When Warren High's star quarterback is injured during the season opener, Kevin Taylor takes over the position. There's only one problem: Kevin has been used to watching the plays from the sidelines, not leading them from the line of scrimmage. Page-turning sports action and compelling personal drama make this another winner from popular sports novelist Thomas Dygard. Young Adults' Choices for 2000 (IRA) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 5-8-In the opening game of the season, star quarterback Rob Montgomery is injured and second stringer Kevin Taylor must take command of his high school team. The novel then follows Kevin through each game as he overcomes his lack of confidence, earns the respect of his teammates, and becomes friends with Rob. Unlike sports books that try to offer a broader view of their characters, this one focuses on Kevin as quarterback. School work, family, and friends outside of the team are barely mentioned. This young man could practically be a professional in his total commitment to the game. On the other hand, this is exactly what many readers request (who wants to read about a quarterback doing homework or taking out the garbage), and there's plenty of description of game action to hold their interest. The author also throws in some nice touches-Kevin finds out that Rob's superior abilities have not come about through talent but through hours of hard work, and Kevin's self-doubts early in the season are well portrayed. Hard-core fans of sports fiction will find this a novel worth tackling. Others will probably leave well before the end of the first half.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, ILCopyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 6-12. Fate presents second-string quarterback Kevin Taylor an opportunity of a lifetime when, in the first game of their senior year, perennially superior Rob Montgomery injures his knee, placing Kevin in the high-pressure position of leading a team that's expecting a championship season. On the field, Kevin's untapped skills and confidence are put to the test; beyond it, he grapples with a shifting camaraderie with Rob and his other teammates. Teens looking for extensive football action are certainly given plenty to satisfy them here. Readers will relish the constant and thorough play-by-play accounts as seen through Kevin's eyes. In his usual cut-to-the-chase style that's making him a YA favorite, Dygard offers just enough conflict and character development to add texture to the fast-paced plot. For readers interested in the subject, this is a championship season well worth the admission. (Reviewed September 1, 1998)0688159818Roger Leslie From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.