Cracking the Bell
- Subject
- Sports & Recreation - Basketball
- Age
- Teen
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Katherine Tegen Books
- Size
- 13.7 cm × 21.3 cm
- ISBN
- 9780062453143
Friday Night Lights meets Concussion in this powerful and important novel by Geoff Herbach, author of the Stupid Fast series, exploring the dangerous concussion crisis in football through the eyes of a high school team captain.
Isaiah loves football. In fact, football saved Isaiah’s life, giving him structure and discipline after his sister’s death tore his family apart. But when Isaiah gets knocked out cold on the field, he learns there’s a lot more to lose than football.
While recovering from a concussion, Isaiah wonders what his life would look like without the game. All his friends are on the team, and Isaiah knows they can’t win without him. The scholarship offer from Cornell is only on the table if he keeps playing.
And without football, what would keep his family together? What would prevent him from sliding back into the habits that nearly destroyed him?
Isaiah must decide how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the sport that gave him everything, even if playing football threatens to take away his future.
What does a young man do when the sport that saved him might also be the one that destroys his future?
About the author
Geoff HerbachAuthor
Geoff Herbach is the author of Hooper and the award-winning Stupid Fast series, as well as Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders. His books have been given the Cybils Award for Best Young Adult Fiction and the Minnesota Book Award, selected for the Junior Library Guild, and listed among the year’s best by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association, and many state library associations. In the past, he produced radio comedy shows and toured rock clubs telling weird stories. Geoff teaches creative writing at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He lives in a log cabin with a tall wife. You can find him online at www.geoffherbach.com.
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What reviewers said
“Geoff Herbach captures rural-urban rivalries and the challenges of finding a home.”
“Herbach tackles the controversy surrounding the risks of one of America’s favorite pastimes... Older readers will find this book interesting, as they are kept in suspense as to the reasons behind characters’ actions. This vivid story is for fans of John Coy’s Crackback and Tommy Greenwald’s Game Changer.”
“Along with tackling the deadly hazards of concussions, this novel offers a bulletin to readers facing life-altering changes, telling them that they might not have to go through them alone... Provocative entry centered on a sizzling topic.”
“Herbach’s story explodes on the page with Isaiah’s searching self-reflection. Football fans will love the grace and elegance with which the game is described, yet technical detail never overwhelms the story about a wily, articulate teen desperately trying to envision a future for himself by building a new game plan.”
“Adam Reed’s world starts and ends with basketball, and while fighting for acceptance, he finds he is never alone. Even if you know nothing of basketball, you will come away loving the game, and loving Adam. This raw story of basketball, family, and love is another slam dunk for Geoff Herbach.”
- Julie Poling, Red Balloon Bookshop, Buyer, Book Fair Coordinator
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