Heat by Mike Lupica

Heat
By Mike Lupica
Genre: Sports Fiction


        Mike Lupica is an amazing children's author in my opinion. He has written around 30 books "Heat" being one of them. Most recently mike has written the "Batboy" and the "Million Dollar Throw". He has also won multiple awards, Lupica was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award for best first mystery. As a child Lupica grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. He graduated from Bishop Guertin High and also Boston College.
        
       "Heat" is a Children"s novel written by mike Lupica in 2006. It was his second of many children's novels. Michael Arroyo the star in the book was orphaned after his father led the escape of his family. They moved to the Bronx, New York. Michael now only has his seven-teen year old brother Carlos. Michael is a baseball player with serious power he wants to be in the little league world series. Michael can clock a pitch at around 85 miles pr hour! that's amazing for a kid his size and age. Sadly his baseball dream starts to go down hill because nobody believes his age. He has no birth certificate, and no parents to fight for his cause. Michael soon learns that family can come from anywhere.
Penguin Books. ###220 pages###
        
       In "Heat" I dislike the use of bad role modeling. In the book the boys lie to the authorities about Michael. That could show kids that it could be ok to lie which clearly is is not. Carlos being a baseball lover would do anything for tickets so he stole tickets. If Carlos was caught he would have gone to prison for stealing. During the baseball game, which Carlos stole tickets to one of the rival team members made a racist remark on one of the other players. Clearly these characters are bad role models in this point of the story.
          I did like how the author put positive messages into his book. Lupica showed anyone can overcome any odds if they try hard enough. But he did put in negative messages that could miss guide children into thinking that lying is always good. lying can be good but only sometimes.
         I like how Lupica has a great range of knowledge about the cubans. Lupica provides a wonderful multi cultural world. It's almost like your in the Bronx with Michael.
          
           Michael Arroyo is a 13-year-old Cuban American who lives in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. Yes, he is a Little League ballplayer, and, yes, he has a dream: to pitch in the Little League World Series. To do so, his South Bronx All-Stars will need to beat the best the greater New York area has to offer in the regional championship, to be played in--you guessed it--Yankee Stadium. This setup sounds like yet another Rocky meets Bad News Bears tearjerker: the immigrants from the Bronx take on the white-bread rich kids from the suburbs. It is that (with some notable twists), but it's much more, too. American Library Association
         
           When Michael Arroyo is on the baseball diamond, everything feels right. He's a terrific pitcher who dreams of leading his South Bronx All-Stars to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. It's a dream he shared with his father, one they brought with them as they fled Cuba and wound up living in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. Michael's ultimate dream is to play in the major leagues like his hero, El Grande, Yankee star and fellow Cuban refugee.
Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
        
           Michael Arroyo's lightning fastball makes him the envy of all his teammates, but this speedy southpaw labors under a secret that allows him no rest. Softspoken 12-year-old Cuban refugee Mike worries that he and his 17-year-old brother, Carlos, stand in danger of being separated, even deported. Mike Lupica's middle school novel touches all the bases: suspense, excitement, convincing characterization.
by: Barnes and Noble