Pop

Pop

By Gordon Korman

2 ratings 1 review 4 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 6 - 8Grades 6 - 8Y5.152682

When Marcus moves to a new town in the dead of summer, he doesn't know a soul. While practicing football for impending tryouts, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with an older man. Charlie is a charismatic prankster—and the best football player Marcus has ever seen. He can't believe his good luck when he finds out that Charlie is actually Charlie Popovich, or "the King of Pop," as he had been nicknamed during his career as an NFL linebacker. But that's not all. There is a secret about Charlie that his family is desperate to hide.

When Marcus begins school, he meets the starting quarterback on the team: Troy Popovich. Right from the beginning, Marcus and Troy disagree—about football, about Troy's ex-girlfriend, Alyssa, but most of all about what's good for Charlie. Marcus is betting that he knows what's best for the King of Pop. And he is willing to risk everything to help his friend.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published on 1/18/2011
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 272

Book Reviews (2)

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8thGradeReader 8thGradeReader

Pop by Gordon Popovitch is a book about a kid in high school named Marcus trying to fit in at a new school and football team. Marcus meets an adult named Charlie, who turns out to have played in the NFL. Marcus finds out that Charlie’s family is hiding a secret about him, and it’s up to Marcus to help Charlie. The book is an emotional and touching story. It’s also a great read, even if you don’t like football that much. I really liked this story because I could relate to a lot of things Marcus was going through. Marcus just moved into a new school and is trying to fit in, which I could understand. I also liked this story because I’m interested in football, so the parts where they were playing football were interesting to me. There are some ordinary parts about the book, but there are many special things in the stories. The characters in the story are very stereotypical (new guy, jock, cheerleader). The characters interact in a very interesting way, especially how the character of Charlie ties them all together. The many minor conflicts and disagreements that occurred were typical and ordinary, but the main problem that Marcus faces is very unique and special. After the problem is “solved,” the happy ending was short lived. The story ended in a sad, but satisfying way. Overall, the story was very entertaining (I read it in a single day because I couldn’t stop) and even inspired me to help people in need. In conclusion, Pop is a great story. The plot is interesting, and the end will make readers emotional. Football fans will also not be disappointed because football is mentioned a lot in this story. Readers can learn the importance of friendship and be inspired to help a friend in need. I wouldn’t recommend it to kids too small, because there are a couple of romance scenes and complicated football terms (though it is appropriate for kids around middle school and up). I would recommend this book to readers who are up to reading a decent-sized book about football and friendship.
Mrs. Young Mrs. Young

A very enjoyable story about football and more! I highly recommend it!