Customer Reviews

Toby Wheeler: Eighth-Grade Benchwarmer

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Life is simple. Toby Wheeler is just a gym rat playing pickup ball at the rec center with his best buddy JJ. But, things seem different lately. JJ is spending more and more time with his new friends instead of Toby.

Determined to hang onto his buddy, Toby joins the school's basketball team at the encouragement of the new coach. Maybe this way, he'll get to see more of JJ, since he's a basketball star. But, it seems like the only person Toby is seeing more of is the coach's daughter, Megan.

Other players on the team are encouraging Toby to stay away from Coach's daughter if he wants to be anything but a benchwarmer. This seems like good advice, except that Megan is the only girl he can talk to without turning into a clumsy, awkward fool.

This debut novel will definitely score with its readers, as Toby is just the kind of clueless but lovable character that middle-schoolers are sure to identify with. He navigates everything from losing friends and figuring out how to deal with girls to relearning things he thought he already knew.

Basketball fans will get their fair share of trash talk when Toby faces off against his rival, Vinny Pesto, on the court and off. Toby may be clueless in some areas, but when the clock runs down, he knows it's time to take a shot.

Heldring's style is easy and fun to read. I look forward to more books by this fabulous new author!

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

First, disclosure: I know the author. In spite of this personal knowledge, I laugh aloud each time I pick up this book. He captures the angst and poignancy of early adolescence so well. I love that Toby did the right thing with the ball during the big game. A great group of fictional kids who can teach real ones how to help each other along the way.

Toby Wheeler loves basketball and playing pickup games with his best friend TJ, but lately TJ's been acting like he's too busy for Toby, and it will once get worse once basketball season begins at their junior high, because TJ's the star of the team and Toby is nothing special at sports. When the coach offers Toby a chance to join the team he's eager to prove he can keep up with his friend - until he begins to realize he's just a benchwarmer not destined for fame. Romance changes the bigger picture in this fine story of athletic challenges.

Toby Wheeler is just a simple gym rat that likes to play basketball with his best friend JJ, at the recreational center. JJ, the star of the school basketball team starts hanging out with other friends and abandons Toby. Toby decides to try out for the school team so he can spend more time with JJ. Toby, "the benchwarmer" does not get a lot of playing time because he is the twelfth best on the team. The coaches daughter Megan seems to be the only person Toby can talk to. One Saturday coach asks Toby to come in for some pointers but Megan ends up doing the coaching. From then on Toby starts to play better basketball and gets more playing time. Toby tells JJ how he has not been a very good friend to him. JJ understands him and apologizes for how he has been treating Toby. The team makes it to the championship game and if you read this enjoyable novel you will find out what happens. I liked this book because it was basketball and because there it is a powerful friendship lesson. This book has no bad language.This book is appropriate for fifth graders and up. The lesson to this story is keep your friends close and try your best at everything.