Heat

• #6 in Best Baseball Books

79 Reviews

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I LOVED LOVED LOVED Heat. It's about a twelve-year-old boy named Michael Arroyo, who is a baseball pitcher. And he's not just any pitcher. He has "the heat" in his arm that makes great pitchers stand out. His team has a chance to make it to the Little League World Series, in large part because of his pitching ability. Making it to the World Series is critically important for Michael, because it will fulfill a dream of his father's, and his own.

But Michael has problems, too. His mother died when he was younger, and his father has been absent for several months. Recently, some of the adults in the community have begun asking Michael and his older brother Carlos difficult questions. Carlos is working multiple jobs to support them, but if word gets out about their father, the brothers fear that they will be separated, and put into the foster care system.

Things get worse when a rival player accuses Michael of being older than his 12 years, and hence ineligible to play Little League. Michael can't prove his age because his birth certificate was lost when he emigrated from Cuba. And without his father to help, he and Carlos don't know where to turn. As the playoffs begin, Michael finds himself on the sidelines.

The story isn't all gloom and doom, of course. Michael has several things going for him. He has his love of baseball, his loyal best friend Manny, and a grandmotherly neighbor who cooks for him. And he meets a girl, a very special girl named Ellie. With help from his friends, Michael is able to confront his demons. The ending is heart-warming, and may require tissues.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Michael, whose loneliness in the absence of his parents is palpable. His usually empty apartment serves as an image of his solitude, when he's not with Manny. Manny is one of my all-time favorite sidekicks (though some have called him too good to be true). He's completely loyal to Michael, a catcher willing to take second place to his pitcher. Manny's optimism provides a nice counterbalance to Michael's angst. Here's an example:

"Michael mumbled his reply on purpose.

"I didn't quite catch that," Manny said.

"I said you're right."

Manny Cabrera, light on his feet as always, more graceful than all the people who called him No Neck knew, danced now on the Bronx street corner, Michael's catcher celebrating as if he'd just scored a touchdown."

Here's another example, after Michael has an experience that turns out expectedly well. Michael thinks:

"Maybe that was the way you should go through life, if you really thought about it. Maybe if you didn't expect good things to happen to you, well, when something did, it would seem much bigger and better than it actually was.

...

In Manny's view of the world, there was always another sundae coming along that needed another cherry, just because Manny believed every single day was going to be the best of his whole life.

Michael tried to remember the last time he had felt that way about stuff.

But he couldn't."

Thank goodness he has Manny! I also enjoyed Michael's romance with Ellie in this book. It's a very PG sort of romance, boy likes girl, girl runs away, girl comes back and torments boy a little bit, etc. Misunderstandings ensue. The way that the two circle around one another, approaching and retreating, feels real to me.

This book is also a love letter to baseball. People who aren't baseball fans might find that some of the play by play scenes describing games are too detailed (though they are skimmable). But if you enjoy baseball at all, then Heat is not to be missed. I haven't researched this, but I suspect that the names of many of the characters in this novel are deliberately chosen because they are the names of baseball players.

Heat touches on several themes, without ever feeling heavy-handed about it. Friendship, sportsmanship, loyalty to one's teammates, what it means to be a family, how hard it is for kids who don't have parents in our society, and the immigrant experience. Cops and social workers are portrayed as wanting to genuinely help kids, as are several other adults in the story. The family bonds between Michael and Carlos are strong.

What more can I say, without giving too much of the story away? This is a book with a lot to offer to any reader. Strong characters, humor, and a well-drawn plot. For baseball fans, it's not to be missed. But the main reason to read it is that Heat is a story with heart.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 15, 2007.

I'm like one of the other reviewers - bought this for someone else but got to read it too and enjoyed it a lot. Obviously for a 32 year old, this was a very easy read, but it was interesting and fun and I loved it as much as any kid.
It's about a young Cuban born pitcher who dreams of making it to the little league series but then a rival coach accuses him of being older than the league limit. He has to try and proove his age with some difficulty. His father (who came with him to America from Cuba) has since died and he can't get his birth certificate. I won't say anymore about the plot (I don't want to give it away), but I will say that this is very good and enjoyable. It's even going to be made into a movie.
I think this book is really for anyone who is a sports fan - not only the specified age group listed here. If you are a kid at heart, then you'll find this great too.

I read this book myself, and enjoyed it. For an adult, it's a cute, heartwarming story. However it's a good book for a young adult, short enough for them to complete it in good time. My 13-year-old boy, who doesn't always read much, finished this book over the course of a few days. He enjoyed it enough to read it on his own from cover-to-cover.

The book is about a 12-yr old boy from Cuba and touches on the struggles of immigrants, the working poor, family dynamics, caring neighbors, and adolesence. Oh yeah, and baseball too.....

I love Mike's style. He has a great way of developing the characters and making you feel like you are a part of their lives. I got the book at lunch time for my son, and figured I'd read a few pages...but as with his previous books, I just couldn't put it down. I know my son will love this one as much as he did Travel Team.

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book for my friend's son but I ended up enjoying it as much as he did. I never thought I would get so wrapped up in a book for kids, especially one about baseball. Loved the characters. Loved the twists. You don't have to be a kid or a sports fan to like this book, you just have to like a good story.

Mike Lupica has written a page-turner of a sports book that any kid who ever picked up a Matt Christopher book or enjoyed watching any of the many kids' sports movies out there will read with rapt attention. That's the great part of this book!

The not-so-great part is the way that some of the rules of grammar are ignored by Mr. Lupica, as some of the sentences don't flow naturally off the tongue as they're being read aloud due to missing words. The story is written sometimes in what seems like an attempt at being cool instead of an attempt at being logical.

Overall, this is a story that will get kids to read. And that's the bottom line.

Heat, a great baseball story, is the best sports story I have ever read, is written by Mike Lupica. Michael Arroyo, a 12 year old boy from Cuba, plays baseball for the Clippers. He seems to be a normal boy that you would meet in the Bronx of New York. He has plenty of friends, lives in an apartment with his brother Carlos, and adores the Yankees. But Michael is not your average baseball player. In the first chapter, Michael hits a handbag thief in the back of the head with a baseball he threw from home plate. The amazing thing is the thief was in deep center field. He can pitch so fast that he knocks over his catcher, and best friend, Manny. With Papa's advice, and help from Carlos, it seems that nothing can stop him. The problems start when he meets Ellie, a Cuban girl that he thinks is very pretty. When he tries to impress her, he goes too far. The coaches of the other teams now think he isn't 12 because he can pitch so fast. Now, Michael has to try to keep his dream of getting to the Little League World Series alive, and keep his greatest secret to himself. That's hard now that Ellie won't talk to him. I liked this book because it is about a kid with a dream who will do anything to make his dream come true, like me. If you start to read Heat, you won't stop until you're done.

