Heat
by Mike lupica

Puffin Books, 2006, 220 pp., $6.99
ISBN 978-0-14-240757-8

Michael Arroyo has it all on the baseball diamond. He is on the Clippers All Star team, can throw 80 miles per hour at 12 years of age, is the best player in the league, has a best friend named Manny Cabrera who always has a smile on his face, and his team is bound for Williamsport, the location of the Little League World Series. Off the field, however, Michael faces many problems. HE and his older brother Carlos live in poverty and Carlos has to work two jobs. Their father has been dead since spring and they have to lie about his death so Michael won’t be sent to a boy’s home. One day a coach and his snobbish son become suspicious about Michael’s pitching abilities. They force the league to ask for a birth certificate and since he has no father Michael can’t supply them with one. Michael is suspended from the league until he gets one. Now a man named Mr. Gibbs believes Michael is lying about his dad. He gets suspicious too. Michael must now face the truth about not only baseball but also much of his life.

I think Heat is one of the best books ever written. It’s certainly the best sports book I’ve ever read. I like how Mike Lupica uses Michael’s baseball challenges to help illustrate his troubles off the field as well. Almost every chapter has a cliffhanger waiting at the end of it so it keeps the book gripping. Lupica paints a picture of the neighborhood Michael lives in as well as the baseball fields, Yankee Stadium, and the characters’ moods. Specifically about Manny’s humor. I like how Manny gets knocked over after catching Michael’s fastballs. Manny is the humor in this story and does a good job in the comedy role.

There are different themes in Heat. One I identified was brotherhood. How Michael and Manny are the best of friends and always agree. How even though they are poor Michael and Carlos stick together as best as they can. Another is struggle. Michael encounters many problems and they keep stacking on top of each other. Whether it’s struggling to keep his dad’s secret, trying to prove his age to the league, or beating the other team Michael struggles in many different ways.

I would recommend Heat to anyone who not only likes baseball or sports, but also enjoys reading any good books in general. This book made me look forward to reading each day. I’d say if you were going to read Heat you should be in the age group of 10 to 15 to really get the concept of the story. It’s interesting to wonder how Michael will get out of this or that situation. I highly recommend this book. Read it now.

~ reviewed by Ben S.