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Heat #1
Heat
Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-year-old brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources.
“The dialogue crackles, and the rich cast of supporting characters—especially Michael's battery mate, catcher and raconteur Manny—nearly steals the show. Top-notch entertainment in the Carl Hiaasen mold.”—Booklist, starred review
“The dialogue crackles, and the rich cast of supporting characters—especially Michael's battery mate, catcher and raconteur Manny—nearly steals the show. Top-notch entertainment in the Carl Hiaasen mold.”—Booklist, starred review
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First published April 1, 2006
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About the author
Mike Lupica
118 books1,224 followersMichael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,716 reviews
January 17, 2016
This book was my absolute favorite book of fourth grade. At the time, I was really into sports books and this book fit the billing. But what is beautiful about Heat is that it's not just about sports. Mike Lupica deals with friendship, family, and coping with loss in a way that seamlessly integrates into the baseball theme.
The characters and their relationships are beautifully developed. I especially loved seeing how Michael and his brother interacted, trying to make a family after losing their dad. These interactions and Lupica's easy-to-read style kept me flipping the pages.
A delightful read!
The characters and their relationships are beautifully developed. I especially loved seeing how Michael and his brother interacted, trying to make a family after losing their dad. These interactions and Lupica's easy-to-read style kept me flipping the pages.
A delightful read!
May 12, 2008
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 which, unfortunately, the Arroyo brothers cannot find. Michael needs find his birth certificate and keep their father’s death a secret if Michael wants to keep his dreams alive.
I thought was book was pretty well written. Mike Lupica described all the characters and how they relate to each other to make inner conflicts, which made the book more exciting. I thought that he built up to the climax by using most of the book with necessary but a tad bit bland. Once you got into the climax, it started getting really good. I thought one of the themes was poverty. Mike Lupica portrayed how hard it is for an immigrant to survive is. It requires a lot dedication and determination to keep working two tedious jobs.
I would recommend this book for very few people. For baseball players and fans, such as me, this would be a very good book. For people who do not like baseball or sports in general, this would probably not be a very good choice. (252)
I thought was book was pretty well written. Mike Lupica described all the characters and how they relate to each other to make inner conflicts, which made the book more exciting. I thought that he built up to the climax by using most of the book with necessary but a tad bit bland. Once you got into the climax, it started getting really good. I thought one of the themes was poverty. Mike Lupica portrayed how hard it is for an immigrant to survive is. It requires a lot dedication and determination to keep working two tedious jobs.
I would recommend this book for very few people. For baseball players and fans, such as me, this would be a very good book. For people who do not like baseball or sports in general, this would probably not be a very good choice. (252)
February 4, 2014
This book is really good, I rated it 5 stars. It is about a Cuban boy, Michael, who can throw serious heat when pitching for his Little League baseball team. His bestfriend and catcher, Manny, believes he even can hit 80 mph, which is a magic number like 100 is for major league players.
I felt that this book had a lot of action and really gripped your attention. The only part that could have been improved was how fast the plot changed from bad to good. He was just sitting on the bench thinking about how he couldn't play because there was complaints that he wasn't 12 and without his birth certificate in Cuba, he couldn't prove it, when suddenly he got it and everything was a fairy tale ending.
This book was a good read, and I would recommend it to any one who plays baseball or likes it. It was relatively easy to read but some of the parts, like losing his father, requires a higher level of thinking/maturity to grasp.
I felt that this book had a lot of action and really gripped your attention. The only part that could have been improved was how fast the plot changed from bad to good. He was just sitting on the bench thinking about how he couldn't play because there was complaints that he wasn't 12 and without his birth certificate in Cuba, he couldn't prove it, when suddenly he got it and everything was a fairy tale ending.
This book was a good read, and I would recommend it to any one who plays baseball or likes it. It was relatively easy to read but some of the parts, like losing his father, requires a higher level of thinking/maturity to grasp.
January 10, 2017
Michael Arroyo is a star, he can throw 80mph and is only 12 years old people think his future is up. But nobody knows that he and his 17 year old are alone no parents, nobody. There plan was to wait until his brother turned 18. But this plan got blown open when he beats a team that questions his age, with nothing to prove his age he is not allowed to play baseball .When this leads to them to his dad's death he drowning in a sea of worry.
December 5, 2016
Imagine a boy with no parents, no family, except his seventeen year-old brother living in the U.S. by themselves, ALONE. This book's genre is a Sports Novel. I really liked this book because it is the perfect story for any kid who dream of meeting the favorite sportstar or being just like their favorite sports star.
Spoiler Alert
The protagonist of "Heat" by Mike Lupica is 12-year-old Cuban immigrant Miguel (Michael) Arroyo. He is a Little League player with a pitching arm so good that rival Little League coaches ask about his birth certificate to prove he is only 12 and eligible to play. Adults wish to speak with his father about his birth certificate but Michael cannot let anyone know his father died several months prior because his brother Carlos is only 17 and they are trying to avoid foster care by not letting people know until Carlos is 18. Michael is forbidden to play baseball until the birth certificate is presented. The problem is resolved when a Cuban, New York Yankee's pitcher got in touch with somebody to find Michael's birth certificate so that he can play in a crucial Little League game. Later, A Little League official takes temporary custody of Michael and Carlos until Carlos turns 18.
The story is in first person and that affects the story because the reader experiences everything firsthand. A major event that changed the character was when Michael wos forbidden to play baseball after his birth certificate was not present that made Michael really Angry and Frustrated with his brother. The title "Heat" relate to the book because when a pitcher is playing good he has a hot hand which is a sport term that means that the pitcher is playing really good. The narrator is reliable because he is telling the story nobody is telling the story for him. He already experienced those events. A major symbol in the story is a baseball because earlier in the story Michael stops a theif by throwing a baseball a his back and knocking him down Michael also plays baseball so that is why a baseball is a major symbol in the story.
I was surprised when I found out that Michael was living alone with his brother. I was Angry when I found out that the League official had forbidden Michael from playing because he was really good. I was satisfied when the Yankee Pitcher came and helped Michael get his birth certificate and was able to play again. My favorite part was when Michael stopped the thief by throwing the baseball to his back. One thing that I found interesting was that nobody knew where Michael and Carlos lived and the job that Carlos had did not even ask for his birth certificate which seemed unrealistic.
I rate this book 4 stars out of 5 because it is the best sports novel I have ever read and it was also really interesting but in some part is did not seem realistic but overall it was a very good book. I would recommend this book to my friend Petr because I think he'll like it and it seems like the type of books he is into. How would you imagine your life as a boy no parents, no family, except his seventeen year-old brother living in the U.S. by themselves, ALONE.
Spoiler Alert
The protagonist of "Heat" by Mike Lupica is 12-year-old Cuban immigrant Miguel (Michael) Arroyo. He is a Little League player with a pitching arm so good that rival Little League coaches ask about his birth certificate to prove he is only 12 and eligible to play. Adults wish to speak with his father about his birth certificate but Michael cannot let anyone know his father died several months prior because his brother Carlos is only 17 and they are trying to avoid foster care by not letting people know until Carlos is 18. Michael is forbidden to play baseball until the birth certificate is presented. The problem is resolved when a Cuban, New York Yankee's pitcher got in touch with somebody to find Michael's birth certificate so that he can play in a crucial Little League game. Later, A Little League official takes temporary custody of Michael and Carlos until Carlos turns 18.
The story is in first person and that affects the story because the reader experiences everything firsthand. A major event that changed the character was when Michael wos forbidden to play baseball after his birth certificate was not present that made Michael really Angry and Frustrated with his brother. The title "Heat" relate to the book because when a pitcher is playing good he has a hot hand which is a sport term that means that the pitcher is playing really good. The narrator is reliable because he is telling the story nobody is telling the story for him. He already experienced those events. A major symbol in the story is a baseball because earlier in the story Michael stops a theif by throwing a baseball a his back and knocking him down Michael also plays baseball so that is why a baseball is a major symbol in the story.
I was surprised when I found out that Michael was living alone with his brother. I was Angry when I found out that the League official had forbidden Michael from playing because he was really good. I was satisfied when the Yankee Pitcher came and helped Michael get his birth certificate and was able to play again. My favorite part was when Michael stopped the thief by throwing the baseball to his back. One thing that I found interesting was that nobody knew where Michael and Carlos lived and the job that Carlos had did not even ask for his birth certificate which seemed unrealistic.
