Teammates

by Tiki Barber, Ronde Barber, Robert Burleigh (Editor), Barry Root (Illustrator)

Overview

Tiki struggles to recover from a game day fumble until his brother helps him out in this story about perseverance.

Tiki can’t believe it when the ball is knocked out of his hand in the Cave Spring Viking’s last preseason game against their rival Knights. And when nobody wants to talk to him the next day at lunch, he feels even worse. Can his brother and coach help him regain his confidence?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442412620
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	08/30/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,154,534
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.90(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Tiki Barber is a record-holding retired running back for the New York Giants. He married and is the father of four children.

Ronde Barber is a record-holding cornerback who retired after fifteen seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is one of only two cornerbacks selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He is married with two daughters.

Robert Burleigh is the award-winning author of many books for children, including The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huckleberry Finn, illustrated by Barry Blitt; Night Flight, illustrated by Wendell Minor; Black Whiteness, illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop; and Sylvia’s Bookshop, illustrated by Katy Wu. His many other books include Hoops; Stealing Home; and Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! He lives in Michigan.

Barry Root is the illustrator of many books for children, including Gumbrella, which he also wrote; Dream Big; By My Brother’s Side; and Game Day, which received a Christopher Award in the category of books for young people. He lives with his family in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

Football stars and identical twins Tiki and Ronde Barber play on different teams in the NFL, but they share the spotlight (and story credits) in this exciting follow-up to Game Day and By My Brother's Side. Based on the twins' youthful experiences, Teammates rolls out a tale about an embarrassing fumble, some secret practice sessions, and a big game against an archrival.

In their third collaboration, the twin Barber brothers continue to explore their early experiences on the football field in Teammates by Tiki and Ronde Barber with Robert Burleigh, illus. by Barry Root. Here the action takes place off as much as on the field, as the brothers practice their moves in preparation for the big game against their rivals. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4-The Barbers, both NFL players, present a follow-up to By My Brother's Side (2004) and Game Day (2005, both S & S). When young Tiki fumbles the football in a preseason practice game, his teammates begin to question his ability as a ball carrier. Coach Mike shows him a better way to hold it and reminds him that "Practice makes perfect." Ronde creates a secret "Morning Practice Club" so his twin can perfect his technique during tackles. When the boys' team plays its archrivals, Tiki holds on to the ball in a pileup, bringing the Vikings to victory. While the text is a little long, there is enough action to keep the plot moving along. Tiki and Ronde have a warm, supportive relationship, rare in tales featuring siblings. Root's watercolor-and-gouache full-page paintings in autumn tones, while stiff in some of the action scenes, are warm and accessible. Sports fans will welcome this addition.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Sincerity and veracity are the hallmarks of the Barbers' books. Both are top-flight, professional football players, so they know their topic and base their stories on their own experiences as boys. Here their issue is teamwork and practice as Tiki practices the right way to hang on to the ball and they work together to perfect their schoolboy game. But it's the everyday atmosphere of kids involved in football-and, by extension, any sport-at which the Barbers excel. Given a strong supporting hand by Root's artwork, with its sense of late summer drifting into early autumn and the changing of the leaves, the Barbers create a world of Saturday morning pick-up practices, poring over record books and dreaming of glory. If the big game does drag on somewhat, it also helps in understanding that's how the players are experiencing it: Can't this game just end now (while we're ahead, and before there is another chance to fumble the ball)? A lesson of building self-confidence through steadfast pursuit of a goal that's easy to believe and enjoyable to attain. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews