*Heat

by Mike Lupica

Michael Arroyo is a 12-year-old Cuban American who lives in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. Yes, he is a Little League ballplayer, and, yes, he has a dream: to pitch in the Little League World Series. To do so, his South Bronx All-Stars, the immigrants from the Bronx, will need to beat the rich kids from the suburbs in the regional championship, to be played in--you guessed it--Yankee Stadium.  Michael and his brother, 17-year-old Carlos, have a problem: tragically, Papi died of a heart attack a few months back, and the boys are hoping to avoid a foster home by pretending Papi is visiting a sick relative in Miami.  Afraid of being separated, they hide the news of their father's death from everyone but a kindly neighbor, Mrs. Cora, and Michael's best friend, Manny Cabrera.  Lurking behind the scenes is the issue of Michael's real age and whether he's really eligible to play in the Little League World Series, if his team makes it that far.

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