"Verse novel about life for a football mad teen as his family hits problems, this tells how they survive"
Shortlisted for the CLPE Children’s Poetry Award (CLiPPA) 2017
Nick is football mad, finding more poetry, more to stimulate him on the soccer field and with a ball at his feet than he ever does in books. This doesn’t go down well with his father, a linguistics professor with ‘chronic verbomania’, but at least his best friend understands. Cody and Nick are on opposing football teams but the same side for everything else, including facing up to the school bullies. When he’s hit by the twin blows of an injury and the news that his parents are separating however, Nick is surprised to find real comfort in books. Booked is written in free verse, like the author’s previous novel The Crossover, and the form brilliantly catches the energy and ups and downs of Nick’s life, giving his story an immediacy that helps make this irresistible reading.
If Booked sends readers looking for more verse novels Sarah Crossan’s The Weight of Water is also excellent while Patrick Neate's Small Town Hero is great on football and teen life.
In this electric follow-up to Newbery Medal-winner The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take the field as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Like lightning/you strike/fast and free/legs zoom/down field/eyes fixed/on the checkered ball/on the goal/ten yards to go/can't nobody stop you/ can't nobody cop you . . . Nobody can stop Nick . . . at least not on the field. Off it is a different matter. But helping him along as he deals with bullies and problems at home are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read. This heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match!
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the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
In this electric follow-up to Newbery Medal-winner The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take the field as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Like lightning/you strike/fast and free/legs zoom/down field/eyes fixed/on the checkered ball/on the goal/ten yards to go/can't nobody stop you/ can't nobody cop you . . .
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Booked and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Booked features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, Recommended Children's eBooks, Sporting Stories, Stories in Verse, Football , Sports, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ball games and sports, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Gritty Reads, Children’s / Teenage poetry, anthologies, annuals, Children's and Young Adult Fiction
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
Booked was written by Kwame Alexander and published by Clarion Books an imprint of HMH Books
Booked has 314 pages
Yes it is part of The Crossover Series series
