Heat by Mike Lupica - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

May 11, 2008 Tommy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heat is a fiction book. Michael Arroyo is a twelve year old Cuban immigrant. His father, his brother, and he live happily in New York till the father poops. Carlos, Michael’s brother, and Michael try and keep it a secret till Carlos turns eighteen and can take custody of Michael. Michael is extremely talented at baseball (pitching) and has a dream of playing to the Little League World Series. Michael’s fantasies look promising until one challenging opponent asks for Michael’s birth certificate w...more

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Sep 30, 2008 Myles added it

If you like baseball this is a book for you. It's the exact feeling of a kid living in the bronx growing up watching the Yankess, but there's more. He is stranded with no parents just his brother and no proof of age or identity, so through out the book he is living in fear and might have to give up the biggest part of his life that he is really good at just so he doesn't get caught.

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Dec 17, 2008 Maeve added it

it was really good! i thought it would be all totally sports but it wasnt

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May 25, 2012 Kit Cowan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book "Heat" by Mike Lupica is a great book that has you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. Lupica tells the story of a young Cuban immagrant named Miguel or Michael Arroyo who not only is a kid of unbelievable skill for a kid his age, but also has a secret that would ruin his life if it went public. He is twelve years old and secretly lives alone with his seventeen year old brother Carlos ever since there dad died.
To prevent being seperated they must keep it a secret for...more The book "Heat" by Mike Lupica is a great book that has you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. Lupica tells the story of a young Cuban immagrant named Miguel or Michael Arroyo who not only is a kid of unbelievable skill for a kid his age, but also has a secret that would ruin his life if it went public. He is twelve years old and secretly lives alone with his seventeen year old brother Carlos ever since there dad died.
To prevent being seperated they must keep it a secret for about six months, which is when Carlos will turn eighteen, and he can legally become Michael's legal gaurdian. Believing that they can get by on Michael's unbelievable baseball skills when he gets older, Carlos takes multiple jobs so they can still afford shelter and food, while Michael is just supposed to focus on baseball.
Their plan began to work really well until the little league playoffs was approaching. He was always being asked by his Coach when his dad would return to help out with the team, and when news reporters started to take interest in him when he stopped a burglary by hitting the robber with a base ball from the pitchers mound. To make everything worse all the coaches really want to win the playoffs so they complain to the head of the league saying that with his size, strength, and all around baseball skills there is no possible way he is only twelve years old. With his birth certificate still in Cuba and after loosing touch with his extended family still in Cuba, he has no proof of his age. Now hes not allowed to play until the league gets a birth certificate, and the whole team is worried that they won't have a chance at winning without him.
Mike Lupica does a great job with description, word choice, and imagery but he uses some phrases you may not understand unless you follow baseball. "Heat" has something for everyone to enjoy, like sports, family moments, comedy, and when you first start to be attracted to someone like when he first meets Ellie a girl who has so much more in common with each other than they both realize. I would recommend this book to everyone but I think it may be hard for some peope to get into if they do not enjoy sports.(less)

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Apr 12, 2009 Andrew Massey added it Recommends it for: athletes

