Games: A Tale of Two Bullies

by Carol Gorman
A  novel for young readers.

From the Publisher

Mick Sullivan likes reading thrillers, daydreaming about Tabitha Slater, and teasing his archenemy, Boot Quinn.
Boot Quinn likes playing his guitar, daydreaming about Tabitha Slater, and punching his adversary, Mick Sullivan.
The two eighth graders are rivals in every way, and with two fights in the first week of school, they've set the stage for a yearlong showdown. That is, until a new principal arrives on the scene and forces Mick and Boot to spend an hour and a half each day playing games together. Two enemies, one small room, and no adult supervision--battle lines are bound to be crossed.
As the wins and losses are tallied, the boys find themselves fighting for their classmates' attention, a cute girl's affection, and their own fathers' respect.
But how far are they willing to go to win? And who are they really fighting?
There's only one way to find out.
Game on.

Oklahoma:

Nominated for Oklahoma's 2010 Sequoyah Intermediate Award.  Formerly Oklahoma's Sequoyah Young Adult Award.

Missouri:

Nominated for the Missouri Association of School Librarians' Truman book award.  Booklist of nominated titles.  More about the Truman award for young adults.

Kansas:

Included on the Kansas State Reading Circle 2008 Recommended Reading List.

Listed in the Kansas National Education Association "Reading Circle Catalog."

Mick Sullivan and Boot Quinn have a long history of fighting. So they are surprised when, after a fight, their principal wants them to play board games together instead of giving them suspensions. They discover that they are both trying to cope with alcoholic and abusive fathers. Each protagonist tells part of the story in alternating chapters. Gorman captures the middle-school mind set.

Comments and Reviews:

   "Gorman puts various models of masculinity on trial here....Boot and Mick, despite their bullying tendencies, come across as ultimately sympathetic boys responding to tough home lives...and readers will be heartened when they finally reach detente." - Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books (BCCB) April 2007

    "Quick-witted, fast-moving and uncannily attuned to middle-school life, 'Games' is likely to entertain and intrigue young readers of all types."- "Board Game Strategy Pays Off with Bullies" by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy  (Sunday February 04, 2007)  Cleveland Plain Dealer

    "The plot is taut and compelling, with deft, sympathetic characterization, memorable scenes, and right-on description of the middle-school culture....A must-read for adolescents and those trying to understand them."-School Library Journal    Read the full review.

    "Gorman, the author of Dork in Disguise and other books for younger YAs, tells the tale with humor and flair. The ending provides drama as Mick and Boot discover which wars are worth waging."  KLIATT

    "This novel is a great book for middle-school students, well-scripted, realistic, and entertaining.  The characters are true and understandable, and what Mick and Boot struggle through makes them the heroes of their own lives."-VOYA

    "[The characters'] paths to greater understanding and maturity are well developed. Best of all, Gorman effectively and memorably captures the elusive middle-school mind-set."-Booklist

Will the games allow the boys to work through their differences, or will the fights become more than they can handle? ... this realistic tale will give middle-school readers something to ponder. -- Kirkus Reviews.  Read the full review.

Here's what a few readers who took a "first look" had to say:

"Games was AWESOME! I couldn't put the book down." --Corey (Nixa, MO)

"This one was a winner." --K (Pine Lake, GA)

"Games is a great story for all kids, as bullying is everywhere,..."--Jocelyn (Asheville, NC)

"This book was very good."--Justin (Fulton, NY)

"This book was great!... I could not put this book down; I read it in one day!" --Desiree (Monterey Park, CA)