The Game of My Life: A True Story Of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic » (Bargain)

Jason "J-Mac" McElwain overcame a childhood diagnosis of severe autism, enabling him to attend Greece Athena High School where he earned a manager's position on the basketball team. He works at Wegmans in Rochester, New York, and lives in the neighboring town of Greece.

Daniel Paisner is the author of nearly 40 books, on such topics as sports, politics and entertainment, including seven New York Times bestsellers.

The incredible true story of one high school student's determination to triumph against the challenges of autism-and his opponents on the basketball court...

On February 15, 2006, the Greece Athena Trojans high school basketball team took the court for the final game of the regular season. With four minutes and nineteen seconds left on the clock, and the Trojans nursing a comfortable lead, the coach sent Jason McElwain-an autistic student and the team manager-to the scorer's table. He scored twenty points, including a school record six three- pointers. J-Mac, as McElwain became known, was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders, and a videotape of the game quickly found its way onto national television, making J-Mac a household name.

An inspiration to people everywhere, Jason McElwain's amazing accomplishment was broadcast on CN, ESPN, and local newscasts across the country, moving President Bush to tears with his courage and determination. The Game of My Life is one of the few books written by an autistic author-a riveting chronicle of how J-Mac overcame a lifetime of adversity.

VOYA

AGERANGE: Ages 12 to Adult.

The Game of My Life is as good as any textbook for those who have yet to learn the basic facts about autism, as well as those who believe that it inevitably conquers a person's character. Jason McElwain's personal account of his growth as an individual and autistic athlete is both sad and glorious, poignant and comical, educational and inspiring. It will appeal especially to boys with a taste for sports stories. Reviewer: Emily Petit, Teen Reviewer
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)