Heldring, Thatcher. Toby Wheeler: Eighth-grade benchwarmer

Heldring, Thatcher. Toby Wheeler: Eighth-grade benchwarmer. Delacorte, 2007 [978-0-385-73390-8]
Toby has always been happy (and pretty good at) picking up basketball games at the local rec center while his friend, JJ is on the school team. JJ says that Toby is not good enough to play "real" ball on a regular team with a coach. For a long time Toby resists these comments but finally decides to join the school team to become a better friend with JJ. Well, a tryouts Toby doesn't do too well and he ends up on the bench.. but he wants to stick it out to prove the to hard-nosed coach what he can do. After a while he feels the coach doesn't like him.. and to top it off...Toby has eyes on a girl at school. Before long he finds out that the girl is the coach's daughter. Can Toby get off the bench? Is it stupid to give his attentions to the coach's daughter? Will he ever get off the bench and prove to JJ and the coach what a good player he is? Read this 211 page book to find out. The story deals with friendship, sports, and coming of age.. something every boy at this age can relate to.