Football Nightmare

by Matt Christopher, Robert Hirschfeld

A miserable memory dogs Keith's every move Keith Stedman dropped the pass. The game-winning, undefeated-record-making pass that would have made him a hero instead of a loser. Now, a year later, that missed pass still haunts him, so much so that he's considering quitting football for good. His friends and family finally convince him to stick with it, but Keith's troubles are far from over. Another player is out for his position and seems determined to do everything he can to keep the dropped pass memory alive in the minds of the whole team - including Keith. Can Keith overcome his own obsession with the past and succeed in the present?

Genres: Sports

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they're looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. He is the best-selling author of more than one hundred sports books for young readers.

Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.

"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.

Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.

After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.

I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.

Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.

I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.

Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."

Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm short on time today, so, I'll just say this: This book was your typical Matt Christopher novel...which isn't a bad thing.

[Noah Marker]

Personal Response- I think the book was good. I wish it didn't take me so long to read it I would of read more books like it. But I didn't like that keith an Larry did not get along with each other because the are both on the same team. If it wasn't for Larry always telling him about his dropped pass last season the could of won them the championship him and Larry would of got along.
Plot Summary- First what happen was, Keith teammate through him the ball during their final game of that season the championship season. The ball to Keith was and Keith did not catch it. Then the next time they had school everybody was talking bad about that saying he should've caught the ball and that they should of won that game. Then next year for football came and Keith told him dad that he was not going out for football and his dad said that he should play he really likes watching him play but he still said no. Later that day his dad called some friends over and asked them to talk him into playing football, after that he said yes he would play. The next day he went to practice, the coaches were happy to see him but Larry wasn't. The season went on Larry and Keith were back a forth on stuff like Keith starting. The season was almost over they got back to the championship, in the final seconds the quarterback throws it to Keith, he goes up and.........
Recommendation- I recommend this book to kids in middle school or lower because this was a really easy read, if you have time to read it. It is also taking place in middle school so I think it would be better for middle schoolers than high schoolers. They would understand it more I think senses they are in middle school. But I think it would be okay for high schoolers to read it too, for a easy goodread.

[Trevor Flease · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes down to the last play of the game, Keith who is a great wide receiver might not be the guy to count on. During the course of the season, he was the guy to count on to get the job done and help his team win the game. Keith led his team into the championship game. His nerves kicked in, and he really realized what game he was playing in. In came down to Keith. His team was down three points in the last couple seconds of the game. Keith was the guy they wanted to catch the ball to. Keith ran his route and got open. The ball was flying through the air and his eyes lit up. He was watching the ball drop into his hands, and the next thing everyone saw was the ball hitting the ground. The crowd’s excitement turned to disappointment really fast. The team had lost the game. Keith now has been living with that "Football Nightmare" in the back of his mind. Now when it comes time for signups again Keith is second guessing himself about going out again. Keith doesn't want to get to the same point as the year before and not come through for his team.

Keith is a very well rounded young man. Keith is a very outstanding man. He will and can do anything you would want him to do. Keith is the athletic kid in the class when it comes to all sports also. Keith now questions himself a lot on whether or not to go out for a sport. He doesn't want to have the same thing happen to him again.
I would recommend this book to all kids in high school or middle school that have experienced an event like this. This shows how you can take a bad thing and build off of it. It will also teach kids that one event should not ruin your life forever because everyone makes mistakes.

Most of this book takes place out on a football field. The boys most of the time had great weather to play in.

[Brandon Scheer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was not the best book I have read, but it wasn't that bad. It’s not a book I would read again for fun because it wasn’t that great. It was 119 pages long so it was a pretty quick read.

The plot of the story is that the main character, Kevin, is a very good wide receiver and they were in the championship game and down by only three points. It is the last play of the game and the main character gets wide open but he ends up dropping the pass that would have won the game for his team. The next year he doesn't want to go out for football because of the incident. He starts off the first few weeks of practice not doing the best but he ends up doing great.

I would recommend this book to a fifth grader or a sixth grader. It is short and there are no big words or anything that is hard to understand. I would also recommend this book to boys at that age more than the girls because boys play football more than girls do.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This boy named Keith Stedman is stuck in bad memory after he dropped the wide open game winning pass that could of saved the game. Everybody on the home side is devastated, while everybody on the other side was blowing up excited.


This book kind of makes you mad when you read the part where he dropped the pass that cost them the championship.


Anyone that loves to read about overcoming a problem to reputation should read this book because its my favorite book that I like to read before my football season starts.

[Mary Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to prepare for a tutoring session. Am having the parents read this book to their third grade sports fan, then checking comprehension.
I am certain that a youngster interested in football would be enthralled with the events in this story!

[Jake]

good sports book

[Chazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

ITs a really good book to people that like football and like to see people mess up to.

[Wyatt Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

January
Matt Christopher
Football Nightmare

This book was really a nightmare. The bucks were at their last game of the season . This was the super bowl just that it was high schoolers, not professionals. The bucks had the last play of the game and all they needed was a touchdown to win. They decide to throw the ball to keith who was in the end zone but he couldn't hold on to the ball. This moment stuck with keith for about a year. He was really close to quitting football forever until his little sister encouraged him to join the team and he did. Keith made an amazing catch to win their first game. Lets just hope he has a great season.

