Lupica, Mike. Heat. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. 220 pages. (Sports Fiction)Michael Arroyo is a twelve year old boy living with his older brother Carlos in the Bronx. Michaels’ father recently died, and ever since Michael and his brother have been living in a small apartment by themselves. Carlos is 17 years old, and he has to work two jobs to pay the bills.
Michael is the pitcher for the all-star baseball team, the Clippers. This year the team is hoping to make it all the way to the World Series in Pennsylvania. However, because Michael is such a great pitcher, some of the other coaches think that Michael is older than he really is. Michael won’t be able to play until he has proof of his age. What Michael needs is his birth certificate. However, he can’t find it, and he thinks it might have gotten lost on his boat ride over to New York from Havana.
This is another well written book from Mike Lupica, who tells of all the struggles of living in the Bronx without a mother or father. This book also tells of the challenges Michael faces while playing in little league baseball. Mike Lupica is a well known author who has written sports that get a homerun every time.
Reviewed by: Me
