Football Genius (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: football genius, angle route, bench area, Seth Halloway, Jamie Renfro, Bryan Scott (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adult author and former Atlanta Falcon Green (American Outrage) delivers a satisfying YA debut, using his own NFL experience to bring readers behind the scenes. Twelve-year-old Troy White's athletic ability and his preternatural talent for predicting football strategy are both going to waste (he's stuck playing second-string on his team), until frustration with a vicious bully on his team pushes him to borrow an official NFL football from local Atlanta Falcons star linebacker Seth Halloway. As Troy languishes on his own football team and resents the father who abandoned him, he strives to alert the Falcons of his gift: Sometimes a kid's heart tells him to do something and he needs to listen, even if it means getting in trouble. Acting as a mentor, Seth encourages Troy to come clean about his adventures (The truth is more important than the trouble it brings) and to forgive his father's desertion (All I know is, things happen. Unless you're the one they're happening to, you usually can't understand it). Seth ends up dating Troy's mother and coaching Troy's team, giving Troy the chance to shine not only on the sidelines, where his play-predicting ability helps bring the Falcons to victory, but on the field as well. There was no rage fueling him now. It was something else, a blinding energy he never knew he had. Non-sports fans will root for underdog Troy (I want to do something. I want to be something. I thought this was my chance) and enthusiasts will thrill to the firsthand knowledge Green brings to the novel. Ages 10-up. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Troy White has a lot of frustrations. His father abandoned the family when he was little, his beloved Atlanta Falcons team seems destined for another losing season, and, on his own football team, his gifts as a quarterback are ignored while he sits on the bench, watching the coach's son on the field. Troy's most unusual gift is his ability to predict coming football plays with uncanny accuracy. When his mother is hired for a PR job with the Falcons, Troy sees an opportunity, yet he can't convince anyone to recognize his talents. Finally, the Falcons' middle linebacker sees Troy's gifts, and Troy becomes the team's secret weapon. Some kids will find the premise a little far-fetched. Still, the author, who has written numerous adult titles and spent eight years in the NFL, imparts many insider details that football fans will love. Green makes Troy a winning hero, and he ties everything together with a fast-moving plot. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061122734
• ISBN-13: 978-0061122736
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,700 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #10 in	Books > Teens > School & Sports > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 4, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Football Genius (Hardcover)

Troy White may seem like any ordinary 12-year-old. He listens to his mom, doesn't steal or sneak out (well, maybe just once) and he's a pretty good athlete. Troy and his mother have each other to survive; they aren't rich or poor but are happy together.

But the one thing that separates Troy from every other 12-year-old is his ability to predict what could happen next. He can't predict what he might get on his next exam at school or what will happen to him in the next ten years, though. Instead, Troy can predict football plays before they even happen. Sounds cool, right? But what good is it if Troy can hardly use this gift?

Then Troy's mom gets a job with his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, who aren't doing so well and have been basically losing all of the time. This seems like the perfect chance for Troy to help them out, and maybe they could finally win a game. But would the Falcons jump at the chance and actually believe that a young boy can predict plays, or would they just look at Troy as some crazy fan? With the help of Tate and Nathan, Troy's best friends, Troy might actually pull this off and maybe even learn a little more about his talents, other than his supernatural one.

FOOTBALL GENIUS is a story that both football lovers and non-football fans will enjoy along with any person of any age. Tim Green uses cinematic descriptions that let readers feel that they are experiencing and present at the actual games. As a person who is not a big fan of the sport, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best In a Long Time..., September 7, 2007

By	David K. Taggart (Calhoun, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Football Genius (Hardcover)

This is the best football novel for young readers in a generation.

Troy White is a back-up quarterback on his youth league team; the coach's son starts. He and his single Mom live in rural southern poverty, and troy listens to train whistles in the night.

But Troy has a gift -- he knows what football plays teams will run next. Any teams -- kids league, college, pro. Troy's a genius who can predict what the offence will do.

So when his Mom gets a job in the publicity department of the Atlanta Falcons, Troy suddenly has the chance to get into the big time. But will anybody believe a mere kid? Even if he can convince the Falcons All-Pro linebacker, will the coaches and the team believe him?

A former Atlanta Falcon, author Tim Green gives a behind the scenes look into the real world of pro football. The relationships between Troy, his young friends, and enemies are true to life, and the southern atmosphere authentic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was amazing, October 24, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Football Genius (Hardcover)

If you want a good book today, you should grab Football Genius, by Tim Green. This is a story of a kid named Troy, who is an underdog. This book is realistic fiction and was written by a retired football player. Troy's mom got a job with the Atlanta Falcons which brought Troy's dream to where he wanted it to be. His dream was to be around football players. He was a football genius because he could see a play before it even started and that is how the Atlanta Falcons started to win, because they used Troy. Another thing that happened in Football Genius is when Troy and his mom went to the Atlanta Falcon's stadium. Since Troy's mom worked for the Falcons, she had access to the field. They would call each other, and Troy would tell his mom the plays and she would signal that to a player. Eventually, the assistant coach found out about this, took her cell phone away, and broke it. The reason he did this is because he didn't want the Falcons to win since the had lost so many games that he would soon become head coach. Troy saw this happen, went upstairs to see the owner, and almost got caught by the police doing so. I liked this book because it kept me turning each page until the end. My recommendation about this book is if you like football you should go for it, but most importantly if you feel like giving up on something you should read this book because it will teach you not to. For readers who love sports and action, Football Genius is the book for you.