I rate this book 4 stars out of 5 because it is the best sports novel I have ever read and it was also really interesting but in some part is did not seem realistic but overall it was a very good book. I would recommend this book to my friend Petr because I think he'll like it and it seems like the type of books he is into. How would you imagine your life as a boy no parents, no family, except his seventeen year-old brother living in the U.S. by themselves, ALONE.
October 6, 2011
Michael and Carlos Arroyo are brothers keeping an important secret. When that secret is blown wide open, Michael’s promising future in baseball is threatened and his life with his brother may change forever.
Heat is a book about baseball, family, and survival.
But, mostly, it’s a book about baseball. And I might be the only person to ever read this book about baseball who knows so little about the sport that I actually had to look on Wikipedia to find out what a grounder is.
The characters in this book are wonderful! Michael and Carlos are sincere and likeable, but it’s Michael’s best friend Manny who steals the show. He is hilarious!
“The first thing Michael saw when he opened his eyes was the worried face of Manny Cabrera, close enough to Michael that he could smell the Orbit Bubblemint gum his friend was constantly chomping on.
“I know you think this is what heaven will look like,” Manny said. “But, you’re not dead.”
The book is also inspiring. It’s the perfect story for the next blockbuster movie! Just like Rudy or The Blind Side, Heat will bring tears to your eyes and have you rooting for the main character right from the start. So, Hollywood, take notice.
This book managed to dredge up affection in me for a game I know nothing about. Before reading this book, I couldn’t have told you how many innings there are in a baseball game. Now, I can appreciate baseballs all-American appeal. I have a fondness for the sport that did not exist in any fiber of my being before. Now, will I sit down and watch a baseball game? Probably not. But I would definitely recommend this book to any reader, not just baseball fans.
Heat is a book about baseball, family, and survival.
But, mostly, it’s a book about baseball. And I might be the only person to ever read this book about baseball who knows so little about the sport that I actually had to look on Wikipedia to find out what a grounder is.
The characters in this book are wonderful! Michael and Carlos are sincere and likeable, but it’s Michael’s best friend Manny who steals the show. He is hilarious!
“The first thing Michael saw when he opened his eyes was the worried face of Manny Cabrera, close enough to Michael that he could smell the Orbit Bubblemint gum his friend was constantly chomping on.
“I know you think this is what heaven will look like,” Manny said. “But, you’re not dead.”
The book is also inspiring. It’s the perfect story for the next blockbuster movie! Just like Rudy or The Blind Side, Heat will bring tears to your eyes and have you rooting for the main character right from the start. So, Hollywood, take notice.
This book managed to dredge up affection in me for a game I know nothing about. Before reading this book, I couldn’t have told you how many innings there are in a baseball game. Now, I can appreciate baseballs all-American appeal. I have a fondness for the sport that did not exist in any fiber of my being before. Now, will I sit down and watch a baseball game? Probably not. But I would definitely recommend this book to any reader, not just baseball fans.
October 24, 2014
Heat by Mike Lupica is a great book. It really grabs your attention. If you love baseball or books about baseball, this is the book for you. Heat is about a 12 year old boy with a booming pitching arm. He is a Cuban immigrant. He now lives in the Bronx growing up all his life watching the Yankees play. Other teams don't believe this 12 year old boy named Michael is young enough to play because he is so good. The problem is, he doesn't have a birth certificate to prove it and he can not get one. Both of his parents have died and he is living with his brother, who is 17 years old. No one knows he is living with his brother alone. If they do find out, they will be separated from each other. The title, "Heat" could mean two things, either it's that Michael's pitching arm is sizzling fast or that both of his parents have died and he has to go through that heat.
This book was a great book. I think Mike Lupica, the author, did a great job writing about the situation Michael Arroyo is in and what he has to deal with. Throughout the book, I could easily visualize what was happening. I really liked this book. It wasn't all about baseball. It was also dealing with real life situations. This book also inspired me, because a 12 year old boy having to go through all of this without his mother or father. I couldn't imagine doing that at 12 years old. In the end, Michael solves all of his issues and gets to pitch at the Yankee Stadium. He even meets his idol, El Grande, along the way. This is a really good book. I would recommend it to many people. If you want a book that is hard to put down and is inspiring, I would grab this book off the shelves and start reading.
This book was a great book. I think Mike Lupica, the author, did a great job writing about the situation Michael Arroyo is in and what he has to deal with. Throughout the book, I could easily visualize what was happening. I really liked this book. It wasn't all about baseball. It was also dealing with real life situations. This book also inspired me, because a 12 year old boy having to go through all of this without his mother or father. I couldn't imagine doing that at 12 years old. In the end, Michael solves all of his issues and gets to pitch at the Yankee Stadium. He even meets his idol, El Grande, along the way. This is a really good book. I would recommend it to many people. If you want a book that is hard to put down and is inspiring, I would grab this book off the shelves and start reading.
March 9, 2018
This book was very good. What kept me reading was knowing that Michael and his brother Carlos were living on their own and Michael nor Carlos are 18 yet so it's illegal for them to be living without a guardian. Because they lost both their Papi about 3 month ago. Michael is a star pitcher on the Clippers, he is one of the best in the Little League, his brother Carlos has multiple jobs trying to have enough money to pay the bills. But since Michael is so good one of the parents on the other team complained that he was older than 12 years old. This part really kept me reading because I didn't know if he was gonna play baseball again or not. So him and his best friend Manny still go to the field and play baseball. They go to the field about everyday and it is right next to Yankee Stadium. They always see this girl watch them play and one day Manny and Michael met her. She was a good baseball player as well. But what they didn't find out till later is that she is the start pitcher on the Yankees, El Grande's daughter. Then Micheal gets mad at her for not telling him. But at the Yankee game Michael finds El Grande and gives him a note that says sorry to Ellie. While he is waiting he is also waiting for his birth certificate so he can play baseball. While he is coaching one of the games El Grande and a bunch of other people go to one of the Clippers game, all attention goes to El Grande, and so does Michaels. Once El Grande goes up to Michael, he hands him his birth certificate. After that he is able to play baseball again. He plays in that game he was juts coaching, they were losing but they came back and won and ended up going to the championship.
November 2, 2013
Heat by Mike Lupica was, in my opinion a good book. this is a story of a young boy(12 years old) who is an extremely gifted baseball player. he lives with his brother who is only 17 in the Bronx away from his family in Cuba. obviously this is a problem because he is not 18 yet and that is illegal. they must try to hide their secret while Michael Arroyo is focused on baseball and about to enter the playoffs for his baseball team whose dream is to reach the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania. the coaches are starting to get very serious and start to ask for Michael's birth certificate which is back in Cuba with his family who he has lost all contact with. with all of this going on it becomes harder and harder to hide their secrets but i wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone so i will leave the rest to you.
This book was very good in the aspect that it wove many characters and their controversies together and tied it all up together in the end. because i play baseball many references enhanced the feeling for me and made it extremely exciting in some parts. i would definitely recommend this book to anyone that plays baseball or is a fan of baseball.
On the other hand it may be a slight bit confusing for people who are not as familiar with the game of baseball. some of the things that happen in the story may be harder to understand if you do not know much about the game of baseball. no matter who is reads it i still feel that it was a solidly written book and would recommend it to a friend.
This book was very good in the aspect that it wove many characters and their controversies together and tied it all up together in the end. because i play baseball many references enhanced the feeling for me and made it extremely exciting in some parts. i would definitely recommend this book to anyone that plays baseball or is a fan of baseball.
On the other hand it may be a slight bit confusing for people who are not as familiar with the game of baseball. some of the things that happen in the story may be harder to understand if you do not know much about the game of baseball. no matter who is reads it i still feel that it was a solidly written book and would recommend it to a friend.
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September 30, 2008If 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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December 17, 2008it was really good! i thought it would be all totally sports but it wasnt
October 9, 2019
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May 25, 2017
Personal response:
I read the book Heat by Mike Lupica. I thought it was a great book because I like to read about sports. This book happened to be about the sport that I am participating in right now, baseball. I liked how it showed the other side of living, without privileges, and how the characters overcame their struggles.