Recommended to Andrew by: if you are a baseball kind of guy

The book heat is a fiction story. This book is about a young boy named Michael Arroyo who is an immigrant from Cuba. He is extremely talented at baseball, especially pitching. He has big dreams of one day playing in the Little League World Series. With is 80 mph fastball he has a pretty good chance too. He also dreams of becoming a major league pitcher someday. The title "Heat" means two things. He can throw a sizzling fastball, and his life is really rough. His mother died of cancer at a young...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Alex Fowler rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was not only an inspiring book but also was a great sports book that could be read over and over again. This book is about 12-year old Michael who is an amazing pitcher and an all around great baseball player. Unfortunately Michael has to face many problems in his real life outside of baseball. Michael's family is not a true American family and therefore must face the price of hiding there secret throughout their lives. In this time in his life Social Services is on his back trying to...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-caudill-nominees, juvenile-fiction, realistic, sports, young-adult-fiction, books-for-boys, baseball, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Michael Arroyo is only twelve years old, but he can pitch like a pro. His talents have helped his team rise to the top of their Little League. Unfortunately, some of the other players and coaches think he’s too good to be believed. After a game with Westchester South, one of the coaches circulates a letter demanding an investigation of Michael’s age. It turns out he doesn’t have a birth certificate on file with the league, and the officials rule that he can’t play until his father presents them...more Michael Arroyo is only twelve years old, but he can pitch like a pro. His talents have helped his team rise to the top of their Little League. Unfortunately, some of the other players and coaches think he’s too good to be believed. After a game with Westchester South, one of the coaches circulates a letter demanding an investigation of Michael’s age. It turns out he doesn’t have a birth certificate on file with the league, and the officials rule that he can’t play until his father presents them with a birth certificate . It wouldn’t be so bad if that were Michael’s only problem, but it’s not. Michael is from Cuba, and his birth certificate is going to be hard to obtain. Michael’s father has also been dead for the past few months and no one knows except Michael, his older brother Carlos (who is working 2 jobs to cover their expenses), Manny (Michael’s friend), and their neighbor, Mrs. C. They want to keep it that way, too, because the boys are afraid that Social Services will separate them if they find out the truth. Baseball is the only thing that’s been keeping Michael sane through all of this, and now he can’t play.

There was a lot about baseball in this story and I thought I didn’t care about the baseball right up until the end when Michael’s team comes back and Michael gets to pitch against his arch rival, Justin. The rest, as they say, is history. Michael gets his birth certificate – through his friendship with Ellie (she’s the daughter of Yankee player El Grande – also from Cuba – who manages to pull some strings with Cuban officials). Manny makes sure to tell Michael’s story to everyone who needs to know, and they’re much more understanding as a result, so, Michael also gets to stay with his brother. The Little League official who has been investigating him (Mr. Gibbs) works for Social Services, and he agrees to be the boys’ guardian until the proper paperwork can be filed (by the time that happens, Carlos will officially be eighteen and can look after Michael without interference), though only if Carlos agrees to come and work for him until then. The fact that Michael’s team gets to play their final game in Yankee Stadium is just the icing on the cake. This was a decent “sports” book with plenty of other issues to keep readers interested. Although it will probably appeal primarily to guys, the relationships between the characters should also attract other (possibly girl-ier) readers.(less)

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May 31, 2013 Neil Chambers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heat is another great book by Mike Lupica. After I read his basketball book, Travel Team, I decided to give his baseball book, Heat, a shot. Like Travel Team, Heat is about a boy who has problems in his personal life, but uses his favorite sport to help him deal, and even overcome that problem. This book is about a 12 year old boy, Michael, who struggles because he has to support his mother and brother without his father, who died earlier. He also has to make sure that he is not deported back to...more

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May 30, 2013 7robbie added it

I thought this was a very interesting and attention-grabbing book. I have a connection to this book because I am a pitcher for my baseball team, so I know how the main charatcer, Michael Arroyo, feels when he is on the mound for his baseball team. This book is about a young Cuban boy named Michael Arroyo, whose parents have both died, leaving he and his 17 year-old brother, Carlos, to fend for themselves. Michael is a fantasatic pitcher and can throw a fastball above 80mph. However, Michael is a...more

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May 20, 2013 Nick Peterson added it

"Heat" is a book about a boy who grows up in the Bronx and is a big baseball player. It's more than just a story about a boy who loves baseball. The main character is Michael Arroyo and he's 12 years old. Unlike any other 12 year old, Michael can throw an 80-mph fastball which is unheard of for a 12 year old. I can't even throw 80 and I'm 17. Because Michael is so dominant, other coaches begin to question if Michael is really 12 or if he's lying about his age. But since he's living with his 17-y...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Giovanny Valenzuela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do you enjoy reading a story about sports? Does the action and competitiveness of games

catch your attention? The book Heat by Mike Lupica is all about the astonishing feeling

about being the center and superstar of the sport’s games. In this book it has a story that

makes you think and feel the experience of being in a sport.

