Shoot-Out by Mike Lupica

Jake is on the best soccer team in the region until his family moves to Belmont.  Then he finds himself on the worst team in the region.  He likes his teammates and his coach, but it is hard to face a season with little hope of any wins.  Then there is Kevin.  Jake can see that the kid has talent, but he is lost in his own world of grief since his mother died.  Jake wants to help Kevin, but his attempts to be friendly and supportive only seem to push Kevin further away.

Mike Lupica is a sports writer for a national magazine and has had a regular talk show on ESPN.  He does a great job of describing the excitement of even a little league game.  But more than that, he focuses on the bigger issues of being a team player and a team leader.  I am not a sports fan and I am not sure I ever read a sports book before.  I read this one because I wanted a sports book for my Mother/Son book club.  It was recommended by one of the librarians at work, and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.  I think both the boys and moms will like it and it will provide lots of discussion topics. (165 p)