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Shooting Star
A natural-born athlete, Jomo Rogers has talent that is easy to spot on the football field, and local reporters are taking notice. But the buzz keeps focusing on his potential, on his promise. Jomo doesn’t want to be the “next big thing.” He wants to be the real deal . . . in as little time as possible. He adopts a new workout regimen, complete with more weights, longer runs—and steroids. A gritty, witty, and eloquent youngadult debut, Shooting Star takes on the sports headlines and brings to the page a young man whose drive is about to make his life spiral out of control.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
20 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Fredrick L. McKissack Jr.
20 books5 followersFredrick McKissack has nearly 20 years experience as a writer and an editor. His articles, op-eds, and reviews have been published in The Washington Post, Vibe Magazine, and others. He lives in Ft. Wayne, Ind. with his wife, Lisa and their son, Mark.
Son of author Patricia C. McKissack
Son of author Fredrick L. McKissack
Son of author Patricia C. McKissack
Son of author Fredrick L. McKissack
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 16, 2019
Name: Beyersdorf, Carson
Book title: Shooting Star
Personal Response:
My personal response to this book is that it's an all-around good read. It teaches the reader about the bad habits of using steroids. It takes you on the adventure of Jomo Rodgers.
Plot Summary: Jomo Rodgers is a small CB for the Cranmer Colonels. He would be recruited to play sports but his size is holding him back so he hits the weights hard. After a few months, he notices he's not getting bigger so he decides to start juicing to get big. He meets with a shady guy named Ganz who says his juice won't have any side effects (Eventually Jomo will realize Ganz lied). The juice started to work and Jomo decided to start selling for him and got 2 other football players hooked on it. His uncle discovers he is juicing and tells him to tell his coach. So Jomo decides to play the last game and then tell his coach. He gets in a car accident after he is ejected from the game then ends up telling the news reporter that he juiced.
Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this book to all athletes. Some athletes who don't seem big enough will decide to juice. I have often referred to Lyle Alzado who juiced every year in the NFL. It's a good read and would rate it an 8/10. =)
Book title: Shooting Star
Personal Response:
My personal response to this book is that it's an all-around good read. It teaches the reader about the bad habits of using steroids. It takes you on the adventure of Jomo Rodgers.
Plot Summary: Jomo Rodgers is a small CB for the Cranmer Colonels. He would be recruited to play sports but his size is holding him back so he hits the weights hard. After a few months, he notices he's not getting bigger so he decides to start juicing to get big. He meets with a shady guy named Ganz who says his juice won't have any side effects (Eventually Jomo will realize Ganz lied). The juice started to work and Jomo decided to start selling for him and got 2 other football players hooked on it. His uncle discovers he is juicing and tells him to tell his coach. So Jomo decides to play the last game and then tell his coach. He gets in a car accident after he is ejected from the game then ends up telling the news reporter that he juiced.
Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this book to all athletes. Some athletes who don't seem big enough will decide to juice. I have often referred to Lyle Alzado who juiced every year in the NFL. It's a good read and would rate it an 8/10. =)
October 15, 2015
Personal response:
I did enjoy this book,there was a few ups and downs that really made you want to read more and more.There was always something you wanted to know,but the author told you but then he didn't tell you,he wanted you to have you figure out if Jomo was going to get caught by Jayson or Will or even his own father.Throughout the book we learned more about Jomos' thought process when he wanted to get steroids from Ganz but that will be talked about later.
Plot summary:
First to start the book off Jomo (who is the main character) is trying to save a game winning tackle,but gets blind sided by a player on the other team.What I thought happened is that Jomo was going to get a concussion from the hit but he didn't, a little bit later he got up and walked off the field under his own power. Then that's when Jomo realized he need to get bigger,a lot bigger to be able to maybe get recruited to a collage and play football more and more throughout his life. The book goes on about how he shouldn't do steroids but he does them anyway then the roids start to change the way he acts to his friends and family.Ganz says their are no side effects to the roids but after he was taking them for so long Jomo found out what actually was happening to his brain, he developed a very bad attitude toward people who did something better than him. Which intern get him kicked out of a lot of things,normally he is really nice to people and then when he is on the steroids he is a really mean to people that are nice to him. Then at the end of the book he is faced with prison or cheating in sports or to have his dad cover for him,he doesn't have his dad cover for him and he takes the punishment like a man and talks to the reporters.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to people who like sports books,or if you just want to read a book that will always keep you wanting to read more and more.You can learn different things about steroids and how they will affect you and the human body.I would say that girls wouldn't really understand why football is such a demanding sport to get better and strong at,but I wouldn't want to discourage poeple from reading the book it is actually a good book, its more for guys.
I did enjoy this book,there was a few ups and downs that really made you want to read more and more.There was always something you wanted to know,but the author told you but then he didn't tell you,he wanted you to have you figure out if Jomo was going to get caught by Jayson or Will or even his own father.Throughout the book we learned more about Jomos' thought process when he wanted to get steroids from Ganz but that will be talked about later.
Plot summary:
First to start the book off Jomo (who is the main character) is trying to save a game winning tackle,but gets blind sided by a player on the other team.What I thought happened is that Jomo was going to get a concussion from the hit but he didn't, a little bit later he got up and walked off the field under his own power. Then that's when Jomo realized he need to get bigger,a lot bigger to be able to maybe get recruited to a collage and play football more and more throughout his life. The book goes on about how he shouldn't do steroids but he does them anyway then the roids start to change the way he acts to his friends and family.Ganz says their are no side effects to the roids but after he was taking them for so long Jomo found out what actually was happening to his brain, he developed a very bad attitude toward people who did something better than him. Which intern get him kicked out of a lot of things,normally he is really nice to people and then when he is on the steroids he is a really mean to people that are nice to him. Then at the end of the book he is faced with prison or cheating in sports or to have his dad cover for him,he doesn't have his dad cover for him and he takes the punishment like a man and talks to the reporters.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to people who like sports books,or if you just want to read a book that will always keep you wanting to read more and more.You can learn different things about steroids and how they will affect you and the human body.I would say that girls wouldn't really understand why football is such a demanding sport to get better and strong at,but I wouldn't want to discourage poeple from reading the book it is actually a good book, its more for guys.
October 29, 2010
Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr. is a book about the challenges that being a student athlete brings. Jomo Rodgers and his best friend Jayson Caldwell are high school football players. Jomo is a short 5”7’ free safety while Jayson is a 5”11’ all-American running back. Jayson is being scouted by college coaches all around the country. Jomo is jealous and thinks that if he can put on twenty pounds of muscle in the offseason that he could be as good as Jayson. When Jomo isn’t seeing results quick enough he turns to steroids. “I gotta bulk up.” Jomo. The steroids help Jomo to get bigger and better but with them there are consequences.
This book was very good. The story was told from the perspective of Jomo. The author did an awesome job. He put it together well and in result it was a good book. It teaches a good lesson about the effects that drugs can have on you and just how addictive they are. I would recommend this book.
I would give this book a 4 on a scale of 1-5. I think that this book was good but it wasn’t my favorite. I would recommend it but it’s not a must read. Overall I would say it’s been one of the better books that I have read.
This book was very good. The story was told from the perspective of Jomo. The author did an awesome job. He put it together well and in result it was a good book. It teaches a good lesson about the effects that drugs can have on you and just how addictive they are. I would recommend this book.
I would give this book a 4 on a scale of 1-5. I think that this book was good but it wasn’t my favorite. I would recommend it but it’s not a must read. Overall I would say it’s been one of the better books that I have read.
January 20, 2014
If you had a chance to do steroid would you? steroids can change you completely because you can have roid rage and you could hurt your friends.steroid might have a positive affect at first but they have many side effects.
Shooting star by fredrick mckissack jr is a kind of sports book that has the protagonist wanting to get bigger muscle wise for football .And he lifts everyday but isn’t getting the results quick enough. So he asks around and finds some steroids. And starts using them and everyone can see the change but don’t think he’ s a guy that would do that. So he goes to a camp and can’t handle the drugs and hurts a kid badly so he get kicked off the field and from the camp.
An excerpt from the book that illustrates discomfort is “I heard nobodys ever died from steroids”. This shows discomfort because he thinks nobody has ever died from steroid but if he heard people have died from steroids he would be discomforted.
If you like this book you may also like gym candy by Carl Deuker because it is very similar to this book. I rate the book 4 out of five stars because I read gym candy first and knew the events in gym candy so I knew the big parts in the book.
January 9, 2020
Shooting Star was a very intriguing and thoughtful book. Fredrick L. McKissack Jr. wrote a young adult fiction that shows the point of a view of a undersized high school football player. He wants to get bigger and stronger for the football team because he is tired of being called "small" and "weak". Therefore, he decides to take steroids so that his peers wouldn't make fun of him and to also improve his play on the field. However, this comes with some bad consequences that could ruin his life forever.
