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Pop Library Binding – August 25, 2009

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 290 ratings

Pop delivers suspense, humor, sports action, and a compelling look at the damage those "pop"s in football can cause

Gordon Korman's books appeal to a wide range of kids and adults and can pull in even reluctant readers. Share Pop in your home or classroom; sports fans in particular won't be able to put it down.

When Marcus moves to a new town in the dead of summer, he doesn't know a soul. While practicing football for impending tryouts, he strikes up a friendship with a man named Charlie, the best football player Marcus has ever seen. He can't believe his good luck when he finds out that Charlie is Charlie Popovich, or "the King of Pop," as he'd been nicknamed during his career as an NFL linebacker.

Charlie turns out to be a prankster, and his actions get Marcus in trouble. He's also the father of the quarterback at Marcus's new school—who leads the team in icing out the new kid.

The story of a good kid's struggle to land on his feet in a new town after his parents split up combines with compelling sports action and even some romance in Gordon Korman's Pop.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A brisk, heartfelt and timely novel.” — New York Times Book Review

“Korman goes straight to the heart.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Thought-provoking.” — Publishers Weekly

“Fantastic…Perfectly captures the football experience.” — Newsday

“Funny, poignant and full of football action, POP hits you hard and doesn’t let up.” — Tim Green, author of the New York Times bestselling Football Genius and Football Champ

Praise for SUPERGIFTED: “Humorous, relatable, and full of heart, Korman’s gift for understanding the middle school mind is on full display.” — School Library Journal

Praise for SUPERGIFTED: “Managing a large cast of characters with ease, Korman creates a comedy of compounded errors leading to a public disaster and, strangely enough, a happy ending.” — Booklist

Praise for SUPERGIFTED: “Another chortleworthy outing from Korman.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for MASTERMINDS: PAYBACK: “Packed with surprising twists, high-speed chases, and plenty of near misses.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for MASTERMINDS: PAYBACK: “Korman’s action-packed caper series comes to a satisfying close…with a masterful balance of humor, thought-provoking questions, and adventure” — Booklist

Praise for MASTERMINDS: CRIMINAL DESTINY: “A thrilling and fun series perfect for middle grade adventure seekers” — School Library Journal

Praise for MASTERMINDS: CRIMINAL DESTINY: “Cat-and-mouse chase scenes deliver thrills…Volume 3 can’t get here soon enough.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for MASTERMINDS: CRIMINAL DESTINY: “Packed with enough thrilling action and suspense to keep the pages turning...[a] highly entertaining series.” — Booklist

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “A terrific page-turner. Full of unexpected twists and revelations. Buckle up.” — James Patterson

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “Masterminds takes readers on a wild ride with terrific humor, a surprising mystery, and characters you can’t help but root for.” — Brandon Mull, New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven series and the Five Kingdoms series

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “[A] compelling, twisty mystery . . . [with] a truly gratifying payoff” — Booklist (starred review)

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “This tense, fast-paced story will have readers racing toward the cliffhanger ending.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “This tense, fast-paced story will have readers racing toward the cliffhanger ending.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for MASTERMINDS: “This unique and action-packed story is filled with twists and turns that readers will not see coming. A wonderful start to what promises to be a thrilling series.” — School Library Journal

Praise for UNGIFTED: “Touching, without being overly sentimental, Ungifted is a gem for readers looking for a story where the underdog comes out on top.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for UNGIFTED: “From its lovable-robot jacket art to its satisfying conclusion, this will please Korman’s fans and win him new ones.” — ALA Booklist

Praise for UNGIFTED: “Donovan has a goofy kindness that charms characters and readers alike … The message is tolerance, and Korman expertly and humorously delivers it in an unpretentious and universally appealing tale.” — School Library Journal

Praise for UNGIFTED: “Funny and insightful.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Back Cover

When Marcus moves to a new town in the dead of summer, he doesn't know a soul. While practicing football for impending tryouts, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with an older man. Charlie is a charismatic prankster—and the best football player Marcus has ever seen. He can't believe his good luck when he finds out that Charlie is actually Charlie Popovich, or "the King of Pop," as he had been nicknamed during his career as an NFL linebacker. But that's not all. There is a secret about Charlie that his family is desperate to hide.

When Marcus begins school, he meets the starting quarterback on the team: Troy Popovich. Right from the beginning, Marcus and Troy disagree—about football, about Troy's ex-girlfriend, Alyssa, but most of all about what's good for Charlie. Marcus is betting that he knows what's best for the King of Pop. And he is willing to risk everything to help his friend.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balzer + Bray; 1st edition (August 25, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Library Binding ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061742309
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061742309
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 740L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 290 ratings

About the author

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Gordon Korman
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Gordon Korman has written more than fifty middle-grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times #1 bestseller The 39 Clues: One False Note, The Juvie Three, Son of the Mob, Born to Rock, and Schooled. Though he didn't play football in high school, Gordon's been a lifelong fan and season ticket holder. He says, "I've always been fascinated by the 'culture of collision' in football and wanted to explore it-not just from the highlight films but from its darker side as well." Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
290 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
My 12yo really enjoys this author. We have many of his books on our shelves
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2019
Pop by Gordon Popovitch is a book about a kid in high school named Marcus trying to fit in at a new school and football team. Marcus meets an adult named Charlie, who turns out to have played in the NFL. Marcus finds out that Charlie’s family is hiding a secret about him, and it’s up to Marcus to help Charlie. The book is an emotional and touching story. It’s also a great read, even if you don’t like football that much.
I really liked this story because I could relate to a lot of things Marcus was going through. Marcus just moved into a new school and is trying to fit in, which I could understand. I also liked this story because I’m interested in football, so the parts where they were playing football were interesting to me.
There are some ordinary parts about the book, but there are many special things in the stories. The characters in the story are very stereotypical (new guy, jock, cheerleader). The characters interact in a very interesting way, especially how the character of Charlie ties them all together. The many minor conflicts and disagreements that occurred were typical and ordinary, but the main problem that Marcus faces is very unique and special.
After the problem is “solved,” the happy ending was short lived. The story ended in a sad, but satisfying way. Overall, the story was very entertaining (I read it in a single day because I couldn’t stop) and even inspired me to help people in need.
In conclusion, Pop is a great story. The plot is interesting, and the end will make readers emotional. Football fans will also not be disappointed because football is mentioned a lot in this story. Readers can learn the importance of friendship and be inspired to help a friend in need. I wouldn’t recommend it to kids too small, because there are a couple of romance scenes and complicated football terms (though it is appropriate for kids around middle school and up). I would recommend this book to readers who are up to reading a decent-sized book about football and friendship.
6 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2015
Nice book i like it.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2023
The book was a great way to get a new story in your head.
I would recommend this to THE whole world.
It's a great book on safety of nfl as well.
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2022
I love all Korman's books. You cannot go wrong choosing one of his mysteries or contemporary middle grade novels. POP has themes of the importance of sportsmanship and empathy for others that are universal.
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2020
You should really make a sekond one with all of the sa.e characters but a different plot or without Charlie. But this was probably the best book I have read all year. Plzz make another one just like it. P.S. Couldn't put the book down.
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019
I loved this book.The story is so great. But the is some bad words for kids, like bitch and hell, so i recomend to kids with 12 years up.But still, i loved this book!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2013
Not fantastic, but good. If you like football, than I guarantee you will like this book. If you don't like football, then don't read it.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The reader really enjoyed this !!!!
Reviewed in Canada on January 19, 2019
Another great Christmas hit !!!!