Game Changers

Game Changers #1

by Mike Lupica

Ben McBain is every football team's dream player. He's a jack-of-all-trades guy that can handle almost any position. When the game is on the line, Ben's number is the one being called for the final play. But Ben wants to be the starting quarterback and the one thing standing in his way is the coach's son.

Shawn O'Brien looks the part. He has been groomed by his father, a former professional quarterback. But despite his size and arm strength, Shawn is struggling.

Ben is torn between being a good teammate and going after his own dream. As Ben finds out, Shawn isn't the easiest person to help. And when Ben gets an unexpected opportunity, the entire game will change for the both of them.

Best-selling author Mike Lupica kicks off a winning new series about sports and friendship that will captivate readers.

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Football, Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Middle Grade

207 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Michael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.

Reviews

[Mason Zimmerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books i have read this year. It might even be the best book i have read my whole life. I like how it talks about being a good team member and willing to do anything to win. I liked it because it talks about real life sports. It doesnt try to make things up. It also kept me wanting to read more because you never know what is going to happen till it does. I would tell all the sports readers to for sure read this book.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story for young adults that is a bit to predictable.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben has wanted nothing more than to be the quarterback and every year he is always overlook because of his size. This year is no exception because the quarterback position goes to none other than the coach's son Shawn. But the problem is, the coach can't seem to see how much his son doesn't seem to fit the bill for quarterback. He fumbles plays and has a major attitude problem when it comes to dealing with lose or just his other teammates in general. After having a talk with the coach about why Shawn was picked over him, Ben decides to be the best teammate he can be and see if there is more to Shawn that meets the eye. What he finds is a very complicated boy who is dealing with a few issues of his own, and one big secret. But that secret may harm the whole team if he continues to keep it.

I can understand why readers love Lupica so much. I have to admit that I am not much of a sports book reader but I loved this book. The author has figured out how to dive into the real heart of the sport; the people who play it. This book is not simply about boys who play football. It deals with a multitude of relationships including: parent/child, coach/player, teammate/friend, friendship beyond the field (or court), and even a girl who hangs with the four boys. Lupica is also aware of the infallibility of people and that we all make mistakes. What is important is how we handle those mistakes and what we learn in the process. The book is also set in a middle school setting however it is not limited to middle grade readers for enjoyment. High school students would also enjoy this book.

The only concern I have about this book is that a lot of popular items such as Angry Birds are mentioned throughout. There is also mention of football players who are on top at the moment so the book itself could be considered dated in the next 10 years. I hate to see this because the base of the story is one with a timeless quality which could be enjoyed for many years to come. With that said, this is the only issue I had with the book. The book is clean and contains no language, sex, or drug use of any kind!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up because it's almost summer, and I'm sure to have more than a few readers visit the library who LOVE sports books. This is a good one, I think. I know very little about football, so I let the descriptions of the football games roll through my brain and figured out whether what I was reading was good or bad for the characters through context. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue, and the conflict was interesting enough to keep me reading. My only hesitation is that the 11 year old middle school aged characters seemed wise beyond their years in a way that I'm not sure is completely believable. I'm guessing younger readers will not be bothered by this the way I am. My four star rating is for a well written book that I know I'll be able to recommend to middle grade sports fans. (If I were rating it for me as a reader, it might be 3 or 3.5 stars)

[Josh Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot because I've enjoyed anything that has to do with sports my whole life. This book is so good because things like this happen all the time when someones father is their coach. This book shows Teamwork, Friendship, and loyalty. This book is about a kid named Ben McBain a 11 year old that wants to be the quarterback for Rockwell middle. He thought he was going to be the starter, because he was the year before but something changed. Rockwell middle hired a new coach and Ben did not know anything about it so. So they went to try outs and Ben made the team barely because he was very short and didn't way a lot of pounds. First practice Ben noticed that the coach had a son that was also quarterback and he really did not like him because he was cocky. Ben still thought he was going to start as the quarterback and then Coach O'Brien was talking to him about it and told him that we wont be starting because hes so small. Ben started running back and corner and he use to try to help Shawn (The coaches son) when he would mess up because he would give up. Ben finally gets in the game as quarterback after they were losing 20-0 and he brought the team back to win the game, but Shawn went to Ben's house after to tell him thats he is still going to be the starting quarterback because he's going to be perfect. The next game Shawn did the same thing he gave up and Ben got in the game to bring his team back to win the game. Shawn finally admits to his dad that Ben is better and he gets the starting position and they win the Championship.

