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The Sports Pages
Ten short stories about baseball, basketball, NHL Los Angeles King hockey team captain Dustin Brown, Christian football star James Brown, relay racer, and more. Narrated by a pretend fan or actual player, silly fun or true biography. Editor intros; illustrations preface each chapter; ten pages brief bios close.
255 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2012
146 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
About the author
Jon Scieszka
244 books1,556 followersJon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 22, 2014
It was a pretty good book i would suggest it to people if you are looking for a quicker read.
July 11, 2012
I have become a big fan of the Guys Read Short Story Series edited by Jon Scieszka. With ten authors writing ten different short stories, it's easy to find one that will appeal to any reader.
Guys Read: The Sports Pages hits a home run for it's mix of stories from great children's authors like Gordon Korman and Chris Rylander to real athletes like Dustin Brown and James Brown. It's not just a football book, The Sports Pages artfully weaves in stories from a full gamut of sports, like track and martial arts, to complement the basketball and football one would expect to find in a sports book.
Sometimes it's not always about the game. In The Choice, by James Brown, a real athlete recounts what happens when life gets in the way of the sport and how it can lead to a different course than what you expected. On the humorous side, Maximillan Funk convinces himself that his participation in tennis is too nerdy to be cool. In Max Swings for the Fence, by Anne Ursu, Max concocts a story he thinks will garner respect. The consequences play out in a whopper of a strike that will have the reader snickering at Max's stupidity.
Dan Gutman, Tim Green, Jacqueline Woodsen, Chris Crutcher, and Joseph Bruchac add to the talented list of all stars. However, I couldn't help but choose a favorite. I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter, by Chris Rylander hits it out of the stands for funny. When Wes becomes obsessed with humiliating a New York Yankee, he winds showing why a rookie doesn't always stack up against an all star. Just how far he will go to prove a point, ends up in the kind of witty and humorous tale Chris Rylander is so good at creating. Highly Recommended for not only the boy who loves to play sports, but for those who sit on the sidelines as well.
This review appears on my blog {Boys To Books}(http://www.boystobooks.com)
July 19, 2012
So, I don't really read about sports. I don't watch sports. I do have a favorite team, my college team, but I don't watch them, I am superstitious as they always seem to start losing when I watch. And I really only care if they beat the Georgia Bulldogs and FSU. Yep, I'm a Florida Gator in case you haven't read my profile. And as much as I try to understand my husband's stories about playing football in high school and college, the intensity of it, I just didn't get it. But I have never been disappointed by these short stories in Guys Read and I still haven't. Yeah, it's sports, but I discovered some things as I read.
First, the stories are really varied, as much as sports are. MAX SWINGS FOR THE FENCES is written by Anne Ursu, author of BREADCRUMBS. and though it isn't fairy tale like in any way, there is a definite and funny lesson to be learned when you claim your dad is a famous baseball player for the Minnesota Twins and he comes to town. I really felt sorry for Max, the new kid in school, who just wanted to fit in so he told a tiny white lie. But Max, and guys, don't ever underestimate girls. I'm sure Max won't ever again.
My husband played football, in his free time, in a men's league when I met him, in junior high, high school and on a scholarship in college. Yeah, he is INTO football. It's rare that the t.v. isn't tuned in to some game, usually college, during the fall. But I found out he's been holding out on me. Read the story FIND YOUR FIRE by Tim Green and like me you might find out there is a lot of emotion in sports. Who would have guessed. I found myself tearing up at the conclusion of that one. So you want your son to open up about his feelings? Talk in sports metaphors if nothing else works. It's not that they don't want to talk about their feelings, it's that they are saving it for the game!
Dustin Brown, Captain of the Los Angeles Kings,(NHL hockey for the sports impaired) wrote a really informative and thoughtful recounting of his journey to where he is today in AGAINST ALL ODDS. I rarely watch hockey, been to a few minor league games here in Charlotte, but now I appreciate what it takes for these players to get where they are, the dedication and the sacrifice. I think they are some of the youngest players on professional teams and Dustin Brown's decision between going to college and trying to be one of two hundred out of 30,000 players in Junior Hockey to be asked to the NHL Draft was a life altering decision at such a young age. At 18, the time we will be sending our kids to college, or most of the kids reading this will be going to college, Dustin was playing for the NHL. That's HUGE! It was a definite dream come true, but you need to read his story to see how it wasn't just handed to him. He worked for it. Hard! It's a great story.
What about the rest of the stories? They are all great! I loved the story Chris Rylander wrote I WILL DESTROY YOU, DEREK JETER! And wonder of all wonders, my reluctant reader caught me reading it to my husband (another reluctant reader at 50) and they both want to read it! I'm still not quite recovered but will be handing this off shortly to the younger of the two as soon as my review is done!
THE TROPHY by Gordon Korman is a great competitive story about finding friendship through sports in the most unlikely of circumstances. CHOKE by James Brown was a great story about taking the fight from outside the ring into it and the joy of knowing, win or lose, you've done what you set out to do.
I think beginning the book with Dan Gutman's HOW I WON THE WORLD SERIES and his lucky grapefruit (he's superstitious, too, though he can watch his team play) and ending it with I WILL DESTROY YOU, DEREK JETER was perfect! I don't care how much you don't like sports, you will find something in each of these stories to take away and remember. And if you're lucky enough like me, you'll find two reluctant readers in your house that want to read it even if one of them is older than you!
