Lone Stars by Mike Lupica

Synopsis from Goodreads: Clay is a quarterback's dream. When he zips across the field, arms outstretched, waiting for the ball to sail into his hands, there's no denying him the catch. Like most Texans, Clay is never more at home than when playing football. And his coach, a former star player for the Dallas Cowboys, is just like a second father. But as the football season kicks off, Clay begins to notice some odd behavior from his coach--lapses in his memory and strange mood swings. The conclusion is painful, but obvious: Coach Cooper is showing side effects of the many concussions he sustained during his playing days. As Clay's season wears on, it becomes clear that the real victory will be to help his coach walk onto that famous star logo in the middle of Cowboys Field one last time--during a Thanksgiving day ceremony honoring him and his former Super Bowl-winning teammates.

In Lone Stars, #1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica demonstrates once again that there is no children's sports novelist today who can match his ability to weave a story of vivid sports action and heartfelt emotion. A touching story that proves life is bigger than a game. 

My thoughts: Confession time ... Mike Lupica is an author I recommend to sports lovers all. the. time. but ... I had not read a single book by him. I know Lupica is a fantastic sports writer and he lives in New York City (and he's pretty liberal, too, which I like) but I'm just not a sports girl. I don't hate sports. I actually really, really enjoy a good sports story. Sports movies are among my favorites. Movies like Miracle and We Are Marshall are some of my favorite movies of all time. However, I don't think I'm really watching them for the sports. I'm watching them (or sometimes reading the book) for the inspirational story of overcoming a hardship. 

Mike Lupica's newest novel for middle-grade readers, Lone Stars, is PERFECT for those football fans in your classroom. Bonus points if they're Dallas Cowboys fans. In Lone Stars, Lupica's main character talks about the Cowboys a lot and if you're an avid fan, the trivia will leave you tickled, I'm sure! 

In this book, the reader learns a lot about recent brain research and, specifically, the damage that repeated concussions and other brain trauma caused by rough sports like football can have on individuals. I thought this was very interesting and eye-opening! I hope that kids learn a thing too about the severity of a concussion! 

Definitely, pick this book up for your sports lovers and to add to your collection of Mike Lupica novels. I have had many students read these over and over!