It’s about a kid named Michael Arroyo, a twelve year old that has an amazing skill in

playing baseball. The problem is that he is an illegal immigrant and doesn't have his birt...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Amy Snyder rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 05, 2013 Dillon Skinner rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think that Mike Lupicas reason for writing this book was to entertain the reader and to talk about a younger pitcher who has proved to be gifted. This book is in first person because the narrator is in the story and he uses words like “I and Me”. The main character in this book is Michael Arroyo a gifted 12 year old boy who is an excellent pitcher in the game of baseball. The only problem with this kid is the coaches of the other teams that he plays think he is just too good to be 12. So he ca...more I think that Mike Lupicas reason for writing this book was to entertain the reader and to talk about a younger pitcher who has proved to be gifted. This book is in first person because the narrator is in the story and he uses words like “I and Me”. The main character in this book is Michael Arroyo a gifted 12 year old boy who is an excellent pitcher in the game of baseball. The only problem with this kid is the coaches of the other teams that he plays think he is just too good to be 12. So he can’t participate in the Little League World Series until he gets a birth certificate. But he has no parents back home in Cuba. This book is fiction because it never happened.
The theme of this book is many people if they can’t stop you, are going to try and find some way to shut you out for their own benefit. Michael and his best friend go on a mission to prove that Michael is 12 years old despite what other people might say. The story takes place in the Bronx New York. Later on in the story Michael runs into a girl named Ellie who he thinks is very pretty yet strange.
This book style was a narration because the author describes the events in a specific order. The style of this book is not really effective because sometimes while I was reading I got really uninterested in the book which is not normal because I usually really enjoy books about baseball. It was cool that in this book not only is there a struggle of striking kids out with your fastball, but trying to prove to everyone that your good for you age. It’s also interesting to hear the story of a kid from Cuba that tries to take his team to the Little League World Series, even if it’s only fiction.
My opinion of this book is that it was okay but not a book that I would read again for fun or recommend as a “good” book to a friend that also enjoys baseball. The thing that I liked the most about this book was that Michael was such a good pitcher that no one could touch him and coaches had to try and take him out of the game by saying that he’s not legal to play. A couple of things that I didn’t like about this book was that there was a lot of pages and the print was small. I also didn’t like that the book was very slow and there was WAY too much talking. If I could change one thing about this book it would be that there would be more game situations that Michael was in and more baseball being played and less talking. Overall I would have to give this book a 3 out of 5 stars because of just how boring it was to me a some points in the story, but other than that the story line in the book was very good and interesting. I just didn’t like how long it took them to do things in the book.
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Jan 24, 2013 Frankie Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book "Heat" by Mike Lupica is a great book that has you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. Lupica tells the story of a young Cuban immagrant named Miguel or Michael Arroyo who not only is a kid of unbelievable skill for a kid his age, but also has a secret that would ruin his life if it went public. He is twelve years old and secretly lives alone with his seventeen year old brother Carlos ever since there dad died.

To prevent being seperated they must keep it a secret for...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Sean C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heat
Mike Lupica
Realistic-Fiction
240 Pages

This book is about a 12 year old kid named Michael Arroyo. Michael grows up in the Bronx, New York where baseball is huge. Michael is his team's, and the leagues star pitcher. Michael's dream to end the season is by going to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little League World Series. Michael's dad had recently died from a heart attack. Michael has a brother named Carlos, who is only 17 years old, but he is taking care of Michael and he's not allowed...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Chad Litscher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book Review
In the book Heat by Mike Lupica, it is a story of a 12 year old boy, Michael, who happens to be a great baseball player. He’s good, almost too good for a twelve year old kid. There is just one problem to show everyone that he is actually twelve. He was born in the country of Cuba and he illegally came into the United States with his brother and father. Therefore he cannot tell anyone that he’s from Cuba with the fear of being sent back. In addition to that, after a while of living in...more Book Review
In the book Heat by Mike Lupica, it is a story of a 12 year old boy, Michael, who happens to be a great baseball player. He’s good, almost too good for a twelve year old kid. There is just one problem to show everyone that he is actually twelve. He was born in the country of Cuba and he illegally came into the United States with his brother and father. Therefore he cannot tell anyone that he’s from Cuba with the fear of being sent back. In addition to that, after a while of living in the United States his father suffered a major heart attack and he passed away. That left Michael and his big brother Carlos who is 17 in New York City all by themselves trying to live the life they want to live.
Michael plays for the Bronx all-star team. On his team with him is his best friend Manny who knows his whole story on life. They play other teams in the area that are all-stars for their cities. Michael is the best pitcher on the team, well the best pitcher in the area. Manny is the catcher, and he too is a great catcher. Since the teams they play aren’t just regular little league teams they are the best kids in the area put on one team to make better teams. With the better teams, it means the more attention they get. With all this attention, it puts Michael at risk for giving up his family secret.
This book is a great book to read for those who enjoy sports, plus the thrill adds to the excitement. While reading the book it leaves the reader with a span of just explaining things, but before it gets too boring to set down the book something happens where it grabs the reader’s attention and pulls it in with great force to keep it in. It is a book that doesn’t have the disappointing times to it, everything happens for a reason.
The book is special in a way where it has so many different genres apart of it. It is a historical fiction because it could happen to someone or it is closely relatable to someone today. It is adventurous because it leads up through his baseball career with all the bumps and hills in-between. It is an action/thriller story because it can get very suspenseful at times. And it is young adult because it is about a young adult that could relate to other young adults in the world.
Overall this book was a good read. It had its ups and downs, just like most other books out there. More ups than downs which make it better. I would personally recommend this book to all my friends and I know that they would enjoy this book. There are more books by Mike Lupica that are some also great reads and are pretty similar to this book.
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Nov 25, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

YA pleasure. Michael (Miguel) Arroyo, 12, and his older brother Carlos, 17, came to New York from Cuba a few months ago with their father, whom they call Papi. The two sons tell all adults that their father has left them in their apartment while he tends to his ill brother in Florida. But Carlos works two jobs a day to try to keep sufficient money coming into the house as he cares for Michael and himself. Michael is blessed with extraordinary pitching skills, from the southpaw (left) side, no le...more YA pleasure. Michael (Miguel) Arroyo, 12, and his older brother Carlos, 17, came to New York from Cuba a few months ago with their father, whom they call Papi. The two sons tell all adults that their father has left them in their apartment while he tends to his ill brother in Florida. But Carlos works two jobs a day to try to keep sufficient money coming into the house as he cares for Michael and himself. Michael is blessed with extraordinary pitching skills, from the southpaw (left) side, no less. He throws Heat, baseball slang for a very fast pitch or throw. Michael makes his Little League district’s all star team and serves as its star. He is, however, tall for his age and better than most observers believe a twelve-year-old could be, so rival managers challenge his age. Michael’s best friend and catcher is Manny, loyal and funny and a non-stop talker, a good counterpoint to the more reserved Michael. They play their home games near Yankee Stadium, dreaming of a day when they might play there in a championship game that would lead to the Little League World Series. While Michael and Manny are practicing one day, a mysterious girl with a rocket arm herself appears. Then disappears.

Needless to say, the world is not as Michael and Carlos tell it. The two boys struggle while being watched over by a kind neighbor ‘grandma’ to them. Then the boys’ world begins to unravel. The coaches’ challenge to Michael’s age is upheld due to lack of birth certificate. As for Carlos, an error in judgment goes wrong. Lupica, a sports columnist for the New York Daily News, brings insights into baseball and Yankee stadium and lore into play in the story. His dialogue between boys, friends and rivals, rings true. The adults vary from those that you, like the boys, would want on your side to those who seem to represent the worst in sports parenting and coaching. It helps if you understand baseball-ese but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the story and Michael and his support characters. Happily recommended to a reader of ten or older, or to an adult who is still in touch with the inner ten-year-old.
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Nov 01, 2012 Dalton W rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 2006 Mike Lupica released a soon to be a #1 New York Times bestseller named Heat. This a young adult sports book. I believe that this book had a great story line. A kid who has come from Cuba to face his fears and fight through many difficult situations and problems to take his team to the next level. Mike Lupica is hands down the greatest young literature sports writer. Mike Lupica creates a lot of wonder and suspense throughout 220 page masterpiece. He made a great choice in his main charac...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Cole B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mike Lupica
Realistic Fiction
202 pages