The theme of this book is the past is the past. Keith just needed to catch the ball to end the game with a win. But, he dropped it. He called that a nightmare. It stook with him even when he was just going to pass the ball with a friend. When football season rolled around, He would keep fighting his friends that he won't play football, but they knew they would have a horrible season without him. His dad would talk to him but he was really close to be back to playing football he was just very scared of dropping the ball. Then one night his little sister talked about whenever she has a nightmare, she forgets it and replaces it with a very nice dream. That's what he did and put that horrible memory in the past.

[Carter Greening · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response
I really liked this book because there was a ton of suspense. Another great thing about this book was it had a hard time the character went through but he never gave up and it ended up working out for him.The author also didn't focus on one thing the whole time he went from playing football to hanging out with his friends.
Plot Summary
At the start of the book Keith was playing football and it was the final seconds of the game and they called a play that would be thrown to Keith and he would run for a touchdown,but when the ball was thrown to him he had missed it. Keith went the whole summer dreading the play and when the next season of football came around his friends were trying to persuade him to play football, but he denied it. Eventually his friends talked him into it but at practices there is this kid called Larry who would have been the starting wide receiver if Keith had not gone out. And Larry talks to everyone on the team about him and Keith grows very angry and eventually blows up but his dad ends up talking to him and talks him into sticking it out. Keith goes to a couple of more practices but Larry wouldn't stop talking about him so Keith finally says something and Larry didn't listen to him at first but then the coach gets on his case about it and he stops. Then comes the first game and Keith starts, it was a very close game, but then comes the 4th quarter the team is losing and they throw a deep pass to Keith and he catches it and he says that the nightmare is over.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to middle school and above because it isn't very long but still amusing. It would be good for those ages because it would be to hard to under stand for an average elementary kid. It is good for high schoolers because it is easy and fun to read.

[Josh G · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book I read this quarter was Football Nightmare By Matt Christopher. The lexile level of Football Nightmare is 690. This is the first book I’ve read from Matt Christopher but overall he’s a pretty good author. The book focuses mainly on one character named Keith Stedman and at the start of the book he was a really good football player. Throughout the season he was a great wide receiver that the football team could count on. Keith and his teammates went on and won a lot of games and it was nearing the end of the season and they had a championship game coming up. His team was down 3 points with only just under a minute left of the game and they were all counting on Keith to win the game, so he went out for a pass and got open. He saw the ball coming right at him and it went right through his hands and everyone saw the ball hit the ground and the crowd all went into disappointment. Keith’s football team had lost the game. Months later it's almost time for sign-ups and Keith isn’t really wanting to play after the incident from last year in the championship, but his sister convinced him to play football for the year. He ended up practicing for a few weeks and wasn’t doing the best but most of that was his mental strength. But He got better and in the first game he had an amazing catch to win the game.
This book is based in Keith's house, school, or their football field. It is kinda all around the year but mainly the football season during fall. The theme of the book is bad things happen for a reason but you can't give up just because something didn’t go your way. In the text it says, “‘Don’t you think he’s making a mistake, staying away from football” (p.28). This shows that Keith is making a mistake quitting football just because he missed one pass. He is a really good player and he shouldn’t quit from making one mistake, everyone makes mistakes. The theme at the beginning is bad things happen for a reason but you can’t give up just because something didn’t go your way but throughout the book Keith learns that he is a really good athlete and everyone still wants him to play so he joins the next year and learns from his mistakes.
I think this book wasn’t the best book i’ve read but i would recommend this book for anyone who likes sports books. I liked how during the games they would talk about everything that’s going on and how the crowd reacted to things. I think they could’ve done better at explaining the setting and the event that is happening. I think the book wasn’t too hard to read and overall was an interesting book. It had some exciting parts and some boring parts. The ending of the book was nice because Keith had gotten back into football and it talked about him making a game winning catch. I made a few connections throughout the book but the main one was when he lost the game and everyone was disappointed in him.

[Lane C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book review
My book is called Football Nightmare by Matt Chritopher. Keith and his team were in the championship game and he dropped the game winning TD, which haunts all year and was deciding if he should play next year. His friends and family try to convince him,he should go out again, and he does. He goes to first practice,gets made fun of because of what happened in last year's game .It's the first game of the season now they are playing the Mustangs, he has his chance again to win the game, this time he catches and scores for the game winning TD.

The theme of the book is “just because you make one mistake doesn't mean you quit because everyone makes mistakes.” The theme develops the characters because he keeps playing the things he loves and doesn't let mistakes make him quit. Keith keeps playing because of his father “I think you're a fine athlete and if your teammates doubt you,you'll convince them by playing your best” which made Keith keep playing “ i won't quit. I guess you're right.”

