Coach Hyatt Is a Riot!

June 1, 2009
Gr 3-5-A.J. loves Pee Wee Football, but he is the first to admit that his team ""stinks."" He's hoping that a new coach will lead them to a few wins this season. His enthusiasm dims when he learns that Coach Hyatt is a woman. She calls them ragamuffins, a term none of the boys understands, and has them tackling an Elvis dummy who sings, "Don't Be Cruel." Can this motley team really win Saturday's big game with the Sharks? The sentences are simple, there is vocabulary repetition with a smattering of challenging words, and the humor is very broad. The politically correct cheerleaders are a scream: "Winning! Losing! It depends!/Why can't we just all be friends?" There is even a "win one for the Gipper" reference that will go over the heads of third graders, but is funny nonetheless. With the team down 77-0, Coach Hyatt brings in a secret weapon. It is cheerleader Andrea, who almost singlehandedly wins the game, while A.J. saves his coach with his knowledge of the Heimlich maneuver. There is some graphic support for younger readers in the kooky black-and-white cartoon illustrations scattered throughout. Even the most reluctant reader will be drawn in by the humor and repetitive silliness. Add where beginning chapter books are needed."Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2009
A.J.'s all-boys Pee Wee football team, coached by a woman, stinks; they make the Bad News Bears look good. The hapless team is losing 77-0 at halftime--until the coach brings in a talented girl to play, sparking a come-from-behind victory. As usual, the slapstick- and gross-out humor are forced. Pop-eyed black-and-white illustrations add to the nonsensical lunacy.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)