MIKE LUPICA HAS CERTAINLY FOUND HIS GENRE! I THOUGHT HE HAD HIT A 3 POINTER WITH "TRAVEL TEAM" BUT THIS ONE IS A GRAND SLAM!!!!I WAS LUCKY TO GET AN EARLY COPY AND READ IT IN ONE DAY. AS A PARENT AND COACH OF LITTLE LEAGUERS THIS BOOK WENT STRAIGHT TO MY HEART. THE CHARACTERS ARE SO RICHLY AND HONESTLY DRAWN THAT THEY DRAW YOU INTO THEIR STORY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BASEBALL FAN TO ENJOY THIS BOOK, BUT IF YOU ARE YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF CRYING AND CHEERING AT THE SAME TIME. A GREAT READ FOR ADULTS AND KIDS ALIKE. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET A COPY OF "HEAT" FOR YOURSELF AND AND YOUR KIDS AND THEIR FRIENDS!

Read this book. Whatever K. Boyle is yammering about is not a review. The Munsters? Who cares about the Munsters? One line of the book, and that's what the whole review is about? There are 324 pages of words. I am sure you might have heard one or two of them before. I believe the old saying is something about the Whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Again, 324 pages of parts that make the GREAT whole of this book.

Take the time to read this and enjoy it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Lupica stole that idea "you threw the ball from here??!!" from the MUNSTERS!
Leo Doroucher discovers Herman in the same way!

Heat is a great book. In addition to integrating many complex concepts, such as family and kindness, into an easy, fun book to read, Mike Lupica involves some cool strategy about baseball. Heat became sort of monotnous at times because Michael, the main character, continuously struck everybody out, but Mike Lupica "heated" it up when he needed to. The climax of the book was especially exciting.

This is a great book for young and old. The story is touching and refreshing. Baseball fan or not you will love it. Highly recommended.

I bought HEAT for my 10 and 14 year old boys and found myself unable to put it down. Mike Lupica understands kids, sports and pure hearts. He has a writes a very readable and enjoyable book. This is billed as a young adult story and it is for them and for all the ages from 8-80! After we all read it, I started buying it for graduation and birthday gifts. I highly reccommend this book as a good summer or anytime read.

In one of the great all-time perversions of celebrity, Mike Lupica, sports columnist turned novelist, has perpetrated an incredible hoax: somehow, on his sheer "charisma," he's built a reputation for having something interesting to say, and, more remarkably, as a writer of some talent and significance. The reality is that Lupica has never had fresh, original takes on anything. His distinction, if he has one, is to be about the dullest, most insipid, prose writer ever to earn a living pumping out copy. The success and glowing reviews of his latest, brutal novel is just another persuasive argument that, sometimes, "image is everything." Lupica, the heterosexual Richard Simmons, does have one indisputable talent: self-promotion. As a writer, he's an unmitigated disaster, and those who argue otherwise are either deluded or simply enjoy reading on a third-grade level.

To a simpler time, I was a frail youngster and did not have many friends growing up. I was ostracized and outcast. To make up for all the pain I felt, I would stand on the corner and scream incoherently and to the discomfort of any of those in listening distance. As was diagnosed with pogomania and through the help of a good doctor I was able to get past all that.

After I read this book, as a pogomania survivor, I can tell you that the author is deep in the throes of its merciless grip. I hope he reads this and seeks appropriate medical attention.

Do you love sports? Do you like books that make you laugh? Well Heat is the book for you, Heat is about a twelve-year old boy named Michael who is one of the best pitchers in little league. He is so good that the other coaches think he is older than he is. As a results Michael is taken off the team until he can get his birth certificate. However it's a bigger problem than he thought. Michael, and his family moved from Cuba so his birth certificate was lost along the way. It's very difficult to contact people in Cuba that could help find the birth certificate, since his dad died. So Michael and his big brother Carlos are on their own. Will Michael get his birth certificate back before the Little League World Series? You will have to read Heat by Mike Lupica, to find out.

Carlos is a secondary character in the story. Although he isn't mentioned a lot he is important to the story because he is one of the people who helps get Michael's birth certificate back. Carlos is Michael's big brother, he feels like he is the man of the house and takes two jobs to help pay the bills. But when he looses one of his job things start to go crazy. Carlos is 17 years old and is hoping that the secret of his father's death will stay a secret until he turns 18. He is afraid that if the secret is let out he will be split up from his little brother, Michael. Michael is the Primary Character in Heat, and is very important to the story because the story revolves around him. He is a tall and skinny pitcher for his little league team, the Clippers. Sometimes when he is pitching he does his high kick stance like his favorite New York Yankees's Pitcher El Grande. Although sometimes it doesn't go as planned and he looses his balance, but instead of feeling embarrassed he laughs. Michael has a great arm when it comes to pitching, his best friend and catcher, Manny, will always tell him he hit 80 miles. Manny is Michael's best friend and he always has Michael's back. He loves to talk and is always joking around, he makes the story interesting. He is always coming up with crazy ideas to help Michael because he is the only one who knows about Michael's dad's death. Even though his ideas are crazy, somethings they are not a bad idea.

Heat is a wonderful, laugh-out-loud funny book. Heat has a calm tone which is a good thing to read when your curled in front of a fire. It's mostly about baseball but any ten year old kid and up will enjoy this book even if they hate baseball. I give this book 5 stars because it was funny, wonderfully written, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, it was never boring to read.

Michael Arroyo is a 12-year-old boy with big dreams, especially for a poor Cuban refugee. He dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series and ultimately of playing in the major leagues like El Grande, his hero and fellow Cuban immigrant.

HEAT, a coming-of-age baseball novel by Mike Lupica, is aptly titled for two reasons. Michael's fastballs can be clocked at over 80 miles per hour, so he's definitely capable of throwing some heat. But sadly, Michael is also feeling the heat in his difficult life. He lost his mother to cancer at a young age, and his father died of a heart attack just a few months after coming to America with Michael and his 17-year-old brother Carlos, leaving the boys to fend for themselves.

The only two people outside of their family who know of Michael's father's untimely demise are his best friend Manny Cabrera and his neighbor, Mrs. Cora. If the authorities found out Michael's secret, he and his brother might have to go into foster care or, even worse, be sent back to Cuba. Michael tells anyone who asks about his father that he is in Florida caring for his sick uncle. If this isn't enough to worry about, a coach from an opposing team signs a petition to have Michael removed from his team until he can obtain his birth certificate from Cuba.

Woven nicely into the main plot is Michael's first relationship with a mystery girl whom he spies watching him on the baseball field. In a surprise twist, the reader finds out who this young female is near the end of the story. Manny Cabrera --- Michael's best friend and catcher for his team --- is a richly drawn supporting character; his witty dialogue will capture the reader's attention.

HEAT is a fast-paced, tightly written novel with believable characters. Mike Lupica is a well-known sports columnist, and his experience in this particular field is quite evident in the action-packed sports scenes. HEAT has heart and will appeal to sports and non-sports fans alike.

--- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner (renee.kirchner@usa.net)

I may not be a baseball fan but I am a fan of this book. Heat is the story of one talented boy who must overcome many obstacles in order to pursue his dreams. It only took one chapter for me to be completely hooked. Mike Lupica has created memorable characters that develop and grow as the story unfolds. I found myself caught up in their struggles and successes. This is a book that will truly touch your heart.Although the baseball field is the back drop for this story, the themes of family and friendship are found on each page which makes this story relatable in many ways. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in search of an uplifting story.

This is a very touching story that everyone can enjoy. It begins with a dream with a little boy and his father. It is brings you to tears with the loss of his father but the story takes you with a little boy's dream of one day making it big playing baseball.

Cynthia Marie Rizzo, author of "Angela and the Princess" and "Julie and the Unicorn"

Heat is a okay read, though it is very boyish and rather boring for anyone who is not into baseball. The book is about a boy named Michael Arroyo, a boy who immagrated from Cuba sometime before. He is very into baseball and is an orphan along with his older brother. However, thay are keeping their dad's death secret. When Michael gets accused for lying about his age in baseball (though he's not) he can't prove it because he dosen't have the birth certificate he left in Cuba. There is also a long description of each game with names of plays and fouls and outs and really confusing stuff to many people who aren't familiar with the game's rules. I just find that boring, though any big baseball guy would probably like the book.

Teaching fifth grade, I've discovered that boys do actually enjoy reading. Many love nonfiction books, some love fantasy books, but most enjoy sports books. The problem is that there are not a lot of good quality sports books written for boys this age. Thank goodness Mike Lupica came along because Heat is an all-around crowd-pleaser.

Twelve-year-old Michael Arroyo has been given a gift. Baseball is in his blood. He is a star among players his age. Without much money to his family name, baseball is all Michael has. It's all he knows. Living in the Bronx, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, Michael has made a name for himself on the Little League diamond, too good of a name. While protecting an important family secret, Michael's age is questioned by his jealous opponents and with no way of proving it, Michael is forced to become a spectator of the only thing important to him.

"It's just a game." Children probably hear this all the time and I'm willing to bet the adults that say this don't remember exactly what it was like to be a kid. Often times to a child, it can be more than a game. To a child who's mother died while he was young, who's father recently passed away, and who's only sibling works night and day to barely pay the bills for the two of you to live in a dumpy one bedroom apartment in a country that you can't legally call your own, it's more than "just a game". It's a safe haven. The ball diamond is a place to escape to, and his teammates are his second family to escape with. And when you're as good as Michael Arroyo is, the baseball field can be a place where your dreams seem like they're not too far out of reach. Now imagine telling the boy that he can't even play because of a silly rule.

Oddly enough for a rousing sports adventure, most of the action in this book doesn't take place on a baseball diamond. As I said, this book is about so much more than baseball. Reading how Michael and his brother Carlos make it day to day living the way they do is exciting enough without the baseball thrown in. But the baseball diamond is where Michael is comfortable so it should come as no surprise that it is where Lupica feels at home as well. I actually found myself on the edge of my seat while reading a few of the ballgames unfold. While the dialogue between the characters is often times forced and unnatural, their comradery is very much believable, making you feel like one of the team.

Mike Lupica packs some powerful stuff into these pages, powerful things that stretch way beyond a baseball diamond. Michael is forced to deal with situations and handle situations that no boy his age should ever have to face. Michael does some fast growing up and is never able to just play the game he loves and truly enjoy playing it. Life isn't always fair though, and everytime it seems like it just might be, Lupica slams on the breaks and reminds us that it's not.

We've all seen the cheerful movies where the star player on a sports team faces some kind of tragedy, is forced to leave the team with the fear of never returning, and then miraculously shows up just in time for the championship game, leading the charge while taking his team to the promise land. We've seen these movies and read these books and at face value, Heat would appear to be one of those books but I promise you, it's not. Mike Lupica is so much better than that and this little baseball book, is about so much more than just baseball.

Picture this... a robber steals a woman's purse and is running away as fast as he can. He's at the park, almost able to jump a fence and be free with the purse. But suddenly a baseball comes flying out of nowhere and hits the robber on the back of the head. That's how Heat by Mike Lupica starts out. This is a story about two brothers, illegal from Cuba, whose dad dies, and they have to figure out how to make rent. Michael, the younger brother, is 12 years old and is an outstanding pitcher. Carlos is almost 18, and supports Michael in everything. Michael dreams of playing pro and if Michael goes pro they will be rich. Michael, like every other kid's idol is El Grande a famous picture for the New York Yankees. During one of Michael's games the other team's coach questioned Michael age. He didn't have a birth certificate, so he's not allowed to play. I can't tell you the whole book, your going to have to read it to find out if Michael and Carlos get caught, and if the find his birth certificate.

In my opinion this is one of the most fasciating books I have ever read. Mike made the book tense so you can't stop reading, though out the book. He's got man other books that I'm going to have to read, but this was one of his best books ever. I think anyone would like this book, but if you're a baseball fanatic you're going to have to read it.

Heat is a book about a twelve year old baseball star named Michael Arroyo who came over with his father and brother from Cuba. The coaches of the baseball league didn't allow him to play since he is so good and he has no birth certificate.But in the end his dreams come true and he meets his favorite baseball player and is able to play with the help of his brother, friends and a girl Ellie he met. He also later on get to play in Yankee stadium. My favorite part of the book was when he meets his favorite baseball player and is able to help his team come back and win his all-start playoff and move one step closer to playing in the little league world series. He then gets to take a tour of yankee stadium with el grande his favorite player and his daughter. I recommend the book heat to people who play baseball or love baseball. Espeacially ones who have dreams like Michael of playing in the little league world series. This is a moderatly easy read but could enjoy it even more with if you have love for the game of baseball. It shows heart, courage and strength to go through what Michael did just to play baseball.

Heat is a book about a twelve year old Cuban orphan-boy named Michael Arroyo. He lives in present day Bronx, New York a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium. Michael's dream is to pitch his all-star team (the Clippers), to the Little League World Series and maybe even pitch in the MLB someday. Everything is going great for Michael, but there is one problem. Opposing coaches and players think Michael is too good and are challenging Michael about his age. When Michael came to the U.S. on a boat from Cuba he had to leave his birth certificate behind. Now Michael is seperated from his proof that he is the age he says he is. Meanwhile months after the death of Mr. Arroyo, Michael and Carlos are still living alone with the help of Carlos's two jobs and the kind, unofficial guardian Mrs. Cora. Michael and his 17 year old brother Carlos have to hide from social services the fact that they are illegally living alone. Especially from the snooping baseball coach Mr. Gibbs who also works for social services. One of my favorite parts in the story is when Michael, Carlos and Manny trick Mr. Gibbs into thinking Manny's Uncle Timo (the actor) is Mr. Arroyo. If there secret is revealed Michael could be seperated from Carlos and Mrs. Cora. Also adding to the chaos and mystery of the story is Ellie Garcia. Michael first meets her when he sees her from a distance staring at him and his best friend Manny playing baseball. They invite her to play with them and become good friends. From then on the story really starts to pick up and get more exciting. More mysteries are answered and promblems become resolved. The resolution (ending) was satisfying favorable and a good way to end the book (but I don't want to give it away). This book was very enjoyable to read. Mike Lupica did a great job writing the book because it was fun, exciting and kepting me wanting to read more to find out what happens to Michael next. I would recommend Heat to anyone who loves to read sports books, and especially to anyone who just loves baseball. This was a great book!

