Are You Ready for Some Football?

And then there were two....

Football season is coming to a close. For some, the season ended in spirit well before December. Others had a shocking defeat in playoffs seconds before an assured victory (Saints fan...still not over it!). And in the final divisional playoff, there was the trademark come-from-behind win by the Patriots, followed by a blowout win by the Eagles. If you're looking for some great books to pass the time before the Super Bowl, you've come to the right place!

Very excited to get The Super Bowl: Chasing Football Immortality just in time for the game! We needed an updated history of the championship. From the biggest wins to the most heartbreaking defeats, this covers the excitement of the tournament from its inception in 1967.

Love him or hate him, but you can't deny that Tom Brady is the GOAT...and this is coming from a Drew Brees fan (crossing my fingers that we'll see a Brees-Brady Super Bowl...a game for the ages).  Tom Brady and the New England Patriots: Super Bowl XXXVIII relives the drama of the 2004 Super Bowl.

What is the Super Bowl?, part of the entertaining What Is? line, packs fun facts about the history of the tournament, famous players and events, and even tidbits about the halftime show.

Books of lists are popular with all kinds of readers (I love them too!), so it's no surprise that 1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything Football has been popular with our young patrons. Presented by Sports Illustrated Kids, cool facts about the best comebacks, hitters, and even fans are highlighted in this browseable guide.

If you're serving wings at your family's Super Bowl party, don't miss Buffalo Wings. When Rooster finds a recipe for the big game, he goes off in search of the ingredients...before reading the entire recipe through. Rooster's face when he discovers that buffalo wings are not made from buffalo is a winner.

The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way is a (true) college football story, but it's such a super read aloud for elementary school students that I can't ignore it. It's a great story about sportsmanship and learning from your mistakes.

Poor Mo. It's tough being the smallest kid on the football team, especially when you're struggling with catching the ball. Luckily, Mo's coach has a plan! Don't Throw it to Mo is a charming easy reader (baseball fans will enjoy Get a Hit, Mo!).

No More Dead Dogs is classic Gordon Korman: tons of humor and heart. Eighth grader Wallace is definitely sure that he's not going to enjoy attending rehearsals of the school play; unfortunately for him, it's part of his detention sentence, so he doesn't have a choice. In spite of himself, he becomes more interested and involved in the process. The title comes from Wallace's (not entirely wrong) observation  about award-winning children's books. If you're in the mood for more outstanding sports novels for children (or teens), check out anything by Mike Lupica or Tim Green's novels for children/young adults.


Jennifer Schultz, Youth Services Librarian, Fauquier County Public Library