Troy White has a phenomenal gift. He can predict football plays before they happen. Any position. Any player. Any team. When Troy's single mom gets a job working in public relations for the Atlanta Falcons, Troy figures it's his chance to prove what he can do. But first he has to "get" to the Falcons--and with tight security and a notoriously mean coach, even his mom's field passes aren't much help. Then Troy and his best friends devise a plan to get the attention of star linebacker Seth Halloway. With Seth's playing and Troy's genius, the Falcons could be unstoppable--if they'll only listen. Bestselling author and former NFL player Tim Green scores a touchdown with this exhilarating novel, his first for young readers. "Football Genius" is an action-packed adventure with gripping suspense, a hero you can really root for, and an insider's look at the world of professional football. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Adult author and former Atlanta Falcon Green (American Outrage) delivers a satisfying YA debut, using his own NFL experience to bring readers behind the scenes. Twelve-year-old Troy White's athletic ability and his preternatural talent for predicting football strategy are both going to waste (he's stuck playing second-string on his team), until frustration with a vicious bully on his team pushes him to borrow an official NFL football from local Atlanta Falcons star linebacker Seth Halloway. As Troy languishes on his own football team and resents the father who abandoned him, he strives to alert the Falcons of his gift: Sometimes a kid's heart tells him to do something and he needs to listen, even if it means getting in trouble. Acting as a mentor, Seth encourages Troy to come clean about his adventures (The truth is more important than the trouble it brings) and to forgive his father's desertion (All I know is, things happen. Unless you're the one they're happening to, you usually can't understand it). Seth ends up dating Troy's mother and coaching Troy's team, giving Troy the chance to shine not only on the sidelines, where his play-predicting ability helps bring the Falcons to victory, but on the field as well. There was no rage fueling him now. It was something else, a blinding energy he never knew he had. Non-sports fans will root for underdog Troy (I want to do something. I want to be something. I thought this was my chance) and enthusiasts will thrill to the firsthand knowledge Green brings to the novel. Ages 10-up. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 5 8 This novel has much to recommend it. Troy White is a typical 12-year-old in many ways, dividing his time between school, organized sports, and friends. He has one special talent, though: when he watches football on television, he subconsciously computes team statistics, players, and other variables, and he can call the plays before they happen. What could be a nice parlor trick takes on new significance when his single mother gets a job with the Atlanta Falcons' public relations department. Suddenly, Troy is in a position to help the struggling team win, if he can only make the grownups around him listen. It's an uphill battle at first, but eventually running back Seth Halloway witnesses Troy's uncanny ability and puts his own job on the line to help convince the coach and the team's owner. Drawing heavily on his own eight years as a linebacker for the Falcons, Green gives armchair quarterbacks a rare and realistic glimpse at the pain, sweat, and politicking of professional football. He includes enough cameo appearances from real players (Mike Vick, John Abraham, and Demarrio Williams, among others) to make fact and fiction meld seamlessly. Fictional characters are fairly two-dimensional, especially the scheming assistant coach who wants nothing more than to see the team lose so that he can step in as head coach. Nonetheless, the fast action and plot twists will keep fans of the game glued to the story. A first purchase for libraries looking to bolster their sports fiction. Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Troy White has a lot of frustrations. His father abandoned the family when he was little, his beloved Atlanta Falcons team seems destined for another losing season, and, on his own football team, his gifts as a quarterback are ignored while he sits on the bench, watching the coach's son on the field. Troy's most unusual gift is his ability to predict coming football plays with uncanny accuracy. When his mother is hired for a PR job with the Falcons, Troy sees an opportunity, yet he can't convince anyone to recognize his talents. Finally, the Falcons' middle linebacker sees Troy's gifts, and Troy becomes the team's secret weapon. Some kids will find the premise a little far-fetched. Still, the author, who has written numerous adult titles and spent eight years in the NFL, imparts many insider details that football fans will love. Green makes Troy a winning hero, and he ties everything together with a fast-moving plot. Morning, Todd. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.