Plot:
This book is about a 12 year old named Michael and his 17 year old brother, Carlos. They live in the South Bronx, New York, right by Yankee stadium.The two of them are Cuban immigrants, and are barely making it by because Carlos is always working. Michael has a passion for baseball and so does his brother. Michael has a strong arm for his age, so much so that every time he plays a little league team, the coach wants to get proof that he is 12. There is a problem with that. He doesn’t have a birth certificate with him in the United States. He contacted people in Cuba but nobody could find the certificate. Another big problem is Michael and Carlos can't tell the authorities their father is dead. They could gain more support from the government but they have to keep it a secret until Carlos turns 18. When he is 18, he can legally take care of Michael and himself. Times are tough. Carlos is laid off his job because the company didn't have enough money to pay him. On top of everything else, the brothers have to deal with the authorities because of their immigration. Carlos is devastated. Michael is just trying to stay under the radar and play baseball. It is hard on Michael with all of the officials on his back about his arm and birth certificate. The two of them come up with a plan to get their uncle to stage as their dad for the coach. The plan works but Michael is forbidden to play baseball until he gets a birth certificate. Michael has a big game coming up and he needs all the help he can get to find his certificate. He contacts El Grande, a professional baseball pitcher from Cuba, for help. They manage to track down the certificate and Michael is able to play in the game. Mr. Gibbs, the coach, finds out that the boy's father is dead and he takes them into his custody until Carlos turns 18. Carlos is working again because Mr. Gibbs gets him a good job. Michael won the district final game at Yankee stadium, surrounded by his friends and family.
Characterization:
Michael and his brother Carlos are the main characters in this book. Michael and Carlos are brothers. They are Cuban immigrants and live in New York City. They are going through some tough times. It is hard for Carlos to support Michael at such a young age. Michael is really good at baseball and Carlos works as much as he can for his brother. The two of them together are very strong young men. They tackle many big problems, like the birth certificate, and it all turns out okay in the end. Throughout the story the reader can see both of them mature as they face life’s issues.
Setting:
This book took place in South Bronx, New York City. The time period is modern times. I assume the time period because of the equipment they used in the story. The setting is perfect for the plot line because they are going through tough times in the South Bronx, where most people don't have a lot of money.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to middle school or high school boys, interested in sports. It is a very good book for life lessons on how to face tough times. Young age boys could get a different perspective on life and realize what they have. Even if they don’t like baseball, it is still a good read.
I read the book Heat by Mike Lupica. I thought it was a great book because I like to read about sports. This book happened to be about the sport that I am participating in right now, baseball. I liked how it showed the other side of living, without privileges, and how the characters overcame their struggles.
Plot:
This book is about a 12 year old named Michael and his 17 year old brother, Carlos. They live in the South Bronx, New York, right by Yankee stadium.The two of them are Cuban immigrants, and are barely making it by because Carlos is always working. Michael has a passion for baseball and so does his brother. Michael has a strong arm for his age, so much so that every time he plays a little league team, the coach wants to get proof that he is 12. There is a problem with that. He doesn’t have a birth certificate with him in the United States. He contacted people in Cuba but nobody could find the certificate. Another big problem is Michael and Carlos can't tell the authorities their father is dead. They could gain more support from the government but they have to keep it a secret until Carlos turns 18. When he is 18, he can legally take care of Michael and himself. Times are tough. Carlos is laid off his job because the company didn't have enough money to pay him. On top of everything else, the brothers have to deal with the authorities because of their immigration. Carlos is devastated. Michael is just trying to stay under the radar and play baseball. It is hard on Michael with all of the officials on his back about his arm and birth certificate. The two of them come up with a plan to get their uncle to stage as their dad for the coach. The plan works but Michael is forbidden to play baseball until he gets a birth certificate. Michael has a big game coming up and he needs all the help he can get to find his certificate. He contacts El Grande, a professional baseball pitcher from Cuba, for help. They manage to track down the certificate and Michael is able to play in the game. Mr. Gibbs, the coach, finds out that the boy's father is dead and he takes them into his custody until Carlos turns 18. Carlos is working again because Mr. Gibbs gets him a good job. Michael won the district final game at Yankee stadium, surrounded by his friends and family.
Characterization:
Michael and his brother Carlos are the main characters in this book. Michael and Carlos are brothers. They are Cuban immigrants and live in New York City. They are going through some tough times. It is hard for Carlos to support Michael at such a young age. Michael is really good at baseball and Carlos works as much as he can for his brother. The two of them together are very strong young men. They tackle many big problems, like the birth certificate, and it all turns out okay in the end. Throughout the story the reader can see both of them mature as they face life’s issues.
Setting:
This book took place in South Bronx, New York City. The time period is modern times. I assume the time period because of the equipment they used in the story. The setting is perfect for the plot line because they are going through tough times in the South Bronx, where most people don't have a lot of money.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to middle school or high school boys, interested in sports. It is a very good book for life lessons on how to face tough times. Young age boys could get a different perspective on life and realize what they have. Even if they don’t like baseball, it is still a good read.
December 3, 2021
I would highly recommend and rate this book 5 stars because the book has a great plot that never becomes boring. I admire the moral of the book, no matter how bad things are they will work themselves out. When something bad would occur with the main character ‘Michael’, he never gave up and in the end he had a wonderful outcome. Michael was an all-star baseball pitcher, throwing eighty-miles per hour, but when he moved to America he faced issues. However he pushed through his biggest issues, not being able to play because he didn’t have his birth certificate from Cuba. Michael had faced a tragedy since his father had passed away months prior, and his mother had been dead for years. Although he was only left with his brother that didn’t stop him from having hope that in someway whether it was nearly impossible he’d find a way to get his birth certificate. The theme itself is portrayed when Michael’s has to end up sitting out an entire season because everyone thought he was older than he claimed, since he was pitching at such amazing speeds for being only 12. It’s not until the end he receives a wonderful outcome when his favorite Cuban baseball player gets his birth certificate from Cuba for him, this proved to everyone he was a young truthful all-star.
October 11, 2018
This book was very anti-climactic but also very emotional because it showed how as a team you could get things accomplished and that when life is hard you always have your friends and family by your side at all times. This book was also very original because it has all the basic twist and turns that every book has. And while reading this book it got me thinking on if it was fiction or not because the luck these two boys had to be taken in that easily and also one of them getting a job and getting more money is very slim in the real world. But overall it was a very interesting, amazing, and adventurous book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2019
I really liked this book even though at the end it was kind of cheesy and we all saw it coming but otherwise it was really good. I would give it a 4/5 also because most of the chapters were just about baseball, and I don't really have that much background knowledge about Baseball. So, it was kind of hard for me to read it and hard to understand it. I love when books have a lot of drama and a lot of characters reacting with each other even when they have nothing to do with each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2018
I beleive that this was a very very facinating book and I like how I learned something about a new sport. This is a great book because it really teaches a lesson of not to scalpe tickets because it is elegal and also teaches us to be greatful of what we have and to never give up on what we love and who we love.This is a really great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2019
This book was fantastic.
January 24, 2026
This is a great book for middle schoolers who love sports. I think a lot of it went over my kids heads (ages 10 and 8). There was a lot of middle school sarcasm, becoming interested in girls, etc, that my kids just didn’t get yet. But they loved the sports side and the family side, as Michael and his brother are trying to survive in NYC after leaving Cuba with their dad.
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January 17, 2018What do you think it would be like to lose your father and have to hide it for months, while also being the center of attention? Well that is what Michael Arroyo had to experience in Heat by the New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica. The story is set in NYC during the late 1900’s and is about a young boy named Michael. Michael has a predilection for baseball, and that is why he is one of the best pitchers in the little league. Michael and his brother Carlos traveled with their father from Cuba over a year ago, and have been living in the Bronx since. Mr. Arroyo died, so the boys have had to take care of themselves for months. Only a few people know about their situation, and no one will dare to tell anyone.
The genre is fictional, contemporary sports. Lupica shapes Michael to be the New York Yankees #1 fan, so any baseball fans can relate to this book. Lupica uses a variety of tones to get his point across. Overall, the story sounds optimistic and funny, like Michael’s team won a game in the playoffs without him. There are a few scenes when the tone changes to serious and deep, like when Michael had to lie about his father’s death to Mr. Gibbs. When I read this book, I felt sympathy for Michael multiple times throughout the story because I am around his age, and I cannot understand what it would feel like to have lost a father. The conflict is Carlos and Michael are living alone without a guardian, because their father passed away, and if children’s services were to find out, they could possibly get split up into foster care. All these facts are thrown on the reader in the very beginning of the book. The problem does not get resolved till much later in the book, with a really surprising ending. Michael faces many challenges when all he is doing is trying to live a normal American life, and pursuing his young baseball career.
The author does a good job with showing the character’s personality because he includes a lot of dialogue. Michael is a tall, slim, character, who is quiet around people he is not close to, but he feels free to say whatever he wants to the people closest to him. He is also very mature for his age, and a baseball pitcher who is physically incapable of walking a hitter. Carlos is 17, and being the older brother, can to somehow pay rent for their cheap apartment in the Bronx. He has two jobs, and does his best to act like an adult, to take his father’s place. Michael’s best friend Manny plays on the same baseball team as him, and he is a comedian. Manny also always has Michael’s back, and tries to help him in any way he can. Manny is one of the only people who knows Michael’s secret about his father, and he knows it because Michael trusts him with his life. Mr. Minaya is Michael’s coach is he is not mentioned very often throughout the story. When he is mentioned, he is caring, responsible, and trusts Michael in the most intense situations for their team. Mr. Gibbs works for children’s services and he would usually be mistaken as the antagonist, which he really isn’t because all he ever tries to do is helpout Michael.
Michael’s father passed away in May, and the brothers have been alone for a while. Carlos is a season away from turning 18, and when he turns 18, he can act as a legal guardian for Michael. Until then, the brothers have to stay under the radar so that nobody finds out about their secret. Michael is on the Clippers, which is a little league team on its way to Williamsport Pennsylvania for the championship. Michael, being the pitcher with the fastest fast ball in the league, is called out by other coaches. He cannot play without a birth certificate, which no one seems to have. Attention grows around Michael, as he does his best to support his team in the playoffs. Later in the story, he meets a girl named Ellie, who he develops a crush on, but she turns out to lie about her identity. Michael eventually finds out about her secret, which is (SPOILER) being the daughter of Michael’s idol. Michael has to find a way to cope with Ellie lying to him, and at the same time, trying to get back on the team his can no longer play for.
This book is really great for young baseball fans. There are many baseball games, described inning by inning, during the most intense situations, and anyone who understands baseball will love it. I do not recommend this book to non-athletic people because you need to understand the fundamentals of baseball to enjoy this book. This book has plaintive vibes around it because you find out in the beginning that Michael lost his father, but through Michael’s endeavors, there is a satisfying ending.
The genre is fictional, contemporary sports. Lupica shapes Michael to be the New York Yankees #1 fan, so any baseball fans can relate to this book. Lupica uses a variety of tones to get his point across. Overall, the story sounds optimistic and funny, like Michael’s team won a game in the playoffs without him. There are a few scenes when the tone changes to serious and deep, like when Michael had to lie about his father’s death to Mr. Gibbs. When I read this book, I felt sympathy for Michael multiple times throughout the story because I am around his age, and I cannot understand what it would feel like to have lost a father. The conflict is Carlos and Michael are living alone without a guardian, because their father passed away, and if children’s services were to find out, they could possibly get split up into foster care. All these facts are thrown on the reader in the very beginning of the book. The problem does not get resolved till much later in the book, with a really surprising ending. Michael faces many challenges when all he is doing is trying to live a normal American life, and pursuing his young baseball career.
The author does a good job with showing the character’s personality because he includes a lot of dialogue. Michael is a tall, slim, character, who is quiet around people he is not close to, but he feels free to say whatever he wants to the people closest to him. He is also very mature for his age, and a baseball pitcher who is physically incapable of walking a hitter. Carlos is 17, and being the older brother, can to somehow pay rent for their cheap apartment in the Bronx. He has two jobs, and does his best to act like an adult, to take his father’s place. Michael’s best friend Manny plays on the same baseball team as him, and he is a comedian. Manny also always has Michael’s back, and tries to help him in any way he can. Manny is one of the only people who knows Michael’s secret about his father, and he knows it because Michael trusts him with his life. Mr. Minaya is Michael’s coach is he is not mentioned very often throughout the story. When he is mentioned, he is caring, responsible, and trusts Michael in the most intense situations for their team. Mr. Gibbs works for children’s services and he would usually be mistaken as the antagonist, which he really isn’t because all he ever tries to do is helpout Michael.
Michael’s father passed away in May, and the brothers have been alone for a while. Carlos is a season away from turning 18, and when he turns 18, he can act as a legal guardian for Michael. Until then, the brothers have to stay under the radar so that nobody finds out about their secret. Michael is on the Clippers, which is a little league team on its way to Williamsport Pennsylvania for the championship. Michael, being the pitcher with the fastest fast ball in the league, is called out by other coaches. He cannot play without a birth certificate, which no one seems to have. Attention grows around Michael, as he does his best to support his team in the playoffs. Later in the story, he meets a girl named Ellie, who he develops a crush on, but she turns out to lie about her identity. Michael eventually finds out about her secret, which is (SPOILER) being the daughter of Michael’s idol. Michael has to find a way to cope with Ellie lying to him, and at the same time, trying to get back on the team his can no longer play for.
This book is really great for young baseball fans. There are many baseball games, described inning by inning, during the most intense situations, and anyone who understands baseball will love it. I do not recommend this book to non-athletic people because you need to understand the fundamentals of baseball to enjoy this book. This book has plaintive vibes around it because you find out in the beginning that Michael lost his father, but through Michael’s endeavors, there is a satisfying ending.
December 21, 2017
Personal Response: I read the book, Heat, by Mike Lupica. This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I do not normally read sports books, but this one had an amazing story. I always looked forward to reading the book, and I even read some of it in my personal time because I liked it so much. I thought this was a very good book.
Plot: The book starts out with the main character, Michael Arroyo, stopping a robber by hitting him with a baseball. Michael is very good at throwing a baseball. He is the star pitcher on his little league team, The Clippers. Michael’s dream is going to the Little League Championship in Williamsport, and this year his team has a really good chance of going. The only problem standing in Michael's way is he does not have a birth certificate, and his father just passed away. Michael and his brother, Carlos, have a plan to avoid the social services people and the cops until Carlos is old enough to adopt Michael. Their plan is going well until one baseball game a coach questions Michael's age and demands a birth certificate. Michael is unable to provide a birth certificate, so he sits out games. He still goes to practices and hangs out with his buddies. His closest friend is Manny. One day, Michael and Manny are playing catch and they notice girl watching them. She comes over and introduces herself. Her name is Ellie. Michael fell instantly in love with her. Ellie comes to the ball park and plays baseball with them whenever she is in town. She is always very mysterious. One day, Michael is watching T.V. and he finds out that Ellie is a famous baseball player's daughter. The baseball player is El Grande. The next day, Michael goes to the baseball park and gets angry at Ellie for not telling them who she really is. This scares her off. A couple weeks go by and Ellie does not return. Michael decides to go to the Yankee stadium and give a letter to El Grande. El Grande takes the letter and does not say a word. The next day is the most important game in the season for Michael's team. It determines whether they make it to the championship or not. They make it to the game, and they are off to a bad start. It is halfway through the game, and they are down by three points. All of a sudden, El Grande shows up out of nowhere with his daughter and an official looking person. El Grande walks up to Michael and tells him that Ellie told him all about his situation and had all of his connections come up with a birth certificate for Michael. He also brought a social services agent to give Michael's brother custody of Michael. After El Grande’s and Michael’s meeting, Michael goes into play the baseball game. They end up winning the game and they go to Williamsport.
Characterization: The main character in the book is Michael Arroyo. He is a 12 year old boy who is very good at baseball. Michael is originally from Cuba and sometimes speaks Spanish. He has black hair and darker tan skin. He lives in New York City. Another main character is Manny. Manny is also 12 years old, and he is Michael's best friend. Manny is also Cuban and has darker skin like Michael. He is the catcher for the Clippers, and is the jokester on the team. Ellie is another character in the book. She is 12 years old. Ellie is the most beautiful girl in the world to every boy in this book. She too is also Cuban. Her father is the famous baseball player, El Grande.
Impact of Setting: The book takes place in the Bronx. Michael lives close to the Yankees stadium. This allows him to meet El Grande and his daughter. If they lived anywhere else, they most likely would have never met.
Importance of Theme: I think the theme of this book is heavily based on friendship. If it were not for his friends, Michael would never have gotten a birth certificate or a chance to play in his dream game. Friendship is shown throughout this entire book. Michael is always with his friends and he could not of completed his dreams without them. Friends are very important in this book.
Rating/ Recommendation: I give the book, Heat, five out of five stars. I recommend this to everybody 10 years and older. I think it best suits boys in high school and middle school, because it has a main character who is a boy . The book is more geared towards boys because, the story is about a boy and his friends who are also boys. I rate this book five out of five stars because I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was an amazing book all around.
