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Triple Threat
From New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica, comes a timely story about a young girl who joins the boys football team.
With Mike's signature fast-paced, heartfelt writing, he expertly explores gender inequality in football with nonstop sports action.
When twelve-year-old Alex makes up her mind to join her middle school's football team, she doesn't expect it to be easy. But she also never anticipated she'd be met with scorn and derision from her exclusively male teammates. Football has always been a source of happiness for Alex. She and her single father never miss a Steelers game on TV, and Alex knows she has a talent for throwing the perfect spiral. But the guys suck the joy right out of the game for Alex--going out of their way to trip her up during tryouts, and teaming up against her just to watch her fail. Suddenly, Alex is the lowest she's ever felt. But if getting QB is worth it to her, she's going to have to fight for it.
With Mike's signature fast-paced, heartfelt writing, he expertly explores gender inequality in football with nonstop sports action.
When twelve-year-old Alex makes up her mind to join her middle school's football team, she doesn't expect it to be easy. But she also never anticipated she'd be met with scorn and derision from her exclusively male teammates. Football has always been a source of happiness for Alex. She and her single father never miss a Steelers game on TV, and Alex knows she has a talent for throwing the perfect spiral. But the guys suck the joy right out of the game for Alex--going out of their way to trip her up during tryouts, and teaming up against her just to watch her fail. Suddenly, Alex is the lowest she's ever felt. But if getting QB is worth it to her, she's going to have to fight for it.
- GenresSportsMiddle Grade
272 pages, Paperback
Published August 10, 2021
35 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
110 books1,211 followersMichael 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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 2, 2023
I rated the book Triple Threat by Mike Lupica 4 stars because in my opinions it was well written but it wasn’t as great as his other books.There were parts in the book where i got confused on what was happening and their were some boring parts where not too much was happening.I liked the beginning of the book the way the author wrote the beginning made me keep reading and it made it easier to picture what was happening at the start of the book.The book was about a girl in 6th grade who wanted to join the football team but was discriminated against because she was a girl and girls don;t usually play football.She ends up joining the team but nobody on the team supported her she was bullied a lot by her teammates and her coach but that didn’t stop her from playing football.She showed her coach her abilities at quarterback and her coach changed the way he saw her but her teammates were still a problem.I would read another book by this author because i enjoyed a lot of his books it was just that this book wasn’t his greatest.
October 10, 2025
The first part of the book introduces the reader by a girl saying she wants to play football and she can't because she is a girl
if they're good at it.She threw a spiral and was taught by her father who used to play football her name is Alex she is 12 years old and loves football she admires the feel of a football and wants to be a really good football player and tries out for the football tryouts and tries her best and when there done with the football tryouts they wait till tomorrow to find out the results and by next week the tryout results are showed up on the board and she made the team because she had good agility and good physical ability to throw so she had become the quarterback of the team and threw really good throws to her teammates and because one of the best quarterbacks of the school and was the first girl to do it in her school so she felt really proud and decided that she anyone could play quarter back it would be her she lived in a nice and chill neighborhood and loved it there and the trees and the environment was awesome to her.
She loved her school but people at her school thought that she was weird for liking football and playing football and all the other girls weren't interested in football but her but her passion for football was beyond anyone else's and the reasons for that is because she had played football with her dad when she was little and she had grown up and decided that if she could thor a foot ball and have a spiral on it an not be wobbly she could tryout and maybe get on the team and be a quarterback for the boys while they are wide receivers. She had made the team and her family was very very proud of her because she had done what she had wanted for so long and
This made her happy because she wanted to play football even though she was a girl it didn’t matter because her pride and self awareness was off the charts and she could better than any boy at her school and Alex was the only girl by herself with a bunch of boys on a football team
Throughout the story, Alex faces challenges not just on the field from her opponents, but also off it from skeptical teammates, coaches, and even family members who question whether she belongs in the sport. But with resilience, support from a few close allies, and her unwavering love for football, she proves herself again and again.She pushes through any obstacle thats in her way and perseveres. I Really enjoy this story because it shows how that even if your a girl it dosent matter if your a boy it dosent matter because you guys are still human and it shows by alex persevering because even though she is a girl she decided that she would tryout because she loves foot balla dn wont let anyone take that from her she was an awesome quarterback and can kick throw and run she was really a good quarter back because it shows how much effort she puts for the team even though team doesn't like her and the coaches are interested in he she still pushes through that barrier.When you love something enough you don't quit you fight for it. I liked this line because it showed how anyone can show their strength by not quitting and doing the most for everyone. It is a really cool and good line because she is a girl playing with a bunch of boys as quarterback. This passage i rate this because 5 because it shows how people can persevere through the people that are in your way no matter what it is go beyond and do your best.
if they're good at it.She threw a spiral and was taught by her father who used to play football her name is Alex she is 12 years old and loves football she admires the feel of a football and wants to be a really good football player and tries out for the football tryouts and tries her best and when there done with the football tryouts they wait till tomorrow to find out the results and by next week the tryout results are showed up on the board and she made the team because she had good agility and good physical ability to throw so she had become the quarterback of the team and threw really good throws to her teammates and because one of the best quarterbacks of the school and was the first girl to do it in her school so she felt really proud and decided that she anyone could play quarter back it would be her she lived in a nice and chill neighborhood and loved it there and the trees and the environment was awesome to her.
