The Big Time (Football Genius #4)

Gr 4-8—In previous entries, 12-year-old Troy White parlayed his remarkable play-predicting ability into a high-paying job with his beloved Atlanta Falcons and led his youth league team to a state championship. As Big Time opens, Troy's biological father, Drew Edinger, makes a plea to be allowed to become part of his son's life and to represent him in negotiations with other NFL teams. It soon appears that Drew's interest is mainly financial, however. It also becomes evident that he is connected to some shady characters. Troy is ambivalent about his involvement with his father as his attraction to the lifestyle Drew offers creates tension in his relationship with his sensible mother. When federal officials reveal to Troy the extent of Edinger's criminal activities, the boy agrees to help nab his father's associates. Drew will also be caught in the web, but the agents offer Troy the possibility of a lighter prison sentence for his father in return for the boy's cooperation. Edinger escapes capture, but materializes briefly in a cliff-hanger ending after a game in which Troy quarterbacks his Georgia all-star team to victory over Florida. The story moves along at a brisk clip, the language is straightforward and accessible, and the issues raised are likely to engage readers. Yet even the least sophisticated members of the target audience may find it difficult to accept a scenario in which a 12-year-old garners a $15-million pro football contract and assumes a lead role in a federal sting operation.—Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT