The League by Thatcher Heldring

This book is a new release (2013), and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Wyatt is a 98-pound eighth grader, and he needs to get control of his own life. He's been bullied by Spencer since the first grade, and he's being forced to play golf by his dad. He really wants to play football, partly to impress his cute neighbor, but his parents won't even approve of his playing in a touch football league. So, Wyatt decides to start a series of lies in order to play in a secret tackle football "league" with his teenage brother. Playing tackle football for the first time is really scary for Wyatt, but he soon comes to love it. Hopefully, playing a game he loves won't totally ruin the rest of his life.

I was never close to being the biggest athlete in school, so I can identify with Wyatt. The bullying, interactions with his brother and sister, and dealing with parents who don't seem to listen are common adolescent problems. The overly protective mother lives in many homes across the country. I liked how Wyatt tried to take control of his situation, although lying to his parents wasn't a great idea. The relationship with the neighbor girl had a realistic ring to it, and it gave balance to Wyatt's life.