Do You Know a Football Genius?

I do -- Troy from Tim Green's book Football Genius. I heard Tim Green speak at the Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast last Saturday. The ex-NFL player, now a lawyer and children's book author, talked to us about he started his writing career. He told us how he modeled his main characters, Troy and Tate, after his own children, how he read chapters aloud to his children and their classmates asking for their help in making the book appeal to kids. Green is an energetic speaker and had us laughing at his early writing problems. His books read the way he speaks to audiences -- a winning style. Chapters are short so the action moves along quickly. Troy and his single-parent mom are each dealing with problems in their lives. Troy is a second-string quarterback on his football team because the coach's son Jamie is first-string and Jamie is a lousy football player. Troy's mom is dealing with a new job as PR assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. Troy does a few stupid things that, unfortunately, get his mom in trouble at her job. Oh, yes, and Tony is a football genius because he is able to figure out what opposing teams will do before they do it. If you are in the mood for a great football and family story, try Tim Green's Football Genius or the other of his books we have at Lakeview, Football Hero.