Booktalk #1

ZJ grew up with a dad who was everyone’s hero. As a professional football player, Zachariah Johnson is the tough tight end who is fearless on the field. At home, he is a loving dad who is full of energy and attention towards his son and his friends. When Zachariah begins to have mood swings, headaches, and memory lapses, the family doesn’t know what to think. When he starts to become angry all the time, the family is even more concerned. Told through a series of flashbacks to better times, ZJ, his mom, and his dad fight to figure out what is going on. After learning that Zachariah’s issues are the result of all the head injuries he sustained during his football career, the family struggles to figure out their new normal. This novel, which is told in verse, beautifully describes the confusion, sadness, and fear that ZJ and his family go through. As ZJ watches his father fade away, he yearns to hold on tight to the family that was, while trying to figure out if they will ever be happy again. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award nominee, 2022)

Booktalk #2

In this novel in verse, ZJ’s larger-than-life father, a football star, is suffering from the results of traumatic brain injury - and ZJ and his family now have to deal with a tragic condition that will never get better. ZJ’s enduring love for his dad and the support he gets from his three best friends help him deal with the new ever after – but the outcome is ultimately heartbreaking. There’s a lot to talk about here. Are some sports worth it? What kind of price do we expect athletes to pay? (Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, 2022)