The Ironman: A Novel, by Chris Crutcher, is an intense look into the life of a seventeen-year-old athlete whose strained relationship with his father lands him in an anger management group, where he must deal with his feelings among other emotionally-challenged students.

Carl Deuker's Heart of a Champion chronicles the close friendship of two boys, who bond over their love of baseball while struggling with some of life's more difficult challenges, specifically alcoholism.

Roughnecks is Thomas Cochran's debut novel about a high-school senior who believes his performance on the football field is inherently connected to discovering the truth about himself.

Chris Crutcher's Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes follows the friendship between a physically-deformed girl and the boy who stays overweight for fear of losing his best friend.