[Cole Syring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good because with it being a football book it was fun to read because I like football. The main character and his football team were trying to win their football season and the champion ship. They were a good team but the main character, Ben, was a really good quarterback but the starter is the coaches son. So Ben plays running back or receiver and returns punts and kicks. I don't want to say if they will do good or not to spoil it. They do really good and Ben maybe gets to show how good he is in a game at quarterback. I relate to this because I want to play but there is a kid a grade ahead of me who starts so I don't play to much.

[Cody Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of the story is that you should never give up. Ben was a smaller kid in the grade so whem ever he told his coach that he wanted to play quarterback they would say no because of his size. But then one day the coach allowed him to him to play quarterback and he proved everyone wrong he was a good quarterback.

[Sheri Forsdick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for middle grade kids who like sports especially football. Since I don’t know a lot about football, some of the significance of plays was lost on me. I liked the positive attitude that Ben had through his challenges. He never gave up, and he didn’t let those around him give up either. One negative that I found in this book was the word “said” was a constant repeat. I tell me students “said” is dead and that there are other words to use, but the author used them a lot. I’m not sure if I noticed it more because I was listening to the audible or not. Overall, this was a decent book.

[Gavin Johal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a kid playing football in high school. Ben try out and want to try out for quarterback every year someone else beats him at being quarterback every year and at the the end of the book ben gotta be quarterback because the quarterback got injured went he want playing and there was 3:00 to go of the game and they where down by an touchdown and read the book to find out what is going to happen next.

[Justin A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was an amazing storyline.

[lil smartie]

This book was good.









































My boi Garret luvs pants! Comment if you find this

[₳₦₮ⱧØ₦Ɏ ₲ł฿฿₴ · Rating 4 out of 5]

One theme is that you can't always get what you want. In the book the coaches kid Shawn gets to start at quarterback while Ben, who wants to play quarterback, can't.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud with Calvin. He loved ready about football. He rates it 4.5

[Nate Dierickx]

I liked this book a lot because it was about sports. I would recommend this book to people that like sports books. I liked this book a lot because the main character was a good leader. Ben took action in controlling the team when he needed. This book was very intense. They weren't playing as a team, and needed to change that if they want to win. Ben has a group of good friends who are always there for him. They want to help him be his favorite position. The problem is the coaches kid, wants the same position as Ben. Ben has to try his hardest to get this position and will do whatever it takes.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I really liked this book because it was about how football games can change dramatically.It shows that even if you want to be a position, it doesn't mean that you will get it.I like these books because they get exciting in the end.
Plot:
A boy named Ben had always wanted to be a quarterback, and he was a pretty good quarterback. When Ben went to tryouts he and two others tried out for quarterback. One of the quarterbacks was really bad and the other one, whose name was Shawn, was really good, so Ben had quite a challenge ahead of him. It turns out that Shawn's dad was the coach of the team. Shawn won the quarterback spot and Ben was angry. Ben had four close friends and three of them were on the football team too. They were also mad that he didn't get quarterback. They lost there first and second game because of Shawn. The third game they were down 20-0 at half and Shawn's dad put Ben in at quarterback. Ben ended up winning the game with a fake spike. After that, Shawn was mad at his dad for taking him out. Ben's friends were happy that he was quarterback because they were doing better. The next game they were finally doing good with Shawn at quarterback and it was a one point game. They were down to the 5 yard line. Shawn's dad put in Ben for a trick play at quarterback and Shawn got mad again and walked off the field. Ben won the game on the trick play that Shawn's dad wanted him to do. After that game Shawn's dad made Ben starting quarterback finally. Ben Won the last two games of the season and they advanced to the championship game. They ended up winning the game with Ben throwing a deep pass to Shawn to make the game winning catch.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to high schoolers and middle schoolers. I could understand every word in the book,there were no hard words. This book is an easy book t0 read if you like football.

