Toby Wheeler: Eighth Grade Benchwarmer

Fans of John Feinstein and Matt de la Pena will love Toby Wheeler’s dreams of being a basketball star that Phil Jackson says is a truly great basketball story.

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!

When Toby Wheeler has a chance to join the junior high basketball team, he’s eager to prove he can keep up with his best friend, JJ. But practice doesn’t go quite as Toby has planned, and when the coach announces the lineup, Toby’s hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: he’s an eighth-grade benchwarmer!

A truly great basketball story. Every hoops fan will love this book. -Phil Jackson, former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and member of the NBA Hall of Fame

This novel will appeal to readers who are looking for something one step beyond Matt Christopher’s books. -SLJ

This engaging sports story gains depth from subplots involving Toby’s tricky relationships with his former best friend and with the coach’s daughter. -The Horn Book

Looking for something to do during halftime of the March Madness basketball games? Read this book. -The Washington Post

With so much written about the friction between girl friends, it’s good to have a book that acknowledges that left-out feeling happens to boys, too. -Booklist