Backfield Boys by John Feinstein

Backfield Boys

A Football Mystery in Black and White

John Feinstein

Farrar Straus & Giroux · Print & ebook · August 29, 2017

In Backfield Boys, renowned sports journalist and New York Times–bestselling author John Feinstein tells a thrilling story of friendship, football, and a fight for justice.

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Who it’s for
A sports mystery with enough social friction to give the page some bite.
Genres
Football, Prejudice & Racism for Teens, Activism & Social Justice
Published
Farrar Straus & Giroux, August 29, 2017

About this book

In Backfield Boys, renowned sports journalist and New York Times–bestselling author John Feinstein tells a thrilling story of friendship, football, and a fight for justice. Freshman footballers Jason Roddin and Tom Jefferson are a perfect pair: Jason is a blazing-fast wide-receiver, while his best friend Tom has all the skills a standout quarterback needs.

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After summer football camp at an elite sports-focused boarding school, the boys are thrilled to be invited back with full-ride scholarships. But on day one of practice, they’re shocked when the team's coaching staff makes Tom, a black kid, a receiver and Jason, a white kid, a quarterback. Confronted with mounting evidence of deep-seated racial bias, the boys speak out, risking their scholarships and chances to play. As tensions ratchet up with coaches and other players, Tom and Jason must decide how much they're willing to lose in a conflict with powerful forces that has nothing—and everything—to do with the game they love.

Game Pressure

A sports mystery with enough social friction to give the page some bite.

Come here for

  • football-mystery framing
  • black-and-white tensions with a classroom-friendly edge

Expect

  • tight, readable momentum
  • discussion-ready classroom crossover

Where it sits

Football93%
Prejudice & Racism for Teens82%
Activism & Social Justice53%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Prejudice & Racism for Teens
  • Activism & Social Justice
  • Football
Authors
John Feinstein
Publisher
Farrar Straus & Giroux
Published
August 29, 2017
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Prejudice & Racism for Teens