The main character and protagonist is Jomo Rogers, who is 17 and a junior on his football team. During Jomo's sophomore year, he was a solid player that lacked a lot of size on varsity. Everybody told Jomo that if was just a little bigger and stronger, he would be an outstanding player. Jomo got tired of hearing this everyday and finally decided to take steroids to make up the size he lacked. He received results almost immediately and decided to feel a big change in his body (he was getting a lot stronger). In addition, flashbacks are used throughout the book. For example, Jomo has flashbacks of him getting destroyed during his sophomore year in football (because of how small he was).
The biggest conflict throughout the book is Jomo's steroids having negative side affects on him. For example, Jomo begins to have symptoms of roid rage and a change in personality. Some of these incidents include him trying to constantly get in fights, abusing his girlfriend, and disrespecting his parents. Jomo had never committed any of these actions until he started taking steroids. The theme of the book would be that taking the "easy way" out of things can have more negative consequences than good. For example, instead of getting bigger and stronger naturally, Jomo decided to take the easy way out and take steroids. While he did indeed get a lot stronger and faster than he would've naturally, there was also a ton of negative affects of him taking steroids. This includes him getting kicked off of his football team for being a dirty player, getting suspended from school for getting into several fights with his teammates, and more (this was all a result of roid rage from steroids).
My favorite part of this book was how action packed and detailed it was. Additionally, the author did a very good job of making the book relatable to the avergae teenager. For example, all aspects of the book could very well happen in real life (nothing was very far-fetched). I recommend this book to anyone interested in football or the negative affects of steroids. The way this book is written, it can easily show athletes/football players how steroids can cause much more pain than good.
The main character and protagonist is Jomo Rogers, who is 17 and a junior on his football team. During Jomo's sophomore year, he was a solid player that lacked a lot of size on varsity. Everybody told Jomo that if was just a little bigger and stronger, he would be an outstanding player. Jomo got tired of hearing this everyday and finally decided to take steroids to make up the size he lacked. He received results almost immediately and decided to feel a big change in his body (he was getting a lot stronger). In addition, flashbacks are used throughout the book. For example, Jomo has flashbacks of him getting destroyed during his sophomore year in football (because of how small he was).
The biggest conflict throughout the book is Jomo's steroids having negative side affects on him. For example, Jomo begins to have symptoms of roid rage and a change in personality. Some of these incidents include him trying to constantly get in fights, abusing his girlfriend, and disrespecting his parents. Jomo had never committed any of these actions until he started taking steroids. The theme of the book would be that taking the "easy way" out of things can have more negative consequences than good. For example, instead of getting bigger and stronger naturally, Jomo decided to take the easy way out and take steroids. While he did indeed get a lot stronger and faster than he would've naturally, there was also a ton of negative affects of him taking steroids. This includes him getting kicked off of his football team for being a dirty player, getting suspended from school for getting into several fights with his teammates, and more (this was all a result of roid rage from steroids).
My favorite part of this book was how action packed and detailed it was. Additionally, the author did a very good job of making the book relatable to the avergae teenager. For example, all aspects of the book could very well happen in real life (nothing was very far-fetched). I recommend this book to anyone interested in football or the negative affects of steroids. The way this book is written, it can easily show athletes/football players how steroids can cause much more pain than good.
January 19, 2018
A boy named Jomo Rogers with lots talent on and could easily make it on a football field and get the news looking at him. That was enough for him he thinks he has to be the biggest and the best so he changes his workout and enhance it with illegal drugs. Jomo Rogers is the main focus in this story and his friends that are around him and his coaches. Jeri the team's strength training coach helps him workout and gain muscle, but Jomo don’t think it working fast enough so he meets up with a college chemistry major who is selling a product he says will make Jomo a star. He see a change and countutes to use it. However as time goes on his dad a college professor ends ever night drunk. His mom moved to Seatel to advance in her art career. Even know Jomo used drugs he my favorite character because he is born natural football star and want to be the best.I can not relate on the things he done with the steroids, but i can relate on the way that he wants to be the best football player and love taking charge and carrying the team. No i have never took done anything like this before. It shows me how people that want something bad enough will do whatever, but in the long run its bad if you do the bad things to get you there. I liked it, I like how the book starts with them getting beat because Jomo get blocked real hard by a big fat lineman. My favorite part is when he get mowed over by the lineman and misses the tackle to win the game. I liked the way he worded things and made situations. I would recommend this book to anybody sporty or not. I think everyone would like this book. Its makes you wonder if this happens how many people done this without being caught.
October 7, 2024
Here's another book about the dangers of steroids and the win-at-all-costs mentality. It starts off well with the MC, a talented but somewhat undersized football player wanting it all. Wanting it all involves working out, running, heavy weight training...and PEDs. That's all fine and good, but a few things sank this book for me.
One, the constant swearing. I'm no prude, but after a while, the f-bomb became mind-numbing.