This is definitely for your middle grade and above readers. Reluctant readers especially will enjoy the short stories. Again, I enjoy and appreciate short stories for the fact that I can put them down and pick them up again without having to remember where the story was when I left off. This is something I think reluctant readers also appreciate. But make no mistake, anyone will enjoy these stories. I did, and I am no fan of sports! These stories will stick with me. I may even discuss them with my son....!
Thanks to Kellie at Walden Pond Press for always sending me ARCS of the best books, this one included.
I was not compensated for my review of this novel.
First, the stories are really varied, as much as sports are. MAX SWINGS FOR THE FENCES is written by Anne Ursu, author of BREADCRUMBS. and though it isn't fairy tale like in any way, there is a definite and funny lesson to be learned when you claim your dad is a famous baseball player for the Minnesota Twins and he comes to town. I really felt sorry for Max, the new kid in school, who just wanted to fit in so he told a tiny white lie. But Max, and guys, don't ever underestimate girls. I'm sure Max won't ever again.
My husband played football, in his free time, in a men's league when I met him, in junior high, high school and on a scholarship in college. Yeah, he is INTO football. It's rare that the t.v. isn't tuned in to some game, usually college, during the fall. But I found out he's been holding out on me. Read the story FIND YOUR FIRE by Tim Green and like me you might find out there is a lot of emotion in sports. Who would have guessed. I found myself tearing up at the conclusion of that one. So you want your son to open up about his feelings? Talk in sports metaphors if nothing else works. It's not that they don't want to talk about their feelings, it's that they are saving it for the game!
Dustin Brown, Captain of the Los Angeles Kings,(NHL hockey for the sports impaired) wrote a really informative and thoughtful recounting of his journey to where he is today in AGAINST ALL ODDS. I rarely watch hockey, been to a few minor league games here in Charlotte, but now I appreciate what it takes for these players to get where they are, the dedication and the sacrifice. I think they are some of the youngest players on professional teams and Dustin Brown's decision between going to college and trying to be one of two hundred out of 30,000 players in Junior Hockey to be asked to the NHL Draft was a life altering decision at such a young age. At 18, the time we will be sending our kids to college, or most of the kids reading this will be going to college, Dustin was playing for the NHL. That's HUGE! It was a definite dream come true, but you need to read his story to see how it wasn't just handed to him. He worked for it. Hard! It's a great story.
What about the rest of the stories? They are all great! I loved the story Chris Rylander wrote I WILL DESTROY YOU, DEREK JETER! And wonder of all wonders, my reluctant reader caught me reading it to my husband (another reluctant reader at 50) and they both want to read it! I'm still not quite recovered but will be handing this off shortly to the younger of the two as soon as my review is done!
THE TROPHY by Gordon Korman is a great competitive story about finding friendship through sports in the most unlikely of circumstances. CHOKE by James Brown was a great story about taking the fight from outside the ring into it and the joy of knowing, win or lose, you've done what you set out to do.
I think beginning the book with Dan Gutman's HOW I WON THE WORLD SERIES and his lucky grapefruit (he's superstitious, too, though he can watch his team play) and ending it with I WILL DESTROY YOU, DEREK JETER was perfect! I don't care how much you don't like sports, you will find something in each of these stories to take away and remember. And if you're lucky enough like me, you'll find two reluctant readers in your house that want to read it even if one of them is older than you!
This is definitely for your middle grade and above readers. Reluctant readers especially will enjoy the short stories. Again, I enjoy and appreciate short stories for the fact that I can put them down and pick them up again without having to remember where the story was when I left off. This is something I think reluctant readers also appreciate. But make no mistake, anyone will enjoy these stories. I did, and I am no fan of sports! These stories will stick with me. I may even discuss them with my son....!
Thanks to Kellie at Walden Pond Press for always sending me ARCS of the best books, this one included.
I was not compensated for my review of this novel.
January 12, 2018
If you like sports and fiction, this is a good book for you. It has short, good stories in it from across all sports. It was a good book
July 1, 2013
I really enjoy this series and #3 is probably the strongest and most diverse collection so far. It is more mature than "Funny Business," and holds together as a unified collection better than "Thriller." Like both collections, it also has some surprising highs; but unlike editions 1 and 2, there are no real lows.
In all three collections there is one standout story. In "Thriller," it was Walter Dean Myers' tonally different, and very affecting, realistic portrait of a Somali boy pirate. "The Sports Pages" follows suit in Chris Crutcher's serious, mature, and realistic portrait of a teenage boy struggling with sports and familial abuse in "The Meat Grinder." The friendship that develops in the story between the main character and the football star is touching and honest, and feels realistic in a way that the other stories approach, but don't quite attain. The closest competition is Tim Green's "Find Your Fire" in which two star athletes and best friends are competing for a football scholarship. The story has too much going on, and too much dead space, but the title theme and ambiguous ending make up for the areas that are lacking. Also oddly-paced is Jacqueline Woodson's "The Distance," that unfortunately never answers the question of why the narrator didn't try harder in his relay leg (because it was too difficult, really?). Again, however, the ending theme and the interesting familial and friend relationships give the story weight. Better than Green's and Woodson's story is Joseph Bruchac's "Choke" about a boy who takes up mixed-martial arts to take on a bully. It has a similar generic set-up but the narrator's sarcastic sense of humor mixes well with the realism, and makes the story more engaging overall.
On the other hand, "Max Swings for the Fences" by Anne Ursu, "The Trophy" by Gordon Korman, "How I Won the World Series" by Dan Gutman, and "I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter" by Chris Rylander, all go for laughs...and are completely unrealistic. They are all genuinely funny, though, with Ursu's being the real surprise. Her story about a lie that quickly spirals out of control has the best twist ending of the bunch. All four are frothy and light-hearted, and could give the stories in "Funny Business" a run for their money.
