Heat
04/25/10
Dear Ms. Monaco,
I recently read the book Heat by Mike Lupica. I would rate this book a ten out of ten! I liked the way the author developed Michael as an underdog who was really good at baseball. It helped with all of the different struggles that Michael and his brother had to face. I also liked this book because it was a baseball story and I really enjoy baseball.
This book reminded me of a movie that I saw called "Mickey." "Mickey" is about a kid and his dad who are trying to get away from these IRS agents who are hunting them down. Mickey is also breaking the rules and playing little league when he is 13. It is a lot like Heat because there are many challenges that they must face to stay hidden.
The main character Michael Arroyo is a kind kid who is living a tough life in a tough neighborhood. First off Michael's dad has died and he is trying to keep it a secret. Now Michael and his brother are struggling to keep the apartment they live in and manage keeping their father's death a secret. Michael is a very kind and honest kid. In the beginning of the story Michael takes out a thief by throwing a baseball and knocking him out. Michael then becomes a neighborhood hero.
A quote that Carlos, Michael's brother, kept saying was, "But, you know we have to keep Papi's death a secret." The reason Carlos kept saying that was because Michael needed a constant reminder to keep Papi's death a secret. I think this would be really tough because it would be hard when you just wanted to ask for help, but you couldn't for your own well being. I think that would be a really tough decision.
One of the most striking parts of the book was when Carlos almost got arrested for scalping tickets. He was doing this because he had gotten fired from one of his two jobs and he was really falling behind on bills. He was really desperate and he didn't want to tell Michael. Then Michael saw him getting caught by the cops. That shows how rough Michael's life was.
This was a really good book, and I really enjoyed the read. I am going to recommend this book to other people because I thought it was a really good book.
Sincerely,
Billy Torgerson
