Customer Reviews

Football Champ: A Football Genius Novel (Football Genius Novels)

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I'm in fifth grade, and I just finished this book. I thought that Troy was a great main character, and I think the thing he can do by calling plays is really cool. I think that other kids will like this book, even if they don't like football.

Readers were first introduced to young football player and fan Troy White in the 2007 bestseller FOOTBALL GENIUS. In the sequel, FOOTBALL CHAMP, author and former NFL player Tim Green complicates Troy's life with everything professional sports is famous for: concussions, steroids, lies and trick plays. Like the revival of the wildcat play last season in the NFL, Green's new book about the perils of being a young football genius provides readers with a great story and terrific suspense because it's never apparent when the trick play is going to happen. The anticipation keeps fans glued to every play and readers furious to turn pages in hopes that the next play or the next chapter will be the sparkling episode that wins the game or finalizes an exciting tale.

Green was a star player in his years with the Atlanta Falcons, and that brilliance carries over into his chapter books for young readers. Older readers will appreciate his writing about the world of professional sports because of his insider knowledge, good and bad, of events and circumstances that add sting and flavor to his stories.

Troy is living the dream life of a 12-year-old little league football quarterback with his favorite Atlanta Falcons player, Seth Halloway, as the coach, his mom Tessa working in public relations for the Falcons, and Troy himself on the sidelines every Sunday sharing his particular talent with the Atlanta coaches. Troy's special abilities have to be kept a secret, and his youth makes that a challenge for him. He's been taught that the truth is always the best choice, but when he makes that choice and tells shifty sportswriter Brent Peele about how he sends plays to the coaching staff, it takes a while to straighten things out. As some reporters with a vendetta to settle will do, Troy's words get twisted. The front page "scandal" gets everyone involved --- from Troy's best friends Tate and Nathan right up to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Green's writing continues to represent strong ideas with excellent linguistic and vocabulary choices that will challenge readers ages 8-12, yet the structure of the writing has matured and represents new heights as far as story arcs go. Characters grow and change, good triumphs over bad, and friends stick together in the end. As a sign of a subtle change in his style, however, Green expands on a personal mystery that has affected Troy's entire life. In the first book, Troy's father is a distant looming dark cloud on the horizon of everything he does. With the sequel, Troy begins to question the ideal of a father and how having one would make any difference to his life. He doesn't discuss the subject with his mother, but he will definitely have to after the last page of FOOTBALL CHAMP.

It wouldn't be surprising to hear about readers camping out on Green's front yard begging for the next installment of the football books. He sure can leave 'em hanging and wanting more!

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

Troy has a perfect life. He is the star quarterback for his little league team which is heading into the playoffs, he and his mom are working for the Atlanta Falcons, and his mom is dating the all star linebacker, Seth Halloway. Troy has a special gift. His gift is he can figure out the plays of the offense by their formations and players on the field. But, people start to get suspicious. Brent Peele who is Seth Halloway's old teammate from college tries to ruin Troy's life by saying he is cheating by taking other coaches plays.

Many exciting events happened in the book, but the most compelling was when Peele initiated the rumor of Seth taking steriods and Seth's job became in jeporady. What I liked about the book was it was very interesting and always kept pulling me back in, such as when Seth would yell and use actions against Peele. i couldn't even put the book down, my teachers yelled at me because i wasn't paying attention in class because i was reading. What i thought was really cool was that when they were talking about the Falcons games they used players' real names that play for the NFL today. Tim Green is a great writer and knows alot about sports. This is an advantage for him because he can put more detail into his stories and add dramatic clarity. Most kids would love this book, even if they don't like football.

Troy has a perfect life. He is the star quarterback for his little league team which is heading into the playoffs, he and his mom are working for the Atlanta Falcons, and his mom is dating the all star linebacker, Seth Halloway. Troy has a special gift. His gift is he can figure out the plays of the offense by their formations and players on the field. But, people start to get suspicious. Brent Peele, Seth's old teammate from college, is reporting bad things and Seth gets angry. What will Brent do to make troy's family look bad? This is a very intriguing book and deserves a 5 star rating!

Many exciting events happened in the book, but the most compelling was when Peele initiated the rumor of Seth taking steriods and Seth's job became in jeporady. What I liked about the book was it was very interesting and always kept pulling me back in, such as when Seth would yell and use actions against Peele. What I thought was really cool was that when they were talking about the Falcons games they used players' real names that play for the NFL today. Tim Green is a great writer and knows alot about sports. This is an advantage for him because he can put more detail into his stories and add dramatic clarity. Most kids would love this book, even if they don't like football. Many parts in the story line are captavating.

Andrew Bartley

I love the book football champ!

By: Rand Herbik

I really enjoyed football champ! It is a book about a kid named Troy and he lives in Atlanta. He is a huge falcons fan. His mom works for the falcons. His mom and Seth Halloway (Falcons star linebacker) start to like each other. But, Brent Peele (reporter) is trying to sabotage Seth's career because Brent played in college with him and Seth ended his career. So, because Seth plays for the Falcons he is trying to make the falcons lose. Troy has a talent that allows him to predict the other team's plays, and he gets a job with the falcons. So now Brent Peele is trying to sabotage that too. To try and get Seth in trouble, Brent Peele says that Seth is taking steroids. So does Mr. Gumble (Seth's doctor). Troy, Tate and Nathan (Troy's friends) know that isn't true. So they go to Mr. Gumble and make him admit that isn't true and get it on tape. Troy knows this will now clear Seth's name for good. Also, Troy's team win the state championship!

my son loves Tim Green's books. they are great for 4-5th graders. tim knows how a boy thinks, how football is played and puts them together for a great read for a young boy. thanks tim!

My son loved this book and could not put it down after he began reading it. He finished the book in about a week. I also purchased Football Hero and Football Genius...which he really enjoyed. He is almost 10 and is a huge college and NFL football fan!

Tim Green delivers a sports thriller with heart. His insider knowledge of sports as a former NFL player adds so much, as does his sure sense of pace. Now Troy White, who's helping the Atlanta Falcons to the play-offs with his genius ability to predict football plays,is trying to stop a reporter who's bent on destroying the reputation of Falcons' quarterback Seth Halloway. His friends, Tate and Nathan, are in on the chase--and the media frenzy--all the way to the action-packed finale.