The only game

Book Cover
Average Rating
Series
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
©2015.
Language
English

Description

Can a young baseball star maintain his love of the game after the loss of his brother? Find out in this start to the Home Team series about a small town with high hopes, from New York Times bestselling author and sportswriting legend Mike Lupica.Jack Callahan is the star of his baseball team and sixth grade is supposed to be his year. Undefeated season. Records shattered. Little League World Series. The works. That is, until he up and quits. Jack’s best friend Gus can’t understand how Jack could leave a game that means more to them than anything else. But Jack is done. It’s a year of change. Jack’s brother has passed away, and though his family and friends and the whole town of Walton thinks baseball is just the thing he needs to move on, Jack feels it’s anything but. In comes Cassie Bennett, star softball player, and the only person who seems to think Jack shouldn’t play if he doesn’t want to. As Jack and Cassie’s friendship deepens, their circle expands to include Teddy, a guy who’s been picked on because of his weight. Time spent with these new friends unlocks something within Jack, and with their help and the support of his family and his old friends, Jack discovers sometimes it’s more than just the love of the game that keeps us moving—and he might just be able to find his way back to The Only Game.

More Details

ISBN
9781481409957

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Also in this Series

  • The only game (Home team novels Volume 1) Cover
  • The extra yard (Home team novels Volume 2) Cover
  • Point guard (Home team novels Volume 3) Cover
  • Team players (Home team novels Volume 4) Cover

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Author Notes

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Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These series have the appeal factors character-driven, and they have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subjects "friendship," "teamwork (sports)," and "child athletes."
These series have the appeal factors character-driven and first person narratives, and they have the genre "sports fiction"; the subject "child basketball players"; and characters that are "authentic characters."
These series have the appeal factors character-driven, and they have the genre "sports fiction"; the subject "moving to a new home"; and characters that are "sympathetic characters."
These series have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subjects "friendship," "prejudice," and "racism."
These series have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subject "friendship."
These series have the genre "sports fiction."
These series have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subjects "friendship" and "teamwork (sports)."
These series have the appeal factors character-driven and first person narratives, and they have the genre "sports fiction."
These series have the appeal factors character-driven, and they have the genre "sports fiction"; the subject "child basketball players"; and characters that are "authentic characters."

Similar Titles From NoveList

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These books have the appeal factors character-driven, and they have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subjects "bullies and bullying," "boys," and "new students."
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In each character-driven realistic story, a tragic death drives a wedge between best friends - one coping with grief, the other hurt because his friend seems to be pulling away. Both books ultimately end on a hopeful note, thanks to a loving community. -- Lindsey Dunn
These books have the genre "sports fiction"; and the subjects "friendship," "baseball," and "boys."
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Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
While John Feinstein's fiction for teens is usually mystery within a sports context, and Mike Lupica's is realistic fiction, regardless of the sport, both authors have journalism backgrounds that inform their works, written with rich detail and authenticity. -- Kathy Stewart
Both of these prolific authors of youth sports fiction use insider knowledge to add authenticity to their writing. Ex-football player and sportscaster Tim Green writes for adults and kids, while sports journalist Mike Lupica writes for kids, teens, and adults. -- Autumn Winters
Although Mike Lupica makes sports his subject a bit more often than Kwame Alexander, both pen action-packed sports fiction for middle schoolers starring authentic characters kids can care about. -- Autumn Winters
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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Best friends Jack and Gus have dreamed of their chance at the Little League World Series for years, so when Jack quits the seventh-grade team after the first practice, everyone is astonished. Down their star player, the Rays including Gus turn on Jack, who finds friends in the funny, overweight Teddy Bear Madden and Cassie Bennett, the confident star of the girls' softball team. These new alliances help Jack confront the true reason he gave up the sport he loves, and a loving family environment helps Jack get back into the swing of things. Though the supportive nature of Jack's family and friends verges on saccharine, and the seventh-graders are often too wise for their years, many will find comfort in a story where community and friendships reign supreme. Readers will benefit from having a knowledge of baseball, as detailed plays feature in a narrative otherwise devoted to personal growth, grieving, and achieving your dreams. A natural choice for Matt Christopher and Tim Green fans.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Seventh grader Jack Callahan is his team's star pitcher and shortstop, so everyone is shocked when he quits baseball during the lead-up to the Little League World Series. "My heart's not in it," he tells his disappointed parents, before spilling the real reason he's abandoning the team: "Baseball won't bring my brother back." Lupica thoughtfully explores Jack's belief that he could have saved his daredevil older brother, Brad, who died the previous year in a dirt-bike accident. While Callahan sorts out his life and the events of the past year, he slowly finds a new crowd of friends at school who show him a life beyond baseball. Nobbs reads with a strong narrative voice that has good emphasis, timing, and tone, especially when delivering the weight of emotionally tense scenes. But when it comes to providing the voices for the colorful slew of other characters, Nobbs's narration is either flat or overly caricatured. Ages 8-12. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Much to his parents' surprise, Jack Callahan decides to quit baseball, even though he's the best player on his team. His best friend, Gus, doesn't understand what is going on with Jack either. Jack just hasn't been the same since his older brother was killed in an accident. He doesn't stray far from the game though. Instead he finds himself working with star softball player Cassie Bennett and extends his friendship to a boy named Teddy who is picked on for his weight. His time with these two kids eventually leads Jack back to playing baseball but also helps him understand the value of friendship and helping others. Though conversations are stiff at times, Keith Nobbs's ability to express characters' feelings will make listeners care about the characters. Steeped in details about baseball, this is more for the true fan who doesn't mind play-by-play action. VERDICT Best for baseball fans, this novel will also be enjoyed by those that appreciate stories about the importance of friendship.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

