Long Shot by Mike Lupica

My husband saw this book on the coffee table as part of my personal summer reading.  "Mike Lupica, where have I heard that name before?"

Mike Lupica is a sports writer who now writes sports fiction for the 9-12-year-old group.  Although the main character is in high school, I found the content appropriate for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade boys I teach.  Succeeding in sports is crucial to the outcome of the book, but developing character traits is even more important. Here is a free printable character sketch where students collect evidence that a character has a particular trait.

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