Athletic Shorts; 6 Short Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

by Chris Crutcher (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
If the stereotype of the "bonehead jock" is ever to be defeated, it will be at Crutcher's hands. In these six short stories, he and his athlete protagonists take on such weighty issues as racism, homophobia, sexism and the teenager's essential task of coming to terms with his parents. At the same time the author makes the world of sports compelling enough to engage even the most sedentary readers. Three of the stories revolve around characters featured in Crutcher's The Crazy Horse Electric Game , including the memorable eccentric known as Telephone Man. Also starring in his own story is Lionel Serbousek, the orphaned artist and swimmer of Stotan! In the book's final tale, Louie Banks (from Running Loose ) is befriended by a young man with AIDS and must cope once again with the untimely death of a loved one. The stories' locales--mostly small towns in Montana and Idaho--are vividly evoked, and make a satisfying change from the well-known big cities and bland suburbs where so many YA novels are set. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up?The stereotype of jocks as insensitive dullards is challenged in stories that grapple with the big questions of life as well as with athletic prowess, told with good-natured aplomb and gritty honesty.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 161 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440213908
• ISBN-13: 978-0440213901
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,164,429 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most emmotive book you will ever read, May 7, 2000

By	Ali (Flagstaff, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Athletic Shorts (Hardcover)

This book is categorized for "young adults," but I would recommend these stories as much to an 18 year old as I would to an 80 year old. Crutcher's stories address the most sensitive aspects of society without any form of restriction. Don't read this book if you want a sugar-coat. There is no holding back as Crutcher drills to the bone of prejudice and other societal struggles. From the light-hearted tale of overweight Angus Bethune (who has four gay parents) to the dramatic story of gay teen with AIDs, every one of Crutcher's true stories make their impression. You will never forget these characters once you have met them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Athletic Shorts, March 16, 2005

By	Zach - See all my reviews

This review is from: Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories (Paperback)

Sports, sports, sports! Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher is a wonderful book packed with six short stories about sports. Not only is this book about sports but it is about life also. This book teaches you lessons while you read each story. The first story will keep you wondering what will happen next, it is quite suspenseful. The second tremendous story is very triumphant and will make you think what it would be like to be in the main character position. The third is very much like the second and will have you feeling for the main character. The fourth is very sad and makes you wonder what your life would be like in this person's position. The fifth is hilarious and will have you laughing every page of the marvelous chapter. The final story is very much like the fourth, sad and depressing.

I loved this book, and I think that anyone who enjoys a good book will like it as well. This book is just not for sports freaks but for other kinds of readers too. This book contains a wide variety of different subjects. If you read this book you will feel many different emotions throughout the book. This book is dynamite!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 15, 2006

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

This review is from: Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories (Paperback)

In ATHLETIC SHORTS, Chris Crutcher presents original short stories involving characters from his previous novels. In the book's forward, Crutcher explains, "In my travels around the country and in letters from readers, I am constantly asked what happens to certain characters in my books. So once in a while I check in" (pp. ix-x).

Each of these short stories involves a central character from a previous novel, but, while Crutcher may have intended a particular story to be a prequel or an afterward, the stories remain independent. So a person who has not read RUNNING LOOSE will still be able to understand the storyline behind IN THE TIME I GET, in which Louie Banks looks into the eyes of a friend dying of AIDS and realizes the value of time. Additionally, after getting a taste of Crutcher's novels through his short stories, readers may well be inspired to go out and acquire the novels themselves.

Athletics are the uniting theme throughout these stories, but they also give Crutcher a medium to introduce physical, mental, and emotional challenges for his characters. Sports allow a safe setting for conflict and failure, while also providing a site for characters to achieve and excel.

Thumbs Up! Award Winner, 1992

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard