Scan barcode
anxiouslybooked's review against another edition
5.0
This graphic memoir follows a young Colin Kapernick as he learns and leans into who he wants to be. Kapernick is at a crossroads his senior year. He WANTS to play football in college, but his father wants him to play baseball. He is being recruited left and right by baseball coaches, but that is just not where his heart is. This shows his drive to become a football player at a D1 school and also how he learned to accept who he is. We as readers also get to see how Kapernick learns to accept himself when he feels like he doesn't necessarily fit in at home or school.
This graphic memoir is excellent, and I KNOW that it will FLY off the shelves of my middle school library! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
Good not great. I much preferred the biopic on Kaepernick’s life on Netflix. Kids would need to know what Kaepernick did as a professional player, the stand he took, and the fallout to understand the ending to this book. But it’s important for young people to understand Kaepernick’s high school life.
buer's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The story of Colin Kaepernick struggling to find himself in high school, this graphic novel grapples with chasing professional dreams, being a black kid growing up with white, adoptive parents, and more.
This is a sweet, introspective story about Kaepernick. The art straddles having a bright Saturday-morning-cartoon feel without compromising much in the way of photo realism. Great surface level intro to a meaningful figure in 21st century activism.
Definitely aimed at teenagers who might be navigating the issues in the book like finding their voices and pursuing their dreams.
This is a sweet, introspective story about Kaepernick. The art straddles having a bright Saturday-morning-cartoon feel without compromising much in the way of photo realism. Great surface level intro to a meaningful figure in 21st century activism.
Definitely aimed at teenagers who might be navigating the issues in the book like finding their voices and pursuing their dreams.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
A look into an incredible sports figure and civil rights activist when he was in high school.
⚾️
Colin Kaepernick is in high school, killing it as a baseball player with a bright future. He’s being scouted and everyone from teachers, family and friends believe he has what it takes to make it into the MLB. But Colin doesn’t feel that way. Colin looks up to athletes in basketball and football, believing that’s where Black men can be strong and unapologetically themselves. College football is calling his name, even if he has zero offers to play anywhere. This is the start of a dream.
⚾️
Colin Kaepernick is in high school, killing it as a baseball player with a bright future. He’s being scouted and everyone from teachers, family and friends believe he has what it takes to make it into the MLB. But Colin doesn’t feel that way. Colin looks up to athletes in basketball and football, believing that’s where Black men can be strong and unapologetically themselves. College football is calling his name, even if he has zero offers to play anywhere. This is the start of a dream.
jessthebibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
A short listen narrated by the author and a full cast.
I don't follow American sports and the most I know is what I've seen in movies but Colin's memoir depicted discrimination in all forms - casual, conscious and subconscious by acquaintances, strangers and family.
I'm not sure if this is classified as MG or YA, but I definitely recommend it to adults as well.
Though Colin is black and I am Indian, a lot of his anecdotes resonated with me.
I don't follow American sports and the most I know is what I've seen in movies but Colin's memoir depicted discrimination in all forms - casual, conscious and subconscious by acquaintances, strangers and family.
I'm not sure if this is classified as MG or YA, but I definitely recommend it to adults as well.
Though Colin is black and I am Indian, a lot of his anecdotes resonated with me.
thenextgenlib's review against another edition
5.0
A look into an incredible sports figure and civil rights activist when he was in high school.
⚾️
Colin Kaepernick is in high school, killing it as a baseball player with a bright future. He’s being scouted and everyone from teachers, family and friends believe he has what it takes to make it into the MLB. But Colin doesn’t feel that way. Colin looks up to athletes in basketball and football, believing that’s where Black men can be strong and unapologetically themselves. College football is calling his name, even if he has zero offers to play anywhere. This is the start of a dream.
⚾️
Colin Kaepernick is in high school, killing it as a baseball player with a bright future. He’s being scouted and everyone from teachers, family and friends believe he has what it takes to make it into the MLB. But Colin doesn’t feel that way. Colin looks up to athletes in basketball and football, believing that’s where Black men can be strong and unapologetically themselves. College football is calling his name, even if he has zero offers to play anywhere. This is the start of a dream.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Representation: Black and Asian characters
Score: Six points out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while after seeing the library I got this from get it a few days ago so I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, the only thought I had inside my head was that I felt this book was underwhelming. It could've been so much better than it is now but the numerous flaws forced me to lower the book's rating to three stars. It starts with the main character Colin Kaepernick or Colin for short as I'll call him from now on living with his adoptive (white) parents sometime in the early 2000s or something along those lines. The main point of this novel is that Colin wants to do football but has few opportunities to do so since all I could see was Colin trying to play baseball even though that isn't what he wants to do as a sport. Here's where the flaws surface, I couldn't relate to any of the characters including Colin and the rest of them whose names I forgot and I felt that the book couldn't pick a concept to focus on since it kept switching between sport and race, and let me tell you there is a lot of talk about race and the racism is everywhere. One time there was even a slur which I didn't like which slightly ruined my enjoyment of the narrative. I also wished it could've been longer, and not to mention this is similar to The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and this story could've rivalled that if it were longer. But alas, I don't have any reason to recommend this book to anyone except people who haven't heard of Colin. The last few pages weren't necessary as it felt like a promotion for Colin's activism thing. Also why did it only say it helps Black and Brown people and not Asian, Latino/a and so on?
Score: Six points out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while after seeing the library I got this from get it a few days ago so I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, the only thought I had inside my head was that I felt this book was underwhelming. It could've been so much better than it is now but the numerous flaws forced me to lower the book's rating to three stars. It starts with the main character Colin Kaepernick or Colin for short as I'll call him from now on living with his adoptive (white) parents sometime in the early 2000s or something along those lines. The main point of this novel is that Colin wants to do football but has few opportunities to do so since all I could see was Colin trying to play baseball even though that isn't what he wants to do as a sport. Here's where the flaws surface, I couldn't relate to any of the characters including Colin and the rest of them whose names I forgot and I felt that the book couldn't pick a concept to focus on since it kept switching between sport and race, and let me tell you there is a lot of talk about race and the racism is everywhere. One time there was even a slur which I didn't like which slightly ruined my enjoyment of the narrative. I also wished it could've been longer, and not to mention this is similar to The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and this story could've rivalled that if it were longer. But alas, I don't have any reason to recommend this book to anyone except people who haven't heard of Colin. The last few pages weren't necessary as it felt like a promotion for Colin's activism thing. Also why did it only say it helps Black and Brown people and not Asian, Latino/a and so on?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Full trigger warnings: Racism, including the n-word slur