Plot: The book starts out with the main character, Michael Arroyo, stopping a robber by hitting him with a baseball. Michael is very good at throwing a baseball. He is the star pitcher on his little league team, The Clippers. Michael’s dream is going to the Little League Championship in Williamsport, and this year his team has a really good chance of going. The only problem standing in Michael's way is he does not have a birth certificate, and his father just passed away. Michael and his brother, Carlos, have a plan to avoid the social services people and the cops until Carlos is old enough to adopt Michael. Their plan is going well until one baseball game a coach questions Michael's age and demands a birth certificate. Michael is unable to provide a birth certificate, so he sits out games. He still goes to practices and hangs out with his buddies. His closest friend is Manny. One day, Michael and Manny are playing catch and they notice girl watching them. She comes over and introduces herself. Her name is Ellie. Michael fell instantly in love with her. Ellie comes to the ball park and plays baseball with them whenever she is in town. She is always very mysterious. One day, Michael is watching T.V. and he finds out that Ellie is a famous baseball player's daughter. The baseball player is El Grande. The next day, Michael goes to the baseball park and gets angry at Ellie for not telling them who she really is. This scares her off. A couple weeks go by and Ellie does not return. Michael decides to go to the Yankee stadium and give a letter to El Grande. El Grande takes the letter and does not say a word. The next day is the most important game in the season for Michael's team. It determines whether they make it to the championship or not. They make it to the game, and they are off to a bad start. It is halfway through the game, and they are down by three points. All of a sudden, El Grande shows up out of nowhere with his daughter and an official looking person. El Grande walks up to Michael and tells him that Ellie told him all about his situation and had all of his connections come up with a birth certificate for Michael. He also brought a social services agent to give Michael's brother custody of Michael. After El Grande’s and Michael’s meeting, Michael goes into play the baseball game. They end up winning the game and they go to Williamsport.
Characterization: The main character in the book is Michael Arroyo. He is a 12 year old boy who is very good at baseball. Michael is originally from Cuba and sometimes speaks Spanish. He has black hair and darker tan skin. He lives in New York City. Another main character is Manny. Manny is also 12 years old, and he is Michael's best friend. Manny is also Cuban and has darker skin like Michael. He is the catcher for the Clippers, and is the jokester on the team. Ellie is another character in the book. She is 12 years old. Ellie is the most beautiful girl in the world to every boy in this book. She too is also Cuban. Her father is the famous baseball player, El Grande.
Impact of Setting: The book takes place in the Bronx. Michael lives close to the Yankees stadium. This allows him to meet El Grande and his daughter. If they lived anywhere else, they most likely would have never met.
Importance of Theme: I think the theme of this book is heavily based on friendship. If it were not for his friends, Michael would never have gotten a birth certificate or a chance to play in his dream game. Friendship is shown throughout this entire book. Michael is always with his friends and he could not of completed his dreams without them. Friends are very important in this book.
Rating/ Recommendation: I give the book, Heat, five out of five stars. I recommend this to everybody 10 years and older. I think it best suits boys in high school and middle school, because it has a main character who is a boy . The book is more geared towards boys because, the story is about a boy and his friends who are also boys. I rate this book five out of five stars because I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was an amazing book all around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2014
The plot of “Heat” shortened up is a kid moves to New York City from Havana, Cuba to be free and to play baseball. Michael, the main characters, father dies from a heart attack trying to help a woman from her boyfriend who’s mad at her. The only people that know about are Carlos, Michaels brother, and Mrs. C their neighbor.
During the summer Michael is playing baseball for the Clippers, a local baseball teams in the Bronx. As the season goes on they keep winning and Michael can pitch around 80 miles per hour. About half way through the season the other coaches think that Michael is over the age 12, which is the age limit, so he needs to have a birth certificate to prove how old he is. But all he has is a certificate that says when he was baptized, so he is suspended from play.
There was Mr. Gibbs an “Official” person they called him, he worked with foster kids and he also made sure to help kids so they didn’t get into foster care. Mr. Gibbs knew something was up with Michael and Carlos, he just didn’t know what. Michael’s idol, El Grande, is a superstar baseball pitcher for the Yankees that Michael picked up all of his technique from by watching him on television.
One day Michael and Manny, Michael’s best friend, were playing catch at the stadium where the Clippers played their games and practiced at, and there was this girl watching them from a distance. Michael tried talking to her bust she laughed and ran away. Then a few weeks later she was there again and she actually came and talked to him this time, and when Michael first laid eyes on her, he really liked he. The only thing he didn’t know was that she was El Grande’s daughter, Ellie.
Michael still couldn’t play and Mr. Gibbs and a few other people were trying to pull some strings and try to see if they could find Michael’s birth certificate in Havana, Cuba, but they were not having any luck. One day before a Yankee’s Game he went and tried to meet El Grande so he could give him a note to give to Ellie because he had made Ellie mad and wanted to make up for it. El Grande arrived and Michael was waiting and yelling out for him, but El Grande wouldn’t answer until he started singing this song about a cat that was from Cuba. Then El Grande answered and Michael told him everything that was going on.
It was the game to win their conference to go to the District 22 Championship game which was Michael’s dream to do and he couldn’t play. This game was against their arch rival Westchester South, and the coach from the other team was the one that got the petition to prevent Michael from playing. The Clippers were down 5-7 at the top of the last inning, and then El Grande, Mr. Gibbs, Michael’s family, and some guy who was the head person in charge of all the games that got played. El Grande made some calls in Havana and he got Michael real birth certificate and then Michael got to play. The Clippers won and went on to Yankee Stadium to play in the District 22 finals.
The main character was Michael, then there was Manny, Papi Michael’s deceased father, Carlos, and Mrs. C. They were some pretty important characters that came up in the story a lot. There’s Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Minaya the baseball coach, Ellie, Ramon a criminal Michael stopped. There is also less important characters names that isn’t that relevant.
“Heat” took place in the Bronx in New York City. It was usually at Michael's apartment building or Macombs Dam Park where the baseball field where the Clippers played was. The time is modern time everything is basically the same as it is this very day except it was in the summer. The setting impacted the story because it was in a bigger city and there was a lot more competition than there would be in a smaller area.
I would recommend this to boys or girls from sixth to twelfth grade. It is more for people who like to read sports books, otherwise I don’t think you would like it very much. I recommend it because at some parts it makes you laugh. It also makes you question if Michael will ever be able to play again or not by the end of the season.
During the summer Michael is playing baseball for the Clippers, a local baseball teams in the Bronx. As the season goes on they keep winning and Michael can pitch around 80 miles per hour. About half way through the season the other coaches think that Michael is over the age 12, which is the age limit, so he needs to have a birth certificate to prove how old he is. But all he has is a certificate that says when he was baptized, so he is suspended from play.
There was Mr. Gibbs an “Official” person they called him, he worked with foster kids and he also made sure to help kids so they didn’t get into foster care. Mr. Gibbs knew something was up with Michael and Carlos, he just didn’t know what. Michael’s idol, El Grande, is a superstar baseball pitcher for the Yankees that Michael picked up all of his technique from by watching him on television.
One day Michael and Manny, Michael’s best friend, were playing catch at the stadium where the Clippers played their games and practiced at, and there was this girl watching them from a distance. Michael tried talking to her bust she laughed and ran away. Then a few weeks later she was there again and she actually came and talked to him this time, and when Michael first laid eyes on her, he really liked he. The only thing he didn’t know was that she was El Grande’s daughter, Ellie.
Michael still couldn’t play and Mr. Gibbs and a few other people were trying to pull some strings and try to see if they could find Michael’s birth certificate in Havana, Cuba, but they were not having any luck. One day before a Yankee’s Game he went and tried to meet El Grande so he could give him a note to give to Ellie because he had made Ellie mad and wanted to make up for it. El Grande arrived and Michael was waiting and yelling out for him, but El Grande wouldn’t answer until he started singing this song about a cat that was from Cuba. Then El Grande answered and Michael told him everything that was going on.
It was the game to win their conference to go to the District 22 Championship game which was Michael’s dream to do and he couldn’t play. This game was against their arch rival Westchester South, and the coach from the other team was the one that got the petition to prevent Michael from playing. The Clippers were down 5-7 at the top of the last inning, and then El Grande, Mr. Gibbs, Michael’s family, and some guy who was the head person in charge of all the games that got played. El Grande made some calls in Havana and he got Michael real birth certificate and then Michael got to play. The Clippers won and went on to Yankee Stadium to play in the District 22 finals.
The main character was Michael, then there was Manny, Papi Michael’s deceased father, Carlos, and Mrs. C. They were some pretty important characters that came up in the story a lot. There’s Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Minaya the baseball coach, Ellie, Ramon a criminal Michael stopped. There is also less important characters names that isn’t that relevant.
