Carla is the top sports reporter for the school’s newspaper, and recruits Jerry to write blog entries related to football. Jerry is the school’s star quarterback, and finds a natural affinity for writing. Between the two of them, they’re supposed to cover football in their New Jersey football town where everyone eats, sleeps and dreams of football and winning the State championship.

Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/second-impact-david-klass-and...

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This is a unique book. It is told through blog posts. I kind of reminded me of Patrick Carmen’s Skeleton Creek series where you have one point of view told through video and one point of view told through emails. In this book we meet Jerry who was the captain and quarterback of his high school football team. A year before we are introduced to him we are told about a drunk driving accident he was involved in that cost him dearly. Not only did he lose his captain position and get suspended, but he almost killed his car’s occupants. The judge gave his a second chance. That is a theme within this book.
The other point of view is from Carla, a former soccer player and now a journalist on her schools blog. She had been injured while playing soccer. This made her realize that sometimes injuries are more serious than a coach wants to believe. Jerry’s best friend sustains a concussion during a game. This is enough to send Carla off looking for answers. She is looked down on and listed a trouble maker because her thoughts are uncomfortable and something coaches and principals of winning teams don’t want to look at.
I found this book to come at a very appropriate time as one of my sixth grade students sustained a severe concussion while playing football, and it affected him in multiple ways. At the same time we have two other students who had sustained concussions playing sports. It has affected their ability to learn. This book is a wake-up call to parents and coaches everywhere. When given a second chance in life take it. Don’t look at life and decide, oh well that’s just a part of the risk. You have to ask yourself if the risk is too high. In Jerry’s case he is forced to look at a situation and make a decision. Did he make the right one? Read the book. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and it was snatched up before it ever hit my school shelves. ( )