Review of Football Hero
By: Tim
Football Hero By: Tim Green is an awesome sports realistic fiction book. The
main character Ty Lewis lives with his Aunt Virginia, Uncle Gus, and their daughter
(Ty’s cousin) Charrolette who’s 1 grade above him. Ty’s mom and dad died in a car
accident a few years ago and in their will they said for Ty to go to his Uncle’s house until
he goes to college. Life has now changed for Ty and instead of praise, hugs, and kisses
from his parents he is now treated like garbage by his aunt and uncle Almost all the time.
The almost happens when his college Football playing hero brother comes to town.
Thane Ty’s brother who plays football for Syracuse College is gathering all of attention
America. The senior will probably be drafted into the NFL 1rst round Thane or Tiger as
everyone calls him now will crush his uncle if he hears about Ty be thrown around like
garbage and when Thane gets drafted Ty is in the middle of his problems in the story.
Uncle Gus tells Ty to keep his mouth shut about that and now Ty is in a major problem.
Will Ty rat on his Uncle or continue to be tormented, find out and go get the book. In
Football Hero I am impressed by how Green can include as many characters in the story
as he wants to and still not make the book confusing.
Football Hero is very humorous, has many cliffhangers, and unsuspected
happenings. This book is very humorous because in the story Ty’s 13th b-day his mean
uncle hands him a little envelope with some special signature on it. Ty thinks it’s a “key”
to his parents past, he thinks that this envelope can get him out of his uncle mini-van like
house in the suburbs of New Jersey and maybe with his brother Thane. Instead of the key
to a glorious future Ty ends up with exactly the opposite, Ty ends up with a “family work
permit.” So now on top of homework Ty has to everyday after school on Friday’s go with
in his uncle’s pickup truck and clean since his uncle owns a one truck cleaning service.
So for Ty’s birthday he gets to something he doesn’t even want to do more work. After
Ty receives his present his uncle starts explaining what he has to do in the business with
his cousin Charrolette, Ty is only thinking about what kind of bum would give a 13 year
old a work permit. Ty is almost never mean like that, but even a well natured boy like Ty
can’t even think about nice thoughts when someone gives him a birthday present like
that. Tim Green weaved in humor amazingly. That is a key factor to a good book. Also
Tim Green made Ty’s narrating brings humor to this novel.
It’s incredible how authors use cliffhangers to build suspense in their story and
Football Hero has many cliffhangers for instance when Ty and Thane were out to dinner
alone, Thane finds Ty’s newspaper article that’s Ty’s uncle gave to find out the disabled
players on Thane’s new pro football team. Ty had to do this for his uncle because Uncle
Gus would be very angry if he didn’t and Ty didn’t want Thane to crush his uncle like a
bug if he found out. So the cliffhanger comes in when Thane finds Ty’s article for his
uncle’s illegal purposes and says “what is this” to Ty in a very angry tone and then after
that the chapter ends. Tim Green did a wonderful job placing cliffhangers and elaborating
on them too. Ty’s motivation in the story helped with the suspense of the cliffhangers.
Everyone loves surprises and “unsuspected happenings” (in a good way.) That is
what Football Hero by Tim Green is all about. For example: the reader may that if Thane
gets drafted into the NFL that Thane will then be perfectly fine no injuries and play his
heart out. Many readers may predict that as I did. Actually Thane does get drafted, but
also he gets hurt during training camp which is when the football teams warm up for their
new season. This story will have the reader on the edge of their seat and will not put the
book down until they found out the plot of the miraculous book. Tim Green inspires
young readers to predict what will happen next and always has their minds churning with
adventure as they flip through every page. I would congratulate Green on his ability to
weave such suspense into his story.
Tim Green’s very admirable writing pulled the reader into the story and made it
like you were on the football practicing with Ty’s team or in the stands cheering on
Thane as he scores a touchdown. This story will have you on your own adventure in the
book store scavenging for the book. The humor, cliffhangers, and surprises will not allow
you to put the book until you finish it that night. Tim Green’s messages never give up or
try, try again applies to a lot of things in life, but really in all it means one word
“persisting.” Football Hero is a great book for everyone ages 8-11 and I would hope
many more people would read it too.