Heat is one of the most enjoyable, interesting books I've ever read. Michael, a typical boy with a great right arm is the main character. He lives with his brother Carlos. His dad is supposedly caring for a sick relitive in Florida. Michael faces hardships and problems, but keeps himself going with friends and Carlos.
Baseball helps Michael with his life problems as well. It makes him feel ike all of his problems can disappear. But things in Michael's life aren't always so picture-perfect.
One boy in Michaels baseball league thinks Michael is too old for little league baseball. He is jealous of Michael because is right arm is so powerful. He and his father(the coach of his son's little league team) demand a birth certificate for Michael's ability to play. Michael was born in Cuba so he has a very hard time trying to find his birth certificate.
Michael has a best friend named Manny. I think he is te perfect so called "side-kick" for Michael. He is funny and keeps Michael's spirit up through out the book. Over all I give Heat five stars!
Gretchen - Grade 5

What if you were so good at baseball that people did not believe you were the age you say you are? Then what would happen if you had no way to prove your age? This happens to Michael Arroyo in Mike Lupica's realistic fiction novel titled Heat.

Heat tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Michael Arroyo. He is such a good pitcher that many coaches demand he produce a birth certificate to prove he is twelve. But the birth certificate is stuck back home in Cuba and Michael has no way of getting it. He has no mother, no father, and only a brother named Carlos.

Heat is the best book I would recommend for those who like baseball. I have found myself hoping Michael can get a birth certificate so he can play baseball again. He has a big love for baseball and it crushes his heart that he can't play baseball. As if Michael wasn't having enough troubles, but now social services are getting suspicious that Michael and his brother Carlos are living without an adult. They could separate the two brothers. Heat is the book that will keep your attention until the end.

The book Heat is about Michael Arroyo, a twelve-year-old boy, who loves to play baseball. The story takes place in the present day of the Bronx by Yankee Stadium. Michael lives with his older brother, Carlos. His mother died when he was a baby and his father died recently after they flew to their new home in New York from Cuba.
In the beginning of the story Michael sees a thief running from the police. The thief had just stolen a purse from his neighbor Mrs. Cora. Michael throws a baseball from homeplate to the center field fence, hits the thief in the back of the head, and knocks him out.

One day while playing catch with Manny, his best friend, he sees a girl behind the outfield fence. When he walks over to talk to her she runs away. He later finds out that her name is Ellie and she is the daughter of his baseball hero, El Grande.

The main conflict of the story is when the baseball coaches complain that Michael is too old to play Little League. So, the baseball commissioner bans Michael from playing Little League baseball. The only way that Michael could play baseball was if he could find a transcript of his birth certificate showing that he was twelve. Michael also has a difficult time with only Carlos and Mrs. Cora to take care of him. Carlos and Michael don't want to ask for help from Child Services because they are afraid they will be separated from each other.

Michael's team makes it to the championship game and in the last inning they are down by five runs. Michael turns around and sees El Grande, Ellie, Carlos, and some others walking toward him. Ellie gives him an envelope containing his birth certificate. Michael gets to come in and pitch the last inning of the game which was his dream. If the team wins they get to play in Yankee Stadium.

The author is trying to be a Tom Clancy type of author by taking a number of pages to explain one fact. The story line is good, when you can remember what it was. Should be more baseball action and less talk about the same subject.
My favorite books when I was growing up were the chip Hilton series, written be Clair Bee. They all had good story lines, but had one thing in common, they also talked sports. Mr Lupica gets away from this in all his books, whereas he could be the modern day Clair Bee if he so chose.

As a parent of 2 sons, it's tough for me to find good literature for them to read. HEAT is just what I'm looking for as a parent. A great story that moves right along, just enough character detail to make the story real, and baseball! Strongly recommend without reservation. This was my first read of a book by Mike Lupica. Hope some of his others are just as good.

Michael Arroyo has a dream: to pitch in the Little League World Series. His fast ball has "heat" that could get him and his team, the Clippers, there. Michael also has a secret that could keep him from even playing baseball. "Heat" is a novel for everyone who's ever had a dream, for baseball fans and players, and for those who just love a good story with a likeable main character and interesting, quirky supporting characters.

Heat


Heat is about two brothers who goes through a series of events. Heat starts off with 12 year-old Michael Arroyo hitting a purse stealer, Ramon, in the back of the head with a baseball right before he was about to jump the fence. (Now I will talk more about the main character Michael Arroyo, Carlos Arroyo, Ms. Cora, Manny, and Ellie). Michael is a boy whose father died not too long ago and his brother Carlos has a couple of months until he turns eighteen so they have to keep that their a secret to themselves. Michael loves to play pickup games in baseball with a lot of his friends and one day a girl Ellie
came and watched them play. When Michael went over and talk to her, she ran away so they called her "Mystery Girl". Ellie came back and Manny launched a ball way over the fence and she came over and got to know them. Michael is a competitive Little League baseball player, and in a game against Westchester South Michael pitched a shut-out (it's were no one scores a run)and the coach's son, Justin, complains to his dad because they think Michael is too old. The league puts him on the bench until they get him his birth certificate. Michael's team goes top the playoffs with Michael coaching third and he makes a costly mistake which would have of put them in a better position to win. They still pulled it out in the long run. While the fiasco is going on, a man named Mr. Gibbs asked if Michael's dad is real, and Carlos needed more money to keep there family running. So he became a scalper and a cop gave him a warning. Next there in the semifinals against Westchester South and you have to read the book to find out.

Heat is a book you don't often pick up on the book shelf. It is something that will keep you reading no matter what. Every thing about it makes it amazing; though the two things that really made me love the book is the characters and the surprises. Both of these things are not the whole book the book is something you would have to read to believe.

The characters are amazing. My two favorite characters were Michael Arroyo and Mr. Gibbs. They both were interesting and thought up hilarious but sometimes meaning full things. All of the characters had different personalities and different ways of thinking. Though all the characters did not agree all the time they always seemed to make things turn out right. When one of the characters was having a problem or something was not right another character soon helped. My favorite thing that one of the characters did was when Uncle Timo acts as if he were Michael and Carlos's father. When they did that it made me laugh very much and I was amazed they would think of something such as this.

Something that makes me loves books is when they give you a lot of surprises. This book had a lot of surprises. Some of the surprises made me happy and some of them did not. One surprise that really mad me sad was when they said that Michael's father had been dead for around three months. Though this book had many happy moments that one meant the most to me. If you read Heat, which I very much suggest, you will be in for a trip because this book always has a surprise coming up.

