Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot Hand | 2007 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
| 2 | Safe at Home | 2008 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
| 3 | Long Shot | 2008 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
| 4 | Two-Minute Drill | 2007 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
| 5 | Shoot-Out | 2010 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
The Comeback Kids series gives young readers five sports stories about bouncing back from setbacks. Mike Lupica covers basketball, baseball, football, and soccer across the five books, with each one following a different kid facing a different challenge. Published between 2007 and 2010, the series shows Lupica’s ability to write sports drama that resonates with middle-grade readers.
Hot Hand and Long Shot both center on basketball, while Safe at Home tackles baseball, Two-Minute Drill covers football, and Shoot-Out rounds things out with soccer. Each book stands alone with its own protagonist, so readers can start with whichever sport interests them most.
Lupica spent decades as a sports columnist before writing fiction, and that background shows in how he captures game-day pressure and locker room dynamics for a younger audience. The books are short enough for reluctant readers while still delivering real emotional weight when the characters face their setbacks head-on.