“Heat” took place in the Bronx in New York City. It was usually at Michael's apartment building or Macombs Dam Park where the baseball field where the Clippers played was. The time is modern time everything is basically the same as it is this very day except it was in the summer. The setting impacted the story because it was in a bigger city and there was a lot more competition than there would be in a smaller area.
I would recommend this to boys or girls from sixth to twelfth grade. It is more for people who like to read sports books, otherwise I don’t think you would like it very much. I recommend it because at some parts it makes you laugh. It also makes you question if Michael will ever be able to play again or not by the end of the season.
July 22, 2024
Unreal book it’s timeless highly recommended!
May 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I knew I would like this book because in a way it's similar to one of my favorite authors styles of writing. Ta-Nehisi Coates writes about childhood struggles and growing up in a lifestyle that's difficult and proposes a lot of conflict and adversity within your life, which sometimes seems unfair but that's just how it is sometimes. An in The heat by Mike Lupica you see this with Michael arroyo because he's here from Cuba with his brother illegally because they're father dues and his brother Carlos is taking care of him but Carlos isn't old enough to necessarily be classified as a adult . The struggles he faced and the attention he got because he was such a great pitcher really threatened his way of life even almost getting him deported. The heat was a very interesting book because it had a lot of action that catches your attention, when you start reading the book, it's like once the plot gets going you don't wanna put it down. I felt that this book had a lot of action and really gripped your attention. The only part that could have been improved was how fast the plot changed from bad to good. He was just sitting on the bench thinking about how he couldn't play because there was complaints that he wasn't 12 and without his birth certificate in Cuba, he couldn't prove it, when suddenly he got it and everything was okay. Which made the plot loose attraction and ultimately leaves you like really? that's it? This quote used that I think really makes you look at the book from a outside view is " A family of three had become, in Michael Arroyo's young mind, an army of two"(Mike Lupica 47). I think what the author is saying is, is say hypothetically Michaels dad isn't necessarily gone as in dead but gone as in not apart of his life anymore. Leaving Michael and his brother to fight in a place where they're new but have better opportunity then they would in Cuba. But then I got to thinking in a different way such as what if the quote means that Michael still thinks of his dad as apart of the family but not as much apart of the family as he would be if he were there. Because in the book we're reading in class Tim o'brien the things they carried the character Tim says " They were still my buddies, at least on one level, but once you leave that boonies, the whole Conrad business gets turned around. You become a civilian. You forfeit membership in the family, the blood fraternity, and no matter how hard you try,you can't pretend to be part of it(Tim o'brien 185)". Even tho this didn't happen I wonder if Michaels dad comes back will things be the same between them? How does perspective shape or alter the truth? Because we were all made differently our views tend to be very different or very similar. Some people can't handle the truth and sometimes we think the truth isn't enough or isn't relevant enough to bring up. Even more so we know we can't tell the truth because it's not what people want to hear or it puts us in a bad situation
. Michaels father recently passed away, which means Michael and his 17 year old brother have to keep their secret as long as they can until he turns 18. Because of Michael's huge throwing arm, other teams suspect he's not 12 years old. In this instance you can't tell the truth because you risk to many things such as being deported, separated, put into foster care etc. Depending on the situation and how a person chooses to take it on does most likely alter the truth. I would recommend it to any one who plays baseball or likes it. It was relatively easy to read but some of the parts, like losing his father, requires a higher level of thinking/maturity to grasp.
September 28, 2018
Hey, Manny here, teammate and best friend of Michael Arroyo, one of the best baseball players in our town. Michael hasn’t been himself since he was kicked off our team for being too old. Come to think of it, even when he is himself, I don’t know that Michael is even happy. You see, a little secret of his that he let me in on is that at a young age, his father died, leaving him with his older 17-year old brother, Carlos. The thing is though, technically a 12-year old child (Michael) has to be raised by someone 18 or older. If foster care found out about this, Michael and Carlos would be split up in a blink. Curious to see if he needed help and find out what is going on with him, I decided to ask him a few questions to find out what’s going on.
Q: What is it like for you and Carlos having to fend for yourselves?
A: For the two of us, It’s been real tough, nothing has been the same since Papi passed away. There isn’t a day where I don’t think about it at least once.
Q: How many people have you told about your secret/How many people know?
A: Besides you and Carlos only Mrs. Cora. Mrs. Cora is a neighbor of ours who helps out. But other than that, I’m not sure that any other people know, that’s what I hope at least.
Q: Who has helped you and Carlos throughout your life after your father died?
A: Mrs. Cora, Mrs. Cora assists us in our everyday lives. From homework, to making sure our grades are where they need to be, to making sure we’re in bed at the right time, she’s always been a big help to our family even since before Papi passed away.
Q: How badly do you want to get back out on the baseball field?
A: Very badly, I’m unhappy with how I’ve been treated by the league. Baseball isn’t just a game to me--it’s everything, I feel so empty without it. I absolutely need to get back out on the field.
Q: Why were you kicked off our team, you told me you were the same age as me?
A: Well, you see, being that I am from Cuba, and I don’t have any real parents that could find one, I don’t currently have a copy of my birth certificate. That birth certificate would prove that I am in fact 12 years old and that I am eligible to play 12U.
Q: Honestly, do you think that you have a future in baseball?
A: Honestly, I do believe I could still be playing baseball in the distant future. My dream has always been to play at Yankee Stadium, and considering the track I’m on, I do not plan on giving up on it.
Q: How much attention have you gotten from the local news?
A: I’ve received a pretty good amount of attention from the local news. Ever since I caught a purse thief by heaving a baseball and luckily hitting them, the media has been on me quite a bit saying that I’m the next “baseball prodigy” and that I’m very talented.
Q: Do you enjoy the attention?
A: At first, it was cool to be on the news and have people be recognizing me on the streets. Now, however, these media people are asking for photo ops and my father to get involved and I feel like they’re forgetting that I am just a 12-year-old who is good at baseball.
Q: How is Carlos doing?
A: Carlos seems to be doing fine overall, he is usually just tired. I understand how hard it must be for him to be ‘raising’ me while also dealing with the two jobs he does to pay the rent.
Q: Do you talk to Carlos a lot?
A: I don’t talk to him that much. The only conversations I really have with him are quick short ones considering he spends most of his time away from home at school or working his two jobs.
Q: What is it like for you and Carlos having to fend for yourselves?
A: For the two of us, It’s been real tough, nothing has been the same since Papi passed away. There isn’t a day where I don’t think about it at least once.
Q: How many people have you told about your secret/How many people know?
A: Besides you and Carlos only Mrs. Cora. Mrs. Cora is a neighbor of ours who helps out. But other than that, I’m not sure that any other people know, that’s what I hope at least.
Q: Who has helped you and Carlos throughout your life after your father died?
A: Mrs. Cora, Mrs. Cora assists us in our everyday lives. From homework, to making sure our grades are where they need to be, to making sure we’re in bed at the right time, she’s always been a big help to our family even since before Papi passed away.
Q: How badly do you want to get back out on the baseball field?
A: Very badly, I’m unhappy with how I’ve been treated by the league. Baseball isn’t just a game to me--it’s everything, I feel so empty without it. I absolutely need to get back out on the field.
Q: Why were you kicked off our team, you told me you were the same age as me?
A: Well, you see, being that I am from Cuba, and I don’t have any real parents that could find one, I don’t currently have a copy of my birth certificate. That birth certificate would prove that I am in fact 12 years old and that I am eligible to play 12U.
Q: Honestly, do you think that you have a future in baseball?
A: Honestly, I do believe I could still be playing baseball in the distant future. My dream has always been to play at Yankee Stadium, and considering the track I’m on, I do not plan on giving up on it.
Q: How much attention have you gotten from the local news?
A: I’ve received a pretty good amount of attention from the local news. Ever since I caught a purse thief by heaving a baseball and luckily hitting them, the media has been on me quite a bit saying that I’m the next “baseball prodigy” and that I’m very talented.
Q: Do you enjoy the attention?
A: At first, it was cool to be on the news and have people be recognizing me on the streets. Now, however, these media people are asking for photo ops and my father to get involved and I feel like they’re forgetting that I am just a 12-year-old who is good at baseball.
Q: How is Carlos doing?
A: Carlos seems to be doing fine overall, he is usually just tired. I understand how hard it must be for him to be ‘raising’ me while also dealing with the two jobs he does to pay the rent.
Q: Do you talk to Carlos a lot?
A: I don’t talk to him that much. The only conversations I really have with him are quick short ones considering he spends most of his time away from home at school or working his two jobs.
