Gr 4-8 In this sequel to Football Genius (HarperCollins, 2007), Troy White, 12, continues to put to good use his uncanny ability to predict an opposing teams next move. He is employed by his beloved Atlanta Falcons to send in plays during games, thus helping the team to build a winning streak and prolonging the career of his idol, the aging and injury-riddled linebacker, Seth Halloway. Seth is dating Troys mom (also a Falcons employee) and coaching Troys youth league football team. While Troy is technically doing nothing against the rules, the Falcons want to keep his contribution to the teams success a secret. When he is outed by a sportswriter who has a grudge against Seth, the Falcons season, Troys upcoming youth league championship game, and his moms job are all placed in jeopardy. Troy is able to demonstrate to the NFL Commissioner that he can predict plays without cheating and tricks a corrupt doctor into admitting, on tape, that he lied about Seths steroid use. The Falcons season is saved, Seth coaches Troys team to the championship, and Troy is approached by an agent who promises millions for his play-predicting abilities. The unexpected appearance of Troys biological father in the final chapter sets up the next book in the series. While the novels premise is somewhat outlandish, the characters are engaging and the game action is exciting. Short cliff-hanger chapters make this a good bet for reluctant readers. Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT

Green sends the 12-year-old savant introduced in Football Genius (2007) into the national spotlight in this second sequel. Proud of his unfailing ability to predict football plays, Troy naively grants a solo interview to an unscrupulous reporter and finds himself ong with his NFL linebacker friend, Seth blicly accused of cheating. Not only are the play-off hopes of their pro team (the Atlanta Falcons) and Troy's own Duluth Tigers threatened but so are the careers of Seth and Troy's mother, who works in the Falcons' PR department. Readers will enthusiastically cheer Troy on as he heroically rises to every occasion, both on and off the field.

Twelve-year-old Troy White has an uncanny ability to see football patterns, a talent that enables him to correctly predict what plays will be run next. When this sports thriller opens, Troy is working for the Atlanta Falcons. Troy's gift has been a particular boon for Seth Halloway, the team's aging and aching star linebacker, who, despite his fame, is a centered guy who coaches Troy's middle-school football team. The story kicks off when an unscrupulous reporter—Green's characters tend to be either paragons or poisonous—gets wind of Troy's talent and then later, because of an old grudge, accuses Seth of steroid abuse. As the stakes rise for Troy, Seth and their respective teams, the action becomes both more suspenseful and less credible. Still, there's no denying that the former defensive end writes an engaging page-turner that's full of play-by-play action, and this sequel to Football Genius (2008) ends with a whopper of a surprise, most likely signaling another book to come . (Fiction. 8-12)

Twelve-year-old Troy White (Football Genius) continues to help the Atlanta Falcons by using his unique talent for "predicting football plays...like a supercomputer." A disgruntled reporter exposes Troy's secret, jeopardizing the team's playoff chances. Fast-paced chapters propel the story as Troy works to untangle the lies twisted in the media storm (though his own actions, left unexamined, aren't entirely aboveboard).