The League

The League will keep sports fans reading when all one boy wants is to play in a summer football league even though it’s the roughest and most secretive rogue league in town (Kirkus Reviews).

And don’t miss Thatcher Heldring’s newest novel, The Football Girl–about a girl who follows her passion for the game and tries out for the football team!

Two teams. One summer. No rules.

Wyatt Parker is tired of getting picked on by bullies and ignored by girls. He hopes playing football will toughen him up and impress his next-door neighbor Evan, who has her eye on the town’s star quarterback.

His older brother, Aaron has an even better idea: if Wyatt ditches the lame golf camp his parents signed him up for, he can play with Aaron in the League of Pain, the roughest and most secretive rogue football league in town.

Now Wyatt has a choice. He can play by the rules like he always does, or he can steal back his neighbor, accept the penalties of the game, and have the winning summer he’s been waiting for all year.

With its focus on bullying, a first crush, changing friendships, and coming of age, this book is a solid choice for reluctant readers who also happen to love football. -SLJ

Heldring’s latest novel conveys well the allure of contact sports, particularly tackle football, and the appeal of evasive tactics, particularly lying to your parents. -Booklist

Wyatt is a strong, multidimensional character, and the tension is palpable as he strives to keep his secret. Secondary characters are varied if not very fully developed early in the book. - Kirkus Reviews