December 6, 2014
Hello my name is Giuseppe Mattera,
I think that the author wrote this book for many reasons, one of the reasons is to get people to work for their dreams. Because in the book the author tells us that Michael, his father, and brother sneak into the United States to look for new opportunities. The family moves to New York city in search for jobs. A few months after they move to the big city Michael's father dies. They face many problems in the United States. Michael's brother works many jobs just to provide from him and his brother. In Cuba Michael was one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the area. Michael always had a dream to play in the little league world series. While he is reaching for his goal he runs into a huge problem, one of his opponents asks to see his birth certificate because they do not believe that he is 12 years old. The reason they cannot find his birth certificate is because his father was the only one who knew where they were.
I think the theme of the story is poverty. In the story it tells us that Michael and his family move to America with little or no money at all. When his father died him and his brother did not know what to do. Michael's older brother went in search for jobs while Michael stayed home and practiced baseball. I think that the author made this the theme because 45% of the world lives in poverty everyday. Another reason why I think he made this the theme is because he is trying to show people just how hard it is to work two jobs and be an illegal immigrant. Michael and his brother have barely enough money to survive.
Michael's brother at the age of 17 is trying to keep their dads death a secret because if people know the kids will go in foster care. They are trying to wait till his brother turns 18 so that he can legally take care of his brother.
The style of this book is first person, the author is very descriptive about everything in this story. He points out a lot of details and he tells us what the people in the story look like and how they act. The way he wrote the book made me understand it a lot better and it made it a lot easier to read. The author made this book easy to understand because he was trying to get a point out to the readers. In the beginning of the story the author described a lot of things and then he would use them later in the story so he was for shadowing. The book is meant for people that like and play the sport not for people that do not like it. This book gives a lot of life lessons that people can learn from.
Personally I thought that this was one of the best books I've ever read. I loved the way that the author describes things and how smoothly the story flew along. I also felt that there was a lot of action and it really gripped your attention. The only part that could have been improved is how fast the plot changes. In one part of the story it tells us that he wasn't doing very good and he was sitting on the bench and then before you know it he was the best player on the team. This book was very similar to the last book I read the Big Field. In both of these books the author likes to describe things in the beginning and then talk about them later in the story. I read this book because i am a huge baseball fan and I would recommend this book to any one that is interested in baseball.
I think that the author wrote this book for many reasons, one of the reasons is to get people to work for their dreams. Because in the book the author tells us that Michael, his father, and brother sneak into the United States to look for new opportunities. The family moves to New York city in search for jobs. A few months after they move to the big city Michael's father dies. They face many problems in the United States. Michael's brother works many jobs just to provide from him and his brother. In Cuba Michael was one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the area. Michael always had a dream to play in the little league world series. While he is reaching for his goal he runs into a huge problem, one of his opponents asks to see his birth certificate because they do not believe that he is 12 years old. The reason they cannot find his birth certificate is because his father was the only one who knew where they were.
I think the theme of the story is poverty. In the story it tells us that Michael and his family move to America with little or no money at all. When his father died him and his brother did not know what to do. Michael's older brother went in search for jobs while Michael stayed home and practiced baseball. I think that the author made this the theme because 45% of the world lives in poverty everyday. Another reason why I think he made this the theme is because he is trying to show people just how hard it is to work two jobs and be an illegal immigrant. Michael and his brother have barely enough money to survive.
Michael's brother at the age of 17 is trying to keep their dads death a secret because if people know the kids will go in foster care. They are trying to wait till his brother turns 18 so that he can legally take care of his brother.
The style of this book is first person, the author is very descriptive about everything in this story. He points out a lot of details and he tells us what the people in the story look like and how they act. The way he wrote the book made me understand it a lot better and it made it a lot easier to read. The author made this book easy to understand because he was trying to get a point out to the readers. In the beginning of the story the author described a lot of things and then he would use them later in the story so he was for shadowing. The book is meant for people that like and play the sport not for people that do not like it. This book gives a lot of life lessons that people can learn from.
Personally I thought that this was one of the best books I've ever read. I loved the way that the author describes things and how smoothly the story flew along. I also felt that there was a lot of action and it really gripped your attention. The only part that could have been improved is how fast the plot changes. In one part of the story it tells us that he wasn't doing very good and he was sitting on the bench and then before you know it he was the best player on the team. This book was very similar to the last book I read the Big Field. In both of these books the author likes to describe things in the beginning and then talk about them later in the story. I read this book because i am a huge baseball fan and I would recommend this book to any one that is interested in baseball.
March 17, 2022
Very interesting story and a very good sports book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2016
Brian Hanrahan
Period 3
Mrs. Nagel
Heat by Mike Lupica
Twelve year old Michael Arroyo and his seventeen year old brother, Carlos, live in the South Bronx of New York by the all famous Yankee’s stadium. The Cuban immigrant had a gift for baseball, blessed with a pitching arm. He’s a very passionate Little League player, he listens to every Yankees game on the radio at his neighbor's house, Mrs. Cora. After his father’s death, Michael's dad carefully tells Mrs. Cora to call over a priest, and tells the priest to not tell anyone about his death, a bond that can't be broken by the holy connection to God. Michael idolizes a Cuban-born pitcher on the Yankee’s named El Grande. Michael uses his own strong pitching arm to catch a purse stealing attempt by a robber named Ramon. He hits the thief with a ball and earns respect from the local authorities. Michael's arm is so well developed, other Little League coaches begin to question if he's actually twelve years old. The only problem is with his father’s death and him only having a baptism certificate, he is suspended from play, with the playoffs just around the corner.
Michael and his older brother Carlos start to worry when adults start asking to speak to Papi about Michael’s birth certificate. It's not Michael's age that worries the two arroyo brothers, it's the news about their father’s death that's the problem. The boys can't let any cops know that their father is dead. Papi died of a heart attack several months ago, leaving them as orphans. They fear that if anyone finds out, foster care will separate them unless they can keep their big secret until Carlos turns 18, the legal age to become a guardian. Carlos works two jobs to try and pay the taxes each month. With the help of their elderly neighbor Mrs. Cora, she protects the death of her former neighbor, and treats the boys like her own two sons. Manny, Michael’s best friend, also looks out for his best friend, and also calms Michael down when life gets hard. These good people put friends before anything else, much like Carlos did, when he decided to work with the purse snatcher Ramon, in doing a fast money making operation, scalping baseball tickets. They have all convinced everyone that Papi is in Florida caring for his sick brother Uncle Timo. Until now, when an administrative protective service consultant Mr. Gibbs, approaches Michael, and keeps asking him questions about Papi, later accusing Michael of lying, saying his father left him. Protesting, he lets his tongue slip, and says his dad is returning tomorrow. Luckily, Manny has a plan.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5, because the plot of the story makes for an interesting story. Another thing that makes this story good, is the way the author Mike Lupica emphasizes the details of how this young boy goes through this journey, and how he overcomes the obstacles that life throws him. The only thing that I didn't like about the story was the slow rising action in the story, and I think the story could have been paced faster.
Period 3
Mrs. Nagel
Heat by Mike Lupica
Twelve year old Michael Arroyo and his seventeen year old brother, Carlos, live in the South Bronx of New York by the all famous Yankee’s stadium. The Cuban immigrant had a gift for baseball, blessed with a pitching arm. He’s a very passionate Little League player, he listens to every Yankees game on the radio at his neighbor's house, Mrs. Cora. After his father’s death, Michael's dad carefully tells Mrs. Cora to call over a priest, and tells the priest to not tell anyone about his death, a bond that can't be broken by the holy connection to God. Michael idolizes a Cuban-born pitcher on the Yankee’s named El Grande. Michael uses his own strong pitching arm to catch a purse stealing attempt by a robber named Ramon. He hits the thief with a ball and earns respect from the local authorities. Michael's arm is so well developed, other Little League coaches begin to question if he's actually twelve years old. The only problem is with his father’s death and him only having a baptism certificate, he is suspended from play, with the playoffs just around the corner.
