Playing The Field: a hilarious junior high school comedy

by Janette Rallison

Thirteen-year old McKay is a talented baseball player, but as equally untalented when it comes to algebra. If he doesn't bring his grade up, his parents threaten to make him quit the team. His best friend Tony thinks the natural solution is for McKay to befriend Serena, a pretty girl in class, who also happens to get straight A's in algebra. Not only will that get McKay the tutor he desperately needs, but it will give Tony the chance to flirt with Serena's two best friends. Unfortunately, if McKay follows Tony's advice on how to "play the game," he might find himself in an even worse spot than when he was merely failing algebra. With a keen sense of wit, and more self-confidence than he gives himself credit for, McKay will keep readers alternately laughing and groaning as he is dragged kicking and screaming into the subtle (and often not so subtle) world of teen dating.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Humor, Romance, Teen

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Check out my awesome book trailers!
My Unfair Godmother:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AlRg0...
My Fair Godmother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up1jF8...
Just One Wish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP1Nce...
My Double Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuswp...

Janette Rallison has five children who keep her well supplied with plot ideas, sometimes even making cameo appearances in her novels. She likes to write romantic comedy because there is enough angst in real life, but theres a drastic shortage on both humor and romance.


Playing the Field was named Society of School Librarians International Best Book Award Honor Book, and both Alls Fair In Love, War, and High School and Love, Life, and the Pursuit of Free Throws were included on YALSAs Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list. Fame Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List, was just chosen for IRAs YA Choices list for 2007

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Reviews

[Heather Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I'm not still a teenager!

A humorous and sweet look at those confusing teenage years where nothing about relationships makes sense. It's right on! Suitable for any age, but it might be a painful reminder for those 13-18. I highly recommend it for a good laugh. And McKay is my hero.

[Melissa T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another funny read. Rallison sets up the most hilarious scenes! The voices of her characters are delightful. One of my favorite lines in this one was when the main character was trying to convince his best friend that they didn't need to go talk to some girls, even though his friend wanted them to start dating them. He told him they didn't need girls to do things together, because "we do things together all the time, like right now we're about to go make fools of ourselves together." I would have enjoyed this one had I been about 12, but it was still SO a delight to read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I've come to expect from Janette Rallison, this is a great book with many humorous sections. I believe it to be ideally suited for the middle school age reader. The story follows a young boy as he begins to wonder if there is more to life than baseball, such as girls, and as he is forced to realize that there is more to life than baseball, such as algebra.

Good characters are shown to be good and those with bad morals are shown to be bad, so there is much for younger teenagers to emulate in this tale.

[Jenifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good juvenile fiction. I would let my daughter read this and not worry a bit. I appreciate books that don't focus on the negative, melodramatic side of being an adolescent, but instead have intelligent and self-confident characters. The story line wasn't as "full" a bit on the empty side, but still a good read.

[Jzcotter03 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a Junior High level read but it's a great story about one boy's lesson in life, love, and baseball. It has a great moral and I would definitely recommend it. This is the last of Rallison's books that I can access through our public library so I feel a little sad to have to say goodbye to this author until she writes something new.

[Marcus G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. Since it is about baseball i thought i wouldn't like it or understand it but i realized that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Once i read this i felt like i was a side character in the book. i liked the book because it is funny and a lot of juicy drama. I think a person who likes drama and teen books would like this book.




-marcus grant

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that you can't be someone that your not.
:) thnx janette for all these wonderful books! I hope to read them all!
:) i am your number one biggest fan! and i sent you an e-mail a while ago please answer back thank you!

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another good 2-hour read for kids. I love Janette Rallison's witty, unexpectedly funny writing. It takes me back to when I was in fifth grade again, reading for nothing but fun. It makes me want to frost a graham cracker, take the book, and sit in a tree reading it all afternoon.

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

I gave it 5 stars because this book has great detail, and highlights junior high relations right on point. It has amazing humor, and is relatable. This book is probably best for teens and preteens.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read and had good morals. A good book to let your middle school children read to help convince them not to date before age 16. :)

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Score another point for Rallison. This book is cute, funny, and about ordinary people. I liked it.

[Sheila Summerhays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pre-teen to teen book about two boys trying to find themselves as they meet girls and play ball. Rallison is insightful and funny.

[Micky Parise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book about baseball, crushes at 13 years old, school, money and sibling issues. Only drawback was wish it had more detail about baseball. Nice reading and fun book. Ohh to be young again. lol

[Jennifer Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, funny read. I kept picturing my son in a few years when he becomes more interested in girls. Would recommend this book to younger readers.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun getting inside the head of a teenage boy. Seemed genuine ... especially the cluelessness of the main character.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real cute...but waaaaay below my age level lol. Oh the things I read because they are free for my kindle...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janette Rallison never fails to make me smile, even when she's writing about 13-year-old 8th graders, I still love her!

[Lanetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great book for young boys who are just discovering girls.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for a middle school age reader, this book tells the story of McKay—baseball aficionado with no talent for algebra—and of Serena—the cute girl in class who is also getting all A’s. McKay’s friend tries different antics to get McKay to speak to Serena, so she can tutor him.

This is a squeaky clean, laugh-out-loud book about middle school relationships. The author’s observations are on point, even about parenting middle-school age kids. I had to read a few passages out loud to my husband because he kept wondering, “What is so funny?”

McKay was a crack up. He seriously reminded me of the boy Alexander in “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”, but as a 13 year old boy, trying to figure out life with girls.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Middle Grade Sweet Romance

This was a wonderful story about 13 year old, eighth grade characters. The main character is a boy, McKay, who is trying to navigate boy-girl relationships and dealing with his parents. It fits perfectly in the age group, I personally have a 13 year old son and the voice sounds very similar to his maturity level and likely how he would approach situations with girls (which, by the way, explains SO much about my youth and what boys were thinking lol!). I really enjoyed it, even as an adult and mother of a teen. It was a really fun story and would be great to share between parent and teen/tween.

[Daisy Dandelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serena and McKay

This is a delightful story written from McKay's point of view. It covers the woes of middleschool drama. This book had me laughing out loud several times. Super cute book. Highly recommend


Here's a quote I liked: “Kirk,” I said, putting my arm around him, “You’re in kindergarten this year. You’re getting to be a big guy, and as your older brother I have some words of wisdom for you. Someday one of the girls in your class will want to hold your hand. Take my advice. Just don’t do it.”

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more for a pre-teen and teen audience. As an adult ai found it to be cute but not nearly as entertaining as the other works by this author. It was about boys that are 13 figuring out early attraction and relationships to girls.

[Noemi Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book, but the ending could have been better.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I'm to the point where Jr High books are just silly, but it was cue and I always wanted to read this as a teen.

[Al Han · Rating 1 out of 5]

bad

[Rachel]

Very, very cute. If only all real 13-year-old boys were written by a funny and insightful grown woman.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this seriously cracked me up at various points throughout. My boyfriend can vouch for that as I had to keep explaining why I would erupt randomly into hysterics.

The book follows McKay as he struggles with algebra and his introduction to girls as... well, the fascinating creatures we are rather than, you know, the gross ones boys seem to think we are up unto a point.

Any girl in middle school would love reading this, if for no other reason than to come to the realization that while some boys are just jerks and that's why they act stupidly around us, others are just trying to muster up the courage to cannon ball into the world of the opposite sex, not knowing if the reception will be warm and welcoming, or cold and uncomfortable.

McKay's concerns are so sincere; I could tell he truly liked this girl and just wanted to approach the situation as honestly as he could while still trying to hang on to a shred of his dignity. I know plenty of teens who can completely relate to his situations. Plus, the constant doses of humor add even more to the likability of Playing the Field.

Really a great book, for kids or just someone looking for a book to leave them feeling warm and fuzzy.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun, cute book. I don't usually read books for this age group (10-14), but I did enjoy it. I thought the main character McKay was great. He seemed like the kind of kid I'd like my boys to be like. He's thirteen and just starting to notice girls. He needs help with math, but is having a hard time asking the cute girl in his class, Serena, for help.
I would definitely encourage my children to read this when they are about 12 because it teaches great morals and shows why it is good at that age to just have fun getting to know members of the opposite sex as friends, without the drama of dating. Because they really aren't mature enough to have that responsibility yet.
I also liked how it showed the difference between Tony and McKay's way of trying to get the girl, and the different results they end up with because of what they did.
All in all a great, fun read that I'll be saving on my shelf until my kids can read it too.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The point of view in this book you get into the mind of a teenager boy experiencing his first crush. I grew up with 5 brothers and this story nails it. McKay loves baseball and that's all he can think about. His best friend Tony can only think about girls. Tony encourages McKay to flirt with Serena so she'll help him get his math scores up or else he'll have to drop out of baseball. I completely sympathize with McKay's struggle in learning math. His friend Tony doesn't seem to have any problem with flirting with girls. Until he juggles two girls who are friends and it becomes a big problem. It isn't easy for McKay and with any thirteen year old boy he struggles with the right words to say and how to act. He causes Serena to have an accident and he even has an accident of his own showing off. It's a fun read for younger readers but even as an adult I enjoy jumping into another persons experience and struggle of growing up.

[Elizabeth Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the author's name is promise enough for one fun read!

We all hear that we should be true to ourselves, right? Well, McKay has no problem doing just that until his bud, Tony, struts his stuff. Tony seems to have a good handle on girls until ... well, after McKay applies Tony's "girl" philosophy, things go from good to worse to plain out disaster!

Before I could move from the first page of chapter 1, my 13 year old son stole my book and read it in a day. I loved hearing his laughter, seeing his flushed face, and answering his questions about girls. He told me how well he related with McKay and his trouble with girls!

Well done, Rallison!

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Field-J...