Perhaps the best surprise, however, are the two nonfiction pieces--hockey player Dustin Brown's "Against All Odds," and James Brown's "The Choice." Like Crutcher's fictional story, they feel honest, and they each carry important, powerful, and different messages to young readers. The nonfiction stories also help to both broaden the diversity of the collection, while, interestingly, thematically tying the all the stories together. Both stories made me wonder what "Thriller" and "Funny Business" might have been like with some interesting nonfiction mixed in.
Sports stories can so often go horribly wrong, descending into treacly, platitude-spewing, sentimental disasters (think of almost every popular sports movie out there). That this collection sidesteps that trap in so many interesting ways is phenomenal, and shows that these collections are only getting better as the series continues.
In all three collections there is one standout story. In "Thriller," it was Walter Dean Myers' tonally different, and very affecting, realistic portrait of a Somali boy pirate. "The Sports Pages" follows suit in Chris Crutcher's serious, mature, and realistic portrait of a teenage boy struggling with sports and familial abuse in "The Meat Grinder." The friendship that develops in the story between the main character and the football star is touching and honest, and feels realistic in a way that the other stories approach, but don't quite attain. The closest competition is Tim Green's "Find Your Fire" in which two star athletes and best friends are competing for a football scholarship. The story has too much going on, and too much dead space, but the title theme and ambiguous ending make up for the areas that are lacking. Also oddly-paced is Jacqueline Woodson's "The Distance," that unfortunately never answers the question of why the narrator didn't try harder in his relay leg (because it was too difficult, really?). Again, however, the ending theme and the interesting familial and friend relationships give the story weight. Better than Green's and Woodson's story is Joseph Bruchac's "Choke" about a boy who takes up mixed-martial arts to take on a bully. It has a similar generic set-up but the narrator's sarcastic sense of humor mixes well with the realism, and makes the story more engaging overall.
On the other hand, "Max Swings for the Fences" by Anne Ursu, "The Trophy" by Gordon Korman, "How I Won the World Series" by Dan Gutman, and "I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter" by Chris Rylander, all go for laughs...and are completely unrealistic. They are all genuinely funny, though, with Ursu's being the real surprise. Her story about a lie that quickly spirals out of control has the best twist ending of the bunch. All four are frothy and light-hearted, and could give the stories in "Funny Business" a run for their money.
Perhaps the best surprise, however, are the two nonfiction pieces--hockey player Dustin Brown's "Against All Odds," and James Brown's "The Choice." Like Crutcher's fictional story, they feel honest, and they each carry important, powerful, and different messages to young readers. The nonfiction stories also help to both broaden the diversity of the collection, while, interestingly, thematically tying the all the stories together. Both stories made me wonder what "Thriller" and "Funny Business" might have been like with some interesting nonfiction mixed in.
Sports stories can so often go horribly wrong, descending into treacly, platitude-spewing, sentimental disasters (think of almost every popular sports movie out there). That this collection sidesteps that trap in so many interesting ways is phenomenal, and shows that these collections are only getting better as the series continues.
September 24, 2012
Edited by Jon Scieszka (Guys Read, The Time Warp Trio) and illustrated by Dan Santat (Time Out Kids, The Replacements), Guys Read: The Sports Pages is the third volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading (preceded by Guys Read: Funny Business and Guys Read: Thriller). Like the previous installments, GR:TSP is a collection of works by a number of popular writers for young readers, including Chris Crutcher, Tim Green, Gordan Korman, and Anne Ursu. The pieces are united by a common theme—in this case, sports—but written in a variety of styles.
Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is an amusing short story about a tennis player who moves to a baseball town and tells a little lie that rapidly spins out of control. Gordan Korman’s “The Trophy” is a fun tale about an elementary basketball team that sets out on a quest to find its stolen championship trophy. Dan Gutman’s “How I Won the World Series” is a clever creative non-fiction piece about favorite teams and sports superstitions. And both Dustin Brown’s “Against All Odds” and Jame’s Brown’s “The Choice” are autobiographical, but Dustin recounts his journey to the NHL in a sort of snap-shot essay (I’m defining that as an essay with various topic headings), while James tells his life in basketball as a narrative.
And for a volume with just ten entries, Scieszka has “covered his bases” well, representing baseball, basketball, football, track, mixed martial arts, and (at least a mention of) tennis. I guess it could have been more inclusive, but the stories told are more important than the sports that serve as their settings. And at any rate, baseball, basketball, football, track, and MMA are probably the most popular sports among boys 8-12, anyway.
What I’ve liked most about this series (thus far) is that the writers selected manage to craft intelligent, character-centered stories that demonstrate a meaningful change in their protagonists (while still being fun and interesting and page-turnery). The stories in this collection are no exception. Sure, at times, some characters actions are certainly more in service to plot than to character development, but there are also shining examples of interesting protagonists with complex problems. In Tim Green’s “Find Your Fire,” Jake is confronted with a life-changing situation that actually pits him (and his new selfish, angry motivation) against his best friend. The title character in Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is 100 percent responsible for the mess he gets himself in, and we squirm uncomfortably along with him as he struggles to clean it up. And in Chris Crutcher’s “Meat Grinder,” we see the impact a single peer in his corner has on young, suffering Mack.
It’s not without its (minor) faults, but the clear language, swift pace, and solid variety in Guys Read: The Sports Pages makes it a perfect pick for boy readers—especially reluctant ones.
Recommended for ages 9+.
Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is an amusing short story about a tennis player who moves to a baseball town and tells a little lie that rapidly spins out of control. Gordan Korman’s “The Trophy” is a fun tale about an elementary basketball team that sets out on a quest to find its stolen championship trophy. Dan Gutman’s “How I Won the World Series” is a clever creative non-fiction piece about favorite teams and sports superstitions. And both Dustin Brown’s “Against All Odds” and Jame’s Brown’s “The Choice” are autobiographical, but Dustin recounts his journey to the NHL in a sort of snap-shot essay (I’m defining that as an essay with various topic headings), while James tells his life in basketball as a narrative.
And for a volume with just ten entries, Scieszka has “covered his bases” well, representing baseball, basketball, football, track, mixed martial arts, and (at least a mention of) tennis. I guess it could have been more inclusive, but the stories told are more important than the sports that serve as their settings. And at any rate, baseball, basketball, football, track, and MMA are probably the most popular sports among boys 8-12, anyway.
What I’ve liked most about this series (thus far) is that the writers selected manage to craft intelligent, character-centered stories that demonstrate a meaningful change in their protagonists (while still being fun and interesting and page-turnery). The stories in this collection are no exception. Sure, at times, some characters actions are certainly more in service to plot than to character development, but there are also shining examples of interesting protagonists with complex problems. In Tim Green’s “Find Your Fire,” Jake is confronted with a life-changing situation that actually pits him (and his new selfish, angry motivation) against his best friend. The title character in Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is 100 percent responsible for the mess he gets himself in, and we squirm uncomfortably along with him as he struggles to clean it up. And in Chris Crutcher’s “Meat Grinder,” we see the impact a single peer in his corner has on young, suffering Mack.
It’s not without its (minor) faults, but the clear language, swift pace, and solid variety in Guys Read: The Sports Pages makes it a perfect pick for boy readers—especially reluctant ones.
Recommended for ages 9+.
September 4, 2012
My favorite is Ursu's sixth-grader Max, who moves to new school from home town of famous baseball player Beau Fletcher, wants to impress pretty Molly, and pretends to be Beau's secret son. The rumor leaks, and Max must face Beau in person when Molly gets tickets for public meeting.
Dustin Brown, NHL Los Angeles King hockey team captain now has sons and family balance. Footballer James Brown credits Christian faith and friends. Both have simple vocabulary and phrasing. Rylander pretends to be an angry boy who places blame for his screwed-up catch, his best friend's broken arm, on pro baseball hitter Derek who is kind and generous all-round, and does not learn his lesson at the end. The rest, about encouraging coaches, races, specific game plays, drifts over my head. I liked hockey back when Toronto, Montreal, Boston and Chicago ruled. Now soccer is the world-beloved "beautiful game", is the only game for me, missing from this Yankee-centric bias. David Beckham improved Los Angeles a tad.
1 How I Won the World Series by Dan Gutman
2 Find Your Fire by Tim Green
3 Max Swings for the Fences by Anne Ursu
4 Against All Odds by Dustin Brown
5 The Distance by Jacqueline Woodson
6 The Meat Grinder by Chris Crutcher
7 The Choice by James Brown
8 Choke by Joseph Bruchac
9 The Trophy by Gordon Korman
10 I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter by Chris Rylander
About series, bios 10 pg
http://www.guysread.com is both an imprint-like collection of titles to inspire boys under "the Guys Read Library of Great Reading", and a series, three so far, of #1 "Funny Business", #2 "Thriller", and #3 "Sports Pages" All covers have "GUYS READ" on the top, and no numbers, for both full-length novels of authors published elsewhere, and original short stories collected here only.
Dustin Brown, NHL Los Angeles King hockey team captain now has sons and family balance. Footballer James Brown credits Christian faith and friends. Both have simple vocabulary and phrasing. Rylander pretends to be an angry boy who places blame for his screwed-up catch, his best friend's broken arm, on pro baseball hitter Derek who is kind and generous all-round, and does not learn his lesson at the end. The rest, about encouraging coaches, races, specific game plays, drifts over my head. I liked hockey back when Toronto, Montreal, Boston and Chicago ruled. Now soccer is the world-beloved "beautiful game", is the only game for me, missing from this Yankee-centric bias. David Beckham improved Los Angeles a tad.
1 How I Won the World Series by Dan Gutman
2 Find Your Fire by Tim Green
3 Max Swings for the Fences by Anne Ursu
4 Against All Odds by Dustin Brown
5 The Distance by Jacqueline Woodson
6 The Meat Grinder by Chris Crutcher
7 The Choice by James Brown
8 Choke by Joseph Bruchac
9 The Trophy by Gordon Korman
10 I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter by Chris Rylander
About series, bios 10 pg
http://www.guysread.com is both an imprint-like collection of titles to inspire boys under "the Guys Read Library of Great Reading", and a series, three so far, of #1 "Funny Business", #2 "Thriller", and #3 "Sports Pages" All covers have "GUYS READ" on the top, and no numbers, for both full-length novels of authors published elsewhere, and original short stories collected here only.
November 14, 2013
Guys Read Sports Pages is a collection of stories involving sports.
In Against All Odds, a story by Dustin Brown, Dustin, the main character, is the right wing for the Los Angeles Kings. His goal is to always work harder than the next person, so that he can make it to the NHL. He doesn’t know how good he’ll be when he gets older but he definitely knows that if he works hard he can make it to where he wants to be. Find Your Fire by Tim Greene is about a kid named Jake who is preparing for high school football try-outs but is not sure if he’ll do good enough. At the first try-out he is not too happy about how he did, but will he make it at the second? You’ll have to read. The Trophy by Gordon Korman is a story about a kid named Lucas who ends up making the last second shot to win the Interboro Cup but the day after that when he arrived at school expecting to see his trophy in the trophy case it’s not there. He predicts that it is stolen. This story kept me wanting to read more.
The authors did a good job really writing about the sport that they knew about and not writing about something they had to look up. They seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the sport that they were writing about. The stories could have been a bit shorter. They are about 40 to 80 pages each. There was many different plots, but they were all basically about trying as hard as you could, trying and making a team, or becoming who you want to be. The writing was very descriptive. Whenever a character took a shot for example and it lasted 3 seconds the writer made that three seconds seem like three weeks. I liked the stories but I got bored because they were long. Someone who is interested in books that are about sports would like this book and people who get tired of reading one long story and just want to read a couple of shorter stories. I would rate it 3 stars only because the stories were very long.
May 31, 2013
Sport fans are not to be messed with. We know what we want scholarships, girls and boys, championships, athletic people, liars,and "Trophies". In New York "Sports" is just a normal day. "Championships" means Trophies. "Scholarships" is to be happy and to be proud of.
Jon Scieszka delivers all that good stuff in THE SPORTS PAGES which opens with an exciting climax: he takes a deep breath, swings the bat and there the ball goes up in the sky, thinking if he will make a home run or not. He stops and there look at him go running to get to 1st base but instead he makes it to HOME BASe!!!!!
Enter Max a shy quiet boy who moved to this new city. He wants to make new friends without anyone trying to judge him. He plays tennis but his mom says "TENNIS IS NOT A SPORT!" Max lies to Molly that Beau Fletcher is his dad. Beau Fletcher the best baseball player ever!!!
He lies to Molly so that she can like him and hang out with him more often. The whole school likes him because he has a baseball player is his dad. Will they ever find out that Beau Fletcher is not his dad??
Jake and Bobby best friends since kindergarten he has no other friend than him. Bobby is getting a scholarship from IH where all the best FOOTBALL PLAYERS go to. Jake is going to IH too because he got the money. He finds out he his dad loses his job his not going to IH no more. Jake is very angry, bad, and sad... Jake wants that scholarship and he will do anything to get that scholarship.
These 10 novels are interesting and breath taking to read on your spare time!! Sports are not just for boys but for girls also... Just because this says Guys Read girls can read this as well. This will get you into the book like if your watching a game in real life...
Jon Scieszka delivers all that good stuff in THE SPORTS PAGES which opens with an exciting climax: he takes a deep breath, swings the bat and there the ball goes up in the sky, thinking if he will make a home run or not. He stops and there look at him go running to get to 1st base but instead he makes it to HOME BASe!!!!!
Enter Max a shy quiet boy who moved to this new city. He wants to make new friends without anyone trying to judge him. He plays tennis but his mom says "TENNIS IS NOT A SPORT!" Max lies to Molly that Beau Fletcher is his dad. Beau Fletcher the best baseball player ever!!!
He lies to Molly so that she can like him and hang out with him more often. The whole school likes him because he has a baseball player is his dad. Will they ever find out that Beau Fletcher is not his dad??
Jake and Bobby best friends since kindergarten he has no other friend than him. Bobby is getting a scholarship from IH where all the best FOOTBALL PLAYERS go to. Jake is going to IH too because he got the money. He finds out he his dad loses his job his not going to IH no more. Jake is very angry, bad, and sad... Jake wants that scholarship and he will do anything to get that scholarship.
These 10 novels are interesting and breath taking to read on your spare time!! Sports are not just for boys but for girls also... Just because this says Guys Read girls can read this as well. This will get you into the book like if your watching a game in real life...
August 1, 2012
A Home Run!
The GUYS READ library takes an inevitable and successful turn with their latest collection of short stories, THE SPORTS PAGES. Once again pulling from the greatest talent in the middle grade arena, such as Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Dan Gutman, Mike Lupica, and Anne Ursu, middle grade readers are in for a treat!
One of the many things we love about the GUYS READ series is the format. The 9 year old in my house is a huge fan. He will pick up one of the books, read a short story and put it down for a few days before picking it up again to read another story. He usually reads the stories in order, but you don't have to. No pressure and lots of fun!
The stories in THE SPORTS PAGES are among my favorite so far. Unlike my son, I skipped around. I read the first and last stories before making my way into the middle. This should not shock any of my readers when I tell you they were about baseball and written by two of my favorite MG authors - Dan Gutman and Chris Rylander. How I Won The World Series by Dan Gutman kicks off the book in the perfect way; and I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter by Chris Rylander made me smile that even a Red Sox fan has to appreciate the character of Yankee Captain, Derek Jeter. Awesome!!
I am a sports fan, and a big believer that kids learn a lot of life-skills on the playing field: guts, determination, teamwork, integrity, respect. Sure, some of these stories are awesome in their silliness, but some of the others embrace the spirit of sports and hopefully inspires some fire in their readers.
By far, my favorite of the series! GUYS READ: THE SPORTS PAGES is a winner!!
The GUYS READ library takes an inevitable and successful turn with their latest collection of short stories, THE SPORTS PAGES. Once again pulling from the greatest talent in the middle grade arena, such as Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Dan Gutman, Mike Lupica, and Anne Ursu, middle grade readers are in for a treat!
One of the many things we love about the GUYS READ series is the format. The 9 year old in my house is a huge fan. He will pick up one of the books, read a short story and put it down for a few days before picking it up again to read another story. He usually reads the stories in order, but you don't have to. No pressure and lots of fun!
The stories in THE SPORTS PAGES are among my favorite so far. Unlike my son, I skipped around. I read the first and last stories before making my way into the middle. This should not shock any of my readers when I tell you they were about baseball and written by two of my favorite MG authors - Dan Gutman and Chris Rylander. How I Won The World Series by Dan Gutman kicks off the book in the perfect way; and I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter by Chris Rylander made me smile that even a Red Sox fan has to appreciate the character of Yankee Captain, Derek Jeter. Awesome!!
I am a sports fan, and a big believer that kids learn a lot of life-skills on the playing field: guts, determination, teamwork, integrity, respect. Sure, some of these stories are awesome in their silliness, but some of the others embrace the spirit of sports and hopefully inspires some fire in their readers.
By far, my favorite of the series! GUYS READ: THE SPORTS PAGES is a winner!!
September 30, 2016
This book has ten unique stories about ten miscellaneous sports including lacrosse, cross country, baseball, basketball, hockey, track and tennis. To begin, each story takes about a half hour to read. If you don’t have much time on your hands, you can read a quick, short story. If you have a short attention span like most teenagers and want to check your social media, this is an outstanding book because the stories are brief and well written. In addition, if you like all sorts of sports, this book had non-fiction and fiction stories written by well-known authors. Some of the well-known authors were Gordon Korman, Dan Gutman and Tim Green. My favorite is Gordon Korman. I have read several of his books and they are fantastic. Finally, if there is a story that you don’t like, you can just skip it and subtract the pages from your reading log.There was a story about tennis that I read 6 pages of and realized I didn’t like it. I stopped on that page and went on to the next story. Like I said earlier, a reader would probably recognize the authors and enjoy their short stories. Since each story is approximately 20 pages long, you could skip a story you don’t like. I feel that this book is outstanding and I would recommend it to people who don’t have much time on their hands and have a mutual like of sports.
July 5, 2012
Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...
I love baseball, so when The Sports Pages first story was one by Don Gutman about baseball that cracked me up so much that I ran to the other room to tell my husband about it- the book had won me over. Realistically, like most short story collections, I found stories I really enjoyed and others I enjoyed less. Personally, I liked the baseball stories the most because I am a fan where others will like the football stories. Either way, this book has a bit of something for almost all sports lovers: tennis, hockey, basketball, baseball, football, and MMA.
As a teacher, I love short story collections because they can easily be used for read alouds or mentor texts. This particular collection has such a wide mix of texts. I liked there the mixture included many different examples that could be used in the classroom including humor, identity, competition, rivalry, bullying, and reflection; though, I feel that the pieces nonfiction are the best piece in the collection of exemplar text for memoirs, one more of an interview, one more of a humorous narrative and one a personal narrative.
I will definitely be purchasing this book, because the ARC is missing Chris Crutcher's story and I HAVE to read it.
I love baseball, so when The Sports Pages first story was one by Don Gutman about baseball that cracked me up so much that I ran to the other room to tell my husband about it- the book had won me over. Realistically, like most short story collections, I found stories I really enjoyed and others I enjoyed less. Personally, I liked the baseball stories the most because I am a fan where others will like the football stories. Either way, this book has a bit of something for almost all sports lovers: tennis, hockey, basketball, baseball, football, and MMA.
As a teacher, I love short story collections because they can easily be used for read alouds or mentor texts. This particular collection has such a wide mix of texts. I liked there the mixture included many different examples that could be used in the classroom including humor, identity, competition, rivalry, bullying, and reflection; though, I feel that the pieces nonfiction are the best piece in the collection of exemplar text for memoirs, one more of an interview, one more of a humorous narrative and one a personal narrative.
I will definitely be purchasing this book, because the ARC is missing Chris Crutcher's story and I HAVE to read it.
December 26, 2016
I have to say from the start, I'm not a big sports guy. Yet I read "Guys Read: The Sports Pages," because I wanted to continue the Guys Read series after reading "Guys Read: Funny Business" and "Guys Read: Thriller." There was a story where someone who loved the Mets thought that they won a game only because he was holding a grapefruit the whole time. In another story, these kids won a basketball championship, but they didn't realize that another team was disqualified because of strict rules. That team ended up stealing the trophy and the two teams battled basketball-style to see who deserved it. The game never ended, and they traded phone numbers once it started to rain to continue the game later. But after they left, the trophy stayed there, right where they left it. They didn't need a trophy to show that they won. If they knew, they thought that was good enough. You see, that's the beauty of "Guys Read: The Sports Pages." It didn't have to be a sports book, but it was. Maybe that's the beauty of all the Guys Read books. It's the authors and stories that count, not the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
The Trophy (Gordon Korman): after winning the league tournament, a team's trophy disappears from the display case and they have to find the culprits. Nice irony.
Find Your Fire (Tim Green): Two best friends battle across the line of scrimmage for a scholarship. Nice twist at the end.
The Meat Grinder (Chris Crutcher): Blake, a brain with abusive parents, is forced to play football in a dinky town, but finds kindness from Rich Saxon, all-conference. Heart breaking and heart warming.
I will destroy you, Derek Jeter(Chris Rylander): Due to a huge mishap involving a foul ball off the bat of Derek Jeter, Wes plots to get even with the Yankee.
Max Swings for the Fences (Anne Ursu): Max, a new student, tries to impress a girl by saying he's the son of an MLB player, but she calls his bluff.
Choke (Joseph Bruchac): An 104-lb weakling earns the respect of a bully through martial arts.
Find Your Fire (Tim Green): Two best friends battle across the line of scrimmage for a scholarship. Nice twist at the end.
The Meat Grinder (Chris Crutcher): Blake, a brain with abusive parents, is forced to play football in a dinky town, but finds kindness from Rich Saxon, all-conference. Heart breaking and heart warming.
I will destroy you, Derek Jeter(Chris Rylander): Due to a huge mishap involving a foul ball off the bat of Derek Jeter, Wes plots to get even with the Yankee.
Max Swings for the Fences (Anne Ursu): Max, a new student, tries to impress a girl by saying he's the son of an MLB player, but she calls his bluff.
Choke (Joseph Bruchac): An 104-lb weakling earns the respect of a bully through martial arts.
April 2, 2014
I read Guys Read "Other Worlds" first even though I'm not usually a sci-fi fan and loved it. So I thought I'd give the other books in the series a try. So I picked up the "Sports Pages" next because I don't usually enjoy sports. Sadly I didn't enjoy this book in the least bit. I read about five of the stories because I couldn't force myself to read them all. I found the ones about the non traditional sports more worthwhile than the traditional ones. I am sure to someone else who cares about sports this would be better received.
Update: I re-checked this book out from the library, but this time I got an audio copy instead of a physical book. It helped me complete the Sports Page volume in a sitting or two. I still stand by my original review about enjoying the ones about track and wrestling more than the biographies or football/baseball stories. To each their own. Definitely my least favorite in the collection of Guys Read.
Update: I re-checked this book out from the library, but this time I got an audio copy instead of a physical book. It helped me complete the Sports Page volume in a sitting or two. I still stand by my original review about enjoying the ones about track and wrestling more than the biographies or football/baseball stories. To each their own. Definitely my least favorite in the collection of Guys Read.
January 20, 2014
Audience-Grades 4 and up
Opening-Prompt predictions based on the title
-Read some of the text to engage attention
Guys Read: The Sports Pages, does anyone want to share what they might this book is going to be about? Wait for student response. Boys you might think this book is just for you. Let me just read a little and see if this might change some of your predictions. "Max could not move-"now you'll never ever say you throw like a girl again." Her eyes narrowed. She leaned in and hissed, " You wish you threw like a girl."
Does anyone want to find out about Max? Does anyone want to find about the person yelling at Max? Lets read!
(2012) Guys Read:The Sports Pages. (pg 79)
(2012, November 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
Opening-Prompt predictions based on the title
-Read some of the text to engage attention
Guys Read: The Sports Pages, does anyone want to share what they might this book is going to be about? Wait for student response. Boys you might think this book is just for you. Let me just read a little and see if this might change some of your predictions. "Max could not move-"now you'll never ever say you throw like a girl again." Her eyes narrowed. She leaned in and hissed, " You wish you threw like a girl."
Does anyone want to find out about Max? Does anyone want to find about the person yelling at Max? Lets read!
(2012) Guys Read:The Sports Pages. (pg 79)
(2012, November 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
October 29, 2012
I've been a fan of the Guys Read series since the fist came out years ago...possibly before it was conceptualized as a series. This installment is an excellent addition. The book includes a selection fiction and non-fiction stories. I especially enjoyed Tim Green's story and laughed out loud at Dan Gutman's baseball story. I found James Brown's story inspriational, and had no idea that this football commentator played basketball in college. While I labored through Chris Rylander's Derek Jeter story, I found myself interested in MMA for the first time (and probably only time) in my life through Jospeh Bruchac's story. Overall, this is an excellent collection of sports writing, covering most of the major sports, but a few fringe events as well. Gr. 4+ (guys and girls!)
February 5, 2013
Plenty of guys will read this collection of 10 sports-themed short stories. Several different sports and sporting experiences are covered in the entries, some written by familiar authors such as Chris Crutcher and Gordon Korman, but others are contributed to new authors such as Dustin Brown, captain of the LA Kings hockey team. Although there's something for everyone in the book, my favorites are "How I Won the World Series" by Dan Gutman, which describes the role of a lucky grapefruit in the Mets' 1986 World Series victory, and "Max Swings for the Fences" by Anne Ursu, which tells about how lying about his parentage doesn't profit new student Max Funk; nor does denigrating a female pitcher's throwing skills. The illustrations are funny to look at too.
Read
September 12, 2013Ten short stories all about sports. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and mixed martial arts are all covered. Many of the contributing authors are popular middle school author. I love any book that will interest my reluctant boy readers. This book (and the other Guys Read books) are great because the stories are short enough not to be intimidating and are male oriented enough to keep them interested. I will continue buying the Guys Read books as they come out!
Suitability: Grades 5-8
Recommendation: Recommend
Illustrations: By Dan Santat- Black and white drawings
Genre: Story Collection
Would you purchase this book? Yes Why? Anything that appeals to boys
Dewey Classification: SC FIC SCI
Price: $14.49
Suitability: Grades 5-8
Recommendation: Recommend
Illustrations: By Dan Santat- Black and white drawings
Genre: Story Collection
Would you purchase this book? Yes Why? Anything that appeals to boys
Dewey Classification: SC FIC SCI
Price: $14.49
October 27, 2012
I had seen the Guys Read books reviewed and not given them much thought until one arrived in my Junior Library Guild subscription. I read Guys Read: The Sports Pages and loved it. Jon Scieszka, what a great concept: get short stories centered on a topic all written by GREAT authors like Chris Crutcher,Joseph Bruchac,Dan Gutman, Gordan Korman and more!
These stories are all centered around one sport or another and the main characters are boys. The stories are clever, hold my intrest, and some stay with me. My favorite was Find Your Fire by Tim Green.
Great series and I will read the others. I think both male and female students will enjoy this series.
These stories are all centered around one sport or another and the main characters are boys. The stories are clever, hold my intrest, and some stay with me. My favorite was Find Your Fire by Tim Green.
Great series and I will read the others. I think both male and female students will enjoy this series.
October 7, 2013
guys read sports pages is the third book in the guys read series. it has all kinds of small stories most of them are realistic fiction. all of the stories relate to sports and some characters are real life sports players. the conflict is normally about teams losing but others are about a hate for players on the yankees.
i liked this book because i really enjoy sports books but i also like humor and that is what is in this boo. i recommend this to sports fans but also enjoy humor. i gave this book 4 stars because there are some stories that are slow and hard to understand but others are humerous and sports packed.
i liked this book because i really enjoy sports books but i also like humor and that is what is in this boo. i recommend this to sports fans but also enjoy humor. i gave this book 4 stars because there are some stories that are slow and hard to understand but others are humerous and sports packed.
January 17, 2014
Often, I find sports books to be a bit cheesy.
I really like the format of this book since it is a compilation of short stories surrounding a variety of athletics. Many of the authors are well-known YAL authors, like Chris Crutcher, so you are guaranteed to read a few stories with great characters and plots that reach beyond a detailed account of a sporting event. My only negative about this book is that the name of the compilation series is called "Guys Read." I like that the publishers are promoting reading that targets boys and their interests, but I think girls will also really like these stories! Definitely give it a read as the stories are short but exciting.
I really like the format of this book since it is a compilation of short stories surrounding a variety of athletics. Many of the authors are well-known YAL authors, like Chris Crutcher, so you are guaranteed to read a few stories with great characters and plots that reach beyond a detailed account of a sporting event. My only negative about this book is that the name of the compilation series is called "Guys Read." I like that the publishers are promoting reading that targets boys and their interests, but I think girls will also really like these stories! Definitely give it a read as the stories are short but exciting.
January 8, 2019
If you love sports, you would surely entertain this book.
This book included 10 short stories about sports. Those sports included Basketball, Cricket, American Football etc.
This stories are really interesting for me as I loved playing sports and it really infers my senses during a game. The stories emphasize different issues and difficulties as to approach success in a sport.
the short stories released me inspiration in which I just couldn't stop reading them... There was one story I really loved and I hoped that the author could of made it longer.
If you like sports and fiction, this would be one of the best books you will ever find.
This book included 10 short stories about sports. Those sports included Basketball, Cricket, American Football etc.
This stories are really interesting for me as I loved playing sports and it really infers my senses during a game. The stories emphasize different issues and difficulties as to approach success in a sport.
the short stories released me inspiration in which I just couldn't stop reading them... There was one story I really loved and I hoped that the author could of made it longer.
If you like sports and fiction, this would be one of the best books you will ever find.
March 18, 2013
Like most story collections there was one story that I really liked, several that were okay and at least one that I didn't like at all. All of the stories have "a message" that by the end of the book was getting really preachy. The two biographical stories were really heavy on the advice with the one by Dustin Brown being my least liked story of the book. I did really like the stories by Tim Green and Joseph Bruchac. Tim Green has some great description in his story and the sarcasm in Bruchac's story was laugh out loud funny.
January 21, 2016
Any opinion I offer must be preceded by the statement that I am very far out of the target audience. That being said, I still enjoyed some of these stories a whole lot, especially the first and last ones that incorporated humor and fallible characters who grew on me. If I was a ten year old sports fanatic, my assessment would be more of the "OMG this was awsome!!" type. I do think the Guys Read crew work hard to put together a wide variety of stories in their collection to build broad appeal among 8-12 year old readers, and they've succeeded again with this third volume.
June 19, 2013
I knew I was in for a treat after reading the opening story by Dan Gutman about the 1986 Red Sox. I never expect every story in a short story collection to hit a home run, and these don't, but none are total strike outs.Favorite authors Sciezcka, Crutcher, Green, Gutman, Korman are all here, and Chris Rylander ends the book with a hilarious story dissing my favorite villain, Derek Jeter. A great choice for sports fans, reluctant readers, anyone with time for a short story.
February 27, 2015
This book is very exciting and good. It is about 10 sports stories that are unbelievable. There are baseball, football, and more. These short stories are a collection of fiction, and non fiction, if you are a sports fan you will love this book, but if you not interested in sports you wouldn't like this book but i'm in love with sports so this book was everything to me. All in all I strongly recommend this book if you like short stories and or sports
March 1, 2015
Guys Read the Sports Pages are actually written by multiple people. These amazing authors include, Dan Gutman, Tim Green, and Chris Rylander. There are ten short stories about baseball, basketball, NHL Los Angeles Kings hockey team captain Dustin Brown, and more. I really liked the story, HOW I WON THE WORLD SERIES, by Dan Gutman, and how he won the world series for the Red Socks with a grape fruit! That story definitely made me laugh out loud.
September 13, 2015
This is a great collection of stories by a great collection of authors for both avid sports fans and also those who don't think the like sports much either. Many of the stories are about bigger ideas like friendship, winning in life and competition. Also the really cool thing about this book is if you find that you like a story in particular, you can go on to look up that author for his or her other works.
February 10, 2017
A nice of sports stories that range from middle-grade to high school to biography. Some are centered on sports themselves while others are centered on some life-lesson around sports: being yourself, not lying to make people like you, really going for it in your chosen spot. The stories are all self contained which makes it great for those who want to (or are pressed to) read a little bit each day; either to themselves or aloud.
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