I liked this book because it's about football and it's pretty short too. The book was pretty predictable because almost any book ends in a good way. My favorite part was when they won against the Mustangs and won. I would recommend this book to people who like sports and football. People of the age of 5th-8th grade.

[Enrique Carrion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting because I like sports and football that's why I picked this book. It's about this kid who plays football and in a really important game he doesn't catch the ball. So I would really recommend this book to you and everyone you know.

[Hunter H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Football Nightmare informs you about a boy who cannot get over a costly mistake. Keith Stedman is a wide reciever for his football team. He is the best catcher on the team and one of their biggest weapons. However, in the championship game he drops a pass that wouldv'e won the game. He compltetly blames himself for the loss. He is so frustrated with himself that he doesn't want to play football anymore. Will Keith ever get over himself and play? Read this book to find out!

In my opinion this book was very good. It has many ddetails so you feel as in if you are Keith! It was very fun to read. This book almost made me want to play football! Matt Christopher did a great job writing this book.

I reccomend this book to anyone that likes sports. I give this book 4/5 stars because I wish it was longer!

[Travis Dittmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The half of my book that I read was about a kid that was a junior who did something bad for his team to lose a really really important game. This haunted him the whole year before his last year or his senior year. But he busted his butt in the weight room and worked his tail off got way better and came back and had an insane year. But on the other hand, he didn’t get a scholarship for college. So he was a walk-on at a really small school then had an insane year and I don’t know what happened because I only read half of it. My honest opinion on the book is that it is good because it’s one of those books I didn’t wanna put down. I would give it a 4 out of 5 because the parts I read were good but I didn’t finish it. The theme of the book is probably never get down on yourself because he never gave up on himself.

[Cayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read football nightmare. It is realistic fiction. It’s only 118 pages. Main character Keith. Takes place at football field.It just about a kid that was really good at football name Keith. He was a wide receiver and a very good one. They would win the championship if he would of caught the ball. But he dropped it. They lost and he questioned himself if he was going to play the next season. He had friends that wanted him to go out, so he did. The person who always wanted to be starting but was behind Keith is Larry. They don’t like each other. They fought in practice. He would drop a pass and everybody would be joking around by him not catching the ball. They had their game. Keith caught the game winning touchdown pass. The football nightmare was over.

[Almando · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting because it was mostly about this little kid was playing football and for the champion ship for the last pass of the game the QB threw it to the little kid for the win but he end up droping it and lost the game.
Then when the new season had started again he din't want to play because he thought that he would of droped the pass again but his friends kept on begging him so he played. Then at the end he one a few games then for the champion ship the QB threw it to him and made the catch and feel on the tounchdown feild. So there you go that's what it was about. Also i remember me doing that.

[Jack M · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Football nightmare" by Robert Hirschfeld is a good book in my opinion. I wouldn't say this is the best book I have read, but I did enjoy how the author wrote it.

This book is about a boy named Kevin who is the star wide receiver for his team, until he drops the game winning pass. After that he just wants to quit the team but everyone tries to talk him out of it. Soon after a new receiver joins and is better than Kevin. See how he fights to keep his spot on the team in "Football Nightmare".

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a sports fan because it is a very good book and a cool topic.

[Alek Severkovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Football Nightmare by Matt Christopher, Keith Sedman one of the best wide receivers to play for the Bucks, gets a huge shot to become amazing. It is the title game vs the Renegades and the Bucks are down 21-17 with 10 seconds left. Keith runs his route down field the pass is coming straight at him and goes right thorugh his hands and drops it. After that Keith doesn't know if he is going to go out for the next season.

I loved this book because it always kept me on the edge of my seat and I never wanted to put the book down it was just really well done.

I would recommend this book to anybody who like Matt Christopher books or any Mike Lupica fans.

[Garron Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is called Football Nightmare and it is written by Matt Christopher.
This genre is fiction and the category is football because this is a football book.

Summary- Having dropped a pass and made his football team miss having an undefeated season. Thirteen-year-old Keith fears that he will continue to make bad mistakes. Keith wonders if he should continue to play football because his friends want him to. Keith's friends keep pushing him to play football. The question is will he? I gave this 5 stars because I love and play football and I am a quarter-back like Keith.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bucks had to make one touchdown to complete a perfect season and win the championship. Keith broke away and all he had to do was make a catch and run for the endzone but he dropped it Keith hid most of the summer because he thought that people would make fun of him because hedropped the pass and almost didn't even play the next year. I liked reading this book and would recommend this to someone who likes to read about sports

[Sean Castellanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book if people like football and this book tells you about if you make a mistake to not give up to keep trying and you will learn from your mistake.By making mistakes you will learn from them so most likely you will not make that mistake again.

[Trent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book was good. I recommend this book to people who like football. This book was about a boy who was playing football but the next year he did not think he wanted to play again. If you want to know whether or not that he played the next year, you should read this book.

[Shannon Harshbarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this because it was a story that could happen to any of us! It was a great story of how one kid can have a mistake and change a lot from it. But they can still change more!!!

[Katie Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definite keeper for my lower 6th grade sports fanatics.