March magic, not madness

Liam is thrilled when he gets the call to join the varsity team as a sophomore. The coach needs someone with some height, someone to work the boards and bring down the rebounds. At first, he is dazzled by the sheer joy of being part of the varsity. However, the varsity coach has a different method of coaching, one that includes pulling players from the court if they make one mistake. And Liam is also uncomfortable with the prayers before and during half time at the game. It is not that Liam is not religious, he just feels that prayers are out of place if not more than a little "off." John Coy has crafted a novel that is loaded with lots of on and off the court action. His play by play descriptions are dead on. However, it is the layered life of Liam that will resonate after the games are over. Liam is a thoughtful young man and one not afraid to stand up and demonstrate the courage of his convictions. Despite Liam's actions, this book never feels didactic, never preachy. BOX OUT (Scholastic, 2008) fulfills the promise of Coy's first book, CRACKBACK.