Michael and his older brother Carlos start to worry when adults start asking to speak to Papi about Michael’s birth certificate. It's not Michael's age that worries the two arroyo brothers, it's the news about their father’s death that's the problem. The boys can't let any cops know that their father is dead. Papi died of a heart attack several months ago, leaving them as orphans. They fear that if anyone finds out, foster care will separate them unless they can keep their big secret until Carlos turns 18, the legal age to become a guardian. Carlos works two jobs to try and pay the taxes each month. With the help of their elderly neighbor Mrs. Cora, she protects the death of her former neighbor, and treats the boys like her own two sons. Manny, Michael’s best friend, also looks out for his best friend, and also calms Michael down when life gets hard. These good people put friends before anything else, much like Carlos did, when he decided to work with the purse snatcher Ramon, in doing a fast money making operation, scalping baseball tickets. They have all convinced everyone that Papi is in Florida caring for his sick brother Uncle Timo. Until now, when an administrative protective service consultant Mr. Gibbs, approaches Michael, and keeps asking him questions about Papi, later accusing Michael of lying, saying his father left him. Protesting, he lets his tongue slip, and says his dad is returning tomorrow. Luckily, Manny has a plan.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5, because the plot of the story makes for an interesting story. Another thing that makes this story good, is the way the author Mike Lupica emphasizes the details of how this young boy goes through this journey, and how he overcomes the obstacles that life throws him. The only thing that I didn't like about the story was the slow rising action in the story, and I think the story could have been paced faster.
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November 3, 2016Personal Response:
I read the book Heat by Mike Lupica. I thought this was a great book, because I could relate to it very easily. The reason I could relate so easily was that the book was about baseball and I love baseball. Also I was stuck to reading it because Heat had some hardships in the book that made it even more interesting. Another reason I liked this book was because I love how Mike Lupica writes his books.
Plot:
The book Heat was about a kid named Michael Arroyo who was from Cuba. Michael was a die hard Yankees fan and always some how got into the games for free. His brother, dad, and he had just moved to New York from Cuba. His dad a little bit later in the book dies and the two boys have to live on their own. Michael’s brother works at two jobs while he plays on a club team in the area. When Michael becomes part of the team he was the best pitcher on the team. The only thing that they couldn’t prove was if he was young enough to play, because he had no idea what age he was and either did the coaches. When Michael's team gets to the playoffs, all of the other coaches in their division question it. While this was all going on,the foster program had came up because him and his brother had lived alone with no parent guidance. While he was at the foster home, he met a girl named Ellie little did he know it was the daughter of a Yankees player, El Grande, who was from Cuba also. Michael then meets El Grande and tells him about his family and how he was from Cuba too. Michael during this time was coaching his team with his coaches, because he obviously can’t play. Meanwhile, El Grande got connected somehow to Michael's family back at home and got Michael’s birth certificate. Michael was so relieved when he got to watch his team win the championship. Lastly, he got to throw the very first pitch at the next yankees game.
Characterization:
The main character in this book was Michael. Michael was from Cuba and came to the United states with his family. The story takes place around Michael’s real life. He was a great pitcher for his age and Mike Lupica does a great game painting an image in my head. El Grande was another character, he was a yankees star pitcher and was someone that Michael wants to look up to and be. Ellie, El Grande's daughter, was watching Michael one day and that's how it all started with them meeting each other.
Setting:
The story takes place in the 1990’s in New York in South Bronx. The story takes place on the baseball diamond or at Michael's house. This was important because he loved baseball and he would have never liked the Yankees if he didn’t live in New York. Mike Lupica also creates a good image in my head. When he talks about the baseball diamond it's very descriptive.
Recommendation:
I recommend this to any sports fan because it is about baseball. I also recommend this to any high schooler, because it really is a good lesson on life in high school. Lastly, I recommend it to baseball players because I was stuck in the book once I started reading it.
I read the book Heat by Mike Lupica. I thought this was a great book, because I could relate to it very easily. The reason I could relate so easily was that the book was about baseball and I love baseball. Also I was stuck to reading it because Heat had some hardships in the book that made it even more interesting. Another reason I liked this book was because I love how Mike Lupica writes his books.
Plot:
The book Heat was about a kid named Michael Arroyo who was from Cuba. Michael was a die hard Yankees fan and always some how got into the games for free. His brother, dad, and he had just moved to New York from Cuba. His dad a little bit later in the book dies and the two boys have to live on their own. Michael’s brother works at two jobs while he plays on a club team in the area. When Michael becomes part of the team he was the best pitcher on the team. The only thing that they couldn’t prove was if he was young enough to play, because he had no idea what age he was and either did the coaches. When Michael's team gets to the playoffs, all of the other coaches in their division question it. While this was all going on,the foster program had came up because him and his brother had lived alone with no parent guidance. While he was at the foster home, he met a girl named Ellie little did he know it was the daughter of a Yankees player, El Grande, who was from Cuba also. Michael then meets El Grande and tells him about his family and how he was from Cuba too. Michael during this time was coaching his team with his coaches, because he obviously can’t play. Meanwhile, El Grande got connected somehow to Michael's family back at home and got Michael’s birth certificate. Michael was so relieved when he got to watch his team win the championship. Lastly, he got to throw the very first pitch at the next yankees game.
Characterization:
The main character in this book was Michael. Michael was from Cuba and came to the United states with his family. The story takes place around Michael’s real life. He was a great pitcher for his age and Mike Lupica does a great game painting an image in my head. El Grande was another character, he was a yankees star pitcher and was someone that Michael wants to look up to and be. Ellie, El Grande's daughter, was watching Michael one day and that's how it all started with them meeting each other.
Setting:
The story takes place in the 1990’s in New York in South Bronx. The story takes place on the baseball diamond or at Michael's house. This was important because he loved baseball and he would have never liked the Yankees if he didn’t live in New York. Mike Lupica also creates a good image in my head. When he talks about the baseball diamond it's very descriptive.
Recommendation:
I recommend this to any sports fan because it is about baseball. I also recommend this to any high schooler, because it really is a good lesson on life in high school. Lastly, I recommend it to baseball players because I was stuck in the book once I started reading it.
October 20, 2013
“Heat” is a fictional book written by Mike Lupica. It starts out with Michael Arroyo, a twelve year old Cuban immigrant, who recently moved to New York with his father and brother. His father passes away soon after they arrive and the brothers are forced to live alone. His brother works two jobs and Michael becomes a part of the local baseball team. Michael is an amazing pitcher in baseball and has dreams of winning the little league world series and becoming a major league pitcher. The only problem is most of the coaches don’t believe he is twelve years old because he can throw 80 miles per hour. When his team reaches the playoffs for the world series, other coaches make the league directors question his birth certificate and demand he can't play until he shows one. While that is happening, it draws attention to the foster care programs in his city. During the playoffs he meets a girl, Ellie, and little did he know she is the daughter of his favorite Yankee player, El Grande, who is also of Cuban descent. Up until the finals of the world series, Michael has been coaching his team along with his coach until, unknowingly, El Grande contacts some of his family back in Cuba and gets Michael’s birth certificate right before the championship game. Michael dreams come true when his team ends up winning the championship and he gets to throw the first pitch in the next Yankee game. The title, “Heat”, is good because it describes Michael’s hardships and helps with the understanding of how fast Michael can pitch.
The characters in the book are: Michael Arroyo, El Grande, and his daughter Ellie. Michael is the main character that the book revolves around throughout the story. He also is an outstanding pitcher for his age. El Grande is a star Yankee pitcher at the time that Michael looks up to. He ends up helping Michael fulfill his dreams. The reason Michael gets to know El Grande is because he meets his daughter Ellie first. She is noticed watching Michael pitch one day and that's where it all began between her and Michael. The author describes the characters very vividly, which helps paint a realistic picture.
The setting is in the South Bronx of New York City in the late 1990’s. The author describes the setting very well whether on the baseball diamond or at Michael's home. The author nails the setting perfectly in all the scenes in the book no matter where they are. He paints a perfect picture and seems like you are there watching.
I would recommend this book to any sports fan interested in reading a great book. Even though this book is about a sport I would still recommend it to any person look for a great book to read and anyone would enjoy it. It shows that anything can happen in life if you play your cards right. This book is a great one to just sit down and enjoy.
The characters in the book are: Michael Arroyo, El Grande, and his daughter Ellie. Michael is the main character that the book revolves around throughout the story. He also is an outstanding pitcher for his age. El Grande is a star Yankee pitcher at the time that Michael looks up to. He ends up helping Michael fulfill his dreams. The reason Michael gets to know El Grande is because he meets his daughter Ellie first. She is noticed watching Michael pitch one day and that's where it all began between her and Michael. The author describes the characters very vividly, which helps paint a realistic picture.
The setting is in the South Bronx of New York City in the late 1990’s. The author describes the setting very well whether on the baseball diamond or at Michael's home. The author nails the setting perfectly in all the scenes in the book no matter where they are. He paints a perfect picture and seems like you are there watching.
I would recommend this book to any sports fan interested in reading a great book. Even though this book is about a sport I would still recommend it to any person look for a great book to read and anyone would enjoy it. It shows that anything can happen in life if you play your cards right. This book is a great one to just sit down and enjoy.
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