The book Heat by Mike Lupica is about Michael Arroyo. He is a Cuban immigrant and only has his brother because his parents left him alone. He is growing up watching the Yankees the New York baseball team in the ghetto of New York City. He is left alone with his brother with no documents of birth or even age nor does he have a birth certificate. This book is mainly about baseball and since Michael is such a good player for his "age" the coach on the other tea...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Kyle Jonsson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Heat by Mike lupica is a book about a boy from bronx new york named Michael who is very good at baseball. Michael imigrated from cuba and has been playing baseball since little leagues. A kid onmichaels baseball team justin is the coaches son and does a complaint on michael because he cant prove his age because his father left his birth certificate in cuba and his family can afford to get a new one. Michael meets a man named Manny who is actually a famous yankees player. Manny coaches michaels t...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Misaelsaucedo rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book "HEAT" by Mike Lupica is one of my favorite books because it talks a lot about baseball, I like this book because baseball is one of my favorite sports and because I like books about sports mostly. As soon as I saw the cover of the book I knew that this book was for me because it even made me feel excited to read it. This book is really funny and entertaining at the same time because it has a lot of funny parts that really make you laugh. It's also really interesting because the story i...more The book "HEAT" by Mike Lupica is one of my favorite books because it talks a lot about baseball, I like this book because baseball is one of my favorite sports and because I like books about sports mostly. As soon as I saw the cover of the book I knew that this book was for me because it even made me feel excited to read it. This book is really funny and entertaining at the same time because it has a lot of funny parts that really make you laugh. It's also really interesting because the story is based on how this boy and his brother survive without their parents and how they hide things from other people to not get separated. In order to find out what I mean you must read it first and I guarantee you wont regret about reading this awsome book.

One of my favorite characters in this story is Michael the main character because his always fighting hard to reach his goals and because he never gives up on anything even if it's difficult. Michael is also one of my favorite characters because his really funny with all his friends like Manny and cause he likes to mess around a lot with them by making jokes about them. Michael and his brother Carlos have a relly difficult life because they don't have parents and they aren't still 18,for this Carlos the older brother has to work in order to keep himself and his brother alive. They keep this a secret that they don't have parents because if people find out, they're going to get separated and put into different families for not being old enough to take care of them selfs.

I would recommend this book to all the people who like baseball and the New York Yankees because it talks about the NYY's games and its greatest players. I would also recommend this book to people that like to laugh becausse it has many funny parts that make you laugh a lot. Finally, I would recommend this book because it's really interesting and it makes you want to keep on reading on and on without stopping, thi book makes you reflect on who you are based on what the characters have lived.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Luke Parker rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book is a very fun read and is a must read for any sports fan. This is also a good book for really anyone who wants a nice short read. There were many things in this book that I liked very much and one was that in general the book had many surprises that can keep you reading. Some other things that I liked were that there were new characters introduced all the way throughout the book which also keeps you reading. There weren’t many things to not like about the book but I didn’t like how ever...more The book is a very fun read and is a must read for any sports fan. This is also a good book for really anyone who wants a nice short read. There were many things in this book that I liked very much and one was that in general the book had many surprises that can keep you reading. Some other things that I liked were that there were new characters introduced all the way throughout the book which also keeps you reading. There weren’t many things to not like about the book but I didn’t like how everything seemed to happen all at once towards the end of the book. That being said there wasn’t anything else that I didn’t like about this very good book.
There were only a few main characters in the book but I was able to connect with them really well. I was able to feel like I was in the book because of the connection with the main characters. There were some secondary characters that didn’t come into the book a lot but when they did they made a huge impact that changed the whole direction of the main plot. Like I said before there were a lot of surprises throughout the book so when you thought had the book figured out something else unexpected would happen. I was also surprised how many things seemed to go wrong for the main character just when you think it couldn’t get worse for him it always seemed too no matter what.
I still have some questions after reading the book though. I still what to know what happened in the last game of their season. I would also like to know how some people from the south Bronx were able to contact people from the main characters hometown which was Havana. One more is why did the famous baseball player in the book not ever talk to the fans but now all of the sudden started talking to the main character of the book.
This book reminded me a lot of the other sports books that the author has previously written. One book that immediately comes to mind would be Travel Team also by the author Mike Lupica. No movies come to mind as being like this book though. I think that this book being like other books can be good and bad. The good thing is that people who have the other books will know what they are getting and if they liked the others then they will probably like this one as well. The bad thing is that some people may not want to read a different book that has a plot that is similar to other books by the same author. I think the author could have done some things to make the book a little better. One thing they could have done would be to give the secondary characters some more appearances in the book. One more thing would be to make the ending a little longer and not just cut it off. Overall I would give this 5/5 stars.

Quotes
“El gato Misifuz” This was the name of the cat that was in the story the both Ellie and Michael’s fathers taught them when they were little. This was the quote that got the famous pitchers attention.
“You cannot teach somebody to have an arm like yours.” This quote basically summed up how good his arm really was. In the book he had an exceptional arm.
“There are two people who know he is tired, that is him and me” This quote shows how much Michael really knew about the game of baseball.
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Jun 04, 2012 Matt Graham added it

The book Heat by Mike Lupica is a great book. Michael the main character is a great baseball player on a good team. They are number one in the conference and they are going to the little league world series. Other teams don’t believe that he’s young enough to participate because he is so good. The problem is he doesn’t have a birth certificate to prove it and he can not get one. His parents both died and he is living with his older brother who is under the age of 18. Nobody knows that Michael i...more

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May 30, 2012 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mike Lupica’s multicultural book Heat gives an account of the life of Cuban immigrants that live in New York. The book revolves around baseball but different accounts affect the main character such as being an immigrant, losing a father, and being in poverty. Lupica’s character development is depicted mainly through actions the main character faces with other characters. Stories between the two brothers of their father and life in Cuba gives a little view of what life was like their but not too...more

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May 30, 2012 Kabe rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this novel, Lupica develops a young charismatic Cuban to highlight as his main character. The controversial issue of foreign-born Little Leaguers with no birth certificate plays a crucial role in this novel. In the process, the reader gains appreciation for others living a different way of life. By reading Heat, the reader gains a better understanding of how a young boy deals with a situation beyond his own control. The main character had no control that he did not have a birth certificate fr...more

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May 24, 2012 Rose Undeutsch rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book does tell a great story. It has some action in it involving baseball and I think children would like to read this book. The series of events are logical and make the reader what to find out what happens next. Although, I do feel that the build up to the ending takes the entire book, and the ending just comes and goes. I did not like that part. I haven’t heard a story like this before, and also the idea of girls playing baseball is fresh idea. I like that aspect of the book and it appea...more

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May 24, 2012 Eric Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heat written by Mike Lupica is about a boy named Michael Arroyo. Michael is a very good baseball player. He is so good a thief was running away and he threw a baseball from far away and hit the man so he would get caught. Michael plays little league baseball and his goal is to get to the championship game at Yankee Stadium. Mike Lupica has written many outstanding books; in this book he has a velar point of view. His point of view for this book is to write an inspiring and action packed sports...more

Heat written by Mike Lupica is about a boy named Michael Arroyo. Michael is a very good baseball player. He is so good a thief was running away and he threw a baseball from far away and hit the man so he would get caught. Michael plays little league baseball and his goal is to get to the championship game at Yankee Stadium. Mike Lupica has written many outstanding books; in this book he has a velar point of view. His point of view for this book is to write an inspiring and action packed sports book for young sports fans to enjoy.
After Michael Arroyo starts the season he is just playing too good for his age so they don’t believe that he is 12 years old. He has to provide a birth certificate to prove his age; the problem is his dad just died and his birth certificate is somewhere in Cuba. Michael then meets a famous Yankee player’s daughter and he tells her the situation. Her dad knows people in Cuba, so they are on the hunt for the certificate. Read Heat to find out if Michael can find his certificate, and get into the championship game at Yankee Stadium.
This book is one of my favorite sports books I have ever read because of the quality of writing that Mike Lupica has. He has great detail, characters, and an overall good plot. I liked that Michael was the narrator and that other characters also talked to make it more interesting. I also like how the author went into great detail for certain situations but didn’t go too far to the point where it was boring. He kept it interesting all the time. You also experience different moods while reading this book. You get excited then mad, and then sad for different characters at different times. The plot moved smoothly and there was always something interesting that kept you reading. The ending was amazing; the fine details make you feel like you are in Michael's position. It’s awesome.
In order for you to like this book you need to love sports. You need to have that passion for something that you will never quit until the job is done. You need to love action and a rapid plot line that moves fast. If you like this book you will most likely love The Travel Team, and The Big Field. These are also greatly known sports books similar to heat.

