Product Description
Sylvester Coddmyer III, star of "The Kid Who Only Hit Homers" and "Return of the Home Run Kid" is about to face his biggest challenge yet. He sprains his ankle and wonders how he will hit homers--or even singles--when every swing means pain. ... Read more

Product Description
Parker Nolan, who has a reputation for exaggeration, finds himself at the center of a confusing mystery when he sees someone stealing football plays out of the coach's playbook. Reprint. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Undercover Tailback
I really liked this book becuase I like mysteries. My favorite part is when Nolen finds out who was in the coach's oficce. I also like it when they mix up their signals.

Undercover Tailback
The book Undercover Tailback by Matt Christopher was great. I like it because it was about football. First my favorite characters was Parker Nolan because he is cool and a lot like me. My favorite part is when Nolan finds out some ones looked in the coach's playbook, also the other team always beating them and Parker thought the person who looked in the book might be from the other team. To conclude, I would recommend this to any one who likes football.

Kudzu's Kids
First of all, I didn't like the book very much!I wouldn't recommend it for 5th graders, but I would for younger kids.I think younger kids would like it because they tend to be more gullible, and this book is sort of corny.There are a few parts that I like.One of them is when Spike is looking at the thief in the coach's office.The other one is when the Kudzus come back to beat the Panthers in a clutch game. ... Read more

Product Description
When it comes to surfing, fourteen- year-old Kai Ford knows his stuff; he's been riding the waves since he was ten. He respects the amazing power of the sea and knows - first-hand - how dangerous it can be. But what Kai doesn't seem to respect is the privacy of others. Unfortunately, his prying nature sometimes leads to trouble. Will Kai learn the importance of minding his own business before he once again sticks his nose in where it doesn't belong? ... Read more

Product Description
Theo Gordimer is a classic 13-year-old couch potato: he prefers video games and TV shows to playing sports. Then his favorite aunt is diagnosed with cancer. Theo wants to do something to help her, but what? Then his friend Paul tells him about a 5K road race coming up. The money collected from the race goes toward cancer research. Theo panics: running the race seems like the perfect way to help out his aunt, but 5K is more than three miles! Theo can barely run a quarter of one mile without having to stop. How will he be able to finish the race? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Run For It


Have you ever done something that you really think you can't do but you have to do it to save a special family member? If yes, then you're like Theo, a videogame addicted boy who hates sports, the main character in Run For It, a great book by Matt Christopher, author of many other sports books for kids.

In Run For It, Theo decides to run in a five kilometer race to help the cancer foundation. Theo's favorite aunt has cancer and he really wants to help his aunt. So Theo sets out on training everyday, and soon, he changes from a fat kid to an athletic kid who loves sports-but will Theo be able to help his aunt and make it, running five kilometers? It's your duty to read Run For It and find out!

Personally, I think this book is a fantastic read for kids of all ages. I really liked it and if you read it, I hope you do too!
... Read more

Product Description
Ask most Olympians how their story begins and they will answer, "When I was young, I always dreamed of going to the Olympics. . ."Some will then go on to tell of their great athletic triumphs. Others will recall agonizing near-misses. But for most, the very fact that they reached the Games at all was a dream come true.For the Olympic Games offer athletes something few others sporting events can: the chance to be recognized as the best in the world at a chosen sport.

With stories of great triumphs and great tragedies, the Olympics not only embodies the competitive human spirit, but also sets a stage stage for foreign relations and politics. Historical references combined with amazing sports stories give this book both an educational and exciting appeal. ... Read more

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Penny Farrell, captain and third baseman of the Hawks softball team, tries to uncover the reason for the strange behavior of two teammates who have also suddenly turned into super athletes. ... Read more

Product Description
"Steve wishes he had as much drive to win at tennis as his older sister, Ginny.He knows nothing would please his father more.But the truth is, Ginny is the real tennis ace of the family.It's frustrating for both children that their father ignores Ginny's talents while pushing a reluctant Steve harder and harder.Will brother and sister finally get up the courage to tell him how they feel?" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

good about tennis
Steve is a great player in this book.He does not want to go to this tennis camp but it seems like he has to!please buy this good book.

