  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2016 Lupica stirs equal quantities of grief and gridiron action into his latest outing. Tommy Gallagher, 12-year-old star strong safety on the Brighton Bears, is devastated when his wonderful, worshiped firefighter dad dies in the course of a rescue. The tragedy occurs during the second game of a season that features one suspenseful contest after another, leaving Tommy struggling both on and off the field, while trying to be there as best he can for his mom and his withdrawn little sister. Lupica effectively puts readers into the center of the action, both during games and at home with the undemonstrative but deeply emotional Gallagher family. Eventually Tommy, who has discovered that skateboarding provides a good outlet for his repressed feelings, winds up with a separated shoulder that keeps him out of the championship game. But even from the sidelines, he manages to make a key contribution to the game, and in the best traditions of sports writing, this will leave readers both breathless and thoughtful. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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