It was everything he'd been dreaming of. His future was falling into place... Kadeem is the outstanding quarterback on his high school team, and the college scouts are noticing him. After one particularly good practice, he meets with an assistant coach from Teller University, a school known for their top-notch football program. Kadeem visits the school, goes to games, meets cheerleaders and gets money to go out to eat while he's there, all the while being told that he'll not only have ascholarship to come play for them, but that "your professors will work with us... Teller doesn't want you to lose your scholarship because of academic difficulties." When a coach from a rival university points out that all of that violates the national recruiting rules, Kadeem is angry and feels betrayed. If he wants everything that's been offered to him, all he has to do is keep his mouth shut. If he decides to help the NCAA with their investigation, will it hurt his friends who are depending on sports scholarships to go to college? Will it kill his chances to play ball at the college level? Good football novel for reluctant readers. 7th grade and up. Review copy received from Lerner publishers. ( )

"Recruited" is one of a collection of new Hi-Lo books being released by the Lerner Publishing Group this spring. Kadeem is a high school senior and a star football player hoping to continue playing in college. When a recruiter from his dream school starts buying him meals, introducing him to college girls, and giving him tickets to games Kadeem thinks he has it made. When he finds out that this breaks the NCAA's recruitment rules he has to decide between the free ride and doing the right thing. This is an enjoyable and very quick read. The chapters are short and the vocabulary is simple, but the subject matter is complex which makes this a great choice for teens who need some extra help with their reading without feeling like they're being talked down to. This collection looks to be a fresh new resource for struggling high school readers. Grades 10 - 12. ( )