Touchdown Pass: The Chip Hilton Sports Series #1

Chip Hilton #1

by Clair Bee

It’s his junior year, and although he’s still dealing with the loss of his father, Chip enthusiastically joins the varsity football team. Recognizing his natural talent, Coach Rockwell turns the young boy into his star quarterback. But when Chip is injured in a near fatal car crash, he must find inner strength to rally the team on to the state championship!

CLAIR BEE, one of the most famous athletes in American collegiate history -- and later a winning coach -- has drawn upon his own experiences for two of the most unforgettable characters in sports fiction: Chip Hilton, the hero, and Hank Rockwell, the understanding coach.

Genres: Sports, Football, Fiction, Young Adult

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1948

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this first book of the long-running Chip Hilton series, Bee introduces Soapy, Speed, Biggie, Taps, and Chip's mother and coach, and we get to know Chip, whose father has been killed in an accident prior to the start of the story. Chip is the star quarterback but suffers an ankle injury, and Bee's main concern is in demonstrating the importance of working together, getting along, and treating other people well. There's no religious content in this initial 1948 edition, but demonstrating strong moral character is the main message. The concepts and trappings may seem quite dated now, but I think it's still a nice, uplifting kids' story.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 Reread
Enjoyed it all over again especially since I couldn't remember everything that happened.

This is the first book in the wonderful Chip Hilton series.
Chip is in high school in this book and plays football. His character is part of what makes these books so good. Chip is always helping others, doing what is right, and has a wonderful relationship with his mom. (His dad died in an accident a few years before the story starts.)
And Soapy, Taps, Speed, Red, Biggie and the other friends of Chip add all sorts of fun to the story.
The setting is a medium sized town, and you get the feel of it without lots of descriptions. I can almost picture the street where Chip and his mom live.
This story has a bit of mystery in it as well as lots of football. However, even if you don’t really understand football or enjoy it, you might still like this story as there is a lot about the characters and not just football.

While not overtly Christian, this is a clean story that I would recommend.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another installment of the series of books starring sports star Chip Hilton. In this one, he is in high school and the sport is football. His school is Valley Falls High and it is a year after some very good players have graduated. Yet, given the skills and knowledge of Coach Rockwell along with the talents of Chip Hilton and his buddies Speed Morris, Soapy Smith and Biggie Cohen, there is reason for optimism.
However, when the season opens there is an open schism between factions on the team, some of which is based on open hostility between people living on opposite sides of town. Chip does his best to heal these divisions, but not even he can overcome all those odds. Despite significant reshuffling, the team manages to scratch out victories and it all comes down to the big game at the end, where they are playing for the championship.
However, unlike most books of adolescent sports fiction, star Chip is not the hero of the final game, having suffered an accident. The author is to be commended for taking a most unusual plot twist, it is rare when the star of the story is not the hero. Hilton is portrayed as a young man of principle, the loyal son to his mother and pursuing truth and justice, even when it might cost him. For these reasons, this is a lesson in moral clarity as much as a story about sports action.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chip Hilton: Touchdown Pass" was a great book. The entire series, Chip Hilton, by Coach Clair Bee, is great. Coach Clair Bee writes very well and keeps me reading his books. The whole series is about baseball, basketball, and football. In "Touchdown Pass", the Valley Falls Big Reds football team is starting their season. Chip is fighting for his spot at halfback for the Big Reds. He earns the spot, but soon changes to the quarterback spot after a couple of games. Chip makes it through a lot of the season playing great at the Quarterback spot, but soon, a left ankle break sidelines him for almost half of the season! How will the Big Reds fair without Chip leading the team? Read to find out!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad grew up with these books about Chip Hilton and idolized the character. I inherited his collection of first editions and just finished reading this one out loud to my daughter. Neither of us are football connoisseurs, but we still enjoyed the story of Chip Hilton's rise to fame. His humility and desire to help others while building up his team and playing the best football season Valley Falls has ever seen were endearing. Made me miss my Coach, the imitable Arthur Andrews, RIP.

[Tony L. Horman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chip Hilton Series

My step father gave me an original copy of Championship Ball many years agoand I recently reread it. I got Touchdown Pass to learn how it all began. Great values and integrity taught. Books that youngsters should read as well as us old guys to relive our sports experiences from long ago.

[Doug Smith]

Are you kidding me? Touchdown Pass was published in 1948 by Clair Bee --not Bob Knight. For starters Bob Knight would have been only 8 years old at the time the book was published. Someone please explain to me why I am wrong about this.

[Steve Rutherford]

Have DJ

[Donald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book series as a boy before I became cynical .I still enjoyed them but I now I can see some of the flaws.

[Allan Bendert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Read this book when I was eight or nine and now it was fun to read again. Have forgotten the growth Chip shows in this book. A fun read.

[Jamir Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Touchdown Pass" by Claire Bee is a very inspirational book. Touchdown pass is about a boy name chip Hilton. Chip enters his junior year of high school, he is the new fullback for his football team. He becomes the captain of the team, but his fullback position changes to quarterback and he becomes the leader of his team. As the season progresses, Chip breaks his leg in a car crash Chip faces a lot of adversity in this book.

This book was very inspirational for me. Chip went through a lot of adversity and he was able to overcome almost everything he came across. There was nothing about this book that I did not like. This book is a very different sports book. There was nothing about this book that didn't disappoint me. Chip is a different type of football player. He encourages his teammates and puts his team first. Chip is the perfect example of a leader.

I would recommend this book to people who like sports or is passionate about football. Not everyone would like this book, but I think athletes would be inspired by this book, because of all the adversity that Chip overcame. He went from being the tackling dummy, to the leader of the team.

[Ja'Nyia Maloy]

The book "Touchdown Pass" by Coach Clair Bee, is really a good book. The genre for this book would be sports. Chip Hilton, a young athlete, makes the varsity football team, and he is just fabulous. His main struggle was to play football right after his dad passed away because that’s all they did together. If Chip went to my school he would be the best football player here. Chip is really a competitive character, he is so competitive he acts as if he is the coach. I just love the way the author tells the story because every word you read you can picture the whole setting. The friendship that builds between Chip and his teammates is just wonderful. I also like this book because it gives a life lesson that no matter what you go through you will survive it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves football or sports in general.

[Jonathan H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Chip Hilton enters his junior year of high school, he is the new fullback for his football team. He becomes the captain of the team, but his fullback position changes to quarterback and he leads the team well. But as the season progresses, Chip breaks his leg in a car crash. Can he finish the season? Will Chip be ready for basketball or will he even be able to ever play sports again?
Coach Claire Bee wrote a great book to start off his Chip Hilton series. I really liked this book, but it isn't for everyone. Only football fans or sport fanatics would enjoy this book. But I still really liked this book and give it 5 stars.

[Moe Lauher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this 70 years ago. I have the same opinion now that I did then. A great sports book for young people. Teaches sportsmanship and life. Some of the football strategy is out of date. But Chip Hilton is still the best athlete out there.

[Brandon B.:. · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY GOOD
one of the first sports books i ever read

[Kevin .l. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I recommend people that are sports fans to read this book. This was awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

not done but so far really good