« Who's Your City? by Richard Florida | Main | Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World by David Koenig »

March 16, 2008

The Big Field by Mike Lupica

Sportswriter Mike Lupica has found a niche for himself in sports-related fiction; first with adult-themed stories, and recently as a YA writer. The Big Field is Lupica's latest. It's the story of Hutch, whose American Legion baseball team is competing in the playoffs in Florida. The book deals with Hutch's relationship with his father, a former minor league ballplayer whose heart was broken by the sport, as well as with Darryl, a difficult teammate.

I enjoy Lupica's writing, although with The Big Field I find that there are elements that are almost too familiar - the talented, good-hearted protagonist, the wise-cracking best friend, the too good to be true mom and the difficult dad. The only thing missing here is the plucky girl who is somewhere between being a friend and a girlfriend.

Recycled plotlines aside, Lupica knows how to weave a tale. The Big Field is a well told story that is appropriate for a YA audience, especially one that enjoys sports.

Posted by In Repair at March 16, 2008 05:46 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.jimnshelle.net/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1454