Two, street slang is street slang, and there was way too much of it.
Three, when our MC starts to spiral out of control, how is it that no one notices what's wrong until it's almost too late?
Very unrealistic. Listen, I've been weight training since my teens, and if a young guy with decent genetics takes 'roids and trains hard and eats right, within a couple of months, you'll see a marked difference. Not a YUGE difference, but a marked one. In the novel, our MC has hit the genetic jackpot, and yet, few notice the transformation.
This subject has been covered before by other sports writers and better authors. This novel had the right idea, IMO, but the wrong way at describing it. One star, only for the subject matter.
One, the constant swearing. I'm no prude, but after a while, the f-bomb became mind-numbing.
Two, street slang is street slang, and there was way too much of it.
Three, when our MC starts to spiral out of control, how is it that no one notices what's wrong until it's almost too late?
Very unrealistic. Listen, I've been weight training since my teens, and if a young guy with decent genetics takes 'roids and trains hard and eats right, within a couple of months, you'll see a marked difference. Not a YUGE difference, but a marked one. In the novel, our MC has hit the genetic jackpot, and yet, few notice the transformation.
This subject has been covered before by other sports writers and better authors. This novel had the right idea, IMO, but the wrong way at describing it. One star, only for the subject matter.
June 4, 2018
Shooting Star by Fredrick L. McKissack Jr. is an amazing novel. The protagonist in the book, Jomo Rodgers is a small kid. He's always wished he was bigger and stronger like the rest of the football team. No matter what he did he wasn't getting bigger until one day his life changed forever. He got steroids. The steroids got him bigger but he would get overcome by the side effects.
December 5, 2018
This was an amazing book. It teaches all kinds of lessons about taking the easy way out of something and the affects it can have on you, and maybe even the people around you. It shows you the consequences of steroids, but also shows bad things that come with it. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.
Read
December 4, 2013Shooting Star is about a high school junior named Jomo Rodgers who plays football for a high school in Indiana named Cranmer prep. Jomo is a good football player, but not great like his friend Jayson Caldwell. Jayson is the team's best player who is believed to one day go onto play professional football in the National Football League. Jomo going into his junior season is expected to step up as one of Cranmers elite players. He is even getting calls from small colleges to play football for them. His coach spoke to him about an offseason program to help him get stronger, but the knock of Jomo is that he is small, more specifically short. He is listed at about 5’8, which is short for a high school player. So Jomo decides he has to get bigger, and to do that he attends the offseason training program. Jomo is seeing progress in his weight and strength due to the offseason program, although he likes the progress, he wants more. So Jomo decides to start taking steroids. While taking the steroids Jomo notices astonishing gains in his weight and strength. Jomo also experiences strange behavior, he is becoming more aggressive and is acting out of character. In one instance he got into a fight with someone at school, which is completely out of character for him. In other instances he gets kicked out of a football camp, he disobeys and starts to talk back to his uncle. The worst case for Jomo was when he and his girlfriend, Miranda, were hanging out at Jomo’s job and Jomo began to forcibly and sexually contact her and Miranda did not approve of it. Ever since that incident Jomo and Miranda have never spoken to each other. To find out if Jomo gets caught for his steroid use and how the book ends you will have to read “Shooting Star” by Fredrick Mckissack Jr.
A strength of this book is that it includes elements of realistic conflicts faced by a high schooler. These are real life problems that some football players go through. Another strength of this book is that it there was a new twist to the story at every turn. This element of sudden drama really keeps the reader interested in the book. A weakness of this book is the grammar and spelling mistakes. I understand some of the grammatical errors in this book may be intentional because of the speech of the character, but there were definitely some misspellings and errors simply misprinted in the book.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book, specifically to athletes but anyone can read it and enjoy it. It is a good read with alot of interesting twists and turns within the plot. There is alot of drama that would make you think how fortunate you are not in this situation, it also makes you feel for the character and in a way teaches you a lesson; but of course to find out you have to read “Shooting Star” by Frederick Mckissack Jr.
December 21, 2012
Book assessment
In the book Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr., Jomo the main character is having a problem with his size. He was really undersized for high school football and he wanted to get bigger. His coach also wanted him to become more committed to the sport, so Jomo started doing some offseason training. But he was disappointed in the results. He wanted to get bigger and faster than what he was. So he started taking performance enhancing drugs. He didn’t tell anyone about them because then all of his dreams of playing in college would go out the window in a heartbeat. He found out how to get those steroids from a teammate who took other performance drugs. Jomo always said he would never take steroids but, they’re only two main reasons why Jomo started taking steroids. One was so he would get bigger so no one would pick on him because he was sick of all the people telling if he were only a few pounds heavier he would get college scholarships. It was a Crammer High School tradition that they gave out awards to the players that did really well during the season. Jomo had received the award “Damn, If He Was Just a Little Bit Taller, He’d Be a Big Time Baller.” The second reason was so that college scouts would recognize who he was and want him on their team. The tactic worked though, because as soon as he started using them he got calls from a few smaller colleges.
