TOBY WHEELER LOVES basketball and playing pickup games at the local rec center. No coaches, no practices, just nonstop action with his best friend,...
read full description
reviews
Jan 24, 2012
Vardan
rated it: 
I bought the book "Toby Wheeler: Eight-Grade Benchwarmer" by Thatcher Heldring because I wanted to find some advices for school basketball teams. This book is about a pretty talented boy, Toby, who makes his school's basketball team but does not receive any playing time which makes him a benchwarmer. Throughout the book, Toby pushes his body to limits during practices to hopefully play during games. My favorite quote in this book was, "I'm a pine-rider, and I am proud." I lik
More...
Apr 20, 2011
Stevecrandell
rated it: 
This is predictable and tolerable, as sports stories go. My favorite aspect – the details of the motion offense that the author weaves into the action. And this is an 8th grade team? The Chuckers are embarrassing my own sense of coaching talent.
My least favorite aspect? That’s a longer list. At one point Toby wants to curb the potential affection of stereotypical great-sport friend-girl Megan. He manages to blast apart any hope for Megan as a "girlfriend", and of course he g More...
My least favorite aspect? That’s a longer list. At one point Toby wants to curb the potential affection of stereotypical great-sport friend-girl Megan. He manages to blast apart any hope for Megan as a "girlfriend", and of course he g More...
Jun 30, 2009
Thomas
rated it:
"Toby Wheeler, Eighth-Grade Benchwarmer" is about eighth grader Toby Wheeler, who is a benchwarmer after joining his school's basketball team. And I just realized I stated the same thing twice in that first sentence. Moving on, Toby has more than just that problem to deal with. His best friend JJ has been growing apart from him, preferring to play guitar and hang out with his strange group of friends then shooting hoops with Toby. And the coach's daughter, Megan, is seemingly beggining
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 12, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com
Life is simple. Toby Wheeler is just a gym rat playing pickup ball at the rec center with his best buddy JJ. But, things seem different lately. JJ is spending more and more time with his new friends instead of Toby.
Determined to hang onto his buddy, Toby joins the school's basketball team at the encouragement of the new coach. Maybe this way, he'll get to see more of JJ, since he's a basketball star. But, it seems like the More...
Life is simple. Toby Wheeler is just a gym rat playing pickup ball at the rec center with his best buddy JJ. But, things seem different lately. JJ is spending more and more time with his new friends instead of Toby.
Determined to hang onto his buddy, Toby joins the school's basketball team at the encouragement of the new coach. Maybe this way, he'll get to see more of JJ, since he's a basketball star. But, it seems like the More...
Mar 31, 2009
Ms.
rated it:
This book is a about a boy named Toby who experiences how to be a real basketball player other than playing pickup ball at the recreation center. He finds out he is one of the 2 benchwarmers, he learns that he should still always be ready to play even if he does not play as much as his teammates. I learned three things. First, you should always try your best at anything. Second, You should not let your friends down. And third, I learned that you should not be a quitter.
Jan 27, 2009
Rio
rated it: 
Toby Wheeler, a basketball god in his mind, is friends with JJ, a basketball god in everyone else's mind. Can their friendship survive a rough start to the season? Girlfriends? Junior High cliques? Will he sink the winning basket over the outstretched hands of archrival Vinny Pesto? Finally, can he summon up the courage to ask out the coach's daughter? You'll have to read this and see.
Jan 03, 2009
Kathyred
rated it:
All Toby has ever wanted to do was hang out at the rec center as a gym rat and play basketball. Then his best friend and school basketball team star JJ starts acting strange, wanting to hang out with a girl and play music. In an attempt to keep JJ as his friend, Toby decides to go out for the team, too, except that it doesn't work out like he thought. First, he's put on the bench rather than first or second string, then the coach has a daughter who plays basketball, too who doesn't make him t
More...
Jul 19, 2010
Riley/Radford
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 08, 2012
Feb 01, 2012
Jan 29, 2012
Jan 25, 2012
Jan 25, 2012
Jan 25, 2012
Jan 20, 2012
Dec 23, 2011
Dec 14, 2011
Dec 11, 2011
Dec 08, 2011
Dec 07, 2011
Nov 27, 2011