Everyone is shocked when seventh grader Jack Callahan quits his baseball team. Jack spends time helping coach new friends, softball standout Cassie and baseball-challenged Teddy. These friendships allow him to deal with his brother's fatal accident. Lupica's game-time segments come later in the novel, allowing an emotional story of loss, friendship, and love of baseball to unfold. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

In the opener of a four-book series about kids in the baseball-loving town of Walton, 12-year-old Jack Callahan struggles to square his personal sorrows with his deep love of the game.Gifted baseball player Jack and buddy Gus, whose family roots in the Dominican Republic partly inform his aspiration to the Little League championships in Williamsport, have played since T-ball. Jack's sudden announcement on tryout day that he won't be playing this season angers Gus and bewilders his own parents. But the town's softball superstar, classmate Cassie, steps up to offer simple, straightforward friendship to Jack. She persuades Jack to keep connected with the game by helping her dad coach her team. A new friendship with another classmate, Teddy, allows Jack to reveal that he blames himself for his risk-taking older brother's accidental death the summer before. Adults are admirable: Coaches emphasize sportsmanship; parents set aside their own troubles to support their children. The baseball narrative is terrificLupica recaps these fictional games with brisk, exciting clarity. The friendship story is solid, kind and reassuring, and even if most of the young characters demonstrate unlikely maturity rather than depth, readers will only notice the qualities that are best in them. A lovely nod to Derek Jeter rounds out a winner of a sports novel. (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

Best friends Jack and Gus have dreamed of their chance at the Little League World Series for years, so when Jack quits the seventh-grade team after the first practice, everyone is astonished. Down their star player, the Rays—including Gus—turn on Jack, who finds friends in the funny, overweight "Teddy Bear" Madden and Cassie Bennett, the confident star of the girls' softball team. These new alliances help Jack confront the true reason he gave up the sport he loves, and a loving family environment helps Jack get back into the swing of things. Though the supportive nature of Jack's family and friends verges on saccharine, and the seventh-graders are often too wise for their years, many will find comfort in a story where community and friendships reign supreme. Readers will benefit from having a knowledge of baseball, as detailed plays feature in a narrative otherwise devoted to personal growth, grieving, and achieving your dreams. A natural choice for Matt Christopher and Tim Green fans. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Lupica (Game Changers) launches the Home Team series with a novel that meshes themes of baseball, friendship, and facing one's fears. Seventh-grader Jack Callahan is his team's star pitcher and shortstop, so everyone is shocked when he quits baseball during the lead-up to the Little League World Series. "My heart's not in it," he tells his disappointed parents, before spilling the real reason he's abandoning the team: "Baseball won't bring my brother back." Lupica thoughtfully explores Jack's belief that he could have saved his daredevil older brother, Brad, who died the previous year in a dirt-bike accident. Cassie, an ace softball pitcher, reaches out to Jack, offering no-nonsense counsel about his misplaced guilt while subtly encouraging his return to the diamond. Jack, in turn, helps a much-teased classmate by coaching him in self-confidence and baseball. Lupica again proves his aptitude for lacing lightning-speed sports action with credible insight into players' thoughts and emotions. This, along with Cassie's pivotal role, should give the novel a wide reach and appeal. Ages 8–12. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Feb.)

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PW Annex Reviews

Lupica (Game Changers) launches the Home Team series with a novel that meshes themes of baseball, friendship, and facing one's fears. Seventh-grader Jack Callahan is his team's star pitcher and shortstop, so everyone is shocked when he quits baseball during the lead-up to the Little League World Series. "My heart's not in it," he tells his disappointed parents, before spilling the real reason he's abandoning the team: "Baseball won't bring my brother back." Lupica thoughtfully explores Jack's belief that he could have saved his daredevil older brother, Brad, who died the previous year in a dirt-bike accident. Cassie, an ace softball pitcher, reaches out to Jack, offering no-nonsense counsel about his misplaced guilt while subtly encouraging his return to the diamond. Jack, in turn, helps a much-teased classmate by coaching him in self-confidence and baseball. Lupica again proves his aptitude for lacing lightning-speed sports action with credible insight into players' thoughts and emotions. This, along with Cassie's pivotal role, should give the novel a wide reach and appeal. Ages 8–12. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Feb.)

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Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
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School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–6— On the official opening day of baseball in his small town, Jack Callahan, superlative seventh grade shortstop and arguably the best pitcher in town, surprisingly quits at the end of an outstanding first practice. Jack and his best friend Gus had expected to be strong contenders in the Atlantic League with aspirations of playing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. Believing that an earlier tragedy involving his older brother Brad was all his fault, Jack takes a break from the only game he ever loved. This hiatus is short-lived, and he soon finds himself back at the diamond coaching girls softball. Slowly, he makes it back to his own team. Loyalty, friendship, courage, and teamwork are key components in the novel. Jack and his teammates have a falling out after Jack's decision to quit the team before the season even starts. This leads to new friendships with Cassie, a strong female character, and Teddy, an overweight, friendly guy whom Jack protects from bullying. Various acts of courage are displayed by Cassie, Teddy, and Jack. Lupica lays the foundation for a great sports series where friendship carries the characters through tribulations. Middle-grade readers will easily identify with the four friends. Although the story is sports related, this is more than a baseball book and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. A must-buy.—Glynis Jean Wray, Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJ

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