Football Genius: A Novel

Troy White may seem like any ordinary 12-year-old. He listens to his mom, doesn't steal or sneak out (well, maybe just once) and he's a pretty good athlete. Troy and his mother have each other to survive; they aren't rich or poor but are happy together.

But the one thing that separates Troy from every other 12-year-old is his ability to predict what could happen next. He can't predict what he might get on his next exam at school or what will happen to him in the next ten years, though. Instead, Troy can predict football plays before they even happen. Sounds cool, right? But what good is it if Troy can hardly use this gift?

Then Troy's mom gets a job with his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, who aren't doing so well and have been basically losing all of the time. This seems like the perfect chance for Troy to help them out, and maybe they could finally win a game. But would the Falcons jump at the chance and actually believe that a young boy can predict plays, or would they just look at Troy as some crazy fan? With the help of Tate and Nathan, Troy's best friends, Troy might actually pull this off and maybe even learn a little more about his talents, other than his supernatural one.

Football Geniusis a story that both football lovers and non-football fans will enjoy along with any person of any age. Tim Green uses cinematic descriptions that let readers feel that they are experiencing and present at the actual games. As a person who is not a big fan of the sport, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the best thing about it was that my neighbors 11 year old son, who hadn't read anything volunteerily in years, read this and brought it to me to read beacuse he knew how much I loved books.

It was an awesome book for many reasons. It talks about football and I love sports. I gave it a five star because the Atlanta Falcons are my third favorite team. It has very good detail and is very realistic. It is very dramatic and packed with action too. It's a very good book and is very sad. Tim Green did a good job on this.You should read it to.Summery:The Football Genius is about a boy named Troy White that can see plays before they happen.Troy is Twelve years old. Troy lives in Atlanta,Georgia with his mom. Troy is on a football team with his two friends "Tate and Nathan". Tate is a Girl on his football team.Troy wasn't starting QB because another player, Jamie, dad is the coach. So he had a problem because he was better than Jamie. One day though, he told Jamie that his mom worked for the Falcons. After that is mom got the job there and he met the famous Seth Halloway. Will Help the Falcons out with his gift or will the coach for the Atlanta think he's a phony.

Not merely a sports novel to attract the reluctant reader, but a sports fantasy in which 12-year-old Troy finds a way to establish his place and voice in the world. What young fan wouldn't want Troy's special ability to boost his beloved pro team to success? Improbable, yes, but an empowering getaway for the young reader. Troy must also deal with issues of trust, honesty and selfishness, and at times, that's where the more interesting action is, rather than on the field.

Noah (my 12-year old multi-sport athlete son) and I also liked this one.

Lauren Paul11/09/11English ? 2 Critical ReviewTim Green, the author of Football Genius, lives in upstate New York with his wife Illyssa and five kids. Tim grew up with two dreams. One of his dreams was to be a writer and the other one was to become a famous football player. Both of these came true. While in college, Tim studied writing and played all American football. From there, he was drafted into the NFL to play for the Atlantic Falcons. He became the top defensive player for eight years in a row. He also began his writing while in the NFL. Then, after he retired from the NFL, he became a lawyer and had already published his first book. After writing several adult books, Tim decided to write kid books, so he could write about his own experiences as an athlete and a coach. Tim decides to live the rest of his life doing what he loves, which is writing, coaching, and spending time with his family. I have always loved his books and I am hoping to see what else he will publish.In the story Football Genius troy, a young boy about 12 years old has a special gift. Troy can predict football plays before the opposing team even plays them. To describe this Tim makes a lot of real life situations to lead up to the main point of what troy wants to be. Troy wants to be a helper for the Atlantic Falcons because his mom works for them. Tim describes troy as an athlete like he was when he was a kid. He also describes troy as a football player and how he always would look up to the pros just like when he was a boy. I think Tim does a good job showing the way the events that lead up to troy helping the Atlantic Falcons. Lastly, books that Tim writes are similar to Mike Lupica such as Travel Team and The Big Field, in which they are both about sports and younger kids.Overall, the story is a way of a boy growing, maturing and learning about the game of football. Troy, a young athlete and some friends going out of their way to fulfill Troy?s dream of helping the Atlantic Falcons. Even if his dream comes true, Troy, would have to go through punishments and deep holes to get to it. The story Football Genius, is a great story and the author does a great job writing and telling the story of Troy White. Also, this book is not for everyone. I recommend it to people who are familiar to the game of football because if you didn?t, you would have no clue on what is going on in this book. Athletes or people that can understand sports will also like this book. Lastly, I rank this book 5 out of 10 because I don?t like reading, so all it is extra work with what I don?t like, but it did help me understand the book better.

It was about sports and I love sports.

Written by former Atlanta Falcon Tim Green, this is a great book for boys. It has a positive male role model and portrays pro sports figures as humble and honest. (Maybe not the most accurate portrayal, but it sure beats glamorizing drugs, etc)

A really good entry into sports books for children. Troy has the uncanny ability of predecting football plays. when his mom gets a job with Atlanta Falcons, he sees his chance to be someone special.