Football Genius

Troy White may seem like any ordinary 12-year-old. He listens to his mom, doesn't steal or sneak out (well, maybe just once) and he's a pretty good athlete. Troy and his mother have each other to survive; they aren't rich or poor but are happy together.

But the one thing that separates Troy from every other 12-year-old is his ability to predict what could happen next. He can't predict what he might get on his next exam at school or what will happen to him in the next ten years, though. Instead, Troy can predict football plays before they even happen. Sounds cool, right? But what good is it if Troy can hardly use this gift?

Then Troy's mom gets a job with his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, who aren't doing so well and have been show more basically losing all of the time. This seems like the perfect chance for Troy to help them out, and maybe they could finally win a game. But would the Falcons jump at the chance and actually believe that a young boy can predict plays, or would they just look at Troy as some crazy fan? With the help of Tate and Nathan, Troy's best friends, Troy might actually pull this off and maybe even learn a little more about his talents, other than his supernatural one.

Football Geniusis a story that both football lovers and non-football fans will enjoy along with any person of any age. Tim Green uses cinematic descriptions that let readers feel that they are experiencing and present at the actual games. As a person who is not a big fan of the sport, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the best thing about it was that my neighbors 11 year old son, who hadn't read anything volunteerily in years, read this and brought it to me to read beacuse he knew how much I loved books. show less

Read this for Hudson's Lit Circles group at school. It was pretty straightforward and the multiple narrative lines helped me explain subplots, but I found the main character inherently problematic on several levels. We were able to have good conversations about whether Troy being an underdog in many senses of the word gave him a free pass to lie to his mother, and others, continually, without any kind of redemption. Author gets credit for trying to go beyond stock characters for the female characters here, though he couldn't resist pointing out Tate (the female kicker)'s physical weakness multiple times in the book. The mother, unfortunately, is only redeemed by her self-sacrifice for her son and her relationship with the star football show more player. But the kids in the critique group really enjoyed the jargon and realistic depictions of a professional football game, and I agreed that these were the strongest parts of the book. show less

I think it's cool that a former NFL player is able to write this well. It starts off a little slow, but once it gets going, it REALLY gets going. After [a: Mike Lupica|2607|Mike Lupica|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1260484461p2/2607.jpg], Tim Green is my favorite children's sports fiction writer.

Troy is the backup quarterback for his middle school football team. The problem is not that he isn't good, it's that he isn't the coach's son. With coach playing favorites, there's no way his team can win. His favorite NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons, isn't winning either. But Troy has a secret talent that can help them. He has the ability to predict plays. He tries to convince the Falcons defensive coach, but instead of impressing him, he show more gets himself banned from the field and his mom temporarily fired from her Falcons PR job. Luckily he convinces defensive lineman Seth Galloway, and together they come up with a plan to win despite the coach's apparent desire to lose.

For kids who love watching NFL football, this book is a sure win. There is enough play by play to keep diehard fans hooked. As much as anything, winning at football is about being able to predict the strategy of the opposing team. Here is a genius kid who is able to figure out in minutes what usually takes hours of analysis. Besides that, the book portrays a healthy relationship between Troy and his single mom and a girl who can kick as well as the boys. show less

Not merely a sports novel to attract the reluctant reader, but a sports fantasy in which 12-year-old Troy finds a way to establish his place and voice in the world. What young fan wouldn't want Troy's special ability to boost his beloved pro team to success? Improbable, yes, but an empowering getaway for the young reader. Troy must also deal with issues of trust, honesty and selfishness, and at times, that's where the more interesting action is, rather than on the field.

Troy, a sixth-grader with an unusual gift for predicting football plays before they occur, attempts to use his ability to help his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, but he must first prove himself to the coach and players.

4.5 stars. This is a thing I can imagine a young boy in Troy’s thinking up a story like this to get him thru a tough spot. It was sweet and heartfelt, and I can imagine any sports-lovin kid enjoying it.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Troy White may seem like any ordinary 12-year-old. He listens to his mom, doesn't steal or sneak out (well, maybe just once) and he's a pretty good athlete. Troy and his mother have each other to survive; they aren't rich or poor but are happy together.

But the one thing that separates Troy from every other 12-year-old is his ability to predict what could happen next. He can't predict what he might get on his next exam at school or what will happen to him in the next ten years, though. Instead, Troy can predict football plays before they even happen. Sounds cool, right? But what good is it if Troy can hardly use this gift?

Then Troy's mom gets a job with his favorite show more team, the Atlanta Falcons, who aren't doing so well and have been basically losing all of the time. This seems like the perfect chance for Troy to help them out, and maybe they could finally win a game. But would the Falcons jump at the chance and actually believe that a young boy can predict plays, or would they just look at Troy as some crazy fan? With the help of Tate and Nathan, Troy's best friends, Troy might actually pull this off and maybe even learn a little more about his talents, other than his supernatural one.

FOOTBALL GENIUS is a story that both football lovers and non-football fans will enjoy along with any person of any age. Tim Green uses cinematic descriptions that let readers feel that they are experiencing and present at the actual games. As a person who is not a big fan of the sport, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. show less