Out of the Pocket | 
| Author: Bill Konigsberg
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $8.95
You Save: $8.04 (47%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 48520
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1
ISBN: 0525479961
EAN: 9780525479963
ASIN: 0525479961
Publication Date: September 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Star quarterback Bobby Framingham, one of the most talented high school football players in California, knows hes different from his teammates. Theyre like brothers, but they dont know one essential thing: Bobby is gay. Can he still be one of the guys and be honest about who he is? When hes outed against his will by a student reporter, Bobby must find a way to earn back his teammates trust and accept that his path to success might be more public, and more difficult, than hed hoped. An affecting novel about identity that also delivers great sportswriting.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
An absorbing and entertaining read January 6, 2009
In "Out of the Pocket", Bill Konigsberg has created a vivid depiction of a gay teen's coming-out. Bobby Framingham must deal with not just the realization that he is gay but also how his homosexuality uniquely affects him as a star athlete. Bobby's coming-out provokes a range of reactions from his family, friends and teammates. The characters and their reactions are presented realistically and don't fall into stereotypes. Likewise, the football game situations build the drama without falling into the usual formulas. The end of the book is neither overly saccharine nor tragic but feels just right. You're left wanting to find out how Bobby's future turns out and hopefully there will be a sequel.
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too December 30, 2008
In the locker room, the word fag is tossed around jokingly between teammates. What they do not realize is that among them is someone struggling to accept that he is different, that he is gay. br /br /It is one thing being gay - it is totally another thing playing a testosterone-driven sport, being the star quarterback, and being gay. br /br /Bobby Framingham, star quarterback, who dreams of playing for Stanford, is an all around good guy; handsome, popular and gay. No one knows yet and he is not ready to tell anyone, either. Bobby realizes that there are a lot of issues and angles that need to be worked out before coming out. There is a matter of family, friends, teammates, and, of course, Carrie, the girl who is his best friend and who wants more than he can give. br /br /There is one problem, an over-zealous student reporter that would love to do a story on him coming out - and who outs him sooner than what Bobby wishes. As if being a teenager isn't hard enough, how is an outed star athlete going to handle such public exposure? br /br /As to date, while there are many famous gay people in the arts, there are no openly gay people playing football, baseball, or basketball. Two people admitted to be being gay but it was long after their retirement. So many reasons to keep quiet - fear of being cut, hostile locker rooms, loss of fans. However, the world is changing and our sports culture needs to change, too. br /br /Hopefully, we will see more young gay athletes challenge homophobic views held by others on who should be involved in sports. One line in the book that stands out is "being homophobic is just as bad as being racist."br /br /OUT OF THE POCKET is a good coming-of-age story with an honest and realistic portrayal of all of the character's reactions. I think that it would make a good addition to GLBTQ collections in both public and school libraries, as it is truly a great example of finding yourself no matter what your sexual orientation/experiences may be. br /br /You will find yourself rooting for Bobby just as I did.br /br /Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick
cheesy but sweet December 26, 2008
what a cheesy story!!! But it's better than most of gay books around. So go ahead and read it. Although if you are not American don't think that life is that easy in the USA as it's described in this story of coming out.
Coming-of-Age with Heart December 15, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Konigsberg, Bill. "Out of the Pocket", Dutton Juvenile, 2008.br /br /Coming-of-Age with Heartbr /br /Amos Lassen br /br /"Out of the Pocket" is no ordinary gay coming-of-age story. It provokes thought, it entertains and it uplifts. Bobby Framingham is the star quarterback and one of the most talented football players in California--but he has a secret. He is not like his other teammates who are like his brothers but they do not know that Bobby is gay. When a student reporter outs him, Bobby has to find a way to regain the trust and friendship of the team. He must also accept the fact that his sexuality is now public and his journey to acceptance of himself and by others becomes difficult.br /Everything about this book is wonderful and it is written with beautiful honesty and it is just about the perfect book for teenagers and their parents who are dealing with this issue. Aside from the coming out story, there is a fascinating story of the role we play in others' lives. Here is the story of a gay athlete with no traumas and no tragedy.br /
A realistic portrayl of the sometimes difficult task of self acceptance on the path to success November 16, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am not one of those men enamored with sports, particularly team sports, so I was not sure how much I would empathize with a fictional, outed, high school star quarter back. I found myself immersed in Bobby Framingham's world. I wanted the experience to last and deliberately took my time reading the novel. br /br /I came out around the age of 28, after I met my current partner of 21 years. I cannot imagine how I would have handled such public exposure as a star athlete in high school, but Mr. Konigsberg takes the reader through the many emotional twists and turns of the process and brings you and the main character through it all intact, but changed. You don't have to be gay to benefit from reading this coming of age story.br /br /Recently my partner's ex-co-worker called to tell him that her 16 year-old son had just come out to her. While she assured her son of her love, she was concerned about his happiness. He told her he is not ready to come out to classmates, not sure of how they will respond. In addition to telling her that she may want to contact her local PFLAG organization, we suggested that she read "Out of the Pocket" and perhaps share it with her son.br /
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