Game Changers is the first of a series of sports books intended for young readers. The book is authored Mike Lupica. He's a famous sports columnist and personality. You might have read his columns for the New York Daily News or seen him on ESPN.

Game Changers is a work of fiction, but Lupica uses real-life football players in his story. Who is Ben McBain's favorite football player? It's Doug Flutie, who actually played in the NFL.

Like Flutie, Ben is small. Like Flutie, Ben wants to be a quarterback, not for an NFL team (at least not yet), but for his Pop Warner team. Unfortunately for Ben, the coach of the Pop Warner team is Coach O'Brien, father of Shawn O'Brien. O'Brien is determined to make his son the starting quarterback even if he's not as talented as Ben.

While Ben truly wants to be quarterback, Shawn is truly unexcited about the prospect of playing quarterback. It's more like Shawn is playing quarterback because it's what his father wants.

The stress of trying to meet his father's expectations makes Shawn unlikable and has an adverse impact on the team in general. To try and help Shawn and the team, Ben tries to be Shawn's friend.

Lupica's novel touches on an array of pertinent themes. He addresses what happens when parents pressure their children to be something that they don't want to be. He touches on relationships—young male relationships, specifically—and the tension between being a good teammate and being a good friend. He highlights the importance of resilience as it applies to both athletics and friendships.

Lastly, we might note how Lupica's book underscores the value of role models. Think about how Ben's awareness of Flutie helps him out with his own life. What would Ben's life be like if there was no Doug Flutie to spur him on?