She loved her school but people at her school thought that she was weird for liking football and playing football and all the other girls weren't interested in football but her but her passion for football was beyond anyone else's and the reasons for that is because she had played football with her dad when she was little and she had grown up and decided that if she could thor a foot ball and have a spiral on it an not be wobbly she could tryout and maybe get on the team and be a quarterback for the boys while they are wide receivers. She had made the team and her family was very very proud of her because she had done what she had wanted for so long and
This made her happy because she wanted to play football even though she was a girl it didn’t matter because her pride and self awareness was off the charts and she could better than any boy at her school and Alex was the only girl by herself with a bunch of boys on a football team
Throughout the story, Alex faces challenges not just on the field from her opponents, but also off it from skeptical teammates, coaches, and even family members who question whether she belongs in the sport. But with resilience, support from a few close allies, and her unwavering love for football, she proves herself again and again.She pushes through any obstacle thats in her way and perseveres. I Really enjoy this story because it shows how that even if your a girl it dosent matter if your a boy it dosent matter because you guys are still human and it shows by alex persevering because even though she is a girl she decided that she would tryout because she loves foot balla dn wont let anyone take that from her she was an awesome quarterback and can kick throw and run she was really a good quarter back because it shows how much effort she puts for the team even though team doesn't like her and the coaches are interested in he she still pushes through that barrier.When you love something enough you don't quit you fight for it. I liked this line because it showed how anyone can show their strength by not quitting and doing the most for everyone. It is a really cool and good line because she is a girl playing with a bunch of boys as quarterback. This passage i rate this because 5 because it shows how people can persevere through the people that are in your way no matter what it is go beyond and do your best.
May 21, 2025
The book I'm reading is Triple Threat by Mike Lupica.
So this book is about a girl named Alex who wanted to play football becuase her dad played. And she really wanted to play quarterback because that is what her dad played back in high school.
The thing that I really liked about the book was that Alex was the underdog in this book and she had to fight and earn everything. Just to make the football team let alone get playing time. I would say my favorite charter was Alex because when things got hard she didn't give up and whenever she got the chance to throw a couple of footballs in practice she gave it all she had. I would say that the plot of the story kinda kept me guessing but I play sports so I could kinda figure out how it was going to go but it did keep me guessing a little bit. I would say my favorite part of the book is when Alex and her team win the championship. Because it just shows nothing comes easy you have to work for everything you get. I would say the book made me feel happy towards the ending because it just shows that hard work does pay off. The story definitely made me keep turning the pages because it got really interesting like what is going to happen next.
I would say the only complaint about the book is I did get a little bored at the beginning but it does get a lot better. I did like that there was not a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I did not find it hard to care about the main character because she gave it everything she had and she never gave up. This book mainly always kept me interested.
I would suggest this book to athletes especially football players, Or just people that like sports it is definitely a good book to read.
I would give this book a 4.5/5 Stars.
So this book is about a girl named Alex who wanted to play football becuase her dad played. And she really wanted to play quarterback because that is what her dad played back in high school.
The thing that I really liked about the book was that Alex was the underdog in this book and she had to fight and earn everything. Just to make the football team let alone get playing time. I would say my favorite charter was Alex because when things got hard she didn't give up and whenever she got the chance to throw a couple of footballs in practice she gave it all she had. I would say that the plot of the story kinda kept me guessing but I play sports so I could kinda figure out how it was going to go but it did keep me guessing a little bit. I would say my favorite part of the book is when Alex and her team win the championship. Because it just shows nothing comes easy you have to work for everything you get. I would say the book made me feel happy towards the ending because it just shows that hard work does pay off. The story definitely made me keep turning the pages because it got really interesting like what is going to happen next.
I would say the only complaint about the book is I did get a little bored at the beginning but it does get a lot better. I did like that there was not a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I did not find it hard to care about the main character because she gave it everything she had and she never gave up. This book mainly always kept me interested.
I would suggest this book to athletes especially football players, Or just people that like sports it is definitely a good book to read.
I would give this book a 4.5/5 Stars.
June 13, 2021
"All I wanted was to play football. This is what happened because I tried."
Alexandra "Alex" Carlisle loves watching football with her father. She loves throwing a football around with him and she loves the Pittsburgh Steelers. What she hasn't confessed to her father yet is that she would like to go out for the middle school football team. Alex isn't sure how her dad will take it. But an opportunity at the fair, in which Alex makes a nearly impossible throw to win a stuffed animal, open the door of the discussion.
