In a tale that is tense and scary right up until its improbably happy ending, 12-year-old Ryder is suddenly left on his own when his mother lands in the ICU. Circumstances dictate he must contact the father he hasnever known. Fortunately, he gets both immediate and longer term help from a compassionate New York City firefighter and from an embittered ex-reporter immobilized with a degenerative disease. Unfortunately, his dad turns out to be a major league pitcher—with a wife and family. After his mom is given only days to live unless she has a very expensive operation, the pressure is on to find a way to come face-to-face with the man and then convince him to help. Green sends his painfully shy but courageous protagonist through realistically vicious emotional rapids as well as less realistic but suspenseful efforts to sneak into baseball clubhouses in both New York and Atlanta. Neither these ploys nor the eventual confrontation go well, but help comes just as all seems lost, and everyone’s fortunes—even those of the reporter and the firefighter—turn bright. Ryder’s fear and despair are sharply felt, and readers who prefer stories with uncomplicated resolutions will be pleased by the prolific Green’s latest outing.

— John Peters

 A captivating baseball novel about one kid’s search of a lifetime.

The plot moves along swiftly with short chapters ending in cliffhanger sentences that nudge the reader to the next adventure. Green, a former linebacker and sports commentator, gives readers a behind-the-scenes view of professional playing fields. Ryder and Mr. Starr are the best developed characters in the story, and that’s all young sports enthusiasts will need to root for this unlikely team who defy defeat and keep on trying no matter what the odds.–Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH

Tim Green & Rashad Jennings Introduce NFL program in Bloomfield .

Giants running back Rashad Jennings and former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Tim Green visited Bloomfield’s Berkeley Elementary School on Tuesday to kick off an NFL program that encourages physical and academic fitness.
Berkeley was the first stop for the two football ambassadors, who appeared on Fox and Friends earlier in the day to talk about PLAY60/READ20.
Giants running back Rashad Jennings and former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Tim Green visited Bloomfield’s Berkeley Elementary School to kick off an NFL program that encourages physical and academic fitness – PLAY60 has been promoting fitness in schools since 2007. Adding READ20 places additional emphasis on scholastic achievement, Berkeley Librarian Tabitha Rice said. “This is the very first time they’re doing it,” she said

“When I tell them to read, it’s one thing, but when Rashad and Tim tell them, it’s another,” Principal Heather Carr said.

Carr called Jennings and Green “outstanding role models,” and the sixth grade class roared as she made their introduction.

“This is a great day to be a Berkeley Bloomfield Bengal,” she proclaimed.

Outside, sixth-grade students lined up at stations – doing sacking drills, running between cones and other activities – with Jennings and Green leading the class.

There to lend a hand were Bloomfield High School football head coach Mike Carter and team captains Alex Reyes, Carlos Najera, Ryan McCreadie and Ulysses Santos.

Green, who is also a lawyer and New York Times bestselling novelist, brought copies of his new book, “First Team,” for each student.

To bring the program to Berkeley, Rice enlisted the help of Marisela Santiago of Montclair’s Watchung Booksellers. Santiago has coordinated free author visits in the school and knew Green from a previous book signing.

“Tim responded really well to this school” and specifically requested to return to Berkeley after visiting before, Santiago said.

Bloomfield Board of Education President Shane Berger thanked Carr and Rice for the opportunity for the two athletic stars to make a positive impression on the children. “They come in, get to interact with our students, and talk about the importance of reading. It’s great,” he said.

“It’s such a wonderful opportunity for my kids. [Rice and Green] have done an amazing job of making time for our students,” Carr added.