Dribble, Shoot, Score! Basketball Fiction for Children and Teens Available from Wolfner Library
January 2007
Action on the basketball court is heating up in these fiction books for children and teens. BR means braille. RC means recorded cassette. LP means large print. Not all titles are available in all formats.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
For Kindergarten-Grade 3
Gus and Grandpa at Basketball by Claudia Mills.
Gus enjoys basketball practice, but the noise from the crowd and fast pace of real games bother him, and he doesn't play well. Then his game improves when grandpa gives him some good advice. Gus and Grandpa series. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. RC 54883.
For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me by Eloise Greenfield.
Inspired by basketball star Michael Jordan, a child vows not to listen to naysayers, but rather to boldly choose a path in the game of life and to pursue it with determination. Print/Braille. For grades K-3 and older readers. BR 11035.
For Grades 2-4
Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff by Stephen Krensky.
After bragging to his pen pal about his basketball skills, Arthur realizes that he has to make good on his boasts when the friend comes to visit. For grades 2-4. RC 61316.
The Berenstain Bears and the Wheelchair Commando by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
Harry McGill has started spending all of his time on the computer instead of playing wheelchair basketball with his friends. His parents hope that when they move to the country, Harry will make some new non-disabled pals. Brother and Sister try to become Harry's friends, but it isn't easy. They are in for quite a surprise when Too-Tall starts bullying Harry. For grades 2-4. RC 47125.
The Case of the Sneaker Snatcher by John Shearer.
Supersleuth Billy Jo Jive is hot on the trail of the thief who ripped-off the lucky sneakers of basketball ace Sneakers Jones. For grades 2-4. RC 15072.
For Grades 3-6
Delilah by Carole Hart.
Delilah Bush, almost ten years old, plays basketball and drums, and she wants to play center for the New York Knicks if she grows tall enough! For grades 3-6. BR 2572 and RC 9621.
Full Court Fever by Fred Bowen.
The seventh-grade basketball team is good, but having no tall players costs them game after game. Michael and his teammates especially dread their final game against the much-taller eighth- graders. Then an old sports magazine gives Michael an idea to give his team an edge. For grades 3-6. RC 50825.
Tarantula Shoes by Tom Birdseye.
As if moving across country isn’t bad enough, Ryan, almost twelve years old, learns, to his horror, that he will go to the junior high where sixth-graders are picked on. His only hope is to be cool and get a pair of Slam Dunk Sky Jumper basketball shoes. But where will he get the $124.99, plus tax? He works hard to earn most of it yet is still short. Then he makes a star out of Fang, his pet tarantula, but things never go smoothly! For grades 3-6. BR 10548 and RC 42794.
For Grades 4-7
Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher.
Daren, a star basketball player, blames everyone else when something goes wrong. When he bad-mouths one of his teammates, however, he goes too far and causes problems with morale. Can he learn to accept defeat, or will he be forced to leave the team? For grades 4-7. RC 50215.
The Final Cut by Fred Bowen.
Eighth-graders Ryan, Zeke, Miles, and Eli have always been friends, but now they're trying out for the school's basketball team. Ryan worries what will happen if they don't all make the cut—and they don't. For grades 4-7. RC 51029.
Get Those Rebounds by Les Etter.
Although he loves basketball, sixteen-year-old Rick is convinced he'll never attain the star status of his older brother. For grades 4-7 and older readers. BR 4235.
I Smell Like Ham by Betty Hicks.
Sixth grader Nick has a hard time adjusting to a dorky younger stepbrother and to a new stepmother who puts cloves in the shampoo. He also struggles to be the best basketball player on the team. For grades 4-7. RC 57634.
The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman.
Eddie enters a contest sponsored by Finkle Foods and has the chance to win a million dollars if he can sink a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals. But Mr. Finkle can't afford to let Eddie win. For grades 4-7. RC 52393.
Off the Rim by Fred Bowen.
Christopher has to warm the bench on his school's basketball team because he can't score. But with the help of Greta, the girl's champion, and her mother, a former star defense player, he learns that teamwork is more important than scoring. For grades 4-7. RC 51019.
On the Line by Fred Bowen.
Marcus is the star of his middle school basketball team, but his inability to sink free shots is causing the team to lose games. When he finally learns an odd but successful technique from a school janitor, Marcus is embarrassed to try it in public. For grades 4-7. RC 50826.
Tall Tales: Six Amazing Basketball Dreams by Charles R. Smith.