One of Jomo’s best friends, Jayson, has the opposite problem that Jomo has. Jayson has a taller body and a bigger structure. He is a running back for the Crammer football team. He has got college scouts talking to him all over the country even the military academies asked him to enroll in the college. Jomo is reason jealous of Jayson because Jayson gets all the college scouts looking at him and coming to watch the football game just for him and all the girls in their school like Jayson. Even the girl that Jomo kind of likes.
Another main character in the book is Ganz. Ganz is the man that if you saw him in public you would be afraid of him. That is because he has huge muscules and is tattooed everywhere. He is the one that sells the steroids to Jomo. He is also a college graduate andn has a masters degree.
In the book Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr., Jomo the main character is having a problem with his size. He was really undersized for high school football and he wanted to get bigger. His coach also wanted him to become more committed to the sport, so Jomo started doing some offseason training. But he was disappointed in the results. He wanted to get bigger and faster than what he was. So he started taking performance enhancing drugs. He didn’t tell anyone about them because then all of his dreams of playing in college would go out the window in a heartbeat. He found out how to get those steroids from a teammate who took other performance drugs. Jomo always said he would never take steroids but, they’re only two main reasons why Jomo started taking steroids. One was so he would get bigger so no one would pick on him because he was sick of all the people telling if he were only a few pounds heavier he would get college scholarships. It was a Crammer High School tradition that they gave out awards to the players that did really well during the season. Jomo had received the award “Damn, If He Was Just a Little Bit Taller, He’d Be a Big Time Baller.” The second reason was so that college scouts would recognize who he was and want him on their team. The tactic worked though, because as soon as he started using them he got calls from a few smaller colleges.
One of Jomo’s best friends, Jayson, has the opposite problem that Jomo has. Jayson has a taller body and a bigger structure. He is a running back for the Crammer football team. He has got college scouts talking to him all over the country even the military academies asked him to enroll in the college. Jomo is reason jealous of Jayson because Jayson gets all the college scouts looking at him and coming to watch the football game just for him and all the girls in their school like Jayson. Even the girl that Jomo kind of likes.
Another main character in the book is Ganz. Ganz is the man that if you saw him in public you would be afraid of him. That is because he has huge muscules and is tattooed everywhere. He is the one that sells the steroids to Jomo. He is also a college graduate andn has a masters degree.
February 26, 2013
Book assessment
In the book Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr., Jomo the main character is having a problem with his size. He was really undersized for high school football and he wanted to get bigger. His coach also wanted him to become more committed to the sport, so Jomo started doing some offseason training. But he was disappointed in the results. He wanted to get bigger and faster than what he was. So he started taking performance enhancing drugs. He didn’t tell anyone about them because then all of his dreams of playing in college would go out the window in a heartbeat. He found out how to get those steroids from a teammate who took other performance drugs. Jomo always said he would never take steroids but, they’re only two main reasons why Jomo started taking steroids. One was so he would get bigger so no one would pick on him because he was sick of all the people telling if he were only a few pounds heavier he would get college scholarships. It was a Crammer High School tradition that they gave out awards to the players that did really well during the season. Jomo had received the award “Damn, If He Was Just a Little Bit Taller, He’d Be a Big Time Baller.” The second reason was so that college scouts would recognize who he was and want him on their team. The tactic worked though, because as soon as he started using them he got calls from a few smaller colleges.
One of Jomo’s best friends, Jayson, has the opposite problem that Jomo has. Jayson has a taller body and a bigger structure. He is a running back for the Crammer football team. He has got college scouts talking to him all over the country even the military academies asked him to enroll in the college. Jomo is reason jealous of Jayson because Jayson gets all the college scouts looking at him and coming to watch the football game just for him and all the girls in their school like Jayson. Even the girl that Jomo kind of likes. At the end of the book the steroids seem to be an awful idea and almost ruined his life. After Jayson and Jomo ran their 40s and tied later he ended up almost raping his girlfriend and ruining his life forever after roid rage.