Characters and surprises are two of the many things that makes a book great to me. While you read Heat you will be in a world that makes you laugh, cry, and have mixed feelings. I suggest this book to anyone who loves to read and is in the mood for a great book.

Will anybody find out what Michael's secret is ? This book is about a boy who has a big secret that he has to keep from everyone. Only his brother, his best friend, and a elderly women who lives in his apartment know his secret.Michael also is an amazing pitcher who throws the heat. In Michael's league, a few dads gang up on him and complain that he is to old to play in the league. So the league suspends him because he doesn't have a birth certificate to prove he's twelve. To make matters worse, an official of child protection doesn't buy Michael's story. So, in the mad rush to find his birth certificate, he has to be extra careful the official doesn't find out what his secret is.What is Michael's secret? Does the official find out what it is, and does Michael find his birth certificate? Read the book to find out.
I think the moral of the story is perseverance because Michael has to perservere to find his birth certificate and to keep from telling people his secret.
I loved this book! I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys sports and reading because this book is about sports. Once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down!

What would you think if you loved baseball and you happened to be one of the best little league players in the Bronx. But there is one problem. You are not eligible to play.
This is what happened to 12-year-old Michael Arroyo. Michael immigrated with his brother Carlos from Cuba. There is one big problem that is major in this book that is too good to tell. Michael's loyal friend Manny was on his baseball team as well.
It turns out that Michael's amazing arm was useful in the real world. From Yankee Stadium he threw a baseball and hit a person who stole a purse in the head with the ball. He was truly invincible.
I think that the biggest theme of this book is perseverance. It means don't stop trying even though times are bad and things aren't going to well.
The genre is sports fiction with also a little drama in it. This book is for anyone to read. All of Mike Lupica's books are sports books. He actually is part of the sports show called the Sports Reporters.
To find out more, read this book and I guarantee that you won't put it down.


-Wade Blair

Heat

By: Mike Lupica

The book Heat, Mike Lupica was a very good book in my mind. It had a very good storyline and it was a fast reading book. It is full of action and love. It was very unpredictable; you never knew what would happen next. The only part I didn't like was the ending, I didn't like how the book ended. It didn't really finish the story or answer some questions but I think it might be a set up for a sequel. If I squeal came out I would buy it and read it because I thought this book was very good and I like how the author writes books about sports.
Heat is about a boy that lives in New York with his family. He loves the Yankees and he is the hardest throwing kid on his team, the Clippers. He dreams of making it to the Little League World Series. He faces a lot of challenges on the road to the Little League World Series. He pitches so fast that some coaches don't think he is old enough to play. Once his father dies he has to survive with his brother, Carlos, until Carlos turns eighteen. They can't tell anyone and worst of all if anyone finds out they might get put into a foster home and even might get separated. Then he meets a mystery girl and he likes her she has a good arm just like him but she also had secrets just like him. In the playoffs there is a big surprise that changes the whole book, if you like suspense and baseball this book is the one for you. Even if you don't like sports or baseball I think you should read it because it is more that a sports book.

Heat is a very good book it's about a boy named Michael he lives in the Bronx New York with his brother Carlos and his parents died when he was young. His dream is to play in the little league world series with his baseball team the Clippers but since they cant find his birth certificate he can not play with his team and in the little league world series. I think everyone should pick up this book and read it.

Michael Arroyo, a 12 yearold boy living in the Bronx, is the best pitcher the Bronx has ever seen for his age. there is only one promblem, he seems to good. Michael is starting to be noticed by more people, and the problem is that he doesn't have parents, only his 16 years old brother Carlos. Also rival coaches don't think he is 12, and his birth certificate is back home, his real home in Cuba. now Michael is scared that him and Carlos will be found out and separated.

Lupica spins a tale of baseball as it was meant to be played. It's pretty apparent that Lupica was not much of an athlete when he was younger as he misses on a lot of detail. It's also questionable whether he's ever been in a relationship with a female because all of that dialogue and those scenes rang completely false.

I did want to say how much I enjoyed the illustration on the cover, easily the best part of the book.

Overall, I cannot recommend the book for anyone who can read English, but if English is your second language or maybe you;ve just snuck in over the Mexico border and like cool illustrations then this is definitely a keeper.

This book is definatley without a doubt the best book i have ever read. It is about a young boy who lives right by Yankee stadium. His name is Mike Arroyo. He is 12 years old. He is a terrific baseball player in little league. Sometimes all mike has in his life is baseball. It is a great read for those who love baseball. I extremely recomend this to everyone. This book is based on an urban atomosphere. He and his friend manny are very close. Mike and Manny can always joke around wenever they need to. However, manny is the only one who knows his one true secret. YOU WON'T REGRET READING THIS BOOK!

I brought this book for my grandson to read over the summer, as it was an assignment due when back to school for credit. He like it ver much. I read it too, and enjoyed it very much. ( I did help him with his review assignment) That's what Grandmothers are for!

Heat is a baseball story about the challenges that a Cuban-American kid faces as he plays in his local Little League.

Michael Arroyo and his older brother Carlos are feeling the pressure mount as they try to hide the fact that their father has recently died of a heart attack. Michael throws himself into his baseball games with more fervor than ever as a way of blocking out all his troubles at home. As their money dries up, Carlos turns to working with a gang and other shady opportunities to make money. With the opportunity to play for the Little League World Series in Yankee Stadium at stake, the rival team spreads a rumor that Michael is lying about his age. While it is never directly addressed, proof of whether they're in the country legally or not must be behind the drive to see Michael's official papers. When their original story that their father is visiting a sick relative in Miami begins to wear thin, the boys go so far as to hire an actor to play the part of their father as part of their gambit to remain out of foster care. What could be a grim story is saved by the comic relief of Michael's goofball best friend Manny. Michael has a very tentative and innocent romance with a girl named Ellie and the happy ending felt a bit deus ex machina to me, but I think most readers will be pleased to see everything wrapped up in such a satisfactory way.

Lupica is a prolific writer, with many other sports titles under his belt. Much more sophisticated, with an urban voice, this is a far finer book than most of the Matt Christopher offerings. I would give this to middle-grade readers in a heartbeat.

I loved Heat. I've read many of Mike Lupica's novels and loved them also. I'm a young teenaged boy and I love the game of baseball. Once I saw this book, I bought it immediately. Once I started, this amazing realistic fiction novel, I couldn't put it down.

Michael Arroyo and his brother Carlos escaped Cuba with their father. Michael is living in the Bronx with his older brother Carlos, who has many jobs to keep them away from Social Services. Michael loves the game of baseball. He's a twelve year old and can throw serious heat. He's playing in little league and is on his way to the league championship, played at Yankee Stadium. The coaches accuse Michael of being above the age limit and wonder how he can throw with this much power. Then tragedy strikes. Michael stops playing baseball anymore.

If you're any age and love sports, I recommend that you read Heat. Heat has adventure, baseball and newfound relationships that are unknown. Once you read Heat, you'll want to read another of Mike Lupica's magnificent books.