Six short stories about action on the basketball court. In "What Jo Did," Jo outperforms the big boys and really surprises them by being a girl. In "Walk Softly," the players respect Big John's jump shot even more after his sunglasses are accidentally knocked off, revealing his blindness. For grades 4-7. BR 12812.
The Tryouts by Elizabeth Levy.
A group of eighth-graders take matters into their own hands when one of their friends—a popular guy but a mediocre player—fails to make the new co-ed basketball team. For grades 4-7. RC 17663.
Wheel Wizards by Matt Christopher.
Before the car accident, twelve-year-old Seth dreamed of being a basketball star. Angry and unhappy now that he is in a wheelchair, Seth perks up when he is introduced to wheelchair basketball. For grades 4-7. RC 53573.
For Grades 5-8
Hoop Girlz by Lucy Jane Bledsoe.
Eleven-year-old River, who loves basketball, is not chosen to play in the town's tournament. She decides to create her own new team. With fourteen-year-old brother Zack as coach, River and her friends—including Jennifer in her wheelchair—play their hearts out. For grades 5-8. RC 58225. [This title is still in production, but it may be reserved.]
House of Sports by Marisabina Russo.
It means a lot for short, 12-year-old Jim Malone to be on the school basketball team. He resents family obligations that involve his elderly grandmother and interfere with practice sessions. Various triumphs and tragedies on and off the court teach him the value of more than basketball. For grades 5-8. RC 55137.
Outside Shooter by Thomas J. Dygard.
A high school basketball star's personality problems threaten not only his own career but also the success of his whole team. For grades 5-8. RC 15979.
Rebound Caper by Thomas J. Dygard.
High school basketball star Gary Whipple astounds everybody when he switches from the boys' to the girls' basketball team. For grades 5-8. RC 23615.
Stand Tall by Joan Bauer.
At six feet three and a half inches, Tree is the tallest seventh-grade boy but not the greatest basketball player. He copes with his parents' divorce by helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school. For grades 5-8. RC 61672.
Travel Team by Mike Lupica.
When twelve-year-old Danny Walker is cut from seventh-grade basketball for being too small, he and his dad, once a professional player, form their own team. But his father is injured in a car accident, so Danny takes over coaching for the big game. For grades 5-8. RC 59588.
For Grades 6-9
Basket Case by Robert Newton Peck.
Higbee Hartburn, the foremost prankster at Graffiti Prep School, goes to great lengths to make sure the school wins the last basketball game of the season against Pratt Falls High. A good-humored tall tale about basketball, teenage life, and teenage love. For junior and senior high readers. BR 6153.
Fastbreak Rebel by William Heuman.
When Terry Jackson from Southern U is drafted by the professional Wildcats, he doesn't realize that the team is losing its Southern manager and that his new coach will be black. For grades 6-9. BR 2116.
Jump Ball: A Basketball Season in Poems by Mel Glenn.
The story of a championship high school basketball team told in free-verse poems. Follows the home and school life of the players and coach until tragedy strikes on the way to the final game. For grades 6-9. RC 46367.
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein.
Eighth-graders Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson have won a sports writing contest with a prize trip to New Orleans for the Final Four college basketball tournament. Their reporting becomes sleuthing when they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game. For grades 6-9. RC 60035.
Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Free Throws by Janette Rallison.
Cami and Josie take turns telling about their freshman year in high school, their competition for basketball awards and boys, and their efforts to remain best friends. For grades 6-9. RC 61459.
Perfect Shot by Kate William.
Shelley Novack is tall and graceful, and one of the best basketball players at Sweet Valley High. But being so tall makes Shelley feel like a freak. That is, until she meets Jim Roberts. But when Jim, an aspiring photographer, starts taking pictures of her, Shelley makes him promise never to show them to anyone. Now he has entered one of her pictures in the "Sweet Valley News" photography contest. For grades 6-9. RC 30630.
Players by Joyce Sweeney.
Naive Corey, captain of his high school basketball team, readily accepts newcomer Noah as a member of the squad. But as bad and illegal events start happening, Corey recognizes that Noah is evil and manipulates everyone. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
RC 51979.
Taking Sides by Gary Soto.
Eighth-grader Lincoln Mendoza and his mother have just moved from a San Francisco barrio to a wealthy, predominantly white suburb. He misses his Hispanic friends and his old neighborhood. And although he's made first string on the basketball team, the coach dislikes him for no apparent reason. As Mendoza prepares to play basketball against his old school, he feels torn and unsure of where he belongs. For grades 6-9. RC 37453.