[Nile Schuett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a super good one. It teaches you about the struggles that go on between teammates that are on the same team. Sometimes, they don't agree with what each other say and do. This book shows you how one kid decided to try and help out one of his teammates who wasn't playing well. The major problem was that he played quarterback, one of the most important positions on the field. Ben wants to be nice to Shawn and help him out, but Shawn is a horrible teammate to Ben and his friends. Ben still presses on to see if he can bring out the good in Shawn. I connected with this book, because I've been in similar situations that Ben was in. It isn't always a good thing, but when can make the player struggling play better, it feels like you helped the team in a major way. This happens to all ages of athletes, from really young kids all the way up to professionals. It's just one of the challenges that comes with being on a team.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how this related to everyone not just the people who played football or really liked this.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary (School Library Journal)

Ben McBain, 11, knows that he has what it takes to be a great quarterback, although he can't convince his coaches to see beyond his small stature. So he's not surprised when Coach O'Brien tells the team that his own son, Shawn, will get the position. Outwardly, Shawn has it all-the size, the arm, the speed. But he doesn't have a deep love for the game, and, when plays don't go perfectly, he spirals out of control. Determined to make the season the best it can be regardless of the position he plays, Ben tries to befriend the temperamental boy. Shawn slowly opens up about the pressure he feels from being coached by his father, a retired NFL player, and how he can't relax and enjoy the moment. When the team loses the first two games of the season and Coach O'Brien puts Ben in as quarterback halfway through the third game, the Rams go on to win. This is the start of a turnaround for the team, and further wins put the championship back in their sights. But as their team does better, Shawn retreats into sullenness and wants nothing to do with Ben.

My Comments

This book is dedicated to "the great Doug Flutie of Boston College, No. 22, who was supposed to be too small, and still became a giant of college football."

I dont know much about football, but I do know who Doug Flutie is. A long time ago, back in 1986 (probably no one remembers this but Doug and me) Doug Flutie played for the Chicago Bears. This was after the Bear's star quarterback, Jim McMahon, was out for the season with injuries. Most people laughed at coach Mike Ditka's decision to bring in Flutie because of his size and youth, but Ditka loved him.

"The little guy," Ditka said, "is pretty special. I've thought that for a long time and the more he plays the more I know he's pretty special." Ditka even went so far as to call Flutie "Bambi" because of his big brown eyes.

That little piece of football history is one of the reasons why I liked this book. There is plenty of football history, and name-dropping of teams and special players in every sport - not just football. Sports fans will love it. I especially enjoyed the fact that the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, are given special mention as Ben's favorite team. It is mine too since I hail from Wisconsin - land of frozen tundra, cheese-heads and beer.

Sports fans will also love the abundant play-by-play action in Game Changers. Author Mike Lupika is skilled at calling and writing the plays. It is obvious that he is a great sports writer, and his bio says he even writes a sports column for the New York Daily News.

As a non-sports fan, it was a bit much for me, and I skimmed over some of these passages, but Lupika can write “characters” just as well as “sports” and Ben and the Core Four kept me interested from start to finish – especially Lily. She doesn’t get much time in this book, but when she appears, she dominates because of the intriguing relationship she and Ben share. Lupica also has a great ear for dialogue, and even the minor characters in the book are fully developed.

Ben's character is almost too good to be true - "even more than being a good quarterback - being a good teammate" is important to him. (p69) and Ben "loves reading almost as much as he did sports." (p70) The goodness and work ethic of his character however, make this a very inspirational book.

The plot could have been predictable, and some parts were. The coach’s son, Shawn is the starting quarterback creating friction between the main character, Ben, who wants and deserves to be the starting quarterback. But, Ben is the good guy and tries to become Shawn’s friend and helper. The coach could have been the bad guy for constantly favoring his son, but he’s not. Ben likes him better than Shawn. He really seems to be trying to do things best for the team and not just Shawn.

Game Changers is a great book for die-hard football fans. It is an inspiring story of football, friendship, hard work, and loyalty.

This is book 1 in a series of 3, each of which deals with Ben and company’s participation in football, basketball and baseball respectively.

This book would appeal mostly to boys, grades 5 -7. No bad language or uncomfortable situations.

[Kori Noah Kristan White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book but this stupid app won't let me read it I don't know why probably because they are a rip off

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was amazing

[Ben Lehman]

Game Changers is one of many books I have read by Mike Lupica. This is the first book in the series Game Changers. Ben McBain has wanted to be the quarterback more than anything and every year he always gets beat out by another kid because of his size. This year is no different because the quarterback is going to be the coach's son Shawn. The coach doesn’t see how much his son doesn't to want to be quarterback. Even though Ben doesn’t get his spot he still has a good attitude and even helps Shawn to improve. To me this shows incredible sportsmanship by Ben. I like this about Ben that he will always do what’s best for the team. I like how it talks about being a good team player and willing to do anything to win. This is one of the best books, in my opinion, by him. Mike Lupica is one of if not my favorite author. I have read almost all of his books except the 2nd of Game Changers. This book is very inspiring to always persevere even when not everything is going how you want. In the end everything worked out for Ben. I hope to someday read the 2nd book play makers. It is about the same group of kids only they are playing basketball and not of football. I would recommend this book to boys in 4th-9th grade it is a very exciting sports novel that any football lover would enjoy.