Luke M.R.

"Heat" by Mike Lupica is a book I can guarantee will make anyone stay on the edge of their seat. This book is about a boy Michael Arroyo trying to make it through his tough life which includes him playing his favorite sport, baseball. He came from Cuba in a boat to make it to America. Unfortunately his mother died when he was at a young age and his dad had just recently died. His brother Carlos, age 17, was looking after him with a little help from their neighbor, Mrs. Cora. Carlos was not old enough to watch him so they had to keep the father situation on the down low.
Michael was a baseball player, not the ordinary 12 year old player you would see. He was a 12 year old pitching an 80 mile per hour fastball. So during his tournament the fans and coaches saw this amazing creation. Due to the importance of winning to the coaches Michael was winning against, they started asking questions about what his real age actually was. This got to the little league board and eventually the government who made him and Carlos show them their birth certificate. To their dismay, it was still in Cuba and they had no contact to anyone there to retrieve it from. If they were caught with out their father there they would be separated and Michael would not be able to continue with his team on the way to a little league title.
I enjoyed many things about this book including the baseball tournament and the suspense that the book draws from me and all the other readers. I did not like how he had so many problems like his parents dying and the situation he was in with everyone only being a young teenager with a very great chance to make it far. But overall it was a great book with a great story line that anyone would like and enjoy.
So to figure out how this intense book ends you obviously must read it. I recommend this book to anyone ranging from any teenage baseball fan to adults who like reading a thriller and enjoy the sport of baseball. I hope you read this book I promise you that no one or you will be disappointed.

Good book for my son he liked it very much. Good seller too. Prompt.

The book Heat by Mike Lupica is a great book about a boy named Michael Arroyo, from Havana. His parents are both dead and it is just he and his brother Carlos. Michael loves baseball and wants to make it to the Little League World Series. And he his the greatest player on his team, the only thing holding him back is that some coaches think he is not the age that he says he is and get him dispelled from the league. His best friend Manny and his brother help him try to get back in the league. Will Michael get back in the league? If he does how will he do it? To find out you have to read the book. I loved this book even though it was a little hard to get into, but it is definitely worth reading.

The best adolescent sports fiction develops a human-interest story line simultaneously with the sports action and that is what Lupica does in this book. Michael Arroyo is growing up very close to Yankee Stadium and he is an excellent pitcher at the Little League level. His family fled Cuba, leaving their records and much of their life behind. In the previous spring, Mike's father died, leaving his 17-year-old brother Carlos and Mike to fend for themselves.
The problem is that Mike is too good and a few of the parents with children on other teams generate controversy by claiming that Mike is too old to play in the league. Much of it is competitive spite, but when Mike is unable to produce his birth certificate, he is suspended from play. Furthermore, the lack of a parent in their lives attracts the attention of the department of human services and Mike and Carlos are terrified that they will be exposed and placed in foster care.
Lupica does an excellent job of weaving these threads together and adding some deep friendship, witty dialog and involvement of the Yankees. This is a story that will keep you interested and even though you know that there will be a big game at the end, the trek there makes the predictable exciting.

read this a couple years ago and loved it great book for any sport lover

If you're a baseball fan, Heat is the book for you.
It's about a young boy named Michael Arroyo, from Cuba. He plays pitcher on a baseball team with his best friend Manny, the catcher on the team. It's a twelve-year-old
little league team that hopes to ride the cannon arm of Michael all the way to the Little League World Series.
Michael has a secret though. His father is dead and he's living illegally with his seventeen year old brother, Carlos.
Suspicions linger and Heat leaves you on the edge wondering what unexpected turn the next page will reveal.
One of my favorite things to this book is Michael's best friend, Manny. He's always cracking jokes and cheering Michael up. Here are some examples...
"Well, dude, maybe she noticed how funny you looked, even from this distance."
"Your turn. And don't worry, I'm like Radio Shack, if you've got questions, I've got answers."
"Dude, you're lucky you didn't drop a little something on strike one."
Mike Lupica does a great job in giving you a good baseball atmosphere image in your mind.
On a scale of 10, I would give this book a 9.5.
Read Heat!

The book "Heat" arrived in 3 days. It is a great story in a series of books for boys ages 7-10. Would recommend to kids that love sports.

Coltin Briggs
Rowe
Block 1 L.A.
10-2-08

The book Heat is about a 12-year-old boy named Michael Arroyo. Michael is a great baseball player with an amazing right arm. He is very tall and skinny. Michael was born in Cuba where his dad who he and his older brother Carlos called Big Papi found a way to get them to the U.S.A. Michael lives in the Bronx of New York and is on the South Bronx All Star Team. He is the best pitcher for his age anyone has seen, being able to through in the high 70's.

This story takes place in the Bronx of New York. Most the story takes place at Macombs Dam Park. Here at Macomb's, there are two fields which are the Babe Ruth league fields and the little league fields which Michael played on. Over to the side you can see the basketball courts to the. You could here the roar of the train tracks overhead, and practically feel the breeze. Michael and his friends would go to their fields to play pickup games sometimes if they had enough players.

· Mrs. Cora, a neighbor in their apartment, was walking down the street with her very expensive looking purse. She was looking and wondering why most all the sport stores on River Avenue had the name Stan in them. She had just put $100 in her purse when suddenly a thief named Ramon ran

This book is about more that baseball. It's about a kid who's parents have died and left him with very little money. After all that is going wrong he gets banned from something he loves. (baseball)He lost alot but,he finds some help from places he would never have thought of in his life. Find out from reading the book.

I love this book because it explains so much about where things are and it is about a boy from cuba and a fat cop is trying to catch a robber named raymond and he lives really close to yankee stadium now and he was in the ball park and he was behind home plate when he saw raymond running in centerfield then Micheal picked up a baseball and fired it at raymond's head and caught him then the cop said "You got some arm kid" them Micheal is the boys name he said " Thanks the only person who told me that is my dad" Then he tries to make it to the liitle league world series and Micheal's dad is a coach in little league and his dads team won the world series.

The book Heat by Mike Lupica is about baseball. Michael is a kid and a star pitcher for his little league team. When his brother gets arrested for trying to break into Yankee Stadium and his dad dies in Florida, his family, his friends, and his baseball falls apart.

This book is really good because it gets into the details of baseball. It is also about problems like his friend Ellie losing his friendship with Michael because he was frustrated with everything that his mouth let out things that he didn't mean. Anybody who likes baseball, no matter how old, will like this book. Those who don't like baseball will still like the conflict in this book.

Heat is about a boy named Michael Arroyo he is a 12 year old boy who is living in america illegally; he left his birth certificate and he doesnt have any citizen ship papers.Michael lives in a working class neighborhood his family is very poor. He plays for the clippers in a local baseball team he is the best team he can pitch 60 mph the fastest in the league. Michaels dream was to play in the little league world series. Michaels father promised to be there to watch michael play in the game unfortuntely he dies before anything happened. Michal has a friend named cole who plays with him on the team they alwys practice at mcombs dam park a ark that is in really bad condition in a bad neghborhood. Michael is hiding from the league that he is not a citize and if the social serivices ever found out he' woill bge deported.