For Junior and Senior High Readers
Blue Star Rapture by James W. Bennett.
T.J.’s friend Tyron is being courted by college basketball agents. Worried that academically poor Tyron will be taken advantage of, T.J. tries to guide him but then begins feeling guilty about his own motives. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. BR 11820.
Danger Zone by David Klass.
Jim Doyle from Minnesota is selected to be in an international junior basketball tournament in Italy. At the training camp, his teammates shun him because of his racial identity and social inexperience. But in Rome, when the team encounters discrimination and death threats, Jim proves his loyalty. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. BR 11954 and RC 47185.
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers.
A father-son relationship develops between seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson, who grew up without a father, and his basketball coach, Cal Jones, a professional player who quit basketball after a point-shaving incident. Describes action on the basketball court. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. For junior and senior high readers. BR 6545 and RC 34574.
The Moves Make the Man: A Novel by Bruce Brooks.
Jerome, the "Jayfox," a brilliant black student and top-notch basketball player, reaches out to an emotionally troubled white boy. As Jerome attempts to help the boy through basketball, a special friendship develops between the two. Strong language and some scenes of racial bigotry. For junior and senior high readers. RC 23531 and LP 351.
Night Hoops by Carl Deuker.
Nick Abbot works hard in his backyard basketball court to make the high school varsity team. Neighbor Trent Dawson—a tough kid and dirty player—makes Nick’s life miserable until they both realize that teamwork and friendship mean the difference between success and failure. For junior and senior high readers. RC 50476.
On the Devil’s Court by Carl Deuker.
During the summer of Joe Faust’s senior year, his father leaves his position at Harvard for one at the University of Washington. Although his father wants Joe to be a scientist, Joe is obsessed with basketball. He blows his chance to attend a public high school with a good team when he gets drunk. He is sent to a small private school instead. Joe wishes himself into a Faustian pact and becomes a superstar on a winning team. For junior and senior high readers. RC 37952.
Outside Shot by Walter Dean Myers.
More basketball action as high school star Lonnie Jackson gets recruited by and earns a scholarship to a small Midwestern college. Realizing that his Harlem community has not prepared him for this new environment, Lonnie struggles to adjust to college life and to the demands of his schedule. Sequel to: Hoops (BR 6545 and RC 34574). For junior and senior high readers. BR 6647.
Please Say Yes by Alice Owen Crawford.
The girls at Riverport High decree there will be no hand-holding, dates, hugs, or kisses until the boys’ basketball team votes to split a large sum of money with the girls’ team. Easy reading for junior and senior high. RC 23601.
The Rebounder by Thomas J. Dygard.
Hamilton High’s basketball coach, Doug Fulton, fantasizes each year that a superb player will transfer to his school. This year he thinks his dream has come true when he spots tall, athletic Chris Patton. But Chris denies being a basketball player until Coach Fulton learns the disturbing truth from Chris’s former school. For junior and senior high readers. BR 11240 and RC 47713.
Squared Circle by James Bennett.
Despite his mediocre grades, high school all-American basketball star Sonny Youngblood wins a full college scholarship. Achieving national celebrity, he soon comes under official scrutiny and begins to reexamine his priorities. Strong language and violence. For junior and senior high readers. BR 10805.
For Senior High Readers
How I Fell in Love & Learned to Shoot Free Throws by Jon Ripslinger.
When Harlem basketball talent Greg "Slam" Harris transfers to a magnet high school in the Bronx, everyone expects him to do well and go on to college. But Slam is feeling pressure in school and at home, then discovers that his best friend is dealing drugs. For senior high readers. RC 57541.
Playing Without the Ball by Rich Wallace.
After his dad moves away, basketball-obsessed Jay stays alone in his small hometown to finish his senior year of high school. But when he is cut from the school team, Jay joins a church league and continues playing while struggling to survive. Strong language. For senior high readers. RC 52792 and LP 798.
Slam! by Walter Dean Myers.
When Harlem basketball talent Greg "Slam" Harris transfers to a magnet high school in the Bronx, everyone expects him to do well and go on to college. But Slam is feeling pressure in school and at home, then discovers that his best friend is dealing drugs. For senior high readers. RC 49501.
For High School and Adult Readers
The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened by Don Robertson.
Morris Bird III, 17, is in love with life, sex, and basketball. When he collapses on the basketball court after scoring the winning basket, and the diagnosis is leukemia, he faces a new type of challenge. For high school and adult readers. BR 1507.