| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heat | 2006 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
| 2 | Strike Zone | 2019 | Mike Lupica | Buy |
Heat is one of Mike Lupica’s most acclaimed YA novels. The 2006 book follows Michael Arroyo, a young pitcher in the Bronx whose talent draws scrutiny about his age and immigration status. The baseball story carries genuine weight because of the family and immigration stakes beneath the sports drama. Strike Zone (2019) returned to similar territory thirteen years later.
There are two books in the Heat series, published between 2006 and 2019.
The first book in the Heat series is Heat, published in 2006.
“Heat (2006) follows Michael Arroyo, a twelve-year-old Cuban-American pitcher in the Bronx with a fastball that draws attention — and suspicion about his age. The book weaves immigration issues and family drama into its baseball story. Strike Zone (2019) continues the themes with a new character facing similar pressures, returning to the intersection of baseball and the immigrant experience.”
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