There's no doubt that Alex has the arm to be a middle school quarterback, but there are so many obstacles, even after her father is on board. First, will her mother be on board? Alex's mom, who left Alex and her dad to go back to school and become a doctor, understands Alex's desire to follow her dream. So she is supportive from a distance, but is that the same? Then there's the health concerns. Will she be able to take a hit? What about the possibility of concussions? And most importantly, what about the other people involved? Will her coach give her a chance to earn a starting spot on the team? Will her teammates accept her as a member of the team, especially Jeff Stiles, who also wants to be quarterback? And what about the girls she plays soccer with? How will they react when they find out Alex won't be playing soccer this year?
Alex has Sophie on her side, a cheerleader who thinks it's awesome that Alex is playing football. Alex also has Jabril on her side, who is one of the best players on the football team. But Alex's friend Gabe, who she was counting on to be on her side, is acting a bit strange. He says he feels like he's caught in the middle between her and the rest of the team.
Alex is a strong female character and the message to follow your dreams is an important one, especially for girls. The complicated relationship between Alex and her mom adds another dimension to the dream-following discussion.
Alexandra "Alex" Carlisle loves watching football with her father. She loves throwing a football around with him and she loves the Pittsburgh Steelers. What she hasn't confessed to her father yet is that she would like to go out for the middle school football team. Alex isn't sure how her dad will take it. But an opportunity at the fair, in which Alex makes a nearly impossible throw to win a stuffed animal, open the door of the discussion.
There's no doubt that Alex has the arm to be a middle school quarterback, but there are so many obstacles, even after her father is on board. First, will her mother be on board? Alex's mom, who left Alex and her dad to go back to school and become a doctor, understands Alex's desire to follow her dream. So she is supportive from a distance, but is that the same? Then there's the health concerns. Will she be able to take a hit? What about the possibility of concussions? And most importantly, what about the other people involved? Will her coach give her a chance to earn a starting spot on the team? Will her teammates accept her as a member of the team, especially Jeff Stiles, who also wants to be quarterback? And what about the girls she plays soccer with? How will they react when they find out Alex won't be playing soccer this year?
Alex has Sophie on her side, a cheerleader who thinks it's awesome that Alex is playing football. Alex also has Jabril on her side, who is one of the best players on the football team. But Alex's friend Gabe, who she was counting on to be on her side, is acting a bit strange. He says he feels like he's caught in the middle between her and the rest of the team.
Alex is a strong female character and the message to follow your dreams is an important one, especially for girls. The complicated relationship between Alex and her mom adds another dimension to the dream-following discussion.
February 3, 2023
In Triple Threat by Mike Lupica the main character’s name is Alex Carlisle. She is a very good soccer player and she loves to watch football. Her favorite team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. In seventh grade she decides to quit soccer and try out for the football team. She is the only girl trying out for the team and she is nervous not that she won’t make it because of her skill, but because they don’t want a girl on the team. My favorite character was probably Jabril because he was a good friend to Alex and a good teammate and also he wanted her to be on the team when no one else wanted her on it. The story kept me guessing because her teammate didn’t like her and her old soccer teammates didn’t like her either so I didn’t know how she was going to make new friends. I would suggest this book to football fans because they also talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
June 14, 2022
Middle grade sports is not always my wheelhouse, but I do come across some excellent reads. Lupica is always good for an engaging, action-filled story...and this one is no different.
When football-loving Alex decides to try out for her 7th grade team, she discovers that being a girl seems to matter more to everyone than being a good player. She struggles with her teammates, her coach, and even some of her best friends.
While this is a little bit of a cliched "girl plays football" story, there are some excellent characters. I love Alex's teammate Jabril--an athletic, charismatic kid who only cares that Alex can help them win, and the relationship Alex has with her dad. The actual football scenes are also excellent and don't slow the story down at all.
When football-loving Alex decides to try out for her 7th grade team, she discovers that being a girl seems to matter more to everyone than being a good player. She struggles with her teammates, her coach, and even some of her best friends.
While this is a little bit of a cliched "girl plays football" story, there are some excellent characters. I love Alex's teammate Jabril--an athletic, charismatic kid who only cares that Alex can help them win, and the relationship Alex has with her dad. The actual football scenes are also excellent and don't slow the story down at all.
September 13, 2020
When Alex (short for Alexandra) decides to follow her dream of trying out for the middle school football team, she faces a lot of pushback from the boys on the team, the coach, and the girls on the soccer team she left behind. Full of great football action, this book provides excellent insight into the barriers girls and women still face in so many arenas. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
September 9, 2020
Loved it! Another great football book by this author!
December 9, 2021
I unexpectedly loved this!! SUCH a great story that I wish I had had as a girl who loved football her whole life. So excited to promote this to my kiddos :)
February 15, 2022
Good, but it took a while to get into the good stuff.
November 6, 2022
Great middle school read about overcoming stereotypical gender roles to play football.
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December 5, 2023The book was very good.
December 20, 2023
Greta. For a girl football lover. Enjoyed this book so much.
December 20, 2023
I LIVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!! I love football and I think it’s amazing they had a book about girls doing it. #GIRL POWER!💪
February 18, 2024
Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of football and girl power!
March 31, 2021
I would give this book 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews