The Million Dollar Throw

By Mike Lupica
Sport: Football
Rating: 4 stars

Lupica rolls out another likeable hero in Nate, a natural and gift quarterback who idolizes the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and lives in a small town in Massachusetts.  Nate's name was chosen for a contest to throw a football 30 yards through a small target during half-time of a Patriots game, and if he can make it, he will win one million dollars.  Nate's life should be coming up roses, but instead, he feels like it is falling apart.  His father has lost his job, and now scrambles at two jobs to make ends meet.   His mother starts working, and their house is up for sale.  Even worse, his best friend Abby is in rough shape--she has a disease that is quickly making her go blind.  It seems like everyone could really use that million dollars, and a throw that should be the thrill of a lifetime is instead like a millstone around his neck.  As Nate worries about everything and everyone, his quarterback abilities start melting away, and he feels like he is letting down his football team, his parents, and Abby.  Is there anything that can make things right for Nate before the big throw?  Sports fans will love this story which is all about heart as much as it is about football.