In Troy's fourth football-themed adventure, his long-gone father, Drew, appears on the scene. Troy yearns for a relationship, despite warnings from his mother. Events move along through short, fast-paced chapters, but the story grows overloaded as Troy helps the FBI unravel his dad's criminal connections while continuing to work for the Atlanta Falcons and winning another big game for his own team.

Gr 4-8 In previous entries, 12-year-old Troy White parlayed his remarkable play-predicting ability into a high-paying job with his beloved Atlanta Falcons and led his youth league team to a state championship. As Big Time opens, Troy's biological father, Drew Edinger, makes a plea to be allowed to become part of his son's life and to represent him in negotiations with other NFL teams. It soon appears that Drew's interest is mainly financial, however. It also becomes evident that he is connected to some shady characters. Troy is ambivalent about his involvement with his father as his attraction to the lifestyle Drew offers creates tension in his relationship with his sensible mother. When federal officials reveal to Troy the extent of Edinger's criminal activities, the boy agrees to help nab his father's associates. Drew will also be caught in the web, but the agents offer Troy the possibility of a lighter prison sentence for his father in return for the boy's cooperation. Edinger escapes capture, but materializes briefly in a cliff-hanger ending after a game in which Troy quarterbacks his Georgia all-star team to victory over Florida. The story moves along at a brisk clip, the language is straightforward and accessible, and the issues raised are likely to engage readers. Yet even the least sophisticated members of the target audience may find it difficult to accept a scenario in which a 12-year-old garners a $15-million pro football contract and assumes a lead role in a federal sting operation. Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT

Twelve-year-old Football Genius Troy is astonished to see the father he's never met at his coach's house, interrupting their end-of-season victory party. He's a lawyer and agent, and he'd like to represent Troy in contract negotiations to maximize the return on Troy's remarkable ability to predict football plays. This installment of Troy's story is more focused on sports dealmaking and Troy's longing for a strong connection with his dad than on the sport itself. Most of the action centers on the trust issues that are generated among his family and friends as questions around his father's motivation emerge. Troy's dad is aligned with a shady celebrity in the music business, and the titular "big time" refers to the buckets of money that could be Troy's if he follows his father's advice. Green proves to be as engaging about the business of sports and the kind of cheating it engenders as he is about the game itself. Less satisfying is how small a role Troy's friends play, although they do give him an assist at key moments. Still, a solid entry in the series. (Mystery. 8-12)