~Good Job Stieve!~
Stive is an awesome tennis player in his dad's eyes, but he wishes that he could play just like his sister,Ginny. While Ginny is beating the tar out of all of her components, her dad is focused on Stieve with his hard-to-win matches. This frustraites the two that their dad is ignoring the talent of Ginny and is watchiiing Stieves every moment. Vince, a former pro, has offered Stieve a chance to go to his summer camp. Stieve doesn't want to make his dad feel bad, so he stalls for the longest time. After a while,(when Vince watches both Stieve and Ginny's matches), Vince offers for Ginny to come along too. Here mom told her she can't, but it is so hard for her to resist. Stieve doesn't want to go to the camp because he dousn't want to play tennis, and more tennis almost 24/7 for the whole summer.He would rather stay at home and play with his pals. Stive wants the real tennis ace to go,Ginny. Stieve and Ginny both won their tournaments with 1st place. Will the tennis aces, Stieve and Ginny, gain enough courage to tell their dad how they feel about tennis before it's too late? I suggest this book to other kids if you dod or donn't like tennis because you always want to find out what is going to happen next,or who will do what! I would rate this book for readers of the age between 4th grade through college. If you read this book, I hope that you like it as much as i did!

This book rocks !
Good job Matt !As an avid tennis player, I am always looking for tennis books at my level ( I am 12 ). This book is great even if you don't play tennis. I gave it to a friend of mine who has never played and she said it explained tennis really well.The characters are reallyrealistic and I would definitley recommend this book ! ... Read more

Product Description
Football bloopers, puzzlers, fun facts, and wacky stories -- Matt Christopher, the number-one sports writer for kids, scores a touchdown with this zany collection for fans of pigskin-tossing, gridiron-hitting action! Packed with laugh-out-loud illustrations, this book will make even the toughest linebacker smile. ... Read more

Product Description
An aura of intrigue surrounds a baseball coach obsessed with the idea of turning a bunch of handpicked beginners into champions in one season. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

While there is a championship game at the end, there is little drama
A mysterious man (Coach Stag) appears and forms a co-ed baseball team. Since most of the players he selected have little experience and they are drawn from many areas of town, no one can determine why the players were selected. Coach Stag was very persuasive when he contacted the players, so all he contacted agreed to play. Finally, some of the players were put into what would normally be considered odd positions, for example a left-handed boy was installed at third base.
As the season progresses, the team exhibits dramatic improvement, for all his mysterious qualities, Coach Stag knows the game very well and is an excellent teacher. However, the unknowns continue to haunt Kim Rollins, the main character, so he begins to investigate Coach Stag. A major breakthrough occurs when his father suddenly realizes that each one of the players is a child of one of his former teammates and that each player is in the position played by their parent. The story concludes with the team winning the championship and all mysteries revealed.
There is not the buildup of tension over the action on the field in this book that is the hallmark of most juvenile sports fiction. While there is the big game, it is only briefly handled, what tension there is concerns the identity of Coach Stag. That resolution is also lacking in drama, making for a book that is deficient in action.

THIS COOL!
IF YOU LIKE BASEBALL YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK. READ THIS BOOK AND FIND OUT ALL THE AWSOME THINGTHAT HAPPENS.

An amazing book
It was a great mix between good and bad.I love it!This is a good first time Matt Christopher, try it, it may surprise you. ... Read more