[Luke Spegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good book. Not quite as good as I thought it would be. It was a little bit predictable. Ben is a good athlete that can play most any sport and deals well with the pressure that comes with football. He really wants to be the quarterback of the team, but the coaches son, Shawn is the quarter back. The coach is a former college football star himself and he seems to be grooming his son to follow in his footsteps. Ben is disappointed many times after talking with the coach, but always handles it like a true champ. He is a great friend and team mate and this book is a good example of how an athlete should act in the face of adversity on his team. This is a good book about friendship, being a good sport and team mate, being selfless and a little bit about the father son relationship between the coach and his son. I chose this book because I love reading about sports, I love stories about great team players and athletes who face challenges and rise to the occasion. in this book, Ben was a true selfless leader who put the good of the team above his own desires. That is not an easy quality to have and when someone owns that quality they prove to be a good leader, as Ben did. I would recomend this book.

[Mark Craig]

Game Changers by Mike Lupica is a great story. I can honestly say that it is one of my favorite books. The story takes place in a little town called Rockwell where there are two boys on a football team, Ben McBain, a boy who has always wanted to play quarterback, and Shawn O'Brien, a boy who has always played quarterback. Shawn is also the son of the team's head coach, which causes other players to doubt Shawn's football skills. Because of the cover, you may assume that the book is just a lame story of a bunch of football games, and then they end up winning the championship, or something along those lines. If you guessed that, you're completely wrong because Game Changers is much more. The main conflict of this story is Ben trying to become Shawn's friend, but Shawn isn't the easiest person to be friends with. In this story, you will read about growing friendships through football. I really encourage people who like sports to read this book because it teaches good sportsmanship, teamwork, and friendship building.

[Justin W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best selling author Mike Lupica presents the book Game Changers. Ben McBain is a great athlete and a great teammate. He is every coach’s dream. He can play almost any position, but he has always dreamed of becoming the starting quarterback. But, the one thing standing from him and becoming the quarterback is the coach’s son. Shawn O’ Brien is what every coach wants. He has been trained by his father, a former professional quarterback. He also has the size and the arm, but Shawn is struggling. Ben is deciding whether to be a good teammate or following his dream. Ben finds out that Shawn isn’t the easiest person to help. I really liked this book because it is about sports and friendship, two really important things to me.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to like football to enjoy this book. As I am not a fan, it is not my favorite sports book ever, but I can see why many middle school students who like sports gravitate to this book and author. I did enjoy the friendship of the Core Four and the wobbly relationship of Ben and Shawn. The parts where games and plays were described in great detail (felt like 1/2 the book) was a skim read for me. Life lessons are learned, and an 11 year old child will teach a coach an important lesson about his son. No swears, sports violence. Fans of the football will enjoy the book. Professional players and slang date the book. 4th grade and up.

[Josiah Gulbro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would you ever help someone that you knew you were better than at the position you wanted? That is what Sam McBain, the workaholic who to him 110% is the only option. But when the team's starting quarterback, Shawn O'Brien, sloppy play starts to affect the team, Sam starts to help make him better. When he finds out Shawn only plays quarterback for his Dad. He faces a desicion does tell Shawn's dad like he told him not to, or does he let his team go down in flames.

[Nabeel Qureshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Game Changers by Mike Lupica the main character Ben is faced with problems on his football team with helping his friend Shawn show his father, a former NFL quarterback that he wants to be a receiver and let Ben be quarterback. Overall this was a good book it just lacked detail in some areas.

[TJ Malensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that Game changers was a good book that was a book that like 6th or 7th graders would like it better than older people but other than that the book was a good one that recommend it to people that are sport fans or football fans.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the book was okay, but it didn't have a really good plot. I think the author could've put more action in the story. I didn't really like the book that much.

[serena482* · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating 3.5 stars.