NEW KID

A teenage baseball star struggles not only with game-day stress, but also with the ever-present fear that his world is about to end.

Brock Nickerson, whose name was Tommy last week, has more than his fair share of problems. Just like plenty of other kids, he worries about finals, baseball and bullies, but he also has to think about which microwave meal he’ll heat up for himself for dinner and when his dad will announce it’s time for them to leave again. For good. His dad’s job is mysterious and dangerous, and it requires them to stay on the run. Moving abruptly has only gotten harder as Brock gets older, and when he finds a great baseball coach and a good friend—and a potential girlfriend—the thought of leaving it all behind terrifies him even more. Best-selling author and former NFL defensive end Green delivers a riveting book about the complexities of being a teenager caught in unusual circumstances beyond his control. His writing is both compelling and intelligent, and even the implausible scenes—like a visit from a baseball great—still maintain a feel of authenticity. Even readers who aren’t sports fans will find plenty of familiar drama and entertainment in this book.

Exciting, romantic and thought-provoking, this book scores a home run.