How do you lie about your dad's death? Michael and Carlos did. Michael is 12 while his brother Carlos is 17. With their dad dead Carlos has to try to make a living for both of them. Michael loves baseball like his friend Manny. Late in the baseball season a hot shot boy call Michael out and says he is 14 because of how tall and how fast he throws a baseball. Later he needs to get a birth certificate so he can play, but his birth certificate is back in Hispana were he used to live. Another trouble his family is facing is a child services guy wants to meet their father. Manny hires his uncle Timo to pretend he is their father (Timo is an actor). Will they fool him? I gave the book a ten out of ten for the amazing originality of the problems. This is a sports book for sports fans from the ages 11-15. The book shows how lying goes deeper and deeper until someone is bound to find out. There is but one controversial part in the book. Will Carlos and Michael get caught?

I loved "Heat" because of all the great things it had inside of it. Heat is about a 12 year old baseball player named Michael Arroyo who lives in New York City. He is a very good pitcher in the city league. The main theme of the story is that he is too good for his league. The coaches in his league wonder if he is older than the rest of the league. Once this problem comes upon Michael, he has is asked to show the league his birth certificate so they can make sure he is the same age as everyone else. But problems fall like rain on Michael and he cannot give them the certificate because he has lost both of his parents and only has his brother for his family. Michael has to get all the help he can to get past the coaches who are so curious. Michael cannot live without baseball so he will try anything and everything to get it back.

Heat is a book for ages 10 and up. Heat is a fun book that all sports fans will adore. Heat has thrills!

--Kyle Dickson

Michael Arroyo is a twelve-year-old kid who lives in Bronx, New York. Michael's father has died recently, so he lives with his seventeen-year-old brother (Carlos). While Carlos works to raise money to put food on the table, Michael plays baseball for a local Little League team as a pitcher who throws Heat. When some of the coaches in the league get suspicious and think Michael is too old for their age group, they force him to present a birth certificate. When Michael can't produce a legal birth certificate, they tell him he can't play until he shows one to the director.
I thought this book was interesting and kept you reading until the end. It did an amazing job at describing a problem that some kids may face today. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes baseball or just an enjoyable book. The author, Mike Lupica, has written two other books about kids in athletics and problems they have. They are titled Travel Team and Summer Ball. Both of which are exciting.

What if you were so good at baseball that people did not believe you were the age you say you are? Then what would happen if you had no way to prove your age? This happens to Michael Arroyo in Mike Lupica's realistic fiction novel titled Heat.

Heat tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Michael Arroyo. He is such a good pitcher that many coaches demanded he produce a birth certificate proving he is twelve. But the certificate is stuck back home in Cuba and Michael has no way of getting it. No mother, no father, and his brother Carlos is the only family he has.

Heat is the best baseball book I would recommend for those who like baseball. Michael has many things going wrong for him as described above. But on top of that, if the social services find out Michael is living with no parents, they could separate him and his brother. His dream is to pitch in the Bronx and social services could ruin that. As you read the book, you find yourself hoping events will happen in Michael's favor. Heat is an entertaining story of a boy who has big dreams in baseball.

My 9 year old son read this book last summer and totally loved it. He's not a huge reader, preferring to actually be playing the sports, but managed to finish this over the course of one week. He thought it was fantastic.

As an adult delving into literature written for middle grade kids, I have to say I loved this book. Too many at this age speak down to kids as though they are not smart enough to understand bigger words or concepts. This book simply tells the story without the overuse of wordy explainations.

The story centers around the Main Character, Michael Arroyo, who is a phenomenal Little League pitcher. Baseball is Michael's joy and his passion. But most of all, it is his outlet; because baseball is not the only thing going on in Michael's life. In fact, there are more important issues that haunt the young Bronx player. When life deals Michael and his brother the most devastating blow a child can experience, more bad luck seems to follow. Then, when things can't seem to get any worse, a trumped-up charge might keep Michael off the ballfield too.

Mike Lupica does a wonderful job weaving difficult reality into this heartwarming story of baseball, friendship and family. What more can a reader ask?

Heat was a very good book. It is especially good to people who understand little league and like baseball. If you don't like baseball, then this isn't the book for you. But if you know a thing about baseball, then you would love this book.

My 10 year old son read this book. He isn't particularly fond of reading, so for him to say he loved a book and didn't want to put it down means it is a truly good book!!

If you don't like books on baseball written for young adults, this book isn't for you. It does not transcend its nature. However, it is an excellent example of its kind and well worth your time if you like this kind of book at all.

The central character is well-drawn and sympathetic but his sidekick, his Catcher and pal is possibly even better and their interaction is funny also. Their is a love-interest but nothing innapropriate for kids that age happens and this romance may simply be the beginning of a long friendship, which would be no tragedy.

There are some very nicely done minor characters.

The narration is unobtrusive and fits the situation. The dialogue is not on the lines of adult conversation but it is mostly kids talking and is as it should be.

The baseball is fun and the story is worth reading.

Michael Arroyo is a 12-year-old boy who lives baseball. His father had died from a heart attack, which was caused from a family gene because that's how his dad had died, and so forth. Michael Arroyo has a tremendous talent from being a hero to a regular kid who loves baseball. He finds out that he has a gift as a pitcher and is an all-around good baseball player. He and his brother are the only ones that have to take care of each other but they have their trusted neighbor who lets them watch the Yankees games on television because of Michael's favorite pitcher, El Grande. It's one of his dreams to see El Grande pitch. He also wants to go to the Little League World Series in Cooperstown. But Michael can't tell anyone about his dad or he will be handed over to the Social Services and will be put up for adoption. Will Michael get found out? Will he live his dreams? Read the book and find out!

I think that this book can really relate to people that live in New York, and anyone who likes baseball or sports will like this book because the author catches you with his voice and how he uses it in the book. I would recommend this book!

"He doesn't throw like any twelve year old that I've seen" The story Heat is about a boy named Michael Arroyo who has a rocket for an arm. He is growing up right next to Yankee stadium. This character shows lots of perseverance because when they say he is too old, he never gives up. All Michael wants to do is make it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. One problem is that he doesn't have a birth certificate, so nobody will believe that he is a 12 year old. My favorite character is Manny because he is Michael's best friend and acts as a his sidekick. He always sticks up for Michael when other people give him a rough way to go. The author of Heat is Mike Lupica and when he writes this book, he makes you think that this could really happen The view point of this book is from a 3rd person narrator. The setting of this book is New York in 2006 and. the genre of Heat is realistic fiction. One thing that I wish would be different is the ending because it doesn't really tell you what happened to Michael and his team. There is only one book in this series, but most of Lupica's books are about sports.

This book is about a 12 year old kid who struggles with his brother since his dad died. His brother has a hard time paying the bills when it thier finiancal plan takes a turn for for the worst. Meanwhile htere are problems with what his lifes revolves around-baseball. Will he be able to ever get to Williamsburg? Read the book to find out.

