Out Of The Pocket

Out of the Pocket

From School Library JournalGrade 9 Up-Senior quarterback Bobby Framingham is gay and tired of keeping it a secret. He confides in a close friend who promises not to tell, and then does. Suddenly Bobby is in the spotlight, and raw emotions come into play. His best girl friend is hurt and disgusted. His coach insists that he's not really gay. His teammates' reactions range from supportive to freaked out to furious. In the meantime, his father undergoes treatment for cancer, and the football team comes together to prepare for a championship game. The sports-action sequences are well drawn and engaging, and the bond among teammates is strong. Character interactions are believable and often surprising, and Bobby is a likable narrator. A few repetitive scenes are a small price to pay for a thought-provoking, funny, and ultimately uplifting story of self-actualization that masterfully defies stereotypes about both coming out and team sports.-Megan Honig, New York Public LibraryCopyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Star quarterback Bobby Framingham, one of the most talented high school football players in California, knows he?s different from his teammates. They?re like brothers, but they don?t know one essential thing: Bobby is gay. Can he still be one of the guys and be honest about who he is? When he?s outed against his will by a student reporter, Bobby must find a way to earn back his teammates? trust and accept that his path to success might be more public, and more difficult, than he?d hoped. An affecting novel about identity that also delivers great sportswriting.From BooklistBobby Framingham is one of the top high-school quarterback prospects in California. He? troubled, though, by his growing realization that he is gay-not easy in the homophobic world of school sports. He confides in his coach, a teacher, and a few friends before he is outed by an unscrupulous reporter for the school newspaper. This sets off a firestorm of national media attention, which Bobby faces bravely. At the same time, he also comes to terms with his father? cancer, and he meets a young man, whom he starts to date. At the end, Bobby finds acceptance at home, at school, and with his friends. Most of the elements in this story, told in Bobby? authentic first-person voice, ring true, from Bobby? initial struggle with his sexual identity to the sometimes hostile reaction of his teammates. Bobby's father? illness adds an unnecessary element of melodrama, but this is a minor quibble with a thoughtful, powerful novel. Grades 9-12. --Todd MorningReview...a thought-provoking, funny, and ultimately uplifting story of self-actualization that masterfully defies stereotypes about both coming out and team sports. -- School Library JournalAbout the AuthorBill Konigsberg is an award-winning sportswriter for the Associated Press. This is his first novel. He lives in New York City.