Product Description
Malik Edwards never had any intention of playing golf. In his mind, golf is a game played by old, flabby men wearing funny pants and hats. Then one day while channel surfing he sees a young black golfer being cheered on by a crowd of adoring fans. Suddenly golf's image changes for Malik. Yet, even if he wanted to play, where would he get the gear or the money? And where is a kid living in Brooklyn, New York, supposed to play golf? Malik's growing desire to learn the game of golf helps him overcome these obstacles-but the biggest obstacle, the ridicule of his friends, still sits in his path. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What a good book!
I loved this book. It takes place in Brooklyn, New York.Malik, a boy who lives in Brooklyn, likes to play stickball with his friend Luis. One day Mailik is watching TV and nothing is on except soccer with French narration and golf. "BORING!" When he is on the golf channel he sees a young African American man playing golf. He is playing better then every one else. He hits the ball beyond the other player's balls; it is amazing. Then he gets the idea to play golf and does not let Luis or his mother find out. But this turns into a disaster. Will things get better for Malik and will he stick with golf? You'll have to find that out by reading this exciting book.
This book is juicy and it might just get you started in golf. It also teaches good lessons such as trusting your friends and trying new things. I really recommend this book because it is interesting with a lot of facts about golf. This book is so well written you might just want to read it again.

Fairway Phenom
As a long time reader of many Matt Christopher books, I normally would read the basketball, football, and baseball stories.Not being a golfer, this book attracted my interest.It was well written and a great story of an inner city young man who decides to give golf a try and the obstacles he faces.I would highly recommend this book, even for the non-golfers out there. ... Read more

Product Description
A high school football player believes the harassment he is experiencing on and off the field is due to his father's prison record. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A strory about the value of self-confidence and where it comes from
Jim Cort is a boy who loves playing high school football and the story opens with him and his mother meeting his father as he gets out of prison. His father had confessed to embezzlement and everyone in the family is anxious to get on with their lives. However, someone is determined to prevent that from happening. Jim receives phone calls where he is taunted about his father and a nasty drawing is left on his garage. This puts Jim in a state where he spends his time thinking about the messages and this causes his school and football performance to suffer.
Fortunately, not everyone feels that way and a female classmate called Margo offers to help Jim find out who is behind the harassment. After several false starts, all secrets are revealed and Jim can once again begin playing up to his potential. At the end, Jim demonstrates his innate decency, which wins him the girl.
This is a story about perseverance, honesty and the role of self-confidence in being successful. Once Jim loses his self-confidence, he can do little right, but once it is back, he shows a fire and talent that he didn't know he possessed.

awsome football book
The book was pretty good but it was kind of confusing.Butit was one of the best books I have read. Althoughis dad had to do some jail time he gets over that.There is a mystery in the book that leves him in trouble tring to play football.

Tight End Review
I thought that Tight End was a very good book.I really enjoyed reading this book.

This book is about a High School kid named Jim.His father was in prison for robbing a company. Jim has a dad, mom and a sister Peg.Jim plays on the football team for his school he is a tight end and a guard on defense.Then one night a phone call came and it was for him, the caller made a threaten statement.Jim was confused and worried about this call.It was about his dad being an ex-convict and he should quit the football team.So he thought it had to be someone from the football making these calls.This suspicious person keeps calling more and more so Jim gets confused and worried even more.So him and this girl Margo from school decide to be detectives.Within a few days of becoming this detectives group Jim gets a letter.It has a picture of a guy robbing a business on it.The back has stocks so they looked through Stock magazines to see which one it came from. They found it in an August issue of a certain magazine.So they decided to call the suspects and see if they subscribed to this magazine.One of Jim's best friends Berry subscribed to the magazine and had the august issue.Well the picture was on page 55-56 and in his August issue it was gone.Also 2 of the other suspects subscribed or got the magazine from a friend.COULD IT BE BERRY OR ANOTHER SUSPECT OR SOMEONE OUT OF THE BLUE? Read the book to find out who was making those calls!!!!

I would recommend this book to people who like mystery, sports, football, and excitement.

