Don't Throw It to Mo!

March 15, 2015
Mo is one football-crazy little boy.Using a football for a pillow, waking up to his mom's calls of football plays-Mo's whole life revolves around the pigskin. Even though he is younger and smaller than the other kids on the team, he plays for the Robins. He mostly sits on the bench next to Coach Steve, but he still lives to play. One day during a game, Coach Steve butters the ball to teach Mo hand skills, and the opposing team sees him bobble the ball. The coach puts Mo in but tells the Robins not to throw to Mo, causing the other team's players to mock the boy. Having cagily established Mo as no threat, the coach then engineers Mo's capture of the game-winning throw. While the ample font, recognizable words, and amusing full-color cartoon illustrations make Mo's story seem to be a good fit for new readers, the plot is confusing in parts. Most children know that butter does not easily wash off with cold water and that football teams do not include children of wildly varying ages. When Mo gives credit to his coach for the winning play, Coach Steve says something that no coach of a team sport ever says: "No....You won the game." A diverse cast of football players, including a pigtailed girl and a proudly centered African-American protagonist, adds interest, but the plot's flaws may put off even young football fanatics. (Early reader. 4-7)

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Mo loves football so much that his mother wakes him up every morning for school by throwing him a forward pass. He participates in a neighborhood football team in which most of the kids are older, but Mo practices every day and keeps coach Steve company on the bench cheering for his team. Sometimes his coach works with Mo even though the boy doesn't play. One day, things change for Mo; coach Steve puts him in the game. No one expects him to play well, and the other team doesn't try to challenge him. Then one special play saves the game, and Mo wins it for his team. This beginning reader is well designed with bold colors and cartoon illustrations to provide new readers with context clues that support the story. Simple sentences and in-depth plot support key details providing material for strong comprehension to support fluency. VERDICT An engaging sports title with ethnically diverse characters, recommended for all early reader collections.-Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Grades K-2 The youngest kid on his football team, little Mo watches most of their games from the bench. Occasionally, Coach Steve tosses him a buttered football to help him practice holding on to the ball, even if it's slippery. During a losing game, the opposing team's players jeer at the (literally) butterfingered kid on the sidelines. Then Coach Steve sends Mo in and, using their opponents' overconfidence and disrespect, sets up a winning play. While beginning readers may not be playing organized football, they can still dream about it. Laid out in simple words, large type, and wide-spaced lines, the text is illustrated with colorful, jaunty line-and-wash illustrations that portray the diverse characters with energy and style. The simply told story features an appealing underdog with enough skill to catch the ball and enough humility to give his coach some credit. Despite the longevity of Leonard Kessler's Kick, Pass, and Run (1966, 1996), football-themed books for beginning readers are surprisingly hard to find. Fortunately for young sports fans, this one is a winner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Mo loves football, even though he mostly sits on the bench with Coach Steve. The other team doesn't think Mo, the youngest and smallest kid on his team, stands a chance to catch the ball, but Coach Steve has a plan. Simple text, an exciting story, a lovable underdog, and charming illustrations combine to make this easy reader a winner.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)