This is the best book I have ever ead as it had me turning the page as often as I could. That is hard to say because I have read at least 80 books in my whole life!!! READ IT OR BE SORRY!!!Travel Team

Heat is Hot

Michael Arroyo is an amazing pitcher, but he has a secret that no one can know. His father died but his brother is not of age to legally take care of Michael and himself. Michael is also 13, too old to play with this age group in the Rec. League. All through the book he has to keep two huge secrets all while being a kid and playing the one thing he really loves - baseball. Heat by Mike Lupica is a great baseball book.
Heat is written by renowned sports writer and commentator Mike Lupica. Mike Lupica has also written other books like Travel Team. In this book, Mike Lupica does a great job of bringing America's favorite pastime into a great story.
I would strongly recommend Heat to any one who likes sports, specifically baseball. I would also recommend it to any one who likes realistic fiction books and a generally a good story.

I felt that overall it was a good book. It is about a twelve year-old boy named Micheal and his quest to make it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. He lives in South Brooklyn, New York and grew up watching the Yankees. Eventually his team, the Clippers, make to the LLWS playoffs. However, a series of events leads to Micheal being unable to play for the Clippers. Micheal, being the best player on the Clippers' roster, is forced to sit out until a couple of his friends save the day... I think that this book ends in a poor place to end. Like the author was being a little lazy or rushed.

Michael, an unusually talented 12-year-old pitcher on his Little League team, has a lot going on at home that only his best friend Manny and the kindly lady upstairs in his apartment building, Mrs. C., know about. Born in Cuba Michael lost his mother to cancer when he was very young. His father brought Michael and his brother Carlos to America with the hope of seeing Michael pitch in the Little League World Series.

Now his father is dead too and he and Carlos are trying to keep it a secret until Carlos, just a few months away of his 18th birthday, can legally assume custody of Michael. But Child services are getting suspicious, and a rival coach and player have accused Michael of being older than he claims, causing him to be suspended until he can find proof but his birth certificate is back in Cuba.

Michael, an unusually talented 12-year-old pitcher on his Little League team, has a lot going on at home that only his best friend Manny and the kindly lady upstairs in his apartment building, Mrs. C., know about. Born in Cuba Michael lost his mother to cancer when he was very young. His father brought Michael and his brother Carlos to America with the hope of seeing Michael pitch in the Little League World Series.

Now his father is dead too and he and Carlos are trying to keep it a secret until Carlos, just a few months away of his 18th birthday, can legally assume custody of Michael. But Child services are getting suspicious, and a rival coach and player have accused Michael of being older than he claims, causing him to be suspended until he can find proof but his birth certificate is back in Cuba.

Heat was a good book about a boy name Michel that live in the Bronx. If you love baseball the you will love Heat because it is filled with with it. Michel Plays abaseball and is 12, he is the best player and pitcher on the team. His brother Carlos supports himself and Michel and it is a great book and you should all read it.

heat is a book about a kid, michael who pitches like he's a proffesenal. he is so good that he can throw 75 mhp in 7th grade. once when a teenager stole a ladies purse mike hit the kid in the back of the head with a base ball from home plate. the teenager was in the out field when mike hit him. I liked this book because it has alot of action. I advise you to read this book. this is a 7th to 10th grade level book. read it to find out what the suprising endholds in store for you.

Pop! The sound of a baseball hitting the catchers glove at 80 miles per hour. Would you believe a[...]could throw that fast? Michael Arroyo a 12 year old baseball allstar from the bronx NY can! Even though none of the rival coaches believe it. Michael is asked to prove his age in order to play in the williamsport world series. He won't be allowed to play in the Williamsport World Series. he won't be able to play without his birth certificate wich is still in cuba. Baseball is the most important thing in michaels life and it might be taken away from him.Micael lives with his brother Carlos because his parents died. In addition to worrying about his birth certificate, Michael is also afraid of being seperated from his brother. Carlos is not old enough to have custody of him and Michael worries that social service people will split them apart. to find out if Michael's problems are solved read Heat by Mike Lupica. When you're done reading Heat check out Mike Lupica's other best selling novel Travel Team.

Do you really love baseball so much that you listen to it, watch it, and play it all day? Well, Michael Arroyo does. He lives in the Bronx right on the shadow of Yankee Stadium but dreams of actually going there and of his little league team, the Clippers, going to the finals in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He is the best pitcher on his team but has other things to worry about. He lives with his older brother Carlos but doesn't live with any parents because they both passed away. But if anyone finds out, Michael and his brother will be separated. There are also some complaints about Michaels amazing pitching which takes him out of baseball for a while. Rival coaches don't believe that Michael is twelve years old. Michaels favorite baseball player is El Grande, a Cuban born player just like Michael. Michaels dream is to be able to pitch just as good as El Grande. Baseball is a game of heroes and champions who refuse to lose, and Michael is one of those heroes.

A young boy beans a criminal in the head, on a fly and knocks him out! Michael Arroyo saves the day. Read a story about the ultimate baseball season- complete with Yankee heroes, playing at Yankee Stadium, and hopefully a trip to Williamsport, PA.

Michael Arroyo's dream is to play on the Yankees, but what always comes first is the Little League World Series. Michael has an amazing talent for throwing pitches and is with no doubt, the best player on the Clippers (the team Michael plays on). There is a big problem between Michael and rival teams. It seems that Michael is too good to be true; no one besides his friends and fellow coach friends believe he is twelve years old. Michael has no way to prove it because both of his parents passed away and his birth certificate is stuck in his homeland, Cuba. If the social services find out he lives with no parents and only with a brother who has two jobs, he will have a bigger problem of being separated from the only family member still with him. Baseball can be a game of heroes or of winners who refuse to lose. It can also ruin your dreams. But for Michael Arroyo, that's now about to happen.

The book Heat is about a baseball team. The book was exciting because the team won a lot of games. One of the best parts of the book was when Michael was chasing his girlfriend.
Another part of the book I liked was when Michael said that baseball make him feel happy and normal. He said he felt as if he had turned back the clock, that things were the way they used to be, before his dad died. The way things were before Carlos became the man of the house.
I like this book because it is cool. It is a little funny cause Michael gets a girlfriend. A sad part of the book is that Carlos's dad died. I read this book because Mick Lupica is a good author and he writes a lot of sport books.

this book by mike lupica was an AWESOME follow up of TRAVEL TEAM. all his books r VERRRY well written. this was a real life situation that really touched me.
BEST BOOK!!!!

For the most part, my 12 year old son and I share the same summer reading list. Ironically, I read Lupica's "Heat" right after I finished SE Hinton's "The Outsiders". While Lupica paralled many of Hinton's storyline (have's vs the have-nots, talented orphan being raised by older, sacrificing sibling being the most obvious), it was none-the-less refreshing and enjoyable through the last page.

If you are a Little Leaguer or parent of one, I highly recommend it.