A intense fotball book.
This book was pretty confusing in the first part of the chapter.Soon,though, it got clearer when he stated telling how he got this problem.Thourgh out the rest of the book the main character is veryinformative.The book is very exciting if you like football.The maincharacter does go through some hard times with hi dad's problem but thisgives the book a plot.I think the kid in the book overeacts in the book tomuch.I think he just needs to relax.He gets to worked up over nothing.Iwould have to say this book is like other Matt Christopher books.There isalways a problem for the character in a sports action.But I think this bookwas a little more confusing and a little less interesting.The othercharacter are just helping the problem or solving it for him.These would behis friends and family.I would recommend this book to people who likefootball or any sports books. ... Read more

Product Description
Upset by his parents' divorce, Bobby is just beginning to find a niche for himself as a base stealer when his father announces he's moving out of town. "A canny balance of action and introspection."--Booklist. Black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Book Review

This is a story about a kid named Bobby who's parents are divorced.He lives in Houston, Texas.Bobby also loves baseball.He loves running bases.He is as fast as a fox.One day his mom tells him to go to his grandpa and grandma' s house.And his grandpa brings him to the baseball park.Two kids see him there and call him fox.

My favorite character is Bobby because he is nice, fast, cool, and a good character.My favorite part is when Walter throws a cigarette and the boat blows up.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, to laugh and loves sports.

A Book Review

The Fox Steals Home by Matt Christopher is about a kid named Bobby that wants to be a great base stealer.He works a lot with his dad who is divorced.He soon became a great base stealer.

It all starts at the beginning of the year when the team practices.Bobby plays third base for the Sunbirds.He lives with his mom, but spends time with his dad on the weekends.

In the story, Bobby spends time with his Grandpa Alex and dad, who give him tips on base stealing.He uses their advice in a game and does well.Some kids in the stands say," you steal bases like a fox steals chickens!"After that they always called him a fox.

My favorite part was when Walter Wilson, the cowbirds pitcher was smoking in Bobby's boat.Bobby told him to stop.He threw it away, but it landedin the back of the boat.Because of a leaky gas line, the boat caught on fire.Bobby and Walter jumped out of the boat, and it exploded.

I really liked this book.The reason I liked it was because it is about sports.I think people that like baseball would really enjoy this book.

the Fox Steals home
The Fox Steals Home is a very good book. The setting is present and is usually at the baseball feild or Bobby's house. The conflict is that Bobby can not get use to his parents divorce. He does not want them to split up. First they are at the baseball feild and when Bobby steps up to bat all his mind is on is his parents divorce so he strikes out. Then they are at his house as a family talking about the divorce and Bobby gets mad. But on the last game Bobby and his father have a talk and they make each other feel better. I think this book is very good because it talks about not to worry about the divorce there will be a bright side in the end.

I didn't really care for this book
I would give this book two stars because it didn't really catch my attention. I thought it would be a long book but unfortunately, I finished it in three days. This is a book for fifth graders not seventh graders.
This book is about a boy named Bobby, whose parents are divorced. Bobby plays on a baseball team called the Sunbirds. He becomes a great baseball stealer and gets the nickname Fox. One day Bobby's dad tells him he is going out with a woman who is the mother of a boy named Walter. He is a pitcher for a baseball team called the Cowbirds. A few days later Bobby's dad tells him that he is getting a new job and may never see him again for a year. And on that day Bobby found out that his team was playing against Cowbirds that day.
Will Bobby's dad change his mind about the job? Will Bobby win the baseball game? Read the book to find out more.

The Fox Is On The Track
The Fox Steals Home is a really good book because it made me have good feelings about the relationship between the boy and his dad.The parents are divorced, and Billy is trying to be with both hismom and his dad.Being divorced is really hard because you don't get to see your parents all the time. ... Read more

Product Description
Hockey has been a part of Mario Lemieux's life since his childhood. Atthe age of six he was holding his own against boys four years older;by the time he was sixteen, he had captured the attention of theNational Hockey League, and soon after signed on with NHL's PittsburghPenguins.At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games he captained the Canadianhockey team, leading them in their gold medal winning performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Super Mario
I would recommend this book because it made you want to turn the page because the way he used the words in the book. This book showed me that Mario was a devoted person and how much he cared about people. The book inspired me to never give up on anything that you enjoy doing. When you hear about people caring so much it makes you want to be like them. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1954, Matt Christopher wrote and published The Lucky Baseball Bat and has since published more than one hundred twenty novels, making him the most prolific and bestselling sportswriter for children ever. With over 6 million copies sold, Matt's books have a permanent place in the hearts of young sports fans. Throughout 2004, we celebrate 50 years with Matt Christopher's own commemorative biography written by his son, Dale, in the tradition of the Matt Christopher Biography Bookshelf, with exclusive photos, original letters, and memorabilia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Behind the Desk with matt Christopher
I grew up in the 1960's and early 1970's reading every Matt Christopher book that came out.I was always curious ....who was Matt Christopher???
Now I really know, as his son Dale does an excellent job describing how Matt became the most prolific sports writer in the United States for young readers.A must read for all Matt Christopher fans.
From a long time reader near Cleveland

A son's affectionate and honest tribute to his famous father
Perhaps more than any other children's author, the prolific Matt Christopher reminds kids that in order to succeed in life, you must work hard and never give up. After entertaining youngsters for more than forty years with dozens of stories that contain this important message, his son Dale now tells his story.

The son of Italian immigrants, Matt Christopher was born in 1917. A good student, and a better athlete, he had hopes of becoming a major league ballplayer. He actually played in the minors for a time before realizing he didn't quite have what it took to make it all the way. Perhaps it was this experience that made him sympathetic to the yearnings of his readers and more realistic in their eyes.

His family could not afford to send him to college, so Christopher held many jobs as a young adult. But in the back of his mind, he always wanted to be a writer. As any member of that profession can tell you, it's a very difficult career, one that can be quite harsh in bursting dreams of aspiring authors. Christopher suffered many drawbacks in the form of rejections for his stories, but it never stopped him. His persistence was rewarded fifty years ago when his manuscript for THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT was accepted by Little, Brown and the book was published in 1954.

Following this debut, Christopher kept coming up with new ideas, updating his stories with the changing times to incorporate other sports as they became more popular, such as soccer and skateboarding, and using girls as his main characters rather than in supporting roles. (He also published mysteries for young readers, although his publisher insisted he do so under a pen name.)

Christopher also wrote several sports biographies for kids, including such inspirational favorites as Lance Armstrong, Wayne Gretzky, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Michael Jordan, Mark McGuire and Tiger Woods, among others.

Dale Christopher's examination of his father --- who passed away in 1997 --- is affectionate, proud and honest. Things weren't always easy for the Christopher family, but they stuck together and were favored with a degree of fame within the children's literary community. At the conclusion of this tribute, the son cites the father's philosophy, which was the focal point in many of his stories:

"Don't ever stop doing what you believe. Don't ever let anyone stop you from realizing your dream."

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (ronk23@aol.com) ... Read more

Product Description
Representing a pro football player whom his son admires brings a lawyer closer to his young son. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Weak moral to the story, no tense action in the games
Larry is the offensive center and middle linebacker of his youth football team. His father is a busy lawyer that has no time to come to his games and Larry feels bad about it. To compensate he began writing letters to Yancey Foote, a star professional football player. At first, Yancey answered his letters but after that there was no response of any kind. Larry is puzzled until he reads a sports magazine that describes an altercation between Yancey and another man that has led to criminal charges against Yancey. After the incident, Yancey disappeared and no one knows where he is.
An unknown man begins appearing at Larry's practices and he has his suspicions that it is Yancey. When those suspicions are confirmed, Larry asks his father if he will represent Yancey. His father agrees and Yancey also draws up some plays for Larry's team. Those plays work well and Larry's team begins to win. At the end, the big game is won and Yancey is acquitted of all charges. Larry and his father are able to regroup a bit as his father attends the big game and they can talk about Yancey and his problems.
Like the best books of adolescent sports fiction, this book has a moral, although in this case it is very weak. The idea that a major sports figure would run away and hide over an altercation is a difficult one to accept, now or at any other time. The most significant and believable moral is the one regarding Larry and his father and how his father finds it difficult to spend some quality time with Larry.