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Mar 23, 2012 Joey Dice rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book to me was absoultley amazing and inspiring from start to end. It made me want to keep reading wanting to know whats going to happen next,This book is about a 12 year old boy whos lives with his brother and doesnt have a mom or dad, and has to lie and say his dad his in Florida helping his sick uncle, with all this going on he doesnt have a birth certificate showing that hes from cuba and that he is 12. In this book I was always questiong my self if Michael and his brother Carlos were g...more

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Jan 29, 2012 David Center rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heat written by Mike Lupica is a great novel for young teenagers that love baseball to read. It is a very inspiring story that shows how our main character Michael Arroyo will never give up on his dreams of becoming a major league baseball player and winning the twelve year old Williamsport world championship. The twelve year old Williamsport world championship is when twelve year old all-star teams from all over the world compete against each other to win the title of world champions. On his wa...more
Heat written by Mike Lupica is a great novel for young teenagers that love baseball to read. It is a very inspiring story that shows how our main character Michael Arroyo will never give up on his dreams of becoming a major league baseball player and winning the twelve year old Williamsport world championship. The twelve year old Williamsport world championship is when twelve year old all-star teams from all over the world compete against each other to win the title of world champions. On his way to accomplishing this goal of his he meets many challenges that he has to overcome. This book can be very inspiring to teenagers like me to read because like Michael you can overcome adversity to accomplish your goals on and off the field.

Michael Arroyo was born in Cuba and moved to America at a young age with his father and brother Carlos. Michael’s mother died of cancer in Cuba when he was just a little boy. His family was very poor and moved to America to start a new life together. In America his family still had a very rough life and had little to no money coming into the family. A few months pass by and another event occurred that would drastically make things even worse than they already were. Michael’s father would have a very serious heart attack and eventually became the cause of his death. This left Michael and his brother Carlos to fend for themselves. Too young to work Michael couldn’t do much to get money so his brother had to work long hard hours to support the two of them. Michael would become best friends with Manny Cabrera. He didn’t talk to many other people because if they were to find out that he had no parental supervision he would be forced into foster care or even sent back to Cuba.

During his spare time Michael and Manny would go down to the local baseball field and play catch together. They were both naturals they had great arms and both could throw the baseball very hard. Every time they had a chance to practice they would take it and work on their game together. One day at the ballpark they were seen by a coach of the Clippers, a twelve year old all-star team. The coach approached the boys he asked how old they were. Both of the boys replied with saying that they were twelve and the coached asked them if they would like to play on his team the Clippers. They both enthusiastically agreed to play. Michael had an incredible arm and at the age of twelve could throw the ball at 80 miles per hour. He became the ace for the Clippers and would lead his team on to many victories. They had won so many games that they had made it to the twelve year old Williamsport tournament. One game in this tournament Michael was on the mound striking out batters left and right, the coach of the opposing team asked how old he was and wanted to see his birth certificate to make sure he was really twelve. This was a problem because when he moved to America he never got one and didn’t know how to get one because both of his parents had passed away. Michael didn’t have anything to say that he was twelve so he could no longer play and had to be taken out of the game and rest of the season. This would lead to his team losing in Williamsport and ruining Michael’s dream of becoming world champions.

I liked this book because it shows to never give up what you love. Don’t let the bad things that happens get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Michael was a great example of this because even though he was poor and only lived with his brother he still did what he loves to do which was to play baseball. I think this book should have a better ending to it because it was a letdown that he couldn’t go on in win the world champion title. If I was the author I would have made it that so he got his birth certificate so he could play and went on to becomes a champion with his team.

I would recommend this book to any young teenager with the love of baseball. It is a great story to read because it always keeps you guessing of what is going to happen next to Michael and how he could possibly overcome it. Another great reason why this book is great for young teens to read is because of all the great messages the author is sending the reader.
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Jan 12, 2012 Jake Lehmann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Michael Arroyo is a 12-year-old boy with big dreams, especially for a poor Cuban refugee. He dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series and ultimately of playing in the major leagues like El Grande, his hero and fellow Cuban immigrant.

HEAT, a coming-of-age baseball novel by Mike Lupica, is aptly titled for two reasons. Michael's fastballs can be clocked at over 80 miles per hour, so he's definitely capable of throwing some heat. But sadly, Michael is also feeling the heat in his diffic...more

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