Gr 7 Up-"This is not a typical story about the birth of a sports team dynasty" warns 18-year-old Jack Logan. It's his senior year at Fremont High (aka Muscles High), where the jocks reign supreme. Even though he comes from a family of athletes, Jack himself has never shown much prowess on the field. So when an oppressive new principal takes over and makes it a rule that every single student must participate in a sport, Jack, along with some nonathletic friends, decides to create a third-string soccer team called The Losers, with the school's part-time Latin teacher at the helm. Tensions mount between The Losers and the jocks as their mission to dramatically lose on purpose attracts more and more attention from the student body as well as the local media. Jack then begins to wrestle with the idea that maybe avoiding victory isn't all it's cracked up to be. While this book addresses the excessive emphasis that some schools can place on athletics and the effect that has on students, it's equally one about parent/child bonds. Jack's father never got to fulfill his own professional athletic dreams, so by projecting them onto his son, he creates a strain on their relationship. Many teens will relate to the pressures that adults can sometimes unfairly place upon them. VERDICT Even readers who aren't sports fiction fans will find themselves rooting for The Losers in this refreshing take on the genre. Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Jack Logan, son of a football legend in a sports-obsessed school, chooses his own path as captain of a C-level "slackers" soccer team. When a video of his teams flubs goes viral, the "lovable losers of Muscles High" must adjust to fame and adoration. Engaging characters and a fast-paced plot provide humorous commentary on sports culture, while the child/adult struggles add depth.

Klass (Grandmaster, 2014) tackles jock culture and social-media hysteria in this smart, often hilarious novel. Jack Logan is the youngest brother in a family of talented football players, and he might actually enjoy sports if he were not constantly pressured into taking one up. When the beloved principal of sports-powerhouse Freemont High a "Muscles High" es, he is replaced by the school's football coach, Mr. Muhldinger, whose first act as principal is to require that all seniors participate in a school sport. In response, Jack and his friends establish a third-rate soccer team to fulfill the requirement with as little effort as possible. Not surprisingly, they stink. But thanks to social media, the Losers become a touchstone for every kid who has ever suffered at the hands of jocks or maniacal PE coaches. Their insurrection unleashes levels of revolution they had not imagined. With exciting sporting sequences and subversive twists and turns, this unpredictable book turns the concept of winning on its head. A hugely entertaining score for the underdogs.