Football Fugitive
Matt Christopher was a semi professional player before he became a writer! He was very poor. He played baseball with a broomstick and an old tennis ball when he was a child. He made the bases with flat stones. Matt's full name was Matthew Frederick Christopher.
Matt wrote hundreds of books and my favorite book of all is Football Fugitive. It describes plays that they did in games. Larry is main character in the story. I am really in to this book because I play football too. Larry meets Yancey Foote who plays in the NFL. He plays on Packers. Yancey gets in trouble. Larry's dad is a lawyer who helps him.
Larry plays for the Digits a local team! He is star of his team. He has plays that are similar to my plays. This book is the best.

Why this book is good for you
This book is called Matt Christopher Football Fugitive by Matthew F. Christopher. It's about a boy how wants to be like his role model. It's also about a boy that needs self-confidence.In the beginning of the book he is upset at his role model Yancey Foote, because he doesn't write back. He is also upset at his dad, because is never spends time with him only in the office.

A goodbook about Football
This is a book about a guy that plays football for the PACKERS, and a kid that wants to be just like him.They both write each other letters back and forth, but the guy beats a person up that weighs a lot less thanhimand goes to court for it.At the end of the story they become BEST freinds, but they still write each other letters. They both have a good life after that.

Book Review
The reason I chose this book is because I like to play and watch football. I thought the book would be about a kid who did something wrong and gets in trouble for it or a suspect in a crime. The plot was a kid named Larry who gets these phone calls from someone and worries about it and doesn't want to tell his dad who just got out of jail. He doesn't do good in school and on the field.

The main character is Larry, a student and a football player. The setting is in a school and on a football field. The story begins when Larry's dad gets out of jail. Then he gets these phone calls from someone he really knows. Next, he gets a letter or note saying "You Stink" which means he stinks in football because he drops and fumbles a lot.

In conclusion the book was good and I gave it 3 stars. This book would be a good book for everybody. ... Read more

Product Description
When a new school year starts, and thirteen-year-old basketball star Julian feels a lot of pressure as he realizes he is the only remaining player from last year's winning team, a friend's health crisis helps him regain perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's not by Matt Christopher
This book has MATT CHRISTOPHER written prominently on the cover.It has it in huge letters on the title page.In much, much smaller letters, under the title on the title page (but not on the cover), it indicates that the text is by Robert Hirschfeld.The book is copyright 2004.Christopher died in 1997.It seems to me there's a difference between honoring an author and deceptively labeling a book with his name.I gave this only one star for that reason. ... Read more

Product Description
Nicky is on his way to breaking the record for most runs batted in, but first he must overcome his superstitions, and someone who doesn't want to see the old record broken. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Shadowover second Review


I think everybodythat likes baseball should read this book because I thought it was a very good baseball book.The characters are very nice.







... Read more

Product Description
With Sandy's bad record, no one wants to play ball with him, and he is eventually thrown off the team, until one man decides to step in and help him change his ways so that Sandy can get back to game he loves so dearly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I like sports a lot and it taught me some skills.
This book was cool because it shows you what happens when your a bully.Like, Sandy and the other kids made a fire in that little place.The end was neat because he caught a ball that almost was a homerun. ... Read more

Product Description
Home run slugger Sylvester Coddmyer the Third has an amazing secret. For three seasons, he's been coached by men who look exactly like baseball legends: Babe Ruth, Eddie Cicotte, and Mickey Mantle. Are these men just impersonating famous ballplayers, as his friend Duane insists? Or are they from the "beyond," as Snooky Malone believes?The mystery deepens in this fourth title of the exciting Home Run Kid series when yet another character from baseball's past appears to coach Syl. But is Syl the only one getting pointers? And will Snooky ever get to the bottom of this mystery? ... Read more

Product Description
On July 10, 1999, at the end of ninety minutes of regulation play plus two fifteen-minute overtime periods, Briana Scurry faced the greatest challenge of her soccer career. As goalkeeper for the U.S. Women's national team, she would be squaring off against China's five best penalty kickers in a shootout to determine the winner of the 1999 Women's World Cup. The pressure was enormous--but Briana Scurry thrives on pressure, which is one reason she's been called the best goalkeeper in the world. Since 1994, she has proven again and again that when the heat's on, she'll stay cool. And that's just what she did that steamy July day..... ... Read more