In the book Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr., Jomo the main character is having a problem with his size. He was really undersized for high school football and he wanted to get bigger. His coach also wanted him to become more committed to the sport, so Jomo started doing some offseason training. But he was disappointed in the results. He wanted to get bigger and faster than what he was. So he started taking performance enhancing drugs. He didn’t tell anyone about them because then all of his dreams of playing in college would go out the window in a heartbeat. He found out how to get those steroids from a teammate who took other performance drugs. Jomo always said he would never take steroids but, they’re only two main reasons why Jomo started taking steroids. One was so he would get bigger so no one would pick on him because he was sick of all the people telling if he were only a few pounds heavier he would get college scholarships. It was a Crammer High School tradition that they gave out awards to the players that did really well during the season. Jomo had received the award “Damn, If He Was Just a Little Bit Taller, He’d Be a Big Time Baller.” The second reason was so that college scouts would recognize who he was and want him on their team. The tactic worked though, because as soon as he started using them he got calls from a few smaller colleges.
One of Jomo’s best friends, Jayson, has the opposite problem that Jomo has. Jayson has a taller body and a bigger structure. He is a running back for the Crammer football team. He has got college scouts talking to him all over the country even the military academies asked him to enroll in the college. Jomo is reason jealous of Jayson because Jayson gets all the college scouts looking at him and coming to watch the football game just for him and all the girls in their school like Jayson. Even the girl that Jomo kind of likes. At the end of the book the steroids seem to be an awful idea and almost ruined his life. After Jayson and Jomo ran their 40s and tied later he ended up almost raping his girlfriend and ruining his life forever after roid rage.
October 12, 2016
Shooting star is a book about a boy named Jomo Rogers who is a worker at the local Boys and girls club and a sophomore football player at cranmer high school and is known for winning the " if he was a little bit taller he'd be a big time baller" award at his teammates annual celebration after the season. Jomo's bestfriend is Jayson the star player not only a freshman but one of the best players and received the "on any given Sunday" award which is given to the best player. Over the summer Jomo is put on the player to watch list and is still considered undersized so he starts a new workout plan, more running more lifting, more dedication and when does not see results as he wants, he adds something new Juicing (taking steroids). Jayson original plan was to use this until he felt he was nice size then gets some college scouts and is starting to be noticed his craving for the steroids builds and he is turned into a new person fighting, cheating on his girlfriend , and lying to his family, and also intentionally hurting his own teammates.
Jomo then eventually spirals all the way down the wrong path when his uncle catches him juicing at work the night before the biggest game of the year . He stills goes on to play that night but is ejected when he pile drives the other teams running back into the ground on his neck and then tells the local school reporter flees the school then crashes his car and goes into a 21 day coma.
I would rate this book a 5/5 book it kept my attention the whole time without a dull moment in this book and really relates to a small football player as myself and would for any other. It also has a message to it do not cut corners in life or anything the payout will be worth the time. I would recommend this book to any teenage athletes 14-17 years old, not only because of this message but the situations throughout that Jomo faces while during this whole journey
Jomo then eventually spirals all the way down the wrong path when his uncle catches him juicing at work the night before the biggest game of the year . He stills goes on to play that night but is ejected when he pile drives the other teams running back into the ground on his neck and then tells the local school reporter flees the school then crashes his car and goes into a 21 day coma.
I would rate this book a 5/5 book it kept my attention the whole time without a dull moment in this book and really relates to a small football player as myself and would for any other. It also has a message to it do not cut corners in life or anything the payout will be worth the time. I would recommend this book to any teenage athletes 14-17 years old, not only because of this message but the situations throughout that Jomo faces while during this whole journey
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Jomo Rodgers has big football dreams; unfortunately, he's not big. His coach praises his competitive attitude and his hustle, but he always ends his comments with, "If only ...." Jomo knows he means, if only he was bigger.
At the coach's suggestion, Jomo begins an aggressive training program between his sophomore and junior year. With the help of Jeri, the team's strength training coach, he is able to start building some muscle and increasing his weight. Just like most young athletes, Jomo doesn't think it is happening fast enough, so he looks to another source. He hooks up with Ganz, a college chemistry major who is selling a product he says will make Jomo a star.
Just two weeks after beginning the steroid injections, Jomo notices a difference - and so do his coaches and teammates. Getting the money to continue using is not a problem, but keeping it a secret might prove to be.
His football situation is improving, but things at home are not. His father, a college professor, has started ending each evening drunk, and Jomo's mother recently moved to Seattle to advance her art career, so she is not around to keep things running smoothly. Even with his success on the football field and admiring calls from college recruiters, side-effects from the steroids have Jomo's life spiraling out of control.
