Never Say Quit [Hardcover]

Bill Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993 | Age Level: 9 and up

Angry when they are excluded from the soccer team, sixth grader Justine and the rest of the school misfits form their own team and begin training with a coach who drinks heavily but gives them a special gift.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rejected by the local soccer team, a motley assortment of kids decides to recruit enough members to form their own team. They call themselves the Misfits, intending to describe their racial, economic and emotional makeup. Needing a coach, they draft their former principal, now an alcoholic. In exchange for payment in beers, he takes on their cause and, using self-esteem boosters, pulls the team together. Along the way, he solves (with alarming ease) various problems related to immigration and physical abuse. The pat solutions and cliched wisdom negate any possible credibility. Characters are little more than personifications of social problems, while colorless writing and a predictable plot further weaken this would-be Breakfast Club . Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

They're the leftovers. The scrubs. Four boys and three girls. The seven nobody wants. Hot-shot soccer team rejects. So Justine, Randy and Brandon decide to form their own team: The Misfits.

It's not easy finding players, but it is even harder persuading down-and-out Paul Reiner, a former high school principal, to be their coach.

Finally Coach Reiner agrees to help. Rule #1, says the Coach, "You've got to become a team." It's a whole new ballgame as Justine and the gang learn how to turn outsiders into friends.

But the real goal is soon clear: to prove to Coach Reiner that he needs them as much as they need him... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823410137
• ISBN-13: 978-0823410132
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,430,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Summer Book, June 18, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Never Say Quit: Never Say Quit (Paperback)

In this fast-paced book,Justine Smith and her friends are leftovers.Misfits.Rejects from one of the best soccer teams in state.They know they can improve if they are given a chance. So they track down their old high school principal, Paul Reiner, to be their coach. Finally,he agrees. But as they improve, they find that Coach Reiner has a problem much worse than their's.

I enjoyed this book because the ending is better than most books you can read today. It makes you feel peaceful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, August 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Never Say Quit: Never Say Quit (Paperback)

I got interested into Bill Wallace when my teacher read Ferrets in the Bedroom , Lizzards in the Fridge. I really liked that book. I really liked Never Say Quit. It was a good book. The team called the misfits try to find a coach. THe coach will only coach them if they give him beer. Coach drops out and gets so drunk he can't coach them, or can he? Find the book and read it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Say Quit, July 19, 2007

By 

Mama H "nurturer of readers" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Never Say Quit: Never Say Quit (Paperback)

As a teacher of learning disabled preteens, I can not rave enough about what a great start of the school year novel this is....it serves as a team builder for the class, with challenging social themes but not overly taxing vocabulary. Bill Wallace has made a great contribution to early middle school literature. My only regret is that all my copies had to be bought second hand. Many students have requested to keep copies, but due to limited availability this was not possible since many of my coteachers are now borrowing my novel set to use with their students. A reprinting of this novel would be GREAT.