Benchwarmers

by John Feinstein

Overview

The path to victory starts on the sidelines, in this fast-paced new middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling sportwriting powerhouse John Feinstein.

Twelve-year-old Jeff Michaels, son of a Philadelphia TV sports reporter, is just learning to play soccer on the new sixth-grade team at his middle school. Andrea Carillo has fought her way onto the squad, but the coach doesn’t think girls should play with boys, so she’s riding the bench with Jeff—even though she’s one of the best players.

With Jeff’s help, the Philly media gets ahold of the story, and suddenly Andi is all over the news as she shows her worth on the soccer field. But amid bullies, threats, and a media firestorm, will Andi’s skills and Jeff’s perseverance be enough to save the season?

An action-packed novel about two kids who may be "benchwarmers," but prove themselves naturals when it comes to teamwork, friendship, and finding a path to victory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250618771
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	08/25/2020
Series:	The Benchwarmers Series , #1
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	492,237
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

John Feinstein is the author of more than forty books, including two #1 New York Times bestsellers: A Season on the Brink and A Good Walk Spoiled. He is also the author of numerous sports-related mysteries and adventures for young readers, including Backfield Boys and The Prodigy. His first YA mystery, Last Shot, won the Edgar Allen Poe Award. John has also contributed to The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Golf Channel, Sirius XM, CBS Sports Radio, Comcast SportsNet, UMBC Basketball, and The Navy Football Radio Network. feinsteinbooks.com

Editorial Reviews

Detailed play-by-play of the middle school soccer matches . . . will be thrilling for soccer buffs . . . Andi's grit and refusal to back down in the face of sexism are inspirational and reflect the real challenges facing student athletes today.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[Feinstein] writes engaging characters and offers readers in-depth play-by-play sports action that results in a fun, fast-paced story that will appeal to readers who can't get enough sports fiction.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

08/16/2019

Gr 4&6-A soccer story that shoots toward female empowerment but misses the goal. Jeff knows that Andi Carillo, the only girl trying out for Merion's 6th-grade soccer team, is one of the best players he's ever seen. So, when the list goes up and Andi is cut, Jeff brings in his TV sports reporter Dad to cover the story. All the attention gets Andi on the team, but their coach's resentment puts both of them on the bench. The question is how to get off of it. Jeff and Andi are poorly developed characters who only show growth on the field. Although writing about strong female soccer players is important, Andi shows no depth beyond her ability to make great passes and score goals. The story is rooted in the male gaze; no one would know of her greatness if not for the help and acceptance of her male counterparts and coaches. VERDICT A mediocre sports book for avid soccer fans. Not recommended.-Rebecca Fitzgerald, Harrison Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2019-06-30
An all-boys soccer team is put to the test when a talented girl wants to join their ranks.

Jeff Michaels is excited to learn that his middle school will now be offering sports teams for sixth graders in the fall: field hockey for girls and soccer for boys. When his female classmate Andrea "Andi" Carillo shows up for soccer tryouts, he's impressed by her skill on the field. Others, however, are upset and even angry that she's attempting to join the team. When Andi is unjustly excluded by a disgruntled coach, Jeff and Andi reach out to the media to pressure him into letting her on the team. Andi grapples for playing time and soon proves her strength on and off the field, but the team is still fractured by huge disagreements over Andi and even bigger egos. The team will have to learn to work together to reach their goal of winning the conference title. Feinstein includes detailed play-by-play of the middle school soccer matches that will be thrilling for soccer buffs but less exciting for the casual reader. Andi's grit and refusal to back down in the face of sexism are inspirational and reflect the real challenges facing student athletes today. It is mentioned briefly that one soccer teammate is Jewish and two are black; other characters are assumed white.

Soccer fans will get a kick out of the game-day action in this straightforward series opener. (Fiction. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews