Alan Brown's Sports Literacy Blog

Key:

^ Nonfiction

*Grade levels are based on reviews from sources such as School Library Journal, Booklist, etc. They do not necessarily represent Alan’s and Abby’s views on grade level appropriateness.

Football

For an overview of football in YA literature, check out this column Alan wrote for Steve Bickmore’s YA Wednesday blog.

A Short Move by Katherine Hill 

  Always a Catch by Peter Richmond (Grades 7-10)

Angry Management by Chris Crutcher (Grades 9-12)

  Backfield Boys by John Feinstein (Grades 6-8)

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Grades 5-7)

Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters (Grades 7-10)

Bleachers by John Grisham (Grades 9-12)

 Blowback ’07 by Brian Meehl (Grades 7-12)

Bump and Run by Mike Lupica

 Call Me by My Name by John Ed Bradley (Grades 8-11)

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Grades 10-12)

Cobra Strike by Sigmund Brouwer (Grades 5-8)

^ Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees (Grades 9-12)

Crackback by John Coy (Grades 8-11)

Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach (Grades 9-12)

Crash by Jerry Spinelli (Grades 5-8)

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Grades 7-10)

Damage by A. M. Jenkins (Grades 8-11)

Deadline by Chris Crutcher (Grades 9-12)

Deep Zone by Tim Green (Grades 4-7)

  Down. Set. Fight by Chad Bowers, Chris Sims, and Scott Kowalchuk (Grades 9-12)

 Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno (Grades 9-12)

 Endgame by Nancy Garden (Grades 8-12)

End Zone by Don DeLillo 

 Fantasy League by Mike Lupica (Grades 5-8)

Football Champ by Tim Green (Grades 4-8)

Football Genius by Tim Green (Grades 5-8)

^ Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger (Grades 9-12)

  Game Changer by Joseph Monninger

Game Changer by Tommy Grenwald

^ Growing Up Colt by Colt McCoy, Brad McCoy, and Mike Yorkey (Grades 9-12)

Gut Checker by Eric Kester 

Gutless by Carl Deuker (Grades 8-12)

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker (Grades 8-12)

 Hit Count by Chris Lynch (Grades 9-12)

Home Field by Hannah Gersen

I’m with Stupid by Geoff Herbach (Grades 7-11)

Imitate the Tiger by Jan Cheripko (Grades 8-12)

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch (Grades 9-12)

Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman (Grades 9-12)

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp (Grades 8-12)

 Lasting Impact by Kostya Kennedy

Leverage by Joshua Cohen (Grades 11-12)

 Life on the Line by Frank McNair (Grades 8-12)

Love of the Game by John Coy (Grades 3-7)

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (Grades 7-12)

Necessary Roughness by Marie Lee (Grades 7-10)

  NFL Monday Night Football Club by Gordon Korman (Grades 3-7)

Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach (Grades 7-12)

Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Grades 9-12)

Paralyzed by Jeff Rud (Grades 5-8)

Payback Time by Carl Deuker (Grades 7-10)

^ Peyton Manning by Lew H. Freedman   

Pop by Gordon Korman (Grades 7-10)

QB1 by Mike Lupica (Grades 5-9)

Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte (Grades 9-12)

^ Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John (Grades 9-12)

Rash by Pete Hautman (Grades 9-12)

Roughnecks by Thomas Cochran (Grades 7-11)

Running Loose by Chris Crutcher (Grades 8-12)

Second Impact by David Klass and Perri Klass (Grades 8-11)

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (Grades 9-12)

  Stick by Michael Harmon (Grades 10-12)

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach (Grades 7-12)

Sway by Kat Spears (Grades 9-12)

^ Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton by Jeff Pearlman

^ The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (Grades 9-12)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (Grades 8-12)

 The Football Girl by Thatcher Heldring (Grades 8-12)

^ The Junction Boys by Jim Dent

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Grades 7-10)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Grades 9-12)

 ^ The Real All Americans by Sally Jenkins

 The Red Zone: Out of the Tunnel by Patrick Jones (Grades 6-9)

 The Triple Threat: The Walk On by John Feinstein (Grades 5-8)

  ^ The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica (Grades 5-9)

^ Through my Eyes by Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker (Grades 4-8)

Top Prospect by Paul Volponi (Grades 4-8)

Troy High by Shana Norris (Grades 6-10)

^ Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin (Grades 6-8)

Unstoppable by Tim Green (Grades 4-8)

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines (Grades 9-12)

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Slayton (Grades 6-10)

^ Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer (Grades 9-12)

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles (Grades 9-12)

^ Woodlawn by Todd Gerelds