book. I hope this book review makes you want to go out and read this book, because it is a very good book.

Two-Minute Drill: Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids (Comeback Kids Series) Scott Parry is - once again - the new kid at school, and just wants to fit in and make friends. But as the smartest kid in his sixth-grade class, he's already picked up the nickname "brain" and become the target of a class bully. Scott's ambitions aren't about schoolwork; all he really wants to do is play football. The problem is that, try as he might, he's far too clumsy to play well and his only real skill is drop-kicking. Chris Conlan is the quarterback of the town's sixth-grade team, and the boy that all the other boys want to be like. When the two strike up an unlikely friendship, Cris encourages Scott to try out for the team. But as much as Scott needs Chris' help to stay on the team, it turns out that Chris needs Scott's help as well. The two of them will have to learn some difficult lessons about determination and about friendship if they expect to take their team all the way to the championship. Scott's dad was a college football player and supports Scott's dreams, but walks the fine line that all good fathers do between helping children learn to make their own decisions and protecting them from harm - including from other adults. Above all else, Scott's dad encourages Scott to be himself. That's not a simple feat for Scott, since he doesn't always see himself clearly, let alone act according to who he is. But Scott's dad can see in Scott what he doesn't see for himself - that his skill in academics is just as worthy as his skill in football and will take him further in life, that he often can't tell the line between working hard and knowing when to stop - and tries his best to act as Scott's moral compass. Mike Lupica writes with real understanding and compassion about a time of life that can be difficult for boys. Scott wants to achieve his goals for himself but also wants things in his life to be other than what they are. He's uncertain not only about himself but also in his friendship with Chris; wanting to be with him but also scared of Chris thinking that he likes him too much. Scott and Chris are both filled with ambition, but both are also hemmed in by the world of powerful adults around them. Two Minute Drill's story emphasizes the importance of reading, and that learning in itself can be a source of real enjoyment. Lupica also deftly slips in references to two YA books, My Brother Sam is Dead and Hoot, with the suggestion that they might be of interest to boys of this same age as well. And of course the subject matter of Two Minute Drill - sports and football - can help make this book appealing to boys who might not be interested in reading about other topics. Two Minute Drill is about the importance of sportsmanship, determination, friendship, fatherhood, and reading. In short, it's a great Book Dads book.

Because I write books for boys, publishers occasionally ask if I'd like to review their books for boys. You can find others who have reviewed these books for story and content, but I want to speak from the perspective of reluctant readers. Today I'm pleased to comment on a series of sports related books by Mike Lupica. The books I received are: Long Shot Hot Hand Safe at Home Two-Minute Drill The covers on these books are dramatic and each catches the action from the sport that is featured in the story. Young readers, especially boys, are sure to be attracted because of the graphics on these covers. Mike Lupica is a sports reporter, including a weekly appearance on ESPN's The Sports Reporters. This quality adds to the authenticity of his writing as he captures the flavor of each sport. His opening paragraphs immediately identify the main character and his circumstances. For example, in the Two-Minute Drill, the story begins, "There were a lot of bad parts that came with being the new kid." In Hot Hand, we learn that Billy Raynor's parents have just separated. The books have large type, shorter sentences, and lots of dialog. These are elements that I employ in my books, and I'm pleased to see them used here. Mike's stories read quickly and should be enjoyed by avid and reluctant young readers, especially boys who love sports. [...]

And... it's good! I think it was brilliant for Mike Lupica to name his book the Two-Minute Drill. My reason for that is the football team had to run a two minute drill to win the championship. Chris, my favorite character, is the quarterback that had to lead the team down the field. A reason I enjoyed reading this book was that it shows how one friend can make all the difference. Scott and Chris worked together to solve their challenges. Chris encourages Scott to join the football team after seeing Perry Field (Scott's backyard). They both had personal setbacks, Chris was dyslexic, but Scott was extremely smart and tutored him, while Chris, the best player on the team, helped Scott with football. People that love sports, challenges, and conflicts should read this book. Mike Lupica's style was hard to get used to but once you get in, there's no getting out, especially if you like sports fiction and football. The middle of the book was easy to follow because it had a nice clam flow. If you have already read this book I recommend Hot Hand another book in the series. This book is a must for football fans!

And... it's good! I think it was brilliant for Mike Lupica to name his book the Two-Minute Drill. A reason I enjoyed reading this book was that it shows how one friend can make all the difference. Also, the way the main charters, Scott and Chris worked together to solve their challenges is something I liked. Chris encourages Scott to join the football team. My favorite charter is Chris because he is a great quarterback and a great friend. The football team has to run a two minute drill to win the championship. They both had personal setbacks but they accomplished their goals on and off the field. The story is told in Scott's point of view. I recommend it to people that love sports and challenges or conflicts and people that love sports fiction. Mike Lupica's style was hard to get used to but once you get in there's no getting out especially if you like sports fiction and football. The middle of the book was easier to read because I understood the story. If you have already read this book I recommend Hot Hand another book in the series. This book is a must for football fans!