Red Zone, by Tiki & Ronde Barber

Brothers, Tiki and Ronde Barber, know a thing or two about football. Tiki plays for the New York Giants and Ronde plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Red Zone gives the reader insight into where these football phenom's story started as their 9th grade football season is recounted.

The Hidden Valley Eagles are off on the right foot leading up to the most important games of the season, with a good overall record and having improved a great deal over the course of the season. As the playoffs approach Tiki, Ronde and the rest of the team are confident that they will have a good run in the playoffs...maybe even make it all the way to the championship! Disaster strikes when one of their best players comes down with a fever and spots? That's right. Chickenpox!

As one player after another becomes spotted, the teams' dreams of being district champions start to look like nothing more than just that...a dream. The brothers step up to fill the spots left empty as players drop right and left, but when they come down with the itch as well, it seems that there is no hope. The boys' hope and determination are reignited by the inspiring words and hard work ethic of their Mother and the camaraderie they share with their teammates. Will it be enough to make it all the way?

You'll be itching to get to the end of the book and find out the fate of the Eagles, as they wrangle with the ups and downs and ultimately find that teams win and lose games, not individuals.