Pressure Point

Game Face

by Rich Wallace

Torry Santana is a seventh-grade sports star. His friends will tell you he's good at everything, but he works hard for it, too. This year, he's a starter on his school basketball team. Yet after a big loss, the eighth graders are eyeing his spot. Can Torry find a way to face their big rivals again, or will he crumble under the pressure?

112 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Ro Menendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

his story explores the pressure that athletes put on themselves to be the best, believing that one setback can cost them the respect and position they have earned on their team. Torry is a talented basketball player who made the starting lineup right away, because he is a new player on the team he feels he has to prove himself to his teammates. Marcus is his best friend, and although he is on the team but not as talented as Torry, he mostly spends his time on the bench, but it doesn't bother him, he just loves the game. Through the story Torry learns valuable lessons about friendship, and what it really means to play on the team and play to every team member's strength. The ball playing descriptions are well written and will captivate anyone who knows the sport. Readers will empathize with Torry's struggles and maybe expand their understanding of what it truly means to be a team player. This is an illustrated chapter book and although the boys are in middle school the illustrations are caricaturesque making the characters look younger, which may make MG readers shy away from its engaging story.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific read for elementary level readers with enough action and challenges to keep an older struggling reader engaged.