Overview

On the surface, fourteen-year-old Chris is pretty average, playing hockey and having friends. But underneath it all, Chris is depressed. He quits his hockey team, but his doctor suggests that he should pick up another sport. Chris starts playing soccer, and the positive benefits of sport start to take effect. But former hockey teammate Trent is on the team, and his suspicions about Chris and his mental health threaten Chris's acceptance and recovery. When Chris and Trent are chosen to play in a summer tournament, Chris decides to keep his depression a secret. But will rumors and stigma about his condition make him backslide and turn his own team against him? Find out in this sensitive high/low middle grade title. Distributed in the U.S by Lerner Publishing Group.

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9781459414808

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Reviews

"""The in-depth game play will attract sports fans . . . The books also skillfully take on relevant issues including racial discrimination, economic disparities, and mental illness.""--School Library Journal -- (6/29/2020 12:00:00 AM)"

The athletes in these stories must overcome setbacks to succeed. In The Comeback, Chris's psychologist suggests he try playing soccer to help with his depression. When stigma around his mental health threatens to derail the team, Chris learns that honesty is the best policy. After Mo's baseball team gets bumped up to a harder league in Easy Out, he must deal with the unrealistic expectations of his father, a former baseball legend. In Rugby Rivals, Sam gets transferred to elite Rosedale Heights to play rugby. At school, he is bullied by snobby teammates, while at home his Pop is living with dementia. Spindly Ed may not seem like he's built for football in Long Bomb, but he works to garner the respect of the standoffish quarterback after he gains a spot as a receiver on the team. VERDICT The in-depth game play will attract sports fans in these titles written between a second and third grade reading level. The books also skillfully take on relevant issues including racial discrimination, economic disparities, and mental illness.--School Library Journal -- Journal

Author Information

ALEX O'BRIEN left a career in human resources to write novels, scripts and songs. He has been a finalist and winner of several writing competitions. He is the author of the Lorimer sports story The Playmaker. Alex lives in Parry Sound, Ontario.

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