Do you like basketball? Do you like it when the games get close? Well, then you should read this book. This book is perfect for people who like to watch or even play basketball. There are no hard words that would confuse you, and the chapters are short so that you can fit them into a busy day. Now sit back and relax while I explain the elements of this book.

So first we are going to discuss the conflict. The main conflict is the two parents being split up and trying to find time for all the kids. The dad is coaching his son's basketball team in a rec league. The mother is always working and going out of town, so she has to have the babysitter watch the kids and bring them where they need to go. The parents are split up and that still hasn’t settled with the 2 boys. One of the boys doesn’t talk much because he does not feel like his father makes time for just him. He also doesn’t feel like his mother does the same but she has an excuse and that is working out of town a lot to support the family.

Next, we have what the plot looks like. So the plot has very many high parts. What do I mean? There are parts where the book puts you on the edge of your seat when you finish a chapter. Some words give you textual evidence to help you understand more of what is happening. There were many dramatic events in the book and they emphasized them with highly valued words. Some words or phrases would be “slammed his fist in his face”, “sprinted down the court with ease”, and “majestically rolled his fingers across the keys of the piano”.

The main character in the book is for sure Billy. Billy was in all of the scenes and always got affected in some way. He was the middle child and looked after his little brother and always did what was right. He was the protagonist in the story. The side characters that were shown often were Ben, Mom, and Dad. Ben was the little brother and loved playing the piano. He had a recital that everyone showed up to and did well at. The dad was divorced from their mother but still lived in the area. He was the basketball head coach for Billy’s rec league team. The mother always worked and lived with the kids. She was always out of town and they had a babysitter that watched them most nights.

I think the theme of the novel is “do what feels right to you.” I think this is the theme because towards the end of the book when Ben’s recital came up his dad was not going to be there and Billy’s game was the same day as the recital and 30 minutes away from each other. Billy made the right decision and went to watch his little brother's recital instead of going to the game. He did what was right for him and felt amazing about it.

I recommend this novel because it has a very good storyline about a kid who loves
basketball and plays in a rec league. This novel is not too long and not too short, but if you feel
like it's too short there are other books made by the author that are similar to different sports. I
mainly liked how they kept the setting, conflict, and character’s feelings consistent and did not
have them jumping around all over the place. The conflict matches and is easily shaded into the
storyline and it includes all of the characters in the story. So I challenge you to go read this novel or another one written by Mike Lupica. ( )

Mike Lupica writes another amazing book. Mike Lupica writes it with a lot of play by play action and never lets you lose interest while reading his book. He make you feel like you're in the book. He writes it with absolutely amazing details.

Billy is having a rough couple of weeks. His parents are getting divorced, his little brother is acting different and his dad’s yelling at him for shooting too much. Will Billy be able to focus on the championship game and be there when Ben needs him? Mike Lupica describes his characters with amazing detail. When something bad happens, I know how Billy will react. I feel like I am Billy and Lennys friend in the book. Thats how amazing he describes his characters. The Plot is very well written and I never don’t know what's going on, but I like how its so unpredictable and i never know what’s going to happen. I like this book mostly because of its topic. I really like basketball and can relate to this book. The hook could be a little better. It doesn’t draw you in but once you make it past the first couple of pages then it will never lose your interest again. This book is a good level for me, because its not to hard or too easy, it was just right. ( )

This book was really good. I recommend this book to sports fans and basketball fans. ( )

Ten year old Billy Raynor only lives for one thing, and that's basketball. When he's on the basketball court with his buddy Lenny and his team the Magic, he's truly happy and it seems like all of his problems disappear. Or at least they would if Billy's dad wasn't also the team's head coach. Worse, Billy's parents have just separated and his dad has moved out of the house. And Billy's dad won't get off his back about his playing, insisting that Billy shoots too much and is trying too hard to be a sports hero instead of a team player. Both Billy and his father want to see the Magic go all the way to the championship this year, but even if the team makes it, will the two of them still be father and son when it's all over?

Billy's difficult relationship with his father takes center stage in this novel. Billy's dad is stubborn, opinionated, and has his own ideas about what Billy should and shouldn't do. He often doesn't listen to Billy, and clearly has his own problems to worry about as well. In short, he's the kind of dad we all can be sometimes. While Billy and his father are antagonists throughout the novel, Billy nevertheless still yearns to make him proud. Lupica's depiction of a difficult father and son relationship is quite realistic of their conflict while also avoiding demonizing either Billy or his father. He also portrays how children can often feel trapped within situations larger than themselves, especially those situations (like separation) that may never have a happy ending. The level of the text is appropriate for young readers, and this is an excellent book for a child (especially a boy) who loves basketball or sports, who is caught in the midst of his parents' separation or divorce, or who has a father who may sometimes ride him just a little too hard when trying to teach him important life lessons. Review by Book Dads ( )