Great YA Reads for May

Spring and baseball the two just seem to go together. Mike Lupica is a nationally known sportswriter but he is also a gifted writer of YA novels. Most of his novels are sports related. His characters are placed in real situations and experience real emotions. Whether the hero is from the Bronx or from down south, readers will be able to relate to their circumstances. We meet one of these kids in Lupica's novel: Heat. This novel take place in the Bronx where many kids grow up dreaming of playing at Yankee Stadium. Miguel (Michael) Arroyo is a pitcher on his local Little League team. He is 12 years old but can throw a pitch like a high-schooler. When his team is set to attend the Little League championship game at Yankee Stadium, a coach from another team challenges Michael's age. Michael needs to produce his birth certificate. The problem is that Michael, his brother and their dad are from Cuba. When they left for the States, the certificate stayed behind. But Michael's problems don't end there. Read the book and find out how all this plays out.

The Big Field is another excellent baseball story by Lupica. This one takes place down in Florida. It is essentially a father and son story and about coming to terms with what life hands you.