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The Off Season

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Heartwarming tale starring sporty teen girl.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Situations that test friendships, social standing, and a family are portrayed with honesty and integrity.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A football player is injured after taking a hit during a game.

  • Sex:

    A teen couple makes out; a lesbian couple is caught in bed, but were only actually sleeping. A mother is upset her daughter "can't keep her hands off" her boyfriend and fears she will get pregnant. A teen couple is accused of fooling around when one stays out all night.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Teens and adults drink alcohol.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of The Off Season was written by Terreece Clarke

Parents need to know that there is discussion of girls being lesbians, underage drinking, and dealing with a disability. There is also some teen kissing and romance.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the importance of being a leader and a true friend. What personal strengths did each character portray? What weakness did they show? What strengths or weaknesses do you identify with or see in yourself?
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More on The Off Season

Book Summary

D.J. Schwenk started off having a pretty good year. She and her best friend Amber were talking again, she was spending more quality time with Brian, and she was playing some great football for Red Bend High School's varsity squad. When a heap of trouble heads her way D.J. finds strength and courage to face some of the toughest things she and her family have ever gone through.
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Is It Any Good?

In this follow-up to the popular Dairy Queen, Catherine Murdock really captures the essence of what it means to be a teen girl. A 6' tall girl linebacker, D.J's pretty unusual alright, but she is also honest, funny, hardworking, loyal, and so personable that every girl can find a little bit of themselves in her. The characters are a lovable bunch and readers will quickly fall in love with the whole Schwenk family.

Murdock's storytelling ability brings something really fresh and cool to the teen school genre. There's angst, but there is also strength that transcends many of the difficult situations.

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Publisher’s Details

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, Publication date: 3/18/2008
Number of pages: 288, Price: $8.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 12, Read Alone: 12

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    BOOKlover SMILES
    Lives in Indiana
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    LOVED this book!!!!!!!

    This was an amazing book! Catherine Murdock is now one of my fave authors. I highly suggest you read the first book "Dairy Queen" before reading this one.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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