Heat by Mike Lupica

Heat by Mike Lupica is the story of a young man, Michael Arroyo, and his struggle to keep his life together after the death of his father. Michael, his brother, Carlos, and his father, Papi, came to the New York from Cuba where Papi worked as a taxi driver and Michael was an incredible Little League pitcher. When Papi suddenly died, Carlos, just a few months away from turning eighteen, and Michael were able to continue living together in their apartment with the help of their neighbor, Mrs. Cora. Things were going as smoothly as they could until several Little League coaches called Michael’s age into question – he was too good to be only twelve years old. With no record of a birth certificate (they neglected to bring it along when they left Cuba) and many “Official Persons” asking too many questions, Michael and Carlos aren’t sure if they can keep-up their act much longer. This is a great book if you love baseball and still a good book if you don’t – romance, suspense and celebrity keep this story moving until the very end.