Book Review: Heat by Mike Lupica

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Sport Fiction

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Reading Level:
Lexile 940, Grades 4-12.

Book Theme:
Loss of a parent, issues faced by immigrants

Books with Similar Themes: 
Best of the Best by Tim Green, The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane

Bibliographic Information:

Lupica, M. (2006). Heat. New York: Puffin Books.

Plot:  

Twelve-year-old Cuban American Michael Arroyo is a stellar pitcher who dreams of playing with his team at the Little League World Series. A coach on a rival team believes that Michael has been lying about his age and that he is older than twelve years old, so he reports his suspicions. Michael is suspended from playing until his father can obtain his official birth certificate from Cuba, only that won't be possible. What people don't know is that Michael's father died and that he and his older brother Carlos have been covering it up so they can remain together before Carlos turns eighteen and can obtain legal guardianship. A social worker becomes suspicious and starts investigating the situation in the Arroyo family, so Michael and Carlos must find a way to fool him while also trying to figure out a way to get the birth certificate somehow so Michael can play again. Can they pull it all off, or will Michael lose his brother and the sport that he loves?


Review:  
Heat is an unforgettable story that tweens will love, especially  tweens who love baseball. There's a lot of references to famous baseball players and the New York Yankees. It also talks about the game itself and describes Michael's games in detail. The description of the games can be a little hard to follow for someone not familiar with baseball, but Michael's passion for the sport makes it easy to get past anything that is unfamiliar to the reader. Michael's story of losing his father is one that many tweens who have lost parents can relate to personally. His grief is described in ways that are sad and also moving. Some tweens who have immigrated to the United States will also understand Michael's frustration and struggle to obtain his birth certificate. Michael's fear of losing his brother, his last family member, is something tweens can relate to who have already dealt with a family loss. Heat can be summed up as a powerful, feel-good story that will make baseball lovers and everyone else smile as they keep turning the pages!