In the Pocket: Johnny Unitas and Me by Mike Leonetti, illustrated by Chris O'Leary Ages 9-11 32 pages Chronicle September 2008 Hardcover     The 1958 NFL Championship between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts went down in history as “the greatest game ever played.” The Colts, led by quarterback Johnny Unitas, pushed the game into sudden-death overtime when they tied the score during the last two minutes of the game, eventually clenching the win. In the Pocket is one little boy’s version of that incredible game and the inspiration it gave him. Billy wants to be quarterback on his team, but his coach doesn’t think he’s ready. “Get a little meat on those bones,” he says. Billy is discouraged until he meets his idol, Johnny Unitas. “Well, Billy, don’t give up. When I was your age, I was the smallest boy in my class,” Johnny tells him. Billy takes Johnny’s advice to heart, especially when he is witness to Johnny’s greatest game. Afterward, Billy vows to practice throwing every day and eat right to get strong. When football tryouts come again, will Billy be able to throw like Johnny? Author Mike Leonetti, famous for his children’s hockey series books, has penned another fine sports tale. This time he hits the goal by targeting future football stars. Although the book is a bit long by today’s picture book standards and a tad on the didactic side, it still works well for an older age bracket. As always, illustrator Chris O’Leary’s artwork is spot on. Done in acrylics on watercolor paper, this artist’s renderings bring life-like excitement to each page. If you’ve got a child who is passionate about the game, In the Pocket may be just the motivational forced needed to produce that winning “never give up” attitude shared by all the greats.     web reviews   Niki Schoenfeldt/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)