Home of the Braves

Reader reviewed by Kristen

This
book made me cry. It was just so moving in the way it was written in
verse and the nature of the topic of immigration. I really felt like I
slipped into Kek's shoes while reading this wonderful book.

Reader reviewed by Nair

This book I only checked it out from my school library, because I didn't have much time left to check out a book, and I was looking for any sports book(I'm an athlete). Right now I'm really glad that I ended up taking this book, because I don't regret reading it one bit. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I can relate to this book in many ways! Well, I hope you write more sports book, and it was a really fun reading this book.

Reader reviewed by ljk

Home of the Braves is the story of Joe Brickman, a high school senior who is the captain of a losing soccer team, and what happens to him when his team begins to win after a Brazilian "Phenom" joins his team. This one event seems to change everything: Joe loses the girl he didn't quite have, the football team starts losing, and class issues that simmered beneath the surface for generations threaten to erupt into violence. Joe is ultimately forced to confront both his past and his future, and he finally moves forward with his life,

Home of the Braves is intricately plotted and very realistic, and David Klass makes Joe into a very credible jock. None of the characters in this book are simple, with the possible exception of the Phenom, and even he shows himself to be selfless on the playing field. Klass has combined issues of class, school violence, bullying, and single parent families into the novel without it feeling forced, and I, for one, could not put this book down.

Klass is especially successful at his portrayal of how athletes interact with each other, and the very important role that this plays in a high school's social system. Joe may not be the most popular boy in school, or even the best athlete, but he is a tireless competitor, and because of this even the school's biggest bullies respect him. This also means that while Joe may not be close friends with some of the other boys, he has spent hours working out and practicing with them, and he knows that they can be trusted. Joe's teammates will change with the switch from soccer and football to wrestling, and so his adversaries in the fall will be his teammates in the winter. I've never read a book that has done such a good job portraying the interaction between high school sports and friendship, and for this alone Klass gets my highest rating.

I especially recommend this book for boys, and although the violence is more hinted at then acted upon, the book is challenging enough to be left for middle and high school readers. This is a great book for male athletes, who will identify with the character of Joe, and for girls who want to know what the jock next to her in class is thinking.