SHOOTING STAR by Fredrick McKissack, Jr. focuses on the player side of steroid use. What pushes a player to use the illegal substance knowing that discovery will end a career? Why does a player continue using when things obviously get out of hand? SHOOTING STAR is an attention grabber. It will interest not only sports fans, but anyone looking for a story about the drive to succeed against personal odds. It is a real page-turner that I couldn't put down.
Jomo Rodgers has big football dreams; unfortunately, he's not big. His coach praises his competitive attitude and his hustle, but he always ends his comments with, "If only ...." Jomo knows he means, if only he was bigger.
At the coach's suggestion, Jomo begins an aggressive training program between his sophomore and junior year. With the help of Jeri, the team's strength training coach, he is able to start building some muscle and increasing his weight. Just like most young athletes, Jomo doesn't think it is happening fast enough, so he looks to another source. He hooks up with Ganz, a college chemistry major who is selling a product he says will make Jomo a star.
Just two weeks after beginning the steroid injections, Jomo notices a difference - and so do his coaches and teammates. Getting the money to continue using is not a problem, but keeping it a secret might prove to be.
His football situation is improving, but things at home are not. His father, a college professor, has started ending each evening drunk, and Jomo's mother recently moved to Seattle to advance her art career, so she is not around to keep things running smoothly. Even with his success on the football field and admiring calls from college recruiters, side-effects from the steroids have Jomo's life spiraling out of control.
SHOOTING STAR by Fredrick McKissack, Jr. focuses on the player side of steroid use. What pushes a player to use the illegal substance knowing that discovery will end a career? Why does a player continue using when things obviously get out of hand? SHOOTING STAR is an attention grabber. It will interest not only sports fans, but anyone looking for a story about the drive to succeed against personal odds. It is a real page-turner that I couldn't put down.
December 21, 2012
"'Do you think you're a good football player/" McPherson asked, forcing Jomo to make eye contact. Jomo tensed. What kind of question was that? Was this a trick? he wondered.
'I guess so-'
'No guessing, son. You've got to know so. Do you know so?'
Shooting Star is a book about a high school student named Jomo who regularly likes football. His friend Jayson has a huge passion for it, and Jomo is a little jealous. jayson gets calls from the colleges left and right each day, while Jomo isn't. Their coach, McPherson, notices that Jomo could be giving better effort to the game, as he is younger than the rest and playing varsity. With a conversation, Jomo decides to become more involved with the sport. He starts practicing, cheering, and learning differently than he did before, but he then feared that it wouldn't be good enough. He gets stuck in the decision between juicing and steroids, or to be himself to make it big.
I think this book was good, because I like to read about sports and a little of action. This author put good wording into this book, which makes a big affect on what kind of books I read, even though it was in third person. I gave this book 5 stars because of how the author kept it structured through the entire book.
'I guess so-'
'No guessing, son. You've got to know so. Do you know so?'
Shooting Star is a book about a high school student named Jomo who regularly likes football. His friend Jayson has a huge passion for it, and Jomo is a little jealous. jayson gets calls from the colleges left and right each day, while Jomo isn't. Their coach, McPherson, notices that Jomo could be giving better effort to the game, as he is younger than the rest and playing varsity. With a conversation, Jomo decides to become more involved with the sport. He starts practicing, cheering, and learning differently than he did before, but he then feared that it wouldn't be good enough. He gets stuck in the decision between juicing and steroids, or to be himself to make it big.
I think this book was good, because I like to read about sports and a little of action. This author put good wording into this book, which makes a big affect on what kind of books I read, even though it was in third person. I gave this book 5 stars because of how the author kept it structured through the entire book.
August 25, 2016
Jomo Rodgers is a good football player, but his size hinders him from being great like his best friend and team mate, Jayson Caldwell. After losing the final game in a grueling season, his coach talks to him about his commitment to the game and encourages him to train during the off season so he can add muscle to his slight frame. With the help of a trainer, Jomo works hard at lifting weights and is making sure, steady progress. But he grows impatient. Jomo doesn’t want to wait to SEE the results of his hard work. Against his better judgment, he secretly begins to take illegal performance enhancing drugs - steroids. As his game improves and he gets favorable notice by his coaches and local sports writers, his life spirals out of control. He becomes a person that those closest to him do not recognize. He thinks he has a handle on things and can quit when he wants to, but can he? Teens that enjoy fast-past, action-filled stories will enjoy McKissack’s excellent work.
