January 10 feature: Million Dollar Throw

I wanted to cover a variety of authors and time periods, so I took a look at one that was published at the end of 2009. Author Mike Lupica is an experienced sportswriter and syndicated columnist, but I didn't know he wrote sports-themed books for younger readers. Million Dollar Throw is about eighth grade quarterback Nate Brodie and the opportunity of a lifetime. Nate is balancing his worries about his family's finances, his best friend's health, and his team's quest to win their league, when he wins a contest to throw a football at halftime of a New England Patriots game. If he throws the ball 30 yards and hits the target, he wins one million dollars. Nate wonders if he can handle the pressure like his hero Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The writing is clean and direct and Nate is a realistic and engaging character. I found myself really cheering for a happy ending for him.