Rich Wallace

After reading One Good Punch and recommending the Winning Season series countless times, I thought I had better read one of these short, sports oriented books. I was not disappointed. I read Takedown, which is late in the series but about wrestling, which has become a popular request.

Donald is not a pleasant character. He works hard, but is a poor sport. His family life is somewhat difficult, but he still has supportive, if struggling parents. This book mainly detailed his wrestling training and meets, which is exactly what the boys want. It didn't mess around with too many emotions or problems-- just went right for the action, which is great. I thought that the book was much too short. I wanted to know more about Donald and his wrestling career. However, this length was perfect for the audience, who are often struggling readers who like the feeling of accomplishment they get when they finish a book. I am looking forward to reading the rest, and highly recommend the entire series for elementary and middle school libraries.

I could not find a web site for Mr. Wallace, but here is the Winning Season series as I know it:

The Roar of the Crowd (Winning Season #1) (2004)
Technical Foul (Winning Season #2) (2004)
Fast Company (Winning Season # 3) (2005)
Double Fake (Winning Season # 4) (2005)
Emergency Quarterback (#5)(2005)
Southpaw (Wining Season # 6) (2006)
Dunk Under Pressure (Winning Season # 7) (2006)
Takedown (Winning Season # 8) (2006)
Curveball (#9) (2007)
Second-String Center (Winning Season # 10) (2007)