February 14, 2011
Shooting Star is about Jomo who has always been second in line next to his best friend Jayson in everything he does. He hates having that role even though he likes Jayson. Jayson gets division one recruiting calls for football and Jomo doesn't know why he doesn't. Jomo wants to show up Jayson and he finally gets the opportunity when he calls a guy about steroids. Ganz, his supplier is a creepy dude but he gives Jomo what he needs and Jomo improves in the weight room and on the football field. When he lines up for the 40 yard dash against Jayson they finish in a dead tie. Jomo is having the time of his life and he knows it. When it comes to the side effects though Jomo gets major roid rage and almost ruins his life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2009
I'm not going to be able to write a completely objective review--this book was probably doomed to 2 stars from me just because it involves descriptions of football plays, which basically read like a bunch of gibberish to my brain. I read it so that I could have a more well-rounded knowledge of the books in my teen section.
Apart from this caveat, I felt like the relationships in the book and the dialogue were pretty realistic--this has high teen boy appeal for sure. After-school special elements creep in at the corners, but what are you going to do? It's a book about high school steroid use. I think it would be hard to avoid that.
Apart from this caveat, I felt like the relationships in the book and the dialogue were pretty realistic--this has high teen boy appeal for sure. After-school special elements creep in at the corners, but what are you going to do? It's a book about high school steroid use. I think it would be hard to avoid that.
May 13, 2010
I started this book at the first of the school year and didn't finish it because this author used the "f" word way too much. Awhile ago I kept reading about it and what a great book it was so I decided to try one more time.
I did finish it this time and it was a great story about how using steriods can ruin not just your life but the life of those around you also. However the author continued to use the "f" too many times and with other words combined.
So if you don't like swearing don't read this book. If you can look past that then it is a great story.
I only gave it 2 stars because of how much I liked the actual story.
I did finish it this time and it was a great story about how using steriods can ruin not just your life but the life of those around you also. However the author continued to use the "f" too many times and with other words combined.
So if you don't like swearing don't read this book. If you can look past that then it is a great story.
I only gave it 2 stars because of how much I liked the actual story.
October 25, 2010
This book is about a boy named Jomo who wanted to be as good as his friend Jayson. He wished he was as strong, fast, and good as he is at football. In the last game of the season, he got busted up. On the ride home, the coach wanted to talk to him. He thought yeah man no sweat. The coach asked if he wanted to play big boy ball. He needed to come in every week and lift weights. Later on, he finds it is not so easy. He talks to his closest friends about taking steroids. Later on he has times that are as fast as his friend and the coaches got suspisous.
October 26, 2012
The book Shooting Star by: Fredrick L. McKissak Jr. is probably the best book I have ever read. The theme of this book if you make wrong choices they will come back to haunt you. Unfortunatly the main character Jomo made a very bad choice and it comes back and gets him into a lot of trouble. I can relate to Jomo because I love football but I am too small but I will never do what Jomo did. This book deserves a 5 star rating because it is an action packed thriller. What choice did Jomo make??????
January 14, 2010
this book is about a football player.they took him out of the team becouse he was skinny.so they told hem that he needs to get more heavy soo he can get back to the team and be a football star.
i cannact this book to the world becouse alot of people in the world were off the team then they got back after they got biger.i gave this book 5 stars becouse i love footballand i love books about football.
i cannact this book to the world becouse alot of people in the world were off the team then they got back after they got biger.i gave this book 5 stars becouse i love footballand i love books about football.
February 6, 2010
I give this a 2.5. I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, and I don't think it's because it was a book about football. The characters seemed pretty predictable. Wanting to know what was going to happen to Jomo did keep me going, but I'm not sure I loved the ending. I think I would have preferred this book with a 1st person narrator.
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October 3, 2014This book is very interesting to me considering that I am a football player who has talent but very small and surrounded by other players with Division 1 talent wondering how I'm going to gain the weight to compete. So ,as said earlier, this book is interesting to me and resembles sort of the same conflict as me.
December 4, 2009
I learned a lot about steroid use in this compelling story about Jomo Rogers' efforts to be taken seriously as a high school football player. McKissack did a good job showing the change in Jomo's behavior as the steroids took over. Scary stuff. Will young athletes read this book? I hope so.
November 13, 2011
the book shooting star by fredrick l. mckissask jr was a wonderful book. the moment i started reading the first page i couldnt stop. it kept me guessing what was going to happen next. they should make another part for this book.i highly recomend this book.
December 8, 2014
This was easily a 5 star book. It teaches a lot about how cheating in life or taking shortcuts and mess up your whole life. It also teaches you that if you do things the right way...it will be easier, better, and more fun.
February 8, 2010
Another really well written sports book that should have tons of guy appeal. A strength of this one is the strong dialogue. Surprisingly not preachy.
November 11, 2010
Good teen book....young boy with athletic talent takes steriods to build up in size.
October 11, 2010
